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[Slam] The Forgotten Dynasty

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Hayesfan, Mar 5, 2010.

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  1. Hayesfan

    Hayesfan Contributing Member

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    Can Yao Ming bring a championship to Houston in 2011?

    by Pardeep Toor

    Forgive me for questioning the validity of the Los Angeles Lakers 2009 Championship run. Yes, Kobe got his post-Shaq ring, redemption, vindication, magazine covers, late-night television appearances in jumpsuits, photo-ops at Disneyland with his kids, an embrace with his wife on the court and a chance to nationally justify his fabricated scowl. Fact. Yet, I’m convinced more than themselves, the Lakers have a to thank and pay sacrifices to the ill-timed combustion of Yao Ming’s foot for all the glory and legacy-chat (looking at you, Kobe) that was bestowed upon them.

    The Lakers had no answer for Ming in the post early in the series and even without him, they were taken to seven games by a team who was missing their best and most efficient scorer, the centerpiece of the offense. Fast-forward almost a year now and much improved Rockets team on paper is out of the playoff picture while the Lakers continue their dominance and again the dichotomy between the two teams is not talent or effort on the court, but the health of Ming’s left foot.

    When healthy, Ming is one of the most calculated and proficient scorers in the League but his inability to finish a season has been tantalizing. Even after taking on salary at the trade deadline and diminishing their cap space this off-season, the Rockets are still expected to be aggressive in free agency but maybe they are banking on Yao to be their big and only acquisition?

    Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle reported earlier this week that Yao is very much a crucial part of the plan:

    Yao Ming remains the key to everything for the Rockets. That’s the bottom line, right, Daryl Morey?

    “Yes,” he said.

    After all of Morey’s precise calculations and smart moves, the most important step to making the Rockets serious contenders next season requires a leap of faith.

    “We have to bet on Yao,” the general manager said. “There’s no other way to go at this point.”

    But the question surrounding Yao has little to do with this game but whether he can be relied on for a full regular-season and a championship playoff run after that.

    The current Rockets team that was re-assembled on the whim at the trade deadline is already the third era built around Yao. He began his career with the high-flying Steve Francis and Cutino Mobley combo, which was then exchanged for Tracy McGrady and his accompanying first round playoff disappointments. The current core is the most talented, balanced and deepest team Yao will play on in his career. Defensively they are long and aggressive with Shane Battier, Trevor Ariza and Jared Jeffries; have sound complementary bigs in Luis Scola and Chuck Hayes; two points guards who crash the paint in Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry and most recently added Kevin Martin — a prolific scorer who will be lethal once Yao attracts the second defender in the post next season.

    This Rockets team has been personally assembled for Yao to step in, dominate and make a serious championship run but the question persists: to what extent can Yao be relied upon?

    Each of Yao’s last four seasons have ended due to injury making his departure from the association an annual event that results in a myriad of “here we go again” columns from the media and a collective sigh, which was once a gasp, from fans.

    Yao’s ability to bounce back and return to his 20/10/2 with handsome percentages becomes a more philosophical question than one related to basketball. It depends on whether some people are truly unlucky and more prone to injury than others or if hurt is just a chance occurrence that has little connection with previous ailments.

    For every early tragedy like Greg Oden, there is light at the end like Grant Hill. For each Ming, there’s a Kenyon Martin and Amar’e Stoudamire – players who have gathered themselves after serious bodily trauma to play ball at an elite level again. Fates can change – that’s why I watch basketball — to experience a lifetime’s worth of highs and lows condensed in a few seasons.

    With Ming, a 2010 Daryl Morey lottery-pick and a few dollars available to spend in free agency, the Rockets are primed to make a run next year. After the trade deadline, it appears the Rockets have built the outline of championship-caliber team with the presumption of planting the big man in the center to put them over the top. The three-point shooting, diverse array of big men, perimeter defense and quick guards all appear to be aligned with the assumption that Ming returns and is productive as he’s ever been. With Yao and the current cast next year, power shifts in the Western Conference a tad toward the Rockets. Without him, they don’t make the leap from a borderline playoff team to a potential championship one. In 2010-11, unlike the current and last year, though, I imagine there is a backup plan in Houston should history once again repeat itself.
     
    #1 Hayesfan, Mar 5, 2010
    1 person likes this.
  2. Hayden_SFC

    Hayden_SFC Member

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    I actually kinda enjoyed that read. When Yao comes back the playoffs are certain in my mind, and that's all you need. As long as you're in. ;)
    Every playoff team in the West can play, so next season we will meet the Lakers at some point and this time we win in 7.
    ....Unless Yao gets injured again next year, and if that happens.............
     
    #2 Hayden_SFC, Mar 5, 2010
  3. redao

    redao Member

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    Morey still bet on Yao? seriously?
     
    #3 redao, Mar 5, 2010
  4. solid

    solid Contributing Member

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    If the Rockets are still "building around Yao," they are not as smart as I thought they were. Behind the scenes, I doubt that is the plan.
     
    #4 solid, Mar 5, 2010
  5. Hayden_SFC

    Hayden_SFC Member

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    Damn, Solid on every ****in' thread just lets us know how Yao in unreliable. Oh, and how the organization is making bad decisions as well. Way to be deep and versatile Solid. ;) :grin:
     
    #5 Hayden_SFC, Mar 5, 2010
  6. T_Man

    T_Man Contributing Member

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    *cough* *cough* Bill Walton *cough* *cough*
     
    #6 T_Man, Mar 5, 2010
  7. trueroxfan

    trueroxfan Member

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    he wasn't injured in the series against utah in 2007, i know he was injured in 06, but didn't he come back at the end of the year?
     
    #7 trueroxfan, Mar 5, 2010
  8. cheshire

    cheshire Contributing Member

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    Yao will be healthy next season and we will prevail.

    Nothing more frustrating than having the talent and star power of Yao in street clothes.
     
    #8 cheshire, Mar 5, 2010
  9. Patience

    Patience Contributing Member

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    Agreed. Yao is just a smokescreen. Morey is definitely building around Chuck Hayes. Morey has quietly spent years plugging complementary talent around Chuck's interior game. This is the deepest supporting cast Chuck has ever had. The Rockets now have a lethal outside game to complement Chuck's offensive arsenal.
     
    #9 Patience, Mar 5, 2010
    2 people like this.
  10. BetterThanEver

    BetterThanEver Contributing Member

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    I am sure that's why Morey is chasing big men like Amare, Bosh, and Demarcus Cousins. If Yao breaks his foot again, the other big would slide over to starting C.
     
    #10 BetterThanEver, Mar 5, 2010
  11. Tfor3

    Tfor3 Member

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    good read. I just hate how the last few yrs has been, "if we could just be healthy." If we could just get a great pg, if we could get a great pf, we need pure shooters, we need more athleticism, we need more depth, we need a backup center, we need...blah, blah, blah............

    Let's do this next year or wtf :mad:
     
    #11 Tfor3, Mar 5, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2010
  12. freemaniam

    freemaniam 我是自由人

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    If you read Richard Justice's article (that quoted by the Toor) carefully, you'd know that Morey has not put all the eggs into one basket.

    At this point of time, it appears that the Rockets has bet all on Yao. Morey said in Richard's article that their assumption is Yao could become his good self when he is able to play on the court. They are positive with Yao's rehab progress but they cannot tell until they see Yao actually plays on the court.

    Les said after last playoff Yao was pretty much the only untouchable player in the team but it is widely reported nowadays that such idea has changed already.
     
    #12 freemaniam, Mar 5, 2010
  13. spaceage808

    spaceage808 Member

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    the rockets are learning to play without yao. they will have nearly a quarter of a season with this squad to continue learning. with that said, when yao comes back, we will not need him to play the type of minutes that he has in the past. this will be crucial to his health in my opinion. and as long as our group sans yao can manage to keep the game from falling apart when yao is on the bench, i can see us making it into the playoffs next year while limiting yao's time during the regular season.

    i recall another rockets team that was able to pull off a miracle with the 6th seed. one can only hope that the spirit of clutch city is within our current rockets.
     
    #13 spaceage808, Mar 5, 2010
  14. battousai

    battousai Member

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    Couple of things that I disagreed with the writer.

    1. This isn't the 3rd "team" Rockets are building "around" Yao. This is the second time with Tmac the first and KM second. Yao was drafted to build "around" Steve Francis.

    2. As of today, Last year's team on paper is the strongest of all. On paper we got Landry, Tmac, Artest vs now Ariza, KM.

    I think the future is bright for the rockets if DM manage to pull his magic this off season. Don't forget up to this point Yao has been playing non-stop all year around. I expecting Yao to be fresh and start a new season.
     
    #14 battousai, Mar 5, 2010
  15. rockergordon

    rockergordon Member

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    I think the master plan is to get an all star caliber pf/c. If we are able to pick up an all star then yao is the icing on the cake. Like david robinson and tim duncan. We truly are one all star away$. Fortunately morey has positioned us to get one this summer. My question is: does this happen on draft day or the first day of free agency?
     
    #15 rockergordon, Mar 5, 2010
  16. mgraye2969

    mgraye2969 Member

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    Who else is kind of ready for the Yao era to be done with?...Its time for the Bosh, Brooks, Martin era
     
    #16 mgraye2969, Mar 5, 2010
  17. T_Man

    T_Man Contributing Member

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    Hey Count me in..... 1 Down.. 1 To Go!!!!
     
    #17 T_Man, Mar 6, 2010
  18. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost not wrong
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    As Yao goes, so do the Rockets, until he retires. So get used to it.
     
    #18 DonnyMost, Mar 6, 2010
  19. mgraye2969

    mgraye2969 Member

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    yes I realize that Yao is a very important piece but I would much rather the Rockets not build around a guy that cant finish a season...Yao should be more of a BIG Z type of player than the focal point of our future!
     
    #19 mgraye2969, Mar 6, 2010
  20. DreamWeaver

    DreamWeaver Member

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    Why do you think Bosh would bring us closer to a championship?

    He could not lead the current Raptors team that has Turk, Calderon and Bargnana to more respectable record. How would he fare in the fiercely competitive division that Rockets are in?
     
    #20 DreamWeaver, Mar 6, 2010
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