Synchronicity (or why the Rockets should be a dynasty)

I know; I saw the caveat in your initial post, but I think, given what we do know about McGrady and Yao, health is too big an “if” to ignore. I approve of the trade, and will probably invest in NBA TV to catch next season’s games (something I did not do this year); it should be enthralling to watch the show, and I do hope that it can last a decade (knock on particle board).

My point, though: we do know that McGrady has a medical history of back problems, right now. I am by no means a doctor, but it seems to me that that does not bode well for his long-term basketball future. At the very least, it puts his durability into question. It would suggest that he probably cannot be counted on for an 82 game season, and could very well prove to be a game-time decision in one too many playoff games.

With regard to Yao, I think it’s within the realm of reason to extend from previous examples, because there are so many. I’m thinking Ralph Sampson, Bill Walton, Eaton, Brad Daugherty, Sabonis, Z. Ilgauskas, Rony Seikaly, Rik Smits, McHale, My Giant Mhuresan. All these guys, if I remember rightly, were hobbled, or at least severely limited, by foot/leg injuries relatively early in their careers. I don’t think that these injuries were freak accidents, either, or entirely unpredictable, but on the contrary were a result of their expanded frames.

Yes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was perceived a giant in his time, and Yao is a giant in ours. I don’t follow; I don’t understand how that or the nation’s current obesity epidemic bears any relation to the physical stresses that increased body mass undeniably creates. Physics is physics. He may be proportional, his growth is not a result of hormonal giantism, and he does have muscular legs. But that doesn’t change the fact that every time he jumps 315-20 pounds comes crashing back to the hardwood. As far as I know, there’s nothing to suggest that bones, tendons and ligaments increase in durability as height/weight increases. That’s why, I believe, exceptionally large men and women are more susceptible to leg and foot problems. That’s also why I suggest that Yao faces a decidedly increased risk of leg/foot ailments, as opposed to, say, a Sebastian Telfair coming into the league.

The free agency qualification you mentioned doesn’t seem to have much bearing on this superstar duo. All indications suggest McGrady will sign an extension in August, locking him up. And there don’t seem to be any barriers to Yao re-upping when his rookie contract expires. But the other x-factor, health, does seem to weigh more heavily upon the Rockets’ championship chances. As long as we’re prognosticating, I don’t think that it is too much of a stretch to factor this particular into the equation.

Be it two or ten years, however, it should be fun while it lasts.

 

MacBeth, I enjoy your felicitous posts... I would have preferred the expression high 'falutin', but my lame-ass Merriam Webster does not acknowledge 'falutin' (or any variation in spelling there of) as a word.

Anyway, I agree the makings for a dynasty are there, but worry that Yao may not have what it takes to acheive/sustain superstardom over the course of time. I hope I'm wrong.

Keep the great post's coming. Thanks.

Win