On a team this deep being on the bench coming back from an injury shouldnt even be a question. Its called working them back into the lineup. They wont be in game ready shape after ankle injuries this severe. Its not that Yao or AB haven't "earned" their title as starters, its just that in order for this team to win, with the roster they have, the players need to understand that the coach is going to put the lineup on the floor every night that gives the team the best ability to win. Brooks and Yao are starters if 100% healthy, but they are not, so it makes sense that they should be worked back into the lineup to allow the team to keep the momentum going into January to get above .500. As for Yao... thats a whole other story. With his minute constraints whats the point of him starting the game. It just doesnt make sense to me as far as the rotations go. In the game of basketball, especially at the NBA level in the history of the game, players will "play limited minutes off of the bench." It has always been this way for a reason and why the Rockets organization and the coaches think he should start the game because he has earned it is besides me and makes no sense.
We are not deep. We are filled with a bunch of 1 way role players who needs their best players to be on the floor. Starting or not starting, we need to fit them in the lineup "now". Or this season is over. Just because we won 3 of the last 5 games, does not spell Momentum. Considering 1 game we shot 16 3 pointers(fluke) and Needing Shane to score in both the Thunders and Lakers game to win (Another Fluke, because Shane has never shown to be a consistent scorer). That was luck. We could of easily been 0-5 vs 3-2 in the last 5 games.
Maybe that is the traditional way but you can successfully limit a starters minutes as well. Here are examples of playoff teams whose starters play similar minutes to Yao: DeShawn Stevenson (Dallas) 13mpg. Shelden Williams (Denver) 20mpg. Keith Bogans (Chicago) 20mpg. Derek Fisher (L.A.) 26mpg. (Bynum will be limited also when he returns) Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Miami) 17mpg. Shaq (Boston) 22mpg. Chuck Hayes (Houston) 20mpg. <---(Insert Yao here) All he has to do is play the minutes that Chuck plays and we will be fine.
Rick has mentioned that Hill is playing with Miller in the rotation is because Miller can teach Hill on court. If Yao come back with good condition, I think it is better to Yao with Scola, Hill with Miller for three quarters, and Yao or Miller with Hill in the fourth quarter. Hayes is just playing for some particular condition, eg, ending Dirk, Garnett, etc
