Why do I keep hearing this team isn't good enough with Yao?

From Basketball point of view, you almost have to do the deal if that's on the table.

 

An excellent analysis to which I'd like to add the following:

Injurie issues aside, I'm just not convinced that adding a big plodding center in Yao will work anymore. When the Rockets took Yao, it was with the belief that having a superstar big man would propel them into the ranks of NBA title contenders. When that didn't come to pass, then it was determined that what was lacking was another "superstar" player to complement Yao. That led them to gut the team in the McGrady trade which was supposed to (but didn't) add another superstar player.

It's now 5 years later, MeMac is gone, that team no longer exists and they (Rockets) are no closer to challenging for a title than they were 5 years ago. Plus, it appears to me that the days of having a big slow guy in the middle being the focus of your offense has passed particularly when you look at the type of team that has evolved sans Yao. A better fit for the current Rockets' team is a center more in the vein of a Dwight Howard or a Kevin Garnett type player. While I can understand the hopeful optimism of folks like DD about next year, I really have to see some evidence that merely adding Yao next year will result in the type of team that Leebigez described and that's a tall order in the NBA Western Conference.

 

Hmm...

Yao is a good player, not great like Shaq.

Yao does all the little things outside of putting up numbers (20-10, which is nice) that helps our team offensively and defensively.

People say that he will limit our defense is not true. His presence in the paint, I cannot stress this enough, will help cut down on all the points in the paint that teams have been able to pour on us of late.

Whether he will ever be the same, I have no clue, but I do not see him deteriorating quickly. His game isn't based on power and speed, which are 2 attributes in athletes that are lost quickly with age. With his polish around the rim, his solid jump shot and his solid boxing out fundamentals, I can definitely see him still getting 20-10 numbers.

Also saying that Yao doesn't fit into the offense is rather unfounded. Have you ever seen all 5 people run the fast break? Usually a fast break only has 3/5 of the people ever truly running on offense for easy baskets. Like the way the Lakers used Kareem (so many people have said this before), let him outlet the ball, if there is no opportunity just pull the ball back out.

In the half court offense, still play him in the post. He is a big body, big pick, and can pass. He will open lanes and get open shots for the others with ease.

Another point: Scola and Brooks did their job against Portland because Portland was daring other players to beat them. Obviously the first game didn't work because Yao completely torched them. Now by having the other positions helping off, such as the 4 and the 1, scola and brooks both get more room to operate and score. This is a PRIME REASON why Yao doesn't put up numbers. He is helping his teammates OUTSIDE of the boxscore.


I just repeated what a lot of people just said.

Hopefully we will get Greg Monroe or Udoh

And backup power forward in Hill, we don't need to find another.

 

Given the age difference, and injury history, in a heart beat. As much as many here love Yao, it is always Rockets team first. Even assuming a reasonable recovery, Yao will soon start to decline. Father time.

 

Sigh... did anyone of those average anything compared to what Yao Ming did in his career? I was a Houston Fan since the 95 season and he made me a fan again when he was drafted. Comparing those guys to an All star is such Bull*****! Did you even watch the playoffs last year?...

Are these people even rockets fans?... trying to calm down...

 

I have been advocating that deal for 2 years now......

 

I'd give up anyone on our current roster 1 for 1 if it means we can get Bosh.

 

I don't get it. Why do you have beef with the people who make our player more than what he is (assuming that is really the case)?

I have no problem with people saying AB a top 3 PG in the league. I have no problem with people saying Scola a top 5 offensive PF in NBA. Geeze, I don't even have problem with people saying Deke the best defensive player in the history of the NBA.

So I am very curious as to why you are always so infuriated when people make a Rockets player more than what he is. Wanna share?

 

What does Bosh have to do with anything?

I mean, if we're going to compare Yao to random players...

Would you trade Yao for Wade?
Would you trade Yao for the injured KG?
Would you trade Yao for Rik Smits in his prime so we can settle the Smits v Yao debate once and for all?

Who cares if Yao's trade value's greater or less than Bosh? The last time I checked, the chance of such a trade happening is ZERO.

 

OK, so you hate (in your own word) the people because they have gone overboard (in your opinion) to compare a Houston Rockets player to some great players. Or have I misunderstood what you tried to say?

 

I think Yao gets us close but not quite there. We need a good back-up center - people for get how much Deke contributed at times.

That should make us pretty competitive next year - and a lot will depend on how guys like Hill and Chase grow.

We have a very good team...but at the end of next season, if we don't win it all, I say go for Carmelo.

 

Um either one of them? throw in kendrick perkins too? Yeah its true garnett would have an 18 footer all day but you give him that to protect the paint (he'll hit it but thats why he's a future HOF'er). Bring it inside and no one, not even lebron james, isn't completely bothered by Yao's defensive presence. Ask dwight howard, shaq, gasol what kind of a beast yao is inside, he outplays or on a bad day plays them to a wash every time.

And are you saying we would've been worse off in that celtics game without yao???? did YOU WATCH? WE WERE GETTING MURDERED INSIDE.

Fact is when yao is healthy, he's the best center in the league. Having had a surgery that has been proven effective on another 7'2+ guy, having his minutes reduced by having some backup size that can play both ends, and with the scoring and maturity we've added to this team, even if yao plays 25 mins a game and average 14 and 8...we are a championship team.

 

i agree yao gets us close, but not there.... the defensive issues of this team MUST be addressed, and just plugging in yao is not going to correct things. the offense also will not be the same, its going to be a completely different team than this year. i feel like the team right now without yao, should be better than it is so im not that hopeful adding yao is going to make us elite. yao is no shaq or tim duncan

 

RocketForever,

I have no problem with people saying that Yao was one of the top 5 centers in 2008-2009 season.. But I do have a problem of saying that Yao is one of the top 5 centers of all time.

Some YOF think that the Rockets organization began when Yao joined the team or that Yao put the Rockets on the map. The Rockets are a team not one individual.

Yao is good, but not great.. Moses and Hakeem carried their teams to the playoffs, Yao has not and is not capable of doing that. But a lot of YOF will argue you from here to the end of the world that this is not true.

A while back there was a debate that Yao was better than Hakeem.. Now a lot of that watched Hakeem play can only laugh, we saw what Hakeem could do a lot of YOF only saw highlights of Hakeem on youtube or from tinman's post.

Yao is good and if you are just a fan of Yao cool... Cheer for him, hype him up but don't disrespect the ones that have come before him. Don't get pissed after a win because Yao didn't get enough touches or blame other players because Yao got out played or want to get rid of other players on the team because they out shined Yao. The same thing went for the TOF..

Basically back the team not just a player..

 

i honestly thought you had a point before you quoted the other post.
tman, get off the pipe mate, its no good for your mental health.
the op used hakeem and kareem as an example to back up his point of "Centers age better than smaller guards," its really that simple. he didnt compare their achievements, stats or anything basketball skill wise...

 

There aren't any YOFs in this thread, but I'm glad you love to have stirring conversations in your head. But, how bout you keep it there?

Oh, btw. Who would you say are the top 5 PGs in the league?

 

First off the question that I ask DD about who guards Yao is for this reason... Yao coming back off of a surgery is not gong to be that mobile. He will have to guard Davis or Garnett and they are not going to bang him under the board... They are going to take him to the outside and make him move. This is not College and you just can't stand under the basket, even a 3 -2 zone is not the same as college.

Just because you stick Yao on the team does not make them a Chanpionship team.

Since you want to reference Big Z, I will go there with you...

1) Big Z was 25 when he had his surgery.. There's a big difference between having a surgery at 25 then 29. Recovery gets harder and longer each year.

2) When Big Z came back the following year he only played 24 games and 62 games the following year. This is Yao's contract year so how much money and time do we put into a guy that will be 30 and we really don't know what the future holds for him.

3) Big Z was 7'2 and 260 pounds.. Yao is 7'6 and 300 +.. that is a huge difference.

Andrew Toney, a guard for the Sixers also had foot problems that forced him out of basketball and he was only 6'3 - 170. I remember him saying in an interview that he was ok running straight but the cuts and constant jumping was very painful. Now Yao is much heavier and bottom heavy at that... So how will it be for him on both offense and defense.

 

Rightttttttttttttttttttttttttt

 

Leebigez is making the most sense so far in this thread.

T_man, although your trying your hardest to sound objective, I'm just not buying it.

The stench of bias is all over your posts.

 

...? Is that supposed to be a response?

Oh, I forgot you like talking to a wall. Is that an echo?