[Wojnarowski] Rockets can't be contenders because of Yao's minutes

Good at inside scoops, crap at predictions.

DD

 

Nailed it!

 

Yeah. OK. Did he mention the effect of having two 7 footers who can score in Yao and Miller? To a 42 win team already? Double digit scorers at center dont fall in everyones lap. Let alone two of them in every other teams offseason. Let alone 7 ft 6 and 7ft tall and can play defense and pass as well.

 

The rockets still need a 2nd shotblocker or rim protector. Miller does have size, but is not a shot blocking presence. Battier and Jeffries are probably the better shotblockers after Yao. Im not worried about the teams offense, its their defense that really needs to improve from last season.

 

More than blocking shots, it's about changing shots. Marcus Camby was good at blocking shots and his teams were terrible defensively. Dwight Howard does both and his teams are elite defensively.

Yao is good at changing shots.

 

I wish we had a young, tall athletic 5/4 shot blocker, a defensive specialist on a cheap rookie contract. Patterson's not aces as a shot blocker, although he's good at everything else, pretty much. Hill could fit that role if he were more polished, but he had such a late start playing the game that the jury is out on whether he'll add "defensive specialist" along with his more polished offensive resume. Someone similar to Josh Smith, but with a brain, would be groovy indeed. Perhaps Morey will find that guy at some point in the future.

 

that's a definite need but hard to acquire. i wonder how Miller will fare if called upon to man the starting position for a protracted period. at 34 asking any more than low to mid 20's (minutes) would be risky. which leaves lots of opportunities for Hill, Jeffries & the stream lined Chuck wagonette.

i'm not too uncomfortable asking those guys to step in for the occasional back2back. consistently filling that half game void over a longer period will be challenging. probably too much for their skill sets and/or experience.

 

The main reason Camby, Howard and Yao can change shots is because they are all very good shotblockers and the offensive player knows that.

 

I totally agree with you Deckard. More legit shotblocking makes Battier, Hayes, Jeffries and Lee better on the ball defenders knowing they have a true rim protector patroling the lane.

 

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

Wrong. Sasha only averaged 16 mpg for the Lakers in 08-09.

 

Anthony Randolph (after Adelman gets ahold of him)

 

That could work!

 

Yeah, i don't think he fits in D antoni's system.

 

Woinarowski prediction could be right for no contender, but so what? You want to increase Yao's minute to injure him again. Yao's current minute is close to Big Z's one when he was returning from his injure. Even P. Jackson of Lakers said he would follow Yao's approach for their center, because he has been injured for last three years. Contender or not, the rockets want to protect their best player to be healthy, a past history already demonstrated that a big size Yao can not handle a big minute in NBA.

 

Preseason already shows the impact of having just one 7 footer on the roster now. We have two. Last year none. We HAD CHUCK HAYES and won 42 games. Every game was over a hundred by the opposition. Already in preseason? Teams being held to close to 90 points. There is a huge difference in that team. Kevin Martin even looks better this year. Just as that 42 game prediction was nowhere what the experts said for us? This year they are gonna be wrong again. We will be contenders or close to the top of the Western conference.

Western Conference standings expected.
Lakers
Dallas
Houston
Oklahoma
Portland
San Antonio
Jazz
Phoenix

 

Its a good thing you cant hype your way to contenders in the NBA right? Refs and league have no bearing what so ever to effect the outcome of how good the Rockets will be right ESPN and sports columnists?

Its all legit which means Rockets can be contenders if Yao plays good enough and Miller. Not even Oklahoma could pull itself from 8th seed to above the Rockets just off of star status alone. Unless we are talking about NBA officiating changing games for teams with stars and teams without.. I know the NBA doesnt work like that though. The best teams get wins dont they?