Yao is Playing 75% of Minutes, Not 50%. [Perspective]

That's my hope, too. As others have pointed out, it might be better and it might be worse, as he won't be able to "wear other centers down," so to speak. So who knows. But there's certainly reason for optimism.

Fair point, and one I agreed with upfront. Really just talking about the games he's playing. The games he's not playing.... yeah, that sucks.

Nicely done, sir. I know you're kinda kidding around, but I think that graph, basically, represents the risk-analysis that Morey used to arrive at the 24-minute cap.

I appreciate what you're saying, but I don't think the issue is that severe. 6 minutes at a stretch should be enough time to get fluidity. I mean, he only played at, like, 8 minutes a stretch before. Are those incremental 2 minutes really the make-or-break? Again, not saying this situation is ideal, but my main point is that it's closer to a normal scenario than it is a cameo/role-player scenario.

Many thanks. (To you and others.) And "Varasselas" would make about as much sense as "Rasselas."

 

One more thing this is not taking into account.

And it probably shouldn't be taken into account, as it's more of a hunch:

Mid-season, if things are going well, I bet the 24-minute cap will be relaxed, tested, and then, eventually, abandoned.

I don't remember the exact quote and I'm too lazy to search, but Morey et al have made comments along the lines of "subject to change, as the season progresses." I don't think they want to admit that, and they've been publicly playing the "hard cap" card. But it seems like there's wiggle room. What they're doing is very, very smart: lowering expectations so that we won't be disappointed. That's the right move. But what if they privately think this will be raised, and just don't want to get our hopes up?

Here's an analogy.

A buddy of mine had four kids: one girl and three boys. His wife got pregnant again. The daughter, a precocious 5-year-old, reeeaaaallllly wanted a sister, as opposed to a fourth brother. They wanted another girl. Everyone wanted a girl. It had to be a girl.

So here's what they did: months before they knew the gender, they told the daughter that the new baby would be a .... boy. The daughter accepted this, got used to it, and it would prevent any awkward disappointment in case the baby turned out to be a boy. And if it's actually a girl? Happy surprise, and she's not going to be angry at the parents for the white lie, she'll just be happy she has a sister.

Smart parenting, smart GMing.

Spoiler

It was a boy. Bummer. But at least this way she wasn't disappointed and wasn't left dangling.

 

60% of the time, he plays all the time.

 

Lol. Yeah. I think all I did was say something that many of us were thinking.