Yao Ming will not play more than 24 minutes in any game this season

Well, there goes being "all in" this season. I see 2nd round and done. Maybe next year we'll be better, but I think we're screwing ourselves as the Thunder are just going to keep better and better. If Oden can play a healthy full year the Blazers will be better. LA is going anywhere until Kobe tears his ACL.

I'm with a DD quote I remember. Okay so its a paraphrase, I but agree we go all out with Yao Ming and see what happens. If he fails and gets hurt again, lets give him a gold watch, thank him for a decade of service, and move on. I love Yao Ming to death, but putting our ultimate goal of winning a championship on Yao isn't working out so well.

 

We don't have a Tim Duncan nor a Tony Parker. Tim Duncan is a far more dangerous player than Ginobli.

 

Calm down, guys. It could be much worse. At least he isn't limited to 8 minutes a game. And if Morey says there is evidence that shows stress build up on his foot when he plays 35-40 minutes, then I'm all for keeping Yao's minutes down. Once he makes it to the playoffs healthy, then things will change. They're not saying Yao isn't fully recovered, they just want to be safe and limit his chances of getting hurt again. This is how you go about doing just that.

For years, fans have been crying to limit Yao's minutes to reduce the chance of injury. It finally happens and the fans still aren't satisfied.

 

Can't believe people are actually upset/panicking about this. Did you guys seriously expect Yao to jump right back in playing 30-40 minutes per game? He's coming off a major surgery, and the Rockets are going to handle him with care. And rightfully so.

This is the NBA. You know, that joke league where sixteen teams get into the playoffs? We'd be in even without Yao this season. This way, his chances of being healthy throughout the playoffs will be higher.

 

I want to see him playing with Lowry rather than brooks.

With brooks, Yao has to make the play for brooks to score, with Lowry, lowry can make the play for Yao to finish. That saves the wear and tear from banging down low, in effect he could be a super finisher rather than pushing and shoving on the block all the time.

 

Maybe the best and most telling sentance in this entire thread. Perspective is a very valuable thing.

We're not lacking in size or scoring. If we can get a Dampier type to add some shotblocking and rebounding, this is a team that can keep a 7 footer (give or take an inch) on the floor for the entire game.

Remember all, Chucky played 21 mpg last season, and that allowed him to contribute pretty significantly.

 

Ultimately, I'm fine with this, but we better not go giving him a huge long-term contract just because he stayed healthy playing 24 minutes a game. If he's going to get good money, I want to know that he can hold up over a season.

 

Your analysis is wrong.

With Lowry teams will double team Yao because they want Lowry to shoot the ball.

DD

 

Double teams are fine, I haven't seen Yao that bothered by double teams since 2007/08 season, he's figure it out, it's the fronting that is his achilles heel. He could score relatively efficiently even against a double team.

He needs to make this transition in his career anyway, i don't think he can handle having to create the offense for the other 4 guys on the floor anymore, he has to move his game to being a super finisher.

 

I like how people would pooh-pooh our great regular season accomplishments in the past few years given what we had, saying that the playoffs are all that matters, and now that we have a strategy that is geared towards winning in the playoffs people are angry.

Sounds all-in to me.

 

regular season accomplishments?? :grin:

this is the NBA. more teams make the playoffs than don't. last year..we didn't.

 

this should not be a problem. yao had always been less effective in the 2nd half (especially the 4th quarter) anyway due to either fatigue or fronting. so just let him play more minutes in the 1st half and go through him constantly, then let him rest more in the 2nd half and just play the run and gun game.

 

I'd rather have 35mins of marc gasol than 24 mins of the injury in progress.

 

Id rather see them let yao play eight minutes a quarter and let him sit the second quarter depending on the situation if in fact this 24 mpg thing is true.

 

Count me in on this idea!

 

I hoping this is just for the beginning of the season and they increase his minutes later on becuase how do we expect to be contenders when our "best/franchise" player is only playing 24mins?
Not to be a downer but this news of 24mins has made my excitement level for the rockets upcoming season change

Giddy |======[]==| Sad

 

Yao has had plenty of trouble with double teams. Yao is notorious for losing the ball to roaming defenders. Furthermore, this isnt even about collapsing double teams when he starts his post moves.

With Lowry on the floor, teams will stick one defender between Yao and the basket, the other fronting him while conceding the open 3 point shot to Lowry.

Putting Lowry on the floor with Yao is pretty much guaranteeing Yao is fronted 100% of the time.

 

So how do you want to see Yao's 24 minutes spent?

Ill say:

1st Qtr - First 8 minutes
2nd Qtr - 0
3rd Qtr - First 8 minutes
4th Qtr - Last 8 Minutes.

 

Look at the team we assembled around Yao's contract. Remember how we got snubbed by all the major FAs in the offseason? I could just see players lined up to join the Rockets with a Yaoless, far less global team....

Are you people just scared? It's ok to admit it. It's understandable the injuries have made you people a little timid. But there's IS NOTHING YOU PEOPLE CAN DO ABOUT, THE ROCKET'S WANT TO KEEP YAO FOR AT LEAST THIS SEASON GET OVER IT.

I wish I could live in a gumdrop fantasy world like some of you people but instead I make lemonade. Seriously Marc Gasol Leebigez? Why not just go for Brook Lopez while we are smoking crack. There are endless routes we could go with or without Yao so why bother?

 

Probably the last minutes of each quarter, to maximize the free throw penalty plan.