While the TOFs and YOFs are strangling each other in the post-game analysis, I'm more concerned that it looks like Yao's very heavy minutes thus far have taken a bit of a toll. Yao's competing as hard as ever, but he's even missing free throws. When you're a great free throw shooter, and you start mssing, it's got to be tired legs. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that TMAC missed so many games, as his legs should be fresh. If we hadn't dug ourselves such a hole with our record, RA could be monitoring Yao's minutes a bit more to keep him fresh for later in the year. Hopefully Yao will start the ASG and then sit most of it. He needs the rest. I'm worried, are you guys?
Watching the last couple of games, I have noticed him looking sluggish out there as well. He is either tired or in a shooting slump. He never seemed to command the ball in the post tonight, which would also mean he has tired legs. I hope he takes it easy. All Star games are usually really uptempo so I doubt he plays a lot if he doesn't want to. We need him bringing his A-game if we are going to do some damage
Yao should fake an injury or illness. He'll be exhausted just because of media engagement alone if he goes there.
no we cant just dust off yao for the playoffs. big man has it harder than most any player in the NBA but that doesn't mean he doesn't have to power through the season like any NBA player he'll be fine. second wind after all star break. if not. well there's nothing we can do about it we dont have the luxury of resting yao. sometimes you have no choice. you just gotta MAKE it work
We have 4 home games and then All-Star break, so no traveling for Yao Ming, and hes gonna be ready for All-Star game, rest some more and then be ready for action.
Maybe it's not the minutes that have affected him but being sick during a do or die stretch without Tracy. Recovering from the flu can drain and weaken a person.
my foucaultian bahktinian beaker just went off. there is an agenda behind this post. i mean, why else would someone post criticism of yao's minutes when the rockets win, but yao has a sub-par night? were on the road. yao's fatigue issue want born yesterday. RA is running them hard. newsflash. yao ming is a human being not a clockwork orange. if yao ming says "hey coach i need a breather", fricken rose peddles are thrown on the ground to greet him as he heads to the gatorade cooler. another newsflash. yao ming is young. really young. he plays an "im 8 ft tall game" not an "i need to jump out of the building and out-run you game" no i'm not worried. yao is a professional athlete. you have coaches, lawyers, business anaylsts, agents, marketing gurus, fellow teammates, international consolates, and dr. king stuff of fork mountain the third himself making sure that the rockets get the right amount of minutes out of yao every game.
I'm pretty sure that Yao played through flu in the game vs Warriors. He felt good in that game. But his energy was obviously drained after that game. He will be fine.
if he's tired already, how is he going to be able to grind through the playoffs if we have any goals of advancing? yao is going to play 35+ mins in the playoffs against brutal competition trying to double/triple/front and physically overwhelm him. and btw, i don't think it's fatigue. the greatest sign of fatigue for yao is inability to catch his breath and putting his arms on his knees. he hasn't done any of those. it's just focus.
I think his minutes should be scaled back. We've got Scola, Landry, and Chuck to sub in for him ... all three are capable. Yao should not be playing more than 35 minutes in most games.
I can only assume by this you somehow think I'm a YOF/Yao apologist or some such nonsense. Right. Let's get it straight: Yao got his ass KICKED 2 nights in a row. He hasn't played well since the GSW game. Fatigue is definitely a factor. Jefferson played really really well. Bogut played way better than he usually does. But on offense, Yao looks slow, even by his standards. Plus, he's not making FTs. To me, that means tired legs. Yeah, you gotta power through it, and yeah everybody goes through it. But we are in a crucial point of the season, and we are barely winning. TMAC has basically carried us the last 3 games. We need more out of Yao. Do I think he'll catch his 2nd win? Yeah, but hopefully it won't cost us before he does.
"When the goin gets tough..... the tough get going." That statement couldn't be more true. I'm sure Yao is tired but so is every other superstar in the league who plays heavy minutes. This is no time to be resting or not giving it his all. We are in a very precarious part of the season in terms of fighting for a playoff birth. I'm sure the big man is tired but remember Hakeem while fasting during Ramadan. Heart of a Champion no resting!
I ' am extremely concerned about Yao and the amount of minutes he's been playing. If we make the playoffs hes going to be exhausted.
I don't think he's all that tired. I think he's fallen into second-tier mode now that Tracy is back. Our stars need to learn to mesh their games. If they don't, then we're in trouble.
I'm not disagreeing or trying to be overly negative, but, it's pretty said we are <i>still</i> waiting for them to mesh..
I think he looks fine. He's tired because of 3 games in 4 nights. The whole team is tired. Probably everyone watched the superbowl together too. People need to stop looking at short term trends and reading too much. Yao is fine. He played fine, Al jefferson was just on a mission and played a great game. Sometimes that happens.
Posters/people always suspected Wang Meng of Titan Sports fabricated stories and made something out of nothing. He reported that almost 9 days ago about Yao Ming was already feeling his physical strength reserves fastly depleted due to long play minutes. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=3409246&postcount=1
They have always played well together. I just think this season, TMac has been hurt and Yao has been in a funk the last few games
