Comments on: Rockets Daily: Friday, September 17th, 2010

By: JCDeucer

JCDeucer — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:11:20 +0000

Except we basically won the championship that year… Without Yao going down and the combination of the ref bias towards the Lakers we could've easily beat them. Game 2, 3 and 5 were horribly officiated towards the Lakers and even without Yao we could've advanced. The East had literally no one at that time that could beat the Rockets, with the exception of the Celtics. As we all know, the Magic made the finals that season so it would've been the Rockets for the taking. Too bad the refs ruined it and Yao's foot.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 22:27:04 +0000

I can't wait either.
Esp because this has been such a strange off-season.

There were no hyped FA signings(McGrady's going to make Stro Swift an All-Star!),puzzling draft trades(Battier for #8),super hyped FA signings(Ron!) or the McGrady era ending(is he gonna be traded before the Season or will the team hang around close enough til he gets back and make a Play-Off push?).
This yr it's been the failed Bosh pursuit,the Chris Paul,Anthony teases,Yao's back-but not so much,a disappointing at the time Draft.

Yet for all the steps back,there has been a major retooling of the roster.
For past 6 yrs I thought the Rockets have need a competent back-up PG,a reserve wing who can get his own shot,a rebound-gobbling,weakside help shot-blocking PF and a big C prospect to develop into a solid Yao back-up. Well,hello Mr Lowry,Mr Taylor,Mr Patterson,Mr Hill. Now it's very likely not all of these players pan out,but they are on the roster and they show positive signs.

Then there's this. The Rockets arguably have 3 players in the top 10 at their position-Yao,Scola,Martin. The other teams that can make this claim are LA Lakers,Portland and San Antonio in the West and Miami,Boston in the East. The rest of Rockets roster compares favorably w/those 5 teams-to put it mildly.
(As always w/the Rockets,there is a catch. The other 5 teams have a playmaker among their best players-Bryant,Roy,Parker/Ginobili,Rondo,LeBron/Wade. The Rockets don't.)

Me I want to see how it all works out. It's going to be spectacular either way. Everybody blends together and we get a season to cherish,or a train-wreck of missed opportunities and talent unrealized.

By: Mantis Jodorowsky

Mantis Jodorowsky — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 04:26:53 +0000

I just can not wait for the first angry Yao Ming dunkface…. like seriously you guys… i just can't wait anymore… oooh or what about a Louis Scola up and under fake up and under fake up and under…. oooh my god you guys…. or an AB pigeon toed 3 from about 30 feet out pure net…. UGGHHHHHHHH come on already stupid slow time….

By: Chest Rockwell

Chest Rockwell — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 00:15:52 +0000

im kinda pissed honestly. wont expanding his playing time come playoff time actually open the door for another injury due to the increased workload and not giving the foot enought time to acclimate? why not let yao determine his time depending on how he feels? having him break down when we need him the most does nothing for me, i'd rather just know what we have prior to the playoffs myself. its a pretty expensive toy only to use sporadically, and in that case why not like Bob says hold him out of practices, and maybe go so far as to only play him the 2nd and 4th quarters in their entirety? his value comes in his effective play in the bonus IMO, or bring him off the bench as crazy as it sounds with 6 mins left in each quarter?

By: Bob Schmidt

Bob Schmidt — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 21:41:20 +0000

I am curious as to why Yao's practice minutes might not be reduced enough to permit a few more game-time minutes. Is there something inherently different about what causes stress problems in games as compared to practice time? Maybe we haven't really heard the final word on this subject just yet….

By: RL

RL — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 21:21:48 +0000

I like Stephen's suggestion. Have Yao start 1st and 3rd, Finish 2nd and 4th. Maybe adjust minutes to be more like 1st starting 6 minutes, 2nd ending 4 minutes, 3rd starting 6 minutes, 4th ending 8 minutes. It's not too far off from their regular rotation.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 20:47:57 +0000

Follow-up to the styles comment I made.
Even if the starters play entire 1,3Q the Rockets will ply w/3 different styles.
First 6 minutes or so extremely perimeter oriented w/Brooks and Martin,then switching gears to get Yao involved,then the subs running.
Either Yao becomes just a taller Brad Miller,or the team is going to have to be extremely flexible when most players like to have their role defined.

By: dbonagurio

dbonagurio — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 20:42:13 +0000

is there any further development on maybe picking up eric dampier? this would definitely allow yao to come off the bench. Dampier and Miller could split the beginnings of quarters (depending on which fit the need) and Yao could finish them off.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 20:29:20 +0000

Yao comes off bench and which PG is he teamed with?
If Brooks is starter,kinda blows the whole Brooks-is-a-better-fit out of the water.
Not to mention the whole Martin complements Yao perfectly thing.

If Yao comes off bench,he either does so as part of Adelman's normal use of bench,or the Rockets are going to end up playing as 4 diff teams.
If Yao comes in the last 5-6 min of each Quarter,the Rockets will have their starting unit,a couple of minutes w/Yao,then a few minutes w/Yao and reserves,then reserves only,then starters w/Yao. Then there's little thing of Yao coming into game cold every time he enters game.
Far simpler to have Yao start 1,3Q for 6 min or so,then come back into 2,4Q w/4-6 minutes left.(Which is pretty much how he used McGrady-w/a little longer run in 1,3Qs-after McGrady "came back' from knee in Streak Season.)

By: Dan G.

Dan G. — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 04:10:10 +0000

I am in favor of Yao coming off the bench because if he starts, I worry about him tightening up due to the amount of the extended rest he will get each game sitting on the bench because if he starts, I see him playing the first five or six minutes and then not playing for another 15-20 minutes. Bringing him in off the bench does increase the chances of him coming in while the opponent is in the penalty and he would be playing against the back-up center. Basically Yao is only going to get 6 minutes per quarter and overall I think Yao's offensive services would be better at the end of the quarter against the team's back-up center than his defensive/offensive services at the beginning of the quarter against the opponent's best center. Also the greatest reason of all is playing him at the end of the quarter ensures you that he will be there in last six minutes of the game, which is pretty much the only time that matters in most games.

Now would the first or second team be better? It is a tough choice because the first team would be better offensively and the second team would be better defensively, which leads to the ultimate question, which is better: a good offense or a good defense?

I foresee in that scenario the first team coming in and running and gunning their way to a 7 to 10 point lead and then the second team comes in and sustains the lead.

By: RL

RL — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 01:40:36 +0000

Forgot to mention, the last Rocket's run to Championship was against pretty big odds too. Made it all the more amazing

By: RL

RL — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 23:02:18 +0000

“The moment McGrady's season ended in '09, for all realistic observers, the door was shut. “
True. If I think about it, it's very very unlikely Rockets can beat Lakers, Heat, or Cetics in best-of-seven. But hope and belief are the quintessential driving force for most fans, and players. It occasionally bring out the best in people. Hopefully it will for our players.

By: Bob Schmidt

Bob Schmidt — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:17:13 +0000

I don't think of this year's team as a vestige of any era whatever. Our chances of winning a title this year are dependent on many unknowns, including how much and how well Yao plays in his role. For sure, the Lakers and Heat are favored in a title matchup, but Houston might be an obstacle not easily overcome. That is why this season may be one of the most entertaining we've had in years…

By: rahat_huq

rahat_huq — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:52:07 +0000

” I’m left wondering: have Rockets fans ever stopped thinking we could win a title, at least in the Yao/McGrady era? Perhaps with lack of success comes disconnect from reality, or maybe the Rockets are simply that disappointing.”

The moment McGrady's season ended in '09, for all realistic observers, the door was shut.

By: Rocket Fan in Santa Barbara

Rocket Fan in Santa Barbara — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:36:50 +0000

Great post. I wonder what folks think of Henry Abbot's (ESPN blogger) idea of bringing Yao off the bench. The reasoning is that if Yao comes off the bench toward the end of each quarter, the Rockets will be closer to the penalty, allowing Yao to shoot more free throws. While I cringe at the prospect of starting Brad Miller–and having him match-up against the other team's best center–it does mean that Yao would get lots of minutes against back-ups. And if Yao does come off the bench, it leads to an interesting question: would the Rockets second team be better than the first team? Who do you like in this game: Brooks-Martin-Miller-Battier-Scola, or Lowry-Lee-Yao-Budinger-Hayes?