Nice little article that puts the team's challenges in perspective... http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/fran_blinebury/11/03/yao-minutes/index.html Not to make excuses, but i don't think people appreciate how challenging the job this coaching staff has to deal with. On a side note.. Personally, i like the idea of Yao coming off the bench. Perhaps only entering the game after halftime. That way the 24 min thing won't be an issue and you can sort of control the chemistry issues.
long term, i think it should benefit the team. You have a flexible yet stable line-up to finish of the game plus you have a go-to-scorer to close out the game. More options. It might take a bit of work cause Yao is still getting his timing back but at the very least its easier then juggling Yao throughout the whole game. You'd think it would be easier on the closing unit as they also know that they have a more stable group to work with.
May be something to try, though who knows if it will solve anything. The Rockets seem equally capable of building or choking away leads with all kinds of different combination of players. One benefit I can see is that it may afford Adelman more freedom in how to deploy Yao's minutes based on matchups and other factors. A little easier to move 24 minutes around when you are not married to playing him the first 6 minutes of each half.
Like i said before, if they really want to win ANY GAME...just let Yao be Yao and play his normal minutes...but of course they want to be CAUTIOUS...DUH!! I thought this season is going to be fun with Yao coming back...didn't know there are bunch of aholes that had to make this dumb decision to limit his minutes. It gets irritated as you start losing.
LMAO you made me laugh! A bunch of aholes! Obviously they are numbers people... right now their numbers equal to a 0-4 start.
yah second half would be better, but can his body stay warm from warm ups to the second half or will he have to ride the bike the whole first half?
I never really thought about having Yao come off the bench, but sounds like a good idea to me. Ease him back into the starting line up the same way you are easing him in into everything else.
Yeah.. You gain much more flexibility and stability to the line up which leads to more consistency and a identity. Flexibility because you not really playing with the time limit anymore, and more importantly, Adelman can manuver Yao into the line up depending on the flow of the game.* You also gain stability cause your isolating Yaos impact to one half of the game. Besides the game is played in two halves - there's always half time adjustments anyway. So his teammates will know for sure that they get Yao for one whole half. He doesn't have to play the full 24 anyway... and this team (minus Yao) is certainly capable of building and maintaining a lead in the first half. Might not work out. Chemistry is so dynamic it's hard to predict. But theoretically to me sounds like a logical plan. since Yao is such a willing team player.* hopefully they explore it. I don't see why not. It would be like his game starts at half time. He can probably do some light activities to keep warm like, like you said, riding a bike then do a shoot around at the half time break. If all else, it's a great wild card that the coach has to either turn or maintain momentum. And since Yao is no longer in the starting unit, he has the ability to yank him out anytime and return to the default 'identity' if things aren't going well.
Yeah I think they are stuck in between the looking at him as the Yao of old or Yao the role player. But like I said if they made it a game of two halves perhaps they could get the most out of him. Plus if he moves to the bench, that's less pressure on him AND the starting unit especially. We can claim an identity. He can be be a BIG BIG 'wild card'. The guy has no ego so he could handle that kind of role. But id say Yao IMO is still the answer as this team will go wherever he takes them but he won't have to carry the team on his back if that makes sense. Dampier can start while Yao come off the bench.
Bring Yao off the bench, and let him play back to backs. That's the only way to restore sanity to the rotation.
The article is a great one, thanks for sharing. I agree Yao should come off the bench. Like Coach Adalmen said, Yao is the one to tell him what's the most comfortable way he felf to play right now. If there's any misunderstanding or loss in communications between the 2 gentlemen, it's time for Yao to step up and clarify.
Yao coming off the bench is a good idea. Once he's cleared to play more minutes and back to backs, he can start again. This would really help with chemistry.
Bring Yao off the bench to play with who???? An up and down push the ball tempo. If that is the case just don't play him at all. And what is this thing with Yao not starting. We got 0 problem with our starts is the god dam finish. benching Yao won't stop other team from getting wide open 3 point shoots, or won't make the rockets make some wide open 3s or make Battier better on defense or make our back court play some minimum defense.
