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The Rockets are on pace for 42-44 wins this season. If Yao Ming comes back healthy for 2010/11, can the Rockets win 50+ games? How much of a difference can Yao Ming make? Is Yao a franchise player?

first of all, a healthy year ming can make any team better

if this team is healthy next year, w/ kevin playin like he should, and our inside defense doesnt suffer w/ yao's age/recovery, then this team is no doubt a strong candidate for contenders

the biggest question is will yao play at an all star level when/if he comes back? for the sake of his left eyeball, he better

I think Yao still has a few good years left in him. He turns 30 in September.

Did u watch the game against magic, didn't you? I have no longer to doubt that Yao can make this team better or go far. For Yao, the only question is always .........how long he can stay health.

Good news, Yao is done with national chinese basketball team. (poor Yi)
Bad news, Yao just got out from a big surgery.

Are you seriously asking if a tall center who gets you 20pts and 10 rebounds,intimidates on defense,makes his FTs,commands double teams and passes decently could help the Rockets?

This season a healthy Yao would have easily put the Rockets over 50 wins. But will SA,Portland,NO,Pho struggle again next yr? The West will be tougher next yr,but w/an actice PF added to the mix,good health w/rest of team,the Rockets should get @ 50 next yr.

Yao turns teams into title contenders. Any 20/10/2 guy does. They're rare now-a-days.

The West will NOT be tougher next year. San Antonio and Phoenix are on their way out. Denver and Utah have reached their peak and will only decline as their players age. The only team that will make a marketable improvement are the Thunder who will be contenders in the Western Conference, along with the Rockets. With Yao Ming the Rockets have a very strong and balanced starting 5 with a solid bench. Their rotation could look like this, if they draft Cole Aldrich.

PG - Brooks/Lowry
SG - Martin/Budinger
SF - Battier/Ariza
PF - Scola/J.Hill
C - Yao/Aldrich

Reserves: Jared Jeffries, David Andersen, Garrett Temple

TOP 3 teams next year in the west in order...

1. Lakers
2. Rockets
3. Thunder

Book it.

pr0wler wrote:The West will NOT be tougher next year. San Antonio and Phoenix are on their way out. Denver and Utah have reached their peak and will only decline as their players age. The only team that will make a marketable improvement are the Thunder who will be contenders in the Western Conference, along with the Rockets. With Yao Ming the Rockets have a very strong and balanced starting 5 with a solid bench. Their rotation could look like this, if they draft Cole Aldrich.

PG - Brooks/Lowry
SG - Martin/Budinger
SF - Battier/Ariza
PF - Scola/J.Hill
C - Yao/Aldrich

Reserves: Jared Jeffries, David Andersen, Garrett Temple

TOP 3 teams next year in the west in order...

1. Lakers
2. Rockets
3. Thunder

Book it.

I love the Rockets and all but that's just stretching it. Any team with David Andersen and Jarred Jeffries in their rotation cannot be a top 3 team in the West.

And of course a healthy Yao can make the Rockets better .

Yes

Is this thread a joke?

The real question should be: can Yao Ming stay healthy next year? I have my doubts sadly.

Of course, a healthy Yao Ming make us better, he'd make us a contender. Unfortunately, healthy, and Yao is becoming an oxymoron.

Prowler,
If we assume Yao's going to be healthy,they it's reasonable to assume Oden will be. And I'd much rather have Portland's roster over ours. And in the debateable instance of Denver and Utah falling,that would leave more wins for Portland.
Dallas is going to be tough next yr.
Assuming Portland stays healthy,I'd say next yrs top 3 teams are LA,Denver,Portland w/Hou,OKC,Dallas dueling for 4-6.

KiDdFrESh wrote:Is this thread a joke?

Same thing I was thinking.

My biggest concern going into next season is finding a good backup C for Yao. I want to see his minutes limited throughout the regular season.

Yes, some games he'll be needed to play longer, but hopefully we can get him through the season with as little wear & tear possible heading into the playoffs.

As much as I like Hayes, I don't think he is the answer (for that purpose - he has a place on this team). Andersen is proving not to be the answer as well.

Maybe the proper question should be, will Yao Ming be healthy next year? There's no question the impact the 7'6" center can have in the low post. The key to that however, is his durability. That's the biggest dilemma. Limit his minutes and see what happens. If he breaks down again, then the Rox might have to cut their losses and really start over.

Pacers fan here. I think the Rockets have proven that they have a good organization by showing what they can do w/o Yao and w/o McGrady this year. They battle every night.

With Yao back, they should be scary. All the other guys have now become seasoned by playing without Yao, going through battles with no real C sometimes. Players have had to step up, and find their role.

Your main worry must and can only be finding a solid backup C to play behind Yao so Yao is limiting his minutes. Do that, and I could see the Rockets winning a title (yes, you heard me, a title).

You guys would have beaten the Lakers if Yao didn't get injured in the playoffs, IMO. He is pretty unstoppable. And with him in the middle it gives Battier the oppurtunity to play tight defense which he is damn good at. He is the guy you want guarding the best perimeter guys. And Kevin Martin is a damn good scorer, and it will be hard to pay close attention to him when all the attention will be on Yao.

If he is healthy, you guys are easily contenders.

Solid Snake wrote:You guys would have beaten the Lakers if Yao didn't get injured in the playoffs, IMO. He is pretty unstoppable. And with him in the middle it gives Battier the oppurtunity to play tight defense which he is damn good at. He is the guy you want guarding the best perimeter guys. And Kevin Martin is a damn good scorer, and it will be hard to pay close attention to him when all the attention will be on Yao.

If he is healthy, you guys are easily contenders.

Yao is unstoppable........ some ofthe times against certain teams.


NBA teams have learned how to deny Yao the ball. Getting the ball into Yao's hand is just about the most difficult thing to do in basketball right now.