Yao Officially Cleared to Play
Posted by mrice on
September 9, 2010
The Rockets most significant change in the starting lineup this coming season will likely not be in the form of any free agent or draft acquisition, but rather the return of center Yao Ming, who missed the entire year after undergoing foot surgery in July of 2009. In late August, team doctors officially gave Yao the go ahead to resume basketball activities, welcome news for the Rockets, Rockets fans and the big man alike. Since the 7’6” Yao went down, the Rockets have faced serious size issues in the middle, featuring no other legitimate 7-footer on last year’s roster. In an effort to compensate for their looming loss, the Rockets mixed and matched a host of players who are probably better suited to play power forward than center. While Luis Scola posted admirable numbers, standing just 6’9” he faced an almost nightly mismatch against some of the more vertically endowed players. The now departed David Andersen, a first year player from Australia added more size at 6’11” 245 lbs., though he appeared in only 63 games logging close to 14 minutes per contest. Neither player, nor anyone else in the Rockets lineup, could come close to matching Yao’s 310 lbs. frame. Read the rest of this entry »
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Trading Trevor
Posted by admin on
September 9, 2010
Last year Rockets fans were optimistic after signing athletic swingman Trevor Ariza, fresh off an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers. Now 12 months later, Ariza is gone in a move that is tough to see as anything other than a salary dump. Ariza was traded as part of a 4-team, 5-player deal, with Ariza heading to New Orleans, Darren Collison and James Posey shipping out to Indiana, Troy Murphy moving to New Jersey and Courtney Lee coming back to Houston. In his one season in Houston, Ariza was a major contributor, setting career highs in points, rebounds and assists per game, averaging 14.9, 5.6 and 3.8 respectively. Still only 25 years old, Ariza’s productivity should only increase in the coming years, while providing versatility for the Hornets, capable of playing and guarding both the shooting guard and small forward position. Read the rest of this entry »