Yao Done for the Year

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5571212.html
Already up on the NBA board, but this impacts us too.

[timvp]

Sucks. :td

Good guy who improves by the year. He deserved better.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Feb. 26, 2008, 12:07PM
Yao out for season with stress fracture

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming will be out the rest of the season and post-season with a stress fracture in his sore left foot.

Yao was examined after Monday’s practice at Memorial Hermann Hospital and met Rockets team physician Dr. Tom Clanton to go over the test results.

The Rockets plan to announce a diagnosis Tuesday afternoon.

The Rockets have won 12 consecutive games since losing the one game Yao has missed this season.

[Soul_Patch]

Damn, between him and McGrady, they could start a damn hospital league...one of them is always out for mutiple months with some sort of injury.

[DDS4]

Wow.

[Kori Ellis]

With repetitive foot/leg issues, they have to start considering if he's going to have ongoing, long-term problems.

Too bad for the Rockets.

[naico]

Damn that sucks!!
I was really counting on them to push the nuggets out of the playoffs..

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Oh man. In the prior three years or so I've predicted great things for the Rockets only to have them fall short of my expectations.

This year I undervalued them and they were far exceeding my predictions. I thought I had the Jimcs50 reverse jinx power when it came to Houston.

I guess I was wrong. :(






You hate to see a contending team take a blow like that...Houston's had a tough go of it these last few years.

[thispego]

damn got a sense of Deja Vu there. How long has he had a sore left foot?

[Sausage]

There goes the Rockets season. Lucky for Houston fans, baseball is about to start up.

[dougp]

This guy needs more calcium ... broken toe, broken leg and now a stress fracture? Something just not right ...

[NASpurs]

Stuff that has "Made in China" tends to break down for me as well. Just saying..

[easjer]

This is the same foot that has had multiple surgeries, isn't it?

Dayum. Very bad news for the Rockets. And they were looking good this year. This is going to take a lot of people by surprise - just last night on the news, they were talking about how Yao wants them to get to 14 wins and have a perfect month. What a blindside.

(in other news, Brent Barry will not be going to Houston and Houston will be lucky to make the playoffs, let alone get out of the first round)

[NASpurs]

This guy needs more calcium ... broken toe, broken leg and now a stress fracture? Something just not right ...Well he's not a light man plus he's ridiculously tall. It's some kind of medical condition that people his height get I bet.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Now all they need is for McGrady to sprain his vagina and they can close it down for the rest of the season.

[baseline bum]

That freaking sucks. God, the Rockets have had some horrible luck with injuries. One day you're here, the next day you're gone.

[Trainwreck2100]

With repetitive foot/leg issues, they have to start considering if he's going to have ongoing, long-term problems.

Too bad for the Rockets.

He's also probably going to be forced to play in the Beijing games this year and that may affect his recovery for next season

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Stuff that has "Made in China" tends to break down for me as well. Just saying..

Cold.




Funny....but cold.

[NASpurs]

Cold.




Funny....but cold.I couldn't resist. I was wondering if I was stepping over the line. :lol

[Budkin]

This is just terrible news... terrible.

[boutons_]

From outta nowhere, BAM!

Really, really tough break. After a disastrous start, the Rox were finding their way.

[Dex]

I feel bad for Yao. Sucks for the Rockets. Doesn't hurt the Spurs chances at all, that's for sure. I never like to see anybody go down with an injury like that.

Seems like Yao getting hurt is a perennial thing, though. He's becoming the big-mans version of Tracy "Half a Season" McGrady. For a guy who is that big and that wiry, banging in the post night after night, it's not really that surprising.

Spurs are winning and Yao is down again. Must be almost March.

[Barbarian]

One less team to worry about regarding Barry.

[baseline bum]

He's also probably going to be forced to play in the Beijing games this year and that may affect his recovery for next season

I didn't even think about that; there is no way China's letting him sit out of that in 3 1/2 months.

[1Parker1]

WOW, I didn't even realize it was that seriously injured. I have a feeling this may be the last season we see the McGrady/Yao combo. Between their injury prone selves, it's not good for continuity with this team.

I think Yao's foot problem may have a lot to do with the fact that he is ridiculously big and all that running up and down (even at his pace) over the span of an 82 season game isn't good for it. I have my doubts that he'll ever be able to play 82 games and 4 rounds in the postseason with his stamina and ailings.

[Radiosparks]

Damn that sucks!!
I was really counting on them to push the nuggets out of the playoffs..

I believe they will do it to themselves with all the selfishness on that team.

Back to the subject, it sucks Yao is constantly getting injured. They were making a push, looks like now they will have to play small/aggressive high tempo style.

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

I really like Yao, but the Rockets were the biggest match up problem for the Spurs



that won't be an issue now

[whottt]

But but...they have Scola!

[whottt]

:lol @ the backpedaling already starting.


:lol

[whottt]

Glad Bonzi is gone now too...

[callo1]

I couldn't resist. I was wondering if I was stepping over the line. :lol

I would say you did. You must not remember Dave's back well or you wouldn't say that. Don't bring us bad karma.

Sorry Rox fans for the loss of Yao, we know how it feels.

[sa_butta]

Wow that really sucks for the Rockets.

[MoSpur]

They were hot and were looking good, but its going to be very tough now. They should go after someone like Jamaal Magloire. He's not close to what Yao is, but at least he's a big body to throw out there.

[Hemotivo]

:bang

[Bruno]

It sucks.
Let's hope for him that he won't miss Beijing Olympic Games.

[remingtonbo2001]

Get well soon Yao.

If I were the Rockets, I would consider tanking the rest of the year.

Really, there's no point going to the playoffs if your going to loose in the 1st round.

Try to get a good draft pick and regroup for next year.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Going back to what timvp said I can't think of a non-Spur that I would feel worse for. Just thinking about all the pressure that a man in his position had to carry. Being a #1 pick alone has cracked some guys. But he had to contend with that, being hailed as the harbinger of the next phase of international ball, playing in the shadow of Hakeem Olajuwon, and a media and fanbase that blows hot one minute and cold the next. He's handled it all with incredible dignity his entire career. And for it to happen while he's playing as well as he ever had? Man that's rough.

Cross one contender off the board.

[Man In Black]

Yao is one my faves not playing for San Antonio. My question now would be, can Luis Scola be that dominant interior player that Houston can go to in spurts to carry them?

[Texas_Ranger]

I'm sorry for him.:(

[spurms]

at least now's the time for scola to prove the doubters wrong but houston won win jack even if they made the playoffs, pheew, lets all rejoice.

[Xolotl]

Stuff that has "Made in China" tends to break down for me as well. Just saying..

That's the best line ever

[vander]

wow, lots of love here for an opponent, and I agree, that really sucks. the rockets were on a tear, the Southwest was going to put 4 teams in the playoffs, and then this :depressed

time for Scola to shine.

[bigfish22]

That's what Houston gets for buying cheaper inferior good from WalMart. Everyone knows the best stuff is at Target. All their stuff is manufactured in Argentina, France and the Virgin Islands.

[hater]

that sucks

[spurms]

That's what Houston gets for buying cheaper inferior good from WalMart. Everyone knows the best stuff is at Target. All their stuff is manufactured in Argentina, France and the Virgin Islands.

what a classy attempt at a joke. :rolleyes

[Kobulingam]

Rick Smits all over again.

Yao is too tall. It would be okay if he were really athletically built which would help him handle the size/height. But he really isn't. He works really hard to maintain the muscle he has - he's really a naturally really tall, skinny dude.

[lefty]

Why do we have another Yao thread here?

Mod, please merge this with the one started in the Basketball News Forum

[Spurs Brazil]

That sucks.

Very bad news

[polandprzem]

:pctoss

shieyt, damn those injuries

Houston were on a row, and now that kind of information :head in off

[spurms]

Rick Smits all over again.

Yao is too tall. It would be okay if he were really athletically built which would help him handle the size/height. But he really isn't. He works really hard to maintain the muscle he has - he's really a naturally really tall, skinny dude.

Here crawls the flaming squad out from under the rocks. :bang

[Medvedenko]

Brutal...I feel bad for him as he's a great NBA pro.

[Shaolin-Style]

Surprised it wasn't sooner.

West is still gonna be tough, I was hoping they'd have knocked someone heavier off or we'd have played them in the 1st round.

[CaptainLate]

There goes the Rockets season.

Sorry to hear about Yao. :cry

Keep a healthy Spurs lineup in your prayers because we are one "Tim Duncan out for the season" away from not being able to repeat. I think we'd still make the playoffs, but asking Manu and TP to get us over the hump with a Duncan-less team is asking for a miracle.

[Mark in Austin]

man that sucks. was looking forward to some classic Spurs-Rockets games down the stretch.

[Obstructed_View]

That's a damn shame. I hate the Rockets, but injuries suck.

[adidas11]

Yeah, I saw this on the news while I was at BJ's for lunch with my boss. We were both shocked.

And with the Western Conference being as tight as it is, Houston will probably fall out the playoff picture altogether.

[baseline bum]

wow, lots of love here for an opponent, and I agree, that really sucks. the rockets were on a tear, the Southwest was going to put 4 teams in the playoffs, and then this :depressed

time for Scola to shine.

All the Rockets injury problems are a lot like what the Spurs faced with David, Sean, and Charles Smith in the mid-to-late 90s, and that sucked.

[infinitesimile]

can anyone say, "Shawn Bradley?"

[FromWayDowntown]

Terrible news for Yao and for the Rockets. It always sucks to see players go down and it particularly sucks to see it happen to guys like Yao. He's one of the non-Spurs that I root for -- he certainly seems to be a wonderful man and a committed basketball player. I hope he'll have a full recovery and be back strong next season.

BTW -- adidas: BJ's Brew Pub?

[fyatuk]

Well he's not a light man plus he's ridiculously tall. It's some kind of medical condition that people his height get I bet.

Has he been checked for the same condition Muresan had? Muresan broke down early and often because while the disorder made him tall, it didn't make his joints capable of handling the strain his height placed on them.

Could possibly be a similar effect.

Hopefully not.

[Obstructed_View]

Yeah, I saw this on the news while I was at BJ's for lunch with my boss. We were both shocked.

And with the Western Conference being as tight as it is, Houston will probably fall out the playoff picture altogether.
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Without bothering to check, I hope they didn't trade away any first round picks this year that are unprotected.

[Joe Schmoogins]

WOW... terrible news... I'm really bummed to see this happen. The Rockets can't catch a break. I hope for a full recovery. Best of luck to Yao.

[baseline bum]

Yeah, I saw this on the news while I was at BJ's for lunch with my boss. We were both shocked.

And with the Western Conference being as tight as it is, Houston will probably fall out the playoff picture altogether.

BJ's for lunch? How do you go back to work after a seven-taster and/or a pitcher?

[robbie380]

Has he been checked for the same condition Muresan had? Muresan broke down early and often because while the disorder made him tall, it didn't make his joints capable of handling the strain his height placed on them.

Could possibly be a similar effect.

Hopefully not.

yao does not have those genetic issues like some other tall players. but this is the 2nd time he has got a hair line fracture by a player hitting him. first time it was chuck hayes' head....this time it was yi hurting him. not sure if we will ever find out if yao trying to play thru the injury caused the stress fracture or not.

[dbreiden83080]

Damn that sucks, i really like Yao, he is a hell of a player and a class act. Injuries are really starting to hit him hard. I wonder if he is just too big to have a long career in the NBA playing major minutes. Hope he can get back strong next near.

[Mitch Cumsteen]

The scuttlebutt is that they are shutting him down so he can be healthy for the Olympics, but otherwise he could play out the rest of the season in pain. I think there is a bit of a storm brewing over international players to begin with, but if that's the case, this could get really interesting.

[SAGambler]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5571212.html
Already up on the NBA board, but this impacts us too.

Every1 had to know. It was only a matter of time before either Yao or McGrady went down for the count. Actually would not surprise me to see McGrady go IR before the season is over. And if he doesn't, well I guess this gives him a built in excuse for not making it past the first round.

[Indazone]

I've had this injury. 4 months to heal up. Sucks for the Rockets. Guess we'll see how Scola/Landry/Deke fill in for Yao. Deke for sure has to get some burn now. Scola and Landry are gonna have to pickup the scoring slack cause Deke cannot score at all. Deke will bring a much better level of rebounding and shotblocking though. So I guess we'll throw the rookies into the deep end of the pool. Sink or Swim.

[Obstructed_View]

The scuttlebutt is that they are shutting him down so he can be healthy for the Olympics, but otherwise he could play out the rest of the season in pain. I think there is a bit of a storm brewing over international players to begin with, but if that's the case, this could get really interesting.
If that's true, I'm getting my popcorn as well. Why would the Rockets shut him down for the Olympics?

[robbie380]

The scuttlebutt is that they are shutting him down so he can be healthy for the Olympics, but otherwise he could play out the rest of the season in pain. I think there is a bit of a storm brewing over international players to begin with, but if that's the case, this could get really interesting.

in my completely unprofessional opinion it's doubtful that this is the case. i think it is more likely that our team doctor screwed up and let yao try to push thru the injury and it worsened over the past 3 weeks and became a stress fracture that now requires surgery. yao gets hurt but he tries to play thru a ton of stuff unlike our ladyboy t-mac. this was something yao could not play thru anymore. it was noticable that he was not healthy in the chicago game. man this sucks.

[Indazone]

in my completely unprofessional opinion it's doubtful that this is the case. i think it is more likely that our team doctor screwed up and let yao try to push thru the injury and it worsened over the past 3 weeks and became a stress fracture that now requires surgery. yao gets hurt but he tries to play thru a ton of stuff unlike our ladyboy t-mac. this was something yao could not play thru anymore. it was noticable that he was not healthy in the chicago game. man this sucks.

This is a tendency that I hate about Yao. He never says anything and plays through pain. His rookie year he played with an ingrown toenail that got infected and required surgery. Stupid then and stupid now. Later he got a broken foot and played that too. Last year he had a microfracture injury but he simply could not play on because the injury was too painful and he could not go on. This year he had this pain in his foot 3 weeks ago and didn't do anything about it and didn't tell his doctors the severity of it. Now we are paying for his stupidiity.

[hsxvvd]

Oh fucking great! I have Yao on my fucking fantasy team.... you gigantic bastard, suck it up and play... I guess now I have to go an sign Scola or Mutombo!

I guess Portland is back in the playoff race now?

[kuato]

Scola Time !!!!

[robbie380]

sorry but this isn't yao being stupid. we knew that yao got hurt 3 weeks ago. this injury is on the rockets medical personel. they are responsible for the player's health. remember that bs earlier in the year when t-mac didn't want a MRI and keith jones let that crap slide. then they finally get the MRI and find out there was an injury. i dunno...

[robbie380]

scola goes for 15/10?

landry 15/10!

[ChumpDumper]

sorry but this isn't yao being stupid. we knew that yao got hurt 3 weeks ago. this injury is on the rockets medical personel. they are responsible for the player's health. remember that bs earlier in the year when t-mac didn't want a MRI and keith jones let that crap slide. then they finally get the MRI and find out there was an injury. i dunno...So if the foot was already broken, why is it the medical staff's fault?

[tmtcsc]

Yeah, sux to see that. I want us to face the best and beat the best competition out there. LA has many years of payback coming to them. Bring on Pau, Shaq, CP3, Boozer, whoever...

[vanvannen]

Rockets will unleash Scola and he'll sweep the NBA finals as if he were the new coming of Hakeem.

Book it. :smokin

[nfg3]

Totally sucks! :pctoss Yao's been having bad luck with injuries for the last 3 seasons or so.

And Kori's right about how they are going to evaluate him over the long term. How do you build a team around someone who is consistently injured? And he's a good guy who has been improving every year, too. Damn!!!!!!

Hide the razor blades in Houston because if Timmy went down like :depressed that I'd sure be looking for one right about now.

[robbie380]

So if the foot was already broken, why is it the medical staff's fault?

i don't believe his foot was injured this badly at the time of the initial injury 3 weeks ago. who knows what the extent of the injury was. i am just throwing my random speculation out there because i have had doctors make mistakes with my injuries before.

[VaSpursFan]

damn...Yao has the worst luck. i thought this was BS at first...but wow.

[S_A_Longhorn]

He may not be personally more committed to the Chinese Olympic team, but I'm sure his government prefer he play for them than for the Rockets. Too bad for him, as the Rockets will flounder without him.

As we all know, McGrady can't carry a handbasket much less a team.

[boutons_]

Yao is turning out to be quite injury prone, sorta like Shaq.

Is there some about carrying 350 pounds that makes them fragile?

[EJFischer]

If that's true, I'm getting my popcorn as well. Why would the Rockets shut him down for the Olympics?


This is pure supposition, but it could be because they know that he is going to have to play for the Chinese national team in the Olympics no matter what. He's the biggest sports star in China (no pun intended) and the olympics only come once every four years, so I don't see the Chinese Government keeping him out with a sore foot. The Rockets might figure that by giving him the opportunity to heal now, they have a better chance of retaining him as a useful player for the next several seasons after he spends the summer getting run into the ground by the Chinese national team.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

That sucks for Yao and Houston Rockets fans.

One less team to worry about, can't lie about that...but it would have been cool to see Spurs finish up the season series against the Rockets at full strength. Yao getting injured just takes a little bit of the fun out of the competitive season now.



This is a tendency that I hate about Yao. He never says anything and plays through pain. His rookie year he played with an ingrown toenail that got infected and required surgery. Stupid then and stupid now. Later he got a broken foot and played that too. Last year he had a microfracture injury but he simply could not play on because the injury was too painful and he could not go on. This year he had this pain in his foot 3 weeks ago and didn't do anything about it and didn't tell his doctors the severity of it. Now we are paying for his stupidiity.
As much as I feel bad for Yao, from those specific examples, maybe he's a bad patient.

Still, some of those things are hard to call, whether it was Yao's negligence or the medical staff, doctors or whatever.

[703 Spurz]

1st round exit again or no appearance at all?

[SpurOutofTownFan]

Scola is their new franchise guy

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Poor Yao, and poor Rockets fans! Also, couldn't happen to a nicer guy. :depressed


This guy needs more calcium ... broken toe, broken leg and now a stress fracture? Something just not right ...

Um, he's 7'4"! I'm pretty sure nature didn't intend too many humans to grow to 7'4" and then play basketball.

If he had a calcium deficiency, he wouldn't have gone years between injuries like he has.

[oboymeetsogirl]

No surprise in my book. These huge guys are delicate. Saw the Rockets several times this year and they were obviously overplaying Yao, running him up and down the floor until he was seemingly ready to drop. Going 30 minutes is easy for a 6-4 guard, more difficult for a 7 footer, and danged near impossible for a 7-6er.

The other super-big in the league, Shaq-daddy, is equally at risk. I don't care what anyone says, but the Suns were pound-foolish to put their immediate future on his back. Anyone carrying the weight of a Shaq or Yao just can't be handled like other players. Too bad for the Rockets -- they were having a great year!

[Mitch Cumsteen]

If that's true, I'm getting my popcorn as well. Why would the Rockets shut him down for the Olympics?I don't think the Rockets have much of a choice if the Chinese government tells them to. And clearly, Yao is going to be the focal point of the Beijing Olympics for the Chinese government. He is their most visible star. There's no way in hell they are letting him grind through the rest of the season and playoffs with that much at stake. Yao isn't your typical foreign player in the NBA -- the Chinese government is running his career. Do you think the Rox want him playing in all of those international games every summer on a crappy team with his history of injuries? That was part of the deal when they drafted him. Now they have to pay the piper.

[bigfan]

Even though Im a diehard Spurs fan, Im also a basketball fan in general and Im sorry to hear about Yao. This guy plays with heart and has tried to fit in on the Rockets. On top of all that you have the PRC Government on his ass all the time trying to strongarm him on their national team and other BS (same goes for that Yi guy on the Bucks). Anyway, the Rockets still arent a pushover so we need to keep our guard up on em.

[WalterBenitez]

Poor guy, I really like Yao being so great guy, I hope he could play in Olympics, that would be important for him.

Sorry Houston, you got a problem (big one this time).

[WalterBenitez]

Scola is their new franchise guy

pst .. drinking sth right? heard of T-MAC?

[DieMrBond]

Damn, that sucks.

You've got to wonder, seeing as Yao has had so many leg problems, is he carrying too much weight, or something - would the Rockets be better off dropping his weight a bit (seeing as bar Shaq, he still thoroughly out muscles most players) and getting him some serious rest/rehab?

[Cherry]

:bang :bang :bang :(

[clubalien]

I guess this facots into brents decsion

[flipcritic]

I really feel bad for Yao. His spate of foot related injuries reminds me of the problems that Zydrunas Ilgauskas in his first few years with the Cavs. Something about their frames/builds I guess. Here's hoping Yao can stay healthy just as Z has been able to do for the last 4 years or so.

[Manu-of-steel]

Yao is a great guy, often labeled as soft by some rockets fans- but plays through pain anyway. unlike t-mac, who just crumbles to the ground and claim an injury when the opponent is already up by 30. here's hoping yao can recover from this injury. he's good for the sport.

[whottt]

pst .. drinking sth right? heard of T-MAC?


Yeah...TMac is a real picture of durability himself.


Ultimately I fault the Rockets and Adelman's system...it was painfully obvious that Yao isn't built for any other system than a slow grind it out game...and has been for a number of years.

[BonnerDynasty]

Just another piece fitting into the Spurs puzzle.

[Findog]

He could've decided to take a month off, rest the foot and come back for the playoffs. But having the surgery now preserves him for the Olympics. And there's just no way that he's not going to play for China given what the Beijing Olympics mean to that country economically and politically.

Also, I'm in 1st place in my fantasy league by a mile, and I totally forgot about this angle when offering condolences earlier. Yao was on my fucking fantasy team! I had to cut him and pick up Troy Murphy as a replacement. Biedrins is out too for me, so I'm rolling with Z and Murphy now.

[TampaDude]

Wow...that really sucks for Yao...I hope he doesn't miss the Olympics!

[pku47]

Let's hope for him that he won't miss Beijing Olympic Games.
BELIEVE

[marini martini]

BELIEVE


:toast

[robbie380]

Yeah...TMac is a real picture of durability himself.


Ultimately I fault the Rockets and Adelman's system...it was painfully obvious that Yao isn't built for any other system than a slow grind it out game...and has been for a number of years.


it's not as if the rockets are leading the league in fast break points. further, it's not as if yao is actually on the fast breaks the rockets run.

[xcomp]

Ultimately I fault the Rockets and Adelman's system...it was painfully obvious that Yao isn't built for any other system than a slow grind it out game...and has been for a number of years.

Actually Adelman's system was much better for Yao. By allowing him to play in the high post on some possessions instead of letting him bump and bruise and get battered on the low blocks every trip down the court Adelman was able to reduce the wear and tear on Yao's body. The initial end-result of that was that Yao's minutes went up significantly without him showing any signs of fatigue. His minutes are down a bit since the early part of the season (due to the emergence of Scola and Landry).

The notion that Adelman is a run-and-gun type coach isn't true. His system is very half-court oriented -- it just requires a lot more motion and cutting. I think Yao's playing career will be slightly elongated as a result of not having to bang in the low post all the time anymore.

[Taijihu]

what a heartbreaking news for me,yao is my 2nd favorite player.

[m33p0]

tough break. rockets has shown they can stay afloat without mcgrady. i'm not sure they can do so without yao. as much as I wish ill on our opponents, but not this way. i rather they get beaten on the floor.

[stevenger]

It means that Houston Rockets is finished. Tracy McGrady cant carry Houston Rockets anywhere.

[Indazone]

Scola/Mutumbo/Landry/are going to have to pick up the scoring. From what I have seen so far from Scola, if he's given 40 min, he's gonna be a 20/10 player. Same for Landry. Mutumbo gives the Rockets better defense rebounding and shotblooking so perhaps... and it's a longshot, the Rockets will be able to weather the loss of Yao.

[Cry Havoc]

Also, I'm in 1st place in my fantasy league by a mile, and I totally forgot about this angle when offering condolences earlier. Yao was on my fucking fantasy team! I had to cut him and pick up Troy Murphy as a replacement. Biedrins is out too for me, so I'm rolling with Z and Murphy now.

Troy freaking Murphy is available in your league? Are there a total of 6 teams or what?

[Ocotillo]

Rockets may want to track down Jackie Butler now.

[Indazone]

Rockets may want to track down Jackie Butler now.

LOL not a chance. I watched Butler in preseason and in camp. The guy was fat and not the brightest lightbulb on the Christmas Tree.

[ChumpDumper]

I'm impressed by the number of people the Rockets are paying to not play basketball this season. Even taking away the injured players, there's like an MLE's worth of players getting checks for doing nothing.

[The Franchise]

It hurts badly to loose Yao,but if you think our season is over because he got hurt you haven't been watching the Rockets to begin with.This team is a lot stronger than it has been in the past.They won a critical string of games last year and that team was shit.This team is much improved and much deeper and we can't compete? :donkey SHIT!!!! Lets wait and see what happens in the next couple of weeks. I still have confidence in this team. Will they win a championship? no. Playoffs? I guarantee it!!!!