Yao Ming will only play 24 minutes a game

[magicbalala245]

The Chron's @Jonathan_Feigen reports that Rockets say @YaoMing will play no more than 24 minutes in ANY game this season.

 

Edited September 16, 2010 by magicbalala245

[Real Deal]

This is exactly what I was talking about when I didn't think he'd be at full health this season.

[Guest Michael Jordan]

He'll play 30 min a game in the playoffs I bet.

[Dzy]

Damn that sucks . He should take it really slow for a while, one more injury to his foot and he's done

[Nitro]

That's ridiculous and IMO will change if the team is in the thick of the playoff race a few months into the season. Dude has played 30MPG or less only once in his career, which was his rookie season. The three seasons he missed a significant amount of games he was playing 34-37MPG. Put him around 28-30MPG and he should be fine. Those freak injuries that have caused him to miss half/full seasons at a time will happen regardless of the minutes he's playing. Yao is 30 years old and doesn't have many years left regardless of the minutes he plays. They should milk him for what he's got right now, meaning he should be playing 28-30 minutes as opposed to <24.

[YugoRocketsFan]

Whats so bad about this? I was expecting them to lower his minutes. I was thinking 28-30, but 24 is fine.

[Check my Stats]

he should just retire if this is true.

[*Swish*]

Lets hope it's just a rumor

[YugoRocketsFan]

I am pretty sure its not true, but they will limit his minutes to keep him ready for the playoffs.

[Dash]

Report is not entirely true.

 

Per Morey from the Chronicle:

 

Yes, Houston will be dealing with a cautious plan that will likely have Yao limited to 25 minutes or less per game, at least for the first several months.

 

"It's going to be hard for everybody," Morey said. "We have talked in the past about trying to keep Yao's minutes down over the course of the regular season, but this time it's not a suggestion or a wish. It's mandatory. There will be a minutes cap. We will have to pull him out. It is not an option.

 

"Yao being Yao, he's not going to want to come out. We all know that. But this is the way it's going to be. When he's in a game and he hits his minutes limit, it's going to be like a baseball pitcher on a pitch count. It won't be a judgment call anywhere. He comes out and we go on."

 

Perfectly fine with this decision if its only for the first couple of months.

Edited September 16, 2010 by Dash

[YugoRocketsFan]

25mpg is better than 0 for a big part of a season -_-

 

Rockets have like 4-5 guys who can play center anyway so 25 mpg in our rotation is good enough.

[magicbalala245]

BUMP. A report from ESPN is now saying for god damn sure that Yao will only play 24 minutes a game. Check the first post.

[YugoRocketsFan]

I dont mind, just being cautious

[htownborn]

Obviously Yao isn't 100% healthy at the moment otherwise he would get at least 30 minutes a game. I think the Rockets will only do the 24 minutes a game thing for maybe the first half of the season and if Yao can prove he can handle it then I can see Morey and Adelman reaching an agreement to increase he's minutes. Luckly for Yao the Rocket team this year doesn't necessarily have to be run through him, since without Yao their more of a run and gun type of team.

[Dash]

More from ESPN:

 

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming will not play more than 24 minutes a game next season in an attempt to limit stress on his bones, Rockets vice president and athletic trainer Keith Jones told the Houston Chronicle

 

Under the plan, Yao will be strictly limited to 24 minutes, and he will even sit during crucial final-second possessions if he has passed the mark. If Yao plays fewer than 24 minutes one night, he will not be allowed more time in a later game.

"Twenty-four is his number all year," Jones told the newspaper. "Playoffs come, things could change. We're trying to get him through April. We're trying to give him the best chance to play the whole season by limiting stress. Even practices, if we play on Monday and play again on Wednesday, can he practice on Tuesday? No. He'll practice, but he won't scrimmage."

 

Yao has missed at least part of each of the past five seasons because of bone-related injuries. Yao sat out last season after undergoing complex surgery on his left foot in July 2009. Team doctor Tom Clanton cleared Yao to resume basketball activities in August.

 

Yao also is likely to miss the second of games played on back-to-back nights, though that policy may change.

 

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey and coach Rick Adelman agreed to the plan and pledged not to fight the training staff over Yao's playing time.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5580307