subject: Yao was expected to return to the court [print this page] Yao was expected to return to the court Yao was expected to return to the court
In an effort to keep their injury-plagued star healthy, the Rockets have devised a plan to limit Yao Ming's playing time. According to the Houston Chronicle, the team will not allow Yao to play more than 24 minutes in any game, regardless of the situation.
Yao has had an injury-marred career, missing the entire 2009-10 season and the end of the 2009 playoffs with a foot injury. He played in 77 games in 2008-09, but hadn't played more than 57 in the previous three.
Rockets vice president and athletic trainer Keith Jones said the rules on Yao's playing time will be strict. The 24 minutes is the absolute max, and not an average wholesale nfl jerseys-- even if he were to play 22 minutes in one game, he would not be allowed to play 26 the next. Yao's practice schedule will also be limited, and he may be held out the second half of back-to-backs.
It was certainly a welcome sight for Rockets fans last weekYao Ming, moving confidently, working up a sweat, banging around in one-on-one situations with teammate Chuck Hayes. Last year, Houston put up a valiant effort in trying to slip into the playoffs in the West Jordan shoes.but came up just short. But there was a general overall confidence when it came to the Rockets, because this year, Yao was expected to return to the court after missing the entire season because of foot surgery.
Now, doctors have declared Yao's left foot 100 percent healed, and he has been cleared to work his way up to 5-on-5 practices. Expect to see Yao suiting up for training camp, and expect to see him on the floor for Houston's opening night game on October 26 against the Lakers. But just how much of Yao we'll be seeing, at least in the season's early going, remains a mystery. He has averaged 32.7 minutes per game over the course of his career, but probably isn't going to approach that kind of court time this year.
"He is such a competitor, there are going to be times when he absolutely won't want to come out," Morey said. "I know the first game that is close and he is playing well but his minutes are up, we will have to have (trainer) Keith Jones go on the floor and tackle him and drag him off. We have to look at the big picture here." It was the TPE that helped convince the Rockets to send Trevor Ariza to New Orleans as part of a four-team trade that saw Houston land Courtney Lee. The Rockets now have $6.3 million that can be used to pluck a player off another roster.
And the Rockets hardly have the biggest TPE out there. The two teams who lost star players to the HeatCleveland and Torontoare both sitting on $14.5 million exceptions. Minnesota has a TPE left over from the Jefferson deal. As the season wears on and some teams fall out of contention, most general managers expect teams like the Cavaliersl, Timberwolves and Raptors to be big players in the trade market, either in pursuing stars themselves or in acquiring draft picks and young players in multi-team deals. Rockets to limit Yao Ming's minutes
