Imagine every day you go to work, which is only for half of the year, is a half-day. And you don't have to work on consecutive days. And you'll be paid over $16 million for this light labor. Such is the relaxed schedule for Yao Ming, as the Houston Rockets announced they will play him no more than 24 minutes per outing this coming season. And Yao will sit on the second night of back-to-back games. The team might as well build a special bench to accommodate his 7'6" frame. Maybe it can recline, so he can truly rest his brittle bones. Yao missed all of last season and the Rockets finished 2 games above .500.
The Rockets created this plan in order to protect the injury-prone Yao, but by enacting this rigid rule it seems more like they are babying him. In order to make an impact, Yao will have to transform into one of the most efficient players in the league and be able to do a lot in a little time. That may not be realistic. Big men typically need time to establish a rhythm during a game and Yao is no exception. We doubt those 24 minutes will be played consecutively, meaning his flow will be worse than Kevin Federline's. The bottom line is a man who averaged nearly 20 and 10 in '08-'09 is being reduced to a role player by his team. If the Rockets intend to barely use Yao, it's time to consider trading him.
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