trade time is over and Yao Ming just got diagnosed with an injury that puts him out for the season. There has been discussion on ESPN suggesting it could be worse. Monkeywrench tossed into the basketball season.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/26/sports/NA-SPT-BKB-NBA-Yao-Injured.php
Nice knowing you, Houston Rockets. You had a solid season, but you’re screwed now. You even traded away Bonzi Wells, your next best post player. You better turn into a copy of the Suns or else you’re toast.
Hmmm…this will be the 3rd straight season he’s missed significant time.
The big guys always break down early. Foot and leg injuries on a 7 footer are always a bad sign.
They’re also par for the course.
There’s hope, though. Zydrunas Ilgauskas broke his foot something like three years in a row and he’s been healthy for the past three years or so and very productive. For every Zydrunas, you get a Vitaly Potapenko, though.
They weren’t getting past the first round (again) anyway, so no big loss.
Sorry about this - he is cool to watch - he’s a special big man in a game that doesn’t have many.
Big picture:
I didn’t see them slipping past LA or the Spurs but that’s why they play the game.
Him not being able to play in Beijing may be a big deal. It will definitely make the Basketball less interesting. Hope the PRC don’t pressure him to play if he isn’t ready.
He really is a special big man. Very talented and skilled. I like watching him.
Your second part about China’s government is an important one. They could be so pissed at his injury and his inability to play in the Olympics, they could pull him from playing in the NBA altogether. I don’t think it’s very likely, but it’s a possibility.
All because of Mehmet Okur accidentally bonking his foot.
Aah…Walton’s Disease (aka Bill Cartwright Syndrome) rears its ugly head, again. I hate when this crap happens, but I’m honestly surprised that more athletic big men don’t get hit with major foot problems. Athletic medicine has come a long way since Walton’s day, but this kind of injury seems to never go away.
It’s a shame for Yao. He’s such a good ball player. Sometimes I wonder how a man who is 7 feet, 6 inches tall can have his combination of grace, coordination and power. This ain’t Mark Eaton, George Muresan (sic) or Manute Bol we’re talking about here.
Which makes me even more angry at those smart-assed chowderheads at ESPN (The WorldWide Leader Pretend) and how they relish showing highlights of other players dunking on Yao. The only thing most of those smirking bastards know about basketball is that they get to fill out a bracket every March. News Flash, Mensas: if someone is playing good team defense like they’re supposed to be doing and contesting a drive by an opponent who escaped their defender, that someone is going to have his share of “dunked-on” moments. I’m sure Yao could put somebody driving to the basket in the hospital if he felt like it, and its to his credit that he plays tough but clean. You all are lucky he doesn’t drive up to Bristol and ‘poster-ize’ you, ya little pack of elitist shits!
Get well soon, Big Guy.
You had 24 posts before this one and your name is “Shot Clock”.
Guess my time’s up. 
They still have a pretty decent shot to make the playoffs though. They are in a really bunched up group of good teams, but even without Yao, they may have just enough of a buffer to survive. They are sitting at 37-20. Denver is the 9th seed at 33-23. Based on projections, it seems pretty likely it will take 47 or 48 wins to make the playoffs as the 8th seed (we’ll say 48.). Obviously, that assumes none of the teams with similar records completely fall apart.
To reach 48 wins, Houston needs to finish the season by winning 11 of 25 remaining games (44%). Last year, Houston won 20 of 32 (62.5%) without Yao. Granted, the West is probably a bit stronger this year, but they have a decent, albeit completely different, team without him.
In their remaining schedule, Houston has 13 home/12 road games. Denver has 12 home/14 road which gives Houston a slight edge. Remaining opponents for Houston have won 50.8% of their games while Denver has to play a 51.3% slate. Again, super close, but slightly better for the Rockets.
The big question comes down to the replacement of Yao’s value. Can the combo of Mutombo, Landry, and Scola do enough to cover some of Yao while other players pick up bits and pieces of his rebounding, scoring, and passing? Can the coaching staff make enough adjustments to the style of play to maximize their new strengths? Can they convince a Brent Barry, Antonio Davis, Sam Cassell type to choose to join them over another team?
If I had to choose, I’d still pick them as the 8th seed over Denver and 1st round cannon fodder. But, they won’t really lose much by missing the lottery. Move down a few spots in a weak draft, no big deal.
If they have one of the really talented big men in basketball,and a big man is vital to success, why are they not one of the top teams in basketball? In his prime Shaq could make a team successful. Chamberlain could. Is the bar lower for Yao.?
The Rockets play in the West. It’s a lot more competitive. They won a dozen in a row and still haven’t made the top three in seedings.
Part of the problem is they don’t feed him like Shaq or Wilt got fed the ball. The supporting cast that Shaq had in LA and Yao would have a title or two.
I do wonder how much influence the Chinese government has in this. I’m quite sure they care more about him playing in the Bejing Olympics than winning an NBA title. The Beijing Olympics are a very, very big deal for China. Ming will play, healthy or not. They could care less if that would end his career.
Go back to college, and you can have 11 more posts. 
He’s on my fantasy team. Now my backup center, Sam Dalembert, is gonna have to step up. So basically I’m in trouble.
…And my dominance in the SDMB fantasy basketball league is complete.
They may have a chance to limp into the playoffs but their threat to make a deep run is toast.
GO SPURS GO
Just heard a good one.
What did Ming say when he broke his foot?
Yao.