Yao and China: Elimated in 8th place

Yao and the Chinese National Team lost to Lithuania 94-68, in a crushing defeat. Lithuania is clearly a top 4 team, and China is clearly not. This loss makes the loss to Spain, blowing a 20 point lead (14 in the 4th) , and the complete lay down to Greece hurt even more for the Chinese. Without those losses they could have finished as high as 6th, even with a loss to Argentina (which would have beaten them as bad, if not worse than Lithuania).

I want to be sad for Yao about the loss, but honestly, I'm too giddy about the fact that he's not going to have to play anymore non-NBA games before the start of the season. I was absolutely cheering for Yao to win the silver, or bronze if Luis Scola won the silver, but I'm not going to pretend that I'm sad that they are out.

I found something interesting in Fran Blinebury's article about the loss:

Yao said before the start of the Games that he did not want to play in the 2012
Olympics in London and would like to cut back his involvement with the Chinese
national team to rest his body for the NBA.

I'm not going to pretend like I saw that anywhere else, I didn't. And it's news that is wonderful for Rockets fans. It's even great news to fans from China. While it is arguable that any Yao playing for China in the Olympics held there was more important to the country than a healthy Yao playing in the NBA, it is not arguable that a healthy NBA Yao is worth infinitely more to the country than any Yao playing in National Team competitions and the Olympics in London. I am absolutely a country first guy, I'd trade a Rockets championship in an Olympic year for the gold medal as a team. I want to own the world in every sport, be it basketball or synchronized swimming or shooting or hell even the freaking trampoline. I love this country, and with my grandmother leaving Russia during the revolution, and then having her family move to China, and then eventually meeting a bad ass American Soldier and coming here, I know how important and great this country is. I care more about the US and even Texas than I do about 1 NBA championship. That being said, I love the Rockets and always want a championship given I don't have to give it up for something else. And a Rockets championship with Yao as the dominant superstar would do amazing things for China, things that finishing 4th or lower at the Olympics would never do. If they had a realistic chance to medal, and they unequivocally do not, I'd change my tune. However, can you imagine the profile a Chinese born player would have if he stood on top of the American basketball world? It would be something that not even Tiger Woods in America could touch. He is already the biggest thing in China, but he would transcend generations. He would be the reason China eventually finds 12 guys in the country that can compete for a medal on the World level. That alone would be worth him not playing in the 2012 Olympics. And here's the thing, I don't believe he will have to (or even will for that matter) sit out the Olympics. He can still play in them and not play in any other events. While the US National team had to check their egos at the door and learn how to play with each other, Yao doesn't have to do that. He is the ultimate team player. He doesn't need to play any different than he does in the NBA night in and night out, so his adjustment time to another team would be significantly shortened.

Now it's time to get down to business. With Artest in the fold, some more minor trades to come and McGrady talking like he's willing to be his old self again, I need some more of this:

Yao's not afraid of the fake German or the real one

I was watching the US vs China basketball game on Sunday with a lot of attention through the first half on Sunday, but when the blowout began I went back to only watching it in spurts. It was on, but I was engrossed in other activities with it in the background. Then a little blurb about Yao and Chris Kaman came up in the third.

“We are not afraid of Germany,” he said. “Yi (Jianlian) has improved tremendously, and he can limit Nowitzki. And I can take care of Kaman.”

That's right, this:

was no fluke. Yao knows that Kaman is his bitch. Not only can he not stop him in the NBA, there is not a chance he can stop him in International play, where the moving pick is a thing of beauty and Yao can effectively goal tend. That's like allowing Hakeem to take an extra step on The Dream Shake, it's just unfair in one on one play. I am loving the semi-trash talking coming out of Yao, it was the singular biggest improvement in his game last year. The passion was there to dominate, and before the injury that is what he was doing. I am beyond excited that he still has that aspect of his game still intact.

I have no problem visualizing Kaman's destruction at the hands of Yao, but I'm not so sure about Yi limiting a monumentally better player in Dirk. I don't know all the ins and outs of the international game, but much better is much better, and that doesn't even come close to describing the gap between those two players. After losses to the US by 31 and Spain by 10 in OT, China has to beat either Greece or Germany plus Angola and be 2-3 to advance. That loss to Spain was extremely promising. Yao actually had a relatively sub par game, mostly due to his 4-12 shooting performance, and China still took them to OT. Unfortunately they ran out of gas and couldn't keep the Spanish team from winning. Mind you, this team from Spain has 5-6 legitimate NBA players on it, that's a heck of a performance from China. If they can keep up that type of play, they will give Greece and Germany good games. I'm just hoping they don't get discouraged by loss that could have turned into a victory.

Let me get this out there too, I'm about as big of a USA nationalist, backer and fan as they come, but I don't have to begrudge Yao and his country a chance to bring national pride just by getting out of their pool. There isn't a chance on earth that they win a medal, so if they can somehow knock off anyone by the US to get there, I'm all for it.

China gets their shot at Germany on Saturday morning at 7AM CST. Good luck Yao!

Yao Back, Summer League and Other Notes

Yao Ming, Yao Ming, Yao Ming Yao Ming
Yesterday Yao Ming took part in a warm up game for the Olympics with his native Chinese National Team. He put up 11 points in 12 minutes and looked rusty by all accounts that aren't full of crap. AP on ESPN article here I have no idea if Yao is rushing back at all, but it seems to fall in line with what most thought, he'd be out until July or August, and here we are right in the middle. My hope is that he doesn't play any more in the warm ups, but I highly doubt I get my wish. And since that is the case, I'll just amend it to say that I hope he plays less than 15 minutes in any non-Olympic game before the NBA season starts. Yao and Lebron also have a pretty cool new Coke commerical out (h/t on the video to Clutchfans)

Summer League Game 2 Action
Unfortunately I did not get to see last nights game, because, well... as much as I love the Rockets, I can only watch so many Summer League games. They are BRUTAL in a lot of ways to watch. I can read a box score though.

1. Greene Machine
Donte Greene had his inevitable fall back to earth. He shot 4-17 (3-8 from behind the arc, so 1-9 inside it) and scored 17 points. I know we've been watching Tracy McGrady for a long time, so we all know that this was not a good 17 points. Greene also went from 0 turnovers in game one to 4 in game two. He did go 6-6 from the line though, so that is nice.

2. The Midget
Great to have a better game from Aaron Brooks. He shot way too many times and not so well at that, but he had 7 assists and only 2 turnovers. MUCH better than Monday's debacle of a game for him. Brooks even cut down on on his fouls from 9 all the way down to 3!

3. The Guy I'm in No Way Thrilled with
Joey Dorsey made his debut last night. I have no idea why I didn't realize the issue on Monday is that he didn't have a contract. Dorsey is still without one, but the Rockets have insurance in place in case he gets hurt so he will play the rest of the Summer League. He went 4-4 from the field, but paired that with a cute 0-6 from the line. He had 14 rebounds, but they were almost all nullified by his 6 fouls and 6 turnovers. I want to like this guy, but he was a lazy bastard in college, played for a coach I think is sleazy and I just genuinely didn't like him before he was a Rocket. But Joey, I tell you what, I'm going to put all your stripper loving, lazy stuff behind us. From now until you screw up, and hopefully you never do, I'm going to try and like you.

4. My parents loved the letter A Leunen
Like I said, I didn't get to watch the game, but it sure seems like Maaaaarty is better than I was hoping for. 17 points on 5-9 shooting (3-5 3s and 4-5 FT) and 5 rebounds for him. I don't think there is any room on the roster for him, but maybe later in the season, or even next season we'll see how he make the NBA transition

Stephen A Smith
F you. Actually, F you and anyone that employs your pathetic excuse for an NBA reporter existence. First of all, screaming something louder makes it seem more wrong, not all of the sudden un-idiotic. Second, Tracy telling you he just wants to win does NOT mean "I want to be traded". It means, I want to win. You cannot extrapolate out that now he'd "Welcome a trade to Detroit". All you can take out of that is that he wants to win, period. And guess what fuckstick, he IS winning in Houston. 55 times just last year alone, even 22 in a row. Yes, they lost in the first round, but no Yao had at least a little effect on that, don't you think? In short, you are the worst NBA reporter with any sort of exposure that I've ever seen, please stop talking completely. Actually, stop talking, writing, typing or even using sign language.

Luther Head
Yes, I saw that Head was selected to the USA Select Team, no I do not think he deserved it. Here is my hope: Luther plays phenomenally, moves without the ball and shoots lights out. This in turn ups his value to a stupid GM, somewhere that has a low 2nd round pick up for grabs and the rights to someone they can't sign even. Then we trade him and get him off of the Rockets. Personally like him as just a guy, but not as a basketball player on my team. It's all business