[ESPN] A whole smother story for Yao/Spree Mention

Dave2000 · Mar 22, 2006

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-060322

A good article for once by Mark Stein. I guess another writer to give Yao props.

Further down the page, interesting interview with JVG. HE DID call Spree to play with us, but just wasn't interested. He brought up a good point that if we knew that Sura was going to be out for a year, we couldve given him a resonable deal with a medical exception.

Also check out the Mike James interview on the right side. Dude was really down and looked forward to spend his career here in Houston.

EDIT: Link Fixed, weird....

jlwee · Mar 22, 2006

This is expected....

JVG likes old knicks, Spree like Big Money......

No deal as expected!

michecon · Mar 22, 2006

The link doesn't work.

Who in the right mind would count on Sura's return this season? If they are counting on his return next season, they are mistaken again. Sura is done.

langal · Mar 22, 2006

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-060322

I dunno. Try pasting it.

SPECIAL MIDWEEK EDITION:
A whole smother story for Yao
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

DALLAS -- One thing I'll always respect about Yao Ming, no matter how he's playing:

He makes himself available to media gnats like me six times every gameday.

He takes questions after the morning shootaround. He takes questions again about an hour before the opening tip. Then he takes them post-game.

First in English, then in Mandarin. Every single time.

It means that Yao, especially now, sees a swarm every time he looks up. Tracy McGrady isn't around to take away defenders or reporters, which is why "my big fella" -- as T-Mac calls him -- was due for a night like Tuesday. No matter how hot he's been.

It came in Houston's sixth game since announcing that McGrady's ongoing back trouble will likely keep him shelved for the rest of the season and broke up the best individual stretch of Yao's career. After scoring at least 20 points in every outing since the All-Star break -- after averaging 28 a game in that 14-game span, to be precise -- Yao was smothered by a steady stream of double-teams from a Dallas club far more athletic and stingy than it was when it needed seven games to dismiss the Rockets in last spring's first round.

The result?

Without a single teammate to trouble the Mavericks from the perimeter or loosen them up otherwise, Yao was doubled on almost every catch and managed just 13 points to go with his 13 rebounds in the Rockets' 88-72 defeat. Even with Dallas missing rotation regulars Josh Howard, Devin Harris, Keith Van Horn and Adrian Griffin, Houston's shell of a squad was still badly outnumbered and fell to 2-19 sans McGrady.

It also didn't help that A) Yao had just toasted the Mavs for 36 points in Houston less than a week ago and B) that the hosts were able to craft their coverages for the rematch with serious input from Del Harris, who knows a bit about Yao's likes and dislikes after coaching him on the Chinese national team.

However . . .

Eager as I was to see the "new" and "aggressive" Yao up close, and as little as I saw of that guy, I couldn't come away too disappointed. You look at the players Houston is dressing these days and you're dreaming if you think the most swarm-able Rocket on the floor should automatically score 25-plus.

Plus he answered all my questions, before the game and after.

Which is always appreciated.

Asked about the playoff berth that's obviously slipping away, Yao says: "I'm trying not to think about that. It's really difficult for us right now, but we didn't give up yet."

Asked about the frustration that comes with trying to hack through all those double-teams with so little help from the short-handed crew around him, Yao says: "I knew that [defensive pressure] would be coming without Tracy. They should be focused on me."

Asked about the late December toe surgery that has clearly improved his mobility, Yao says: "[The pain was] getting worse every day and I [kept] making it worse because I don't want to miss games. It's a very good lesson for me. Anything painful, I have to tell the trainer and let them help me."

Asked about T-Mac and what he can do to help his pal deal with the mental strain of a lost season, Yao says: "Just like my toe, one day you have to [do what's best and] leave the court. He's been in this league longer than me. I think he knows what to do."

Asked about his five 30-point games this month and how satisfying it must be to start hearing praise from his many critics, Yao says: "I haven't heard anything, because I don't read a lot of English newspapers. . . . [The] only way I can get happy is when our team gets victory."
Click to expand...

Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy acknowledged Tuesday night that he has reached out to Latrell Sprewell to see if he could tempt his old Knicks favorite into a comeback with a team that has no salary-cap means to offer more than minimum wage.

It's an offensively-challenged team that could arguably have used Sprewell as a No. 3 option when Tracy McGrady was healthy . . . and thus a squad that, if it's still clinging to playoff fantasies, could certainly find some shots for him now with McGrady lost for the season and the No. 8 spot in the West 5 1/2 games out of reach.

"I did call," Van Gundy said.

Without getting a return call.

"Which means," Van Gundy quickly added, "that he's not interested."

The Rockets actually could have created a salary slot worth closer to $2 million if they had applied for an injury exception on Bobby Sura, who hasn't played all season after back and knee surgeries.

But it's been clear for months that Spree, 35, wants something closer to the $5 million mid-level exception level -- and a contract that doesn't expire at season's end -- to feed his family with NBA wages again. The Clippers' Sam Cassell has also tried (more than once) to lure his former Minnesota teammate out of hibernation, but the Clips are also prevented from offering more than a million (and change) because of their cap limitations.

Because he hasn't played for anyone since last season, Sprewell is still eligible for the playoff roster of any club he choses, even if he doesn't sign until the final day of the regular season April 19. So it's still too early to completely rule out a Spree sighting in '05-06.

His ex-coach, though, will not be shocked if Spree never plays another NBA game.

"Nope," he said. "I think he goes to the beat of his own drummer. He felt it was an injustice if he had to take the veteran's minimum and I think he's very content in his life. I think that attitude allowed him to play effectively even when his career could have gone to pieces.

"He's very, very bright. And he's always had a lot going on in his life. So I'm not surprised."

What about saddened not to see him somewhere?

"It's not sad if he's not sad," Van Gundy said. "If he's not bitter about things and if he's happy with how his career turned out -- and he should be -- then I'm happy for him."
Click to expand...

baller4life315 · Mar 22, 2006

I find it hilarious that a washed up cancer like Spree that's never won anything and that nobody wants has the nerve to not even return a phone call out of common courtesy, at the very least.

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[ESPN] A whole smother story for Yao/Spree Mention

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