Houston Chronicle Tuesday highly praised Chinese
basketball player Yao Ming, but suggested that the Houston Rockets'
All-Star center might need backup.
According to the newspaper, Yao's combination of size and
offensive skills allows the Rockets to use him differently than any
other center, but he also missed 59 games in the past two
seasons.
"It is especially important to choose his backup," said the
report.
After a slow start, Dikembe Mutombo, the NBA's oldest player,
did a wonderful job when Yao was injured last season, and the
Rockets' coach Rick Adelman believed his team does need Mutombo
against bigger guys since he's totally different from Yao.
"But Mutombo's age might be a problem, the backup needs a backup
also," said the newspaper.
With 20 players under contract, the Rockets' roster might not
leave much room for that luxury.
Adelman faces a tough choice in deciding which big men will fill
out his roster. He said: "That's something you have to think about,
insurance."
(Xinhua News Agency October 17, 2007)