As the 2002 NBA draft pick, Yao Ming played in 486 games in his eight-season NBA career, averaging 19.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, including 476 starts. After playing 10 games in the rookie season to adapt, Yao Ming proved his ability with his skills, successfully making Barkley, who could not get 19 points, and has been the starting center of the Rockets ever since.
The Rockets of the Yao Ming era are the NBA teams that have impressed Chinese fans, but in the color of the green leaf players, the Rockets' performance has been quite criticized, such as the bench in the center position has always been mediocre. In Yao Ming's eight-year NBA career, which NBA players have played as a substitute for the Little Giant? In this article, the author will sort out a little according to the time before and after, and make an inventory to recall the memories. Of course, if there is a choice of discussion or lost pearls, it is natural to welcome all the officials to leave a message in the comment area to add.
One, Kevin Cato
Prior to Yao's addition to the Rockets, Kelvin Cato briefly played the role of starting center for the team, averaging 8.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in his best season. After Yao Ming landed in Houston, Kelvin Cato played as a backup center in the 02/03 season, averaging 17 minutes per game, contributing 4.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.
As the No. 15 show in 1997, Kelvin Cato was a competent blue-collar brown brother inside, and personally believed that the ability to protect the frame was one of the stronger of Yao Ming's previous substitutes. Kelvin Cato switched to a big forward in the 03/04 season and returned to starting partner Yao Ming, averaging 6.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 25 minutes per game. At the end of the season, in the blockbuster trade between the Rockets and Magic involving Francis and Maddy, Cato was sent to Orlando as a head coach. In the first season of the Magic, Kevin Cato rose to the starting position, averaging 7 points, 7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, which was also his last highlight season in the NBA.
Ii. Deakimbe Mutombo
Back in the 2004 NBA preseason, Uncle Mu, who had recently signed a contract with the Knicks, was first traded to the Bulls, and then to the Houston Rockets after a no-game. When it came to the Rockets, Uncle Mu, who was an outstanding representative of defensive centers, was already a 38-year-old veteran in the official age. It's just that he starts from
Mutombo hadn't played a single game for the Bulls, and was traded to the Houston Rockets in a preseason in 2004. At Space City, Mutombo played until the 08/09 season before retiring, and was basically Yao Ming's number one substitute from 2004 to 2006, after which part of the playing time was changed to Hayes in the fifth position, averaging 15 minutes, 3 points, 5 boards and 1 hat.
Back in the 08/09 season, The 42-year-old Mutombo still has a place on the Rockets' interior, completing the achievement of the oldest double-double in NBA history in the regular season. In the first round of the playoffs against the Blazers' G1 game, Mutombo became a veteran of the team, scoring 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal after only 20 minutes off the bench. Unfortunately, in G2, Dickenbe Mutombo was hit by Auden and injured his knee and was directly reimbursed for retirement.
III. Stromayr Swift
Stromal Swift is a typical jumper, with a strong physique and extremely rough technique. With explosive-level dynamic talent, Swift was selected by the Grizzlies at the top of the 2000 draft, but since then the technical growth rate has been slow, and he has been relying on the body to play, and the defense is also a large colander level, which was soon abandoned by the team.
In the offseason before the start of the 05/06 season, Swift signed a five-year, $30 million contract with the Rockets as a free agent. At the price at that time, the price tag offered to him by the rocket was very rich. After coming to the Rockets, the team arranged for Swift to change from the No. 4 position to the No. 5 position that he used to be good at, positioning yao Ming as the number one substitute.
With an average of 20.1 minutes per game, Swift contributed 8.9 points and 4.4 rebounds, which can be regarded as the more efficient scorer in Yao Ming's previous bench. At the end of the 05/06 season, the Rockets traded Swift and pick no. 8 guy for Battier, sending Swift back to his old club, the Grizzlies.
4. Chuck Hayes
Back in the 05/06 season, the Rockets signed lost draft Pick Chuck Hayes. Initially, Chuck Hayes was primarily a substitute for starting striker Juvan Howard. In the case of Scola and Landry joining the team later, and Uncle Mu gradually growing older, Chuck Hayes changed to the center position in the 08/09 season, playing as a substitute for Yao Ming for two years. The strength of the next game, the tough defense, and the ink on the free throw are the deep impressions left by this classic Rockets bench to the fans.
After Yao Ming was injured and retired, Chuck Hayes also briefly served as the Rockets' starting center. The 10/11 season, Yao Ming's last season and Hayes' peak season in the NBA, in the case of Yao Ming's decision to retire after only five games, the 1.98-meter-tall mini interior Hayes topped the starting center, averaging 8+8 per game.