Yao Ming said his chances of
playing for China this summer in the world championships are "50-50" as he
continues to recover from a broken left foot.
The 7-foot-6 Yao will head
to Shanghai in the next week to continue rehabilitation. He broke the fifth
metatarsal in the foot on April 10 in Utah and had surgery four days later.
Doctors have ordered him not to play basketball until Aug. 1.
The tournament starts in Japan on Aug. 19, giving Yao just over two weeks to
get ready.
"That's 50-50," Yao said Fiday. "Two weeks for me, I don't know. I'm going to
try to get into my best shape in that time.
"If I really cannot get into the best shape, I better not go because the
world championship is a very big thing for most of the (Chinese) players."
Yao, who had a cast removed from the foot last week, has been jogging in
regular shoes for the first time since the injury. Now all he needs is his
conditioning.
"Everything for me is very tiring right now," said Yao, who averaged 34
minutes in 57 games last season.
Even if he misses the world championships, Yao said he'll be ready to play by
the time the Rockets open training camp.
"I still have plenty of time until October," he said. "That's good enough for
me."
While he's behind in his offseason conditioning, Yao said he's still been
able to work on his game this summer, breaking down film of himself and shooting
jump shots.
He went through a similar rehab process last season, when he missed 21 games
following toe surgery. He established himself as one of the league's top centers
when he returned, averaging 26 points and 12 rebounds after the NBA All-Star
break. He topped 30 points six times in March.
"I always want to do more, whatever will make me better," said Yao, who
averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds last season. "It's pretty similar to my
injury in the season. I can do some things on the court right now — not the post
moves yet, but pretty soon, I think."
Yao has set two statistical goals for next season: more minutes and a higher
field-goal percentage. He shot 52% from the field last season, but his goal is
55%.
"I hope I can stay more minutes on the court. I believe that would help the
team," Yao said. "My field-goal shooting needs to go up a little bit.
"I have a lot of work. I need to work on my skills, I need to work on my shot
— everything."
