Yi to return for Yao-Yi showdown

February 17, 12:47 AMAsian-American Sports ExaminerMichael Street

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Yi displays some of the aggressiveness that brought his
game together—and likely caused his injury (AP Photo/Bill Koustron)

The three games between Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian have drawn large audiences in China, and the entire country will be excited to hear that Yi will return for tomorrow's night's game, the last time the two will meet this season.

Yi has been out since January 9 with a broken pinkie, right as he was starting to put his NBA game together with a combination of aggressiveness, rebounding and smooth shooting.

A legitimate question, then, is whether he can pick up where he left off when he steps back into the floor tomorrow night, when the Nets face the Rockets. A related question is whether the Nets can reintegrate him back into their lineup, a problem they wouldn't mind having, since they've gone 6-10 without him.

The Rockets, on the other hand, have gone 10-6 over the same stretch, a soft spot in their schedule where they should have done much better. They've had injuries of their own, too, with Yao missing time from a bruised knee, while Ron Artest and Tracy McGrady have been on and off the floor with ailments of their own.

Without Yao, Houston has trouble, particularly in the fourth quarter, letting even teams as bad as New York back into the game. Yao's presence in the middle can sometimes slow the game down, but he's generally a tremendous asset.

McGrady won't be back in the game Tuesday, but Yi should be, after practicing today. A pinkie may seem like a minor injury, but it's on Yi's shooting hand, and is necessary for stability holding, dribbling and shooting the ball.

Both weakness and concern for his recent injury will likely hamper some of Yi's recent physical play at both ends of the court. His injury came when taking a swipe at the ball on defense, and his aggressiveness translated to an increase in both rebounds and scoring.

Nets fans have to expect both to be down from him, along with whether he'll be back in the starting lineup. Ryan Anderson has been erratic lately as Yi's replacement. He shot a combined 30% in his last two games before the break after three games with double-digit scoring, including a double-double in New Jersey's 44-point blowout of Denver.

Since the spot was Yi's before he got injured, it should be his again when he's completely healthy—but is he?

Doctors have been cautious, and tomorrow would mark five weeks and four days, three days shy of the six-week max they'd predicted. Given New Jersey's spot, one game out of the playoffs in a very tight Eastern Conference, they need him back as soon as possible, but not at the cost of his long-term health.

Tomorrow night, that health will be tested against Shane Battier, one of the most underrated small forwards in the game, and a defensive menace. When Battier sits, Artest slides into the three-spot, bringing even more offense and tenacious defense. 

It won't be an easy game back for Yi, but millions—if not billions—of eyes will be watching him.