House of Houston
Fansided

Houston Rockets: A thoughtful analysis of Zhou Qi

By Dan Shedd

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MAY 31: Lucas Walker of Australia drives into the keyway against Qi Zhou of China during the 2014 Sino-Australia Challenge match between the Australian Boomers and China at Challenge Stadium on May 31, 2014 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MAY 31: Lucas Walker of Australia drives into the keyway against Qi Zhou of China during the 2014 Sino-Australia Challenge match between the Australian Boomers and China at Challenge Stadium on May 31, 2014 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Houston Rockets and Chinese center Zhou Qi have finally agreed to a deal, something that had several layers into the making.

The agreement of terms with Zhou Qi was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.  So what does this mean for the Houston Rockets?

On the surface, this is just another big man added to the roster.  But it could mean so much more for the future of the franchise. Here are some reasons why:

The fact that Qi is planning on being with the team for the 2017-18 season is great. Particularly because having extra bodies always helps, especially when it comes to injuries.

Who knows what will happen to Clint Capela during the grueling NBA season.

Capela has great offensive and defensive capabilities but still has room to grow.

In regard to Qi, after watching some highlights, here’s my thoughts on him.

More from House of Houston

  • He runs pretty well for a 7’2″ guy. I would like see him get in position just a tad quicker, especially if he is on the floor with Chris Paul and company. That way, he can pound his way to the basket. He could add some weight though as he is a thinly-framed.
  • He can knock down free throws better than any other big man I’ve seen in awhile. That’s crucial in games, whether in regular season or post season.
  • Offensively, he can stop and pop with a nice mid-range jumper with ease, using his size to get a good look at the basket. He can also post up pretty well, but like I mentioned earlier, he needs to be quicker about getting into position. He also can throw down some mean put-back dunks.
  • Defensively, he can have a block party every game, he’s that good. Albeit, it’s against CBA competition, not pro-level like the NBA.

Next: How the Rockets signed P.J. Tucker with no cap space

Do I think Qi will be the next Yao Ming?  No, I don’t see that happening.  But I do hope that he doesn’t have the same injury problems that plagued Yao’s career.

Home/Houston Rockets