If Jeff Van Gundy has any say in it he will. IMO, Yao shouldn't get the ball anymore than he has been, he still has a lot to learn.
Do you mean looks by "a look"? If so, Yao will certainly get lots of looks. As evident from the preseason games, we are giving the ball to Yao first every time we run the half court set, and then work from him on. It's not like Yao won't get 5 shots a game now that we have T-Mac; they are both willing to make sacrifices offensively for the team to win.
They should both get plenty of the ball. Yao is great inside, but T-Mac is a great perimiter shooter - put them together and you have one hell of a team. Similar to Shaq and Kobe, except I reckon T-Mac's better than Kobe and Yao will be better than Shaq was.
Well, if you look at the box score, Yao got 20, Tmac got 27.. Yao didn't play as much as McGrady, and wasn't trying.. I think they can, its sort of like Kobe and Shaq, they each get theirs, but Yao and Tracy can get along.. McGrady already said he wants to work inside-out, get it to Yao, then work the ball around.
Chemistry will be the key between the two. As of now, T-Mac is not really taking advantage of Yao's picks, and Yao is not trying to shoot much at times, rather willing to pass it back out when they dump it down low to him. However, as time goes on, Yao and T-Mac will figure it out, and when they do figure it out, we'll become contenders.
I'm just waiting for T-Mac and Yao to start taking advantage of the pick and roll. For a center, Yao is an above average shooter and passer, and I don't have anything to say about T-Mac's scoring ability. I just think they need to start gelling. This is the preseason and the players aren't playing as they would in the regular season. This is a whole new team and a new offensive style for both Yao and T-Mac. T-Mac must be more restrained while Yao must be assertive because of the fact that he will be the focal point of the offense.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trip:</div><div class="quote_post">they are both willing to make sacrifices offensively for the team to win.</div> I'm certain Yao is willing to make all the sacrifices in the world, but i've seen nothing to suggest that McGrady has suddenly become all about winning, and not all about his stat line. No doubt people will throw McGrady's assists figures up, but that doesn't tell the story of his career. How many times has he thrown a tantrum when he felt he wasn't getting his stats? Far too many for me to suddenly believe he has changed.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">How many times has he thrown a tantrum when he felt he wasn't getting his stats? Far too many for me to suddenly believe he has changed.</div>I don't even remember one instance where he was crying about how many points he didn't get. Refresh my memory and give an example?
^agreed, the only thing I don't like about McGrady is his debatable(is it really debatable?) selfishness, and his comaplining about winning. Aas trip said, Houston will become a contendor, pending chemistry issues with Yao and Mac, which don't look like a big problem. The big 5 this year looks like San Antonio, Minnesota, Houston, Dallas and Sacramento. well.. to me.
I think everybody is overanxious here about Tmac coming to town and playing alongside Yao. Just relax. Sure we're all excited and curious as to how things are going to turn out with all the new players here but there's no need to rush the words 'championship contender' with us yet. It took Kobe and Shaq some time to gel and finally capture a ring. True Kobe was a rookie when him and Shaq came together to play, but let's not forget that they also needed a great coach in Phil Jackson to win the ring. We are still missing some pieces to our team here in my opinion to be a real legit championship contender. Alot of them are obvious: a solid PG a la Derek Fisher, spot up shooters from outside, and a deeper bench. However, I am confident that we are one of the "dark horses" come playoff time and will stir some noise up. Maybe not this year, but at the very least next year. I'm sure we'll do fine. Tmac will get his, Yao will get his also, and in the middle of it all, I can see guys like Juwan, JJ, and Ward getting their share of the job done. Just sit back and prepare for a fun season guys
I'm kinda worried. Juwan Howard gives them more offense, unfortunately, Houston is a defensive team. They won games and got into the playoffs because they were shut down defenders. Problem was, it wasnt Yao, it was Cato that did the best on interior defense, and they got rid of him. Juwan Howard will provide nothing in terms of defense, which is a big loss for Houston. Plus, watch for Juwan to drop in offense big time this season. Yao and Mac will get most of the touches, dont expect Juwan to put up more then 15 ppg and certainly dont expect him to get offensive rebounds. After the trade, their backcourt just got horrible. T-mac is playing SF this season, so that leaves Ward and Jackson in the back replacing greats like Francis and Mobley. Expect production to go way down with the guards, for Francis/Mobley were better scorers, rebounders and defenders. One injury, and Houston is done. They have pretty much garbage on the bench save for Maurice Taylor. If Yao and T-mac really click, then they can make the playoffs, but probably a low seed. If this team is to be really good this season, Yao has to be Shaq like dominant this season and Mcgrady is going to have to willingly get him the ball and not cry about it.
One thing to clarify, T-Mac would be playing shooting guard this season, as evident in the preseason. He was playing the same position last year, so it's reasonable we leave him there. Jackson, on the other hand, played SF last season, so no reason for him to move as well. With these two guys, we get versatility and durability, which will undoubted help us come game time or in case of injury. Rockets 4 Sho, rest assured that our bench will be great this season. We have Maurice Taylor and Mutombo in the frontcourt, and Tyronn Lue and Bob Sura in the backcourt. We also have great role players in Ryan Bowen and Scott Padgett. This bench is a lot stronger than last year's.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting j-mac31:</div><div class="quote_post">They should both get plenty of the ball. Yao is great inside, but T-Mac is a great perimiter shooter - put them together and you have one hell of a team. Similar to Shaq and Kobe, except I reckon T-Mac's better than Kobe and Yao will be better than Shaq was.</div> What have you been watching on TV for the past decade? Obviously not the NBA by two things you said here. TMac better then Kobe...as Much as I dislike Kobe, he is better then TMac. TMac is definantly talented, and I would say behind Jordan, and Kobe, he is the best 2 guard in the past 10 years. Talent wise, TMac is amazing, but he hasn't lived up to the hype. He doesn't have that killer instinct that Kobe has. TMac is also lazy on defence. He doesnt put the effort in, Kobe does. I know what you're going to say: "Kobe has had Shaq all his career, while TMac has had no one." Well, yes Kobe had Shaq (as well as a great supporting cast) while TMac has been on less talented teams. But Kobe has always put in effort, even as a Bench Warming rookie. He always had that cocky-confidence that seperates great players, from the best players. Shaq and Yao. Yao Ming better then Shaq? If Yao retires, and has accomplished 1/10th of what Shaq has, then he should consider himself lucky. Shaq has been the most dominant figure in Basketball for the past decade. Is he talented? Does he wow us with Finess? Yes, he does. Shaq is an amazing athlete, really he is. His quickness is underrated, also he can pass the ball amazingly well. Yao is a talented player, but he just doesn't seem to have the heart. Shaq plays like he wants to win. Yao seems to just relax, and allow the game to come to him. While Shaq demands attention. TMac and Yao will be good, but I doubt they will be as good as the Ironically related Penny-Shaq tandem of a decade ago. Think before you post...
While I agree with MegaGreg on the Shaq > Yao and Kobe > TMac issue, I highly disagree with some of the stuff stated. If you know anything about Yao, you'll see that the only thing Yao does NOT lack is heart. Sure he lacks athleticism compared to Shaq, but is that really comparable? Shaq is around half a foot shorter than Yao, so of course he's supposed to be more athletic and agile. Now I'm not saying that Shaq's agility is normal for someone his size, it's not. But that's besides the point. Yao is the most agile 7'6 player ever to play in the NBA. He's very skilled, has an awesome shooting touch, great passing ability, etc, for someone his size. He may not be a rebounding machine, but people forget that just because you're really tall doesn't mean the smaller, heavier players can't get any boards. Just ask Bradley, Manute Bol, or any other 7'5+ players. I think you should look at Yao's recent games more intently before you say he plays "relax"... Yao tries his hardest every single game and while it is true that he doesn't play like a leader (i.e: Yelling, Chest thumping, bla bla bla), that's just how his demeanor is and of the Chinese culture in general actually. Self expression, selfishness, and many others is not in Yao's culture. Keep in mind we're comparing a future Hall of Famer in Shaquille O'Neal (who over a decade of playing experience) versus a 24 year old who came to America 2 years ago. Of course Shaq's better than Yao right now, but to discredit any notion that Yao might be comparable to Shaq one day is not as ridiculous as you make it out to be. Also, what do you mean exactly by "1/10 of what Shaq has"? Please elaborate on that.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Shaq and Yao. Yao Ming better then Shaq? If Yao retires, and has accomplished 1/10th of what Shaq has, then he should consider himself lucky. Shaq has been the most dominant figure in Basketball for the past decade. Is he talented? Does he wow us with Finess? Yes, he does. Shaq is an amazing athlete, really he is. His quickness is underrated, also he can pass the ball amazingly well. Yao is a talented player, but he just doesn't seem to have the heart. Shaq plays like he wants to win. Yao seems to just relax, and allow the game to come to him. While Shaq demands attention.</div> I seem to remember people saying how over-rated Shaq was. How badly Dream killed him in the Finals, how Shaq will never be spoken in the same breath as Robinson and Dream. Things change, people get better. Yao will get better. Will he be better than Shaq? Well maybe not, but if he gets us 3 rings, I think he's done all we want of him. The thing about Yao getting a look -- Yao hasn't been making shots, Tmac, can shoot himself out of a slump. Any smart player would give the ball to the guy who had the best chance of making the shot. Yao, right now, hasn't been able to sink many jumpers that used to be automatic for him. While McGrady, has been able to, but for some reason, the whole Rockets team doesn't like Laredo. Kobe and Shaq did not win a ring in Kobe's first season (correct me if I am wrong?). I dont think we can expect Yao and Tracy to either. The Rockets spacing never leaves a guy open, and I really think Boki should've seen the ball alot more against the Spurs. Just my 2 cents.
Yao will be better than Shaq. Shaq's great and all but Yao isnt too far behind him. All he needs to do is bulk up some, get a bit more experience and he'll be at least as good Shaq was. Yao is a good passer just like Shaq, good post up player like Shaq(just needs to add a few more lbs) not as quick as Shaq but he can shoot from the outside. I think he can shoot the international three ball so it's not inconcievable that he cant shoot the NBA three. In case you all havent noticed the championship is up for grabs. The Lakers have fallen and Shaq is out of the West. The Pistons are the champs and their far from unbeatable. Just about any team that makes the playoffs in the West has a chance to win. The top four teams in the East all have a chance of going to the Finals as well. I dont get it. How are the Rockets not title contenders. The Rockets have the best center in the West on their team as well as the second best shooting guard in the game on their team. What more do you want? You dont honestly expect to have premier players at every position while at the same time having a star lined bench do you??? If thats what it will take to make you guys think your title contenders...your never going to be title contenders. The Lakers made the playoffs with a point guard who didnt know what he was doing, an aging and desperate powerforward, their two best players at each others throats and Devean George(need I say more) as their starting line up. Along with one of the sorriest benches in the game. Like I said before this is anybody's ball game. The Rockets need to make a push for the title now! I said this before if McGrady wants to stay in Houston Yao will get plenty of looks. After being on the Orlando Magic last year I'm sure McGrady's priorities(think thats how you spell it) have changed from making his stat sheet as good as he can make it to being on a winning team. Yao and McGrady will make a great team. Like Kobe and Shaq without the urge to kill each other.
I don't think Yao will ever be as dominant a player as Shaq for several reasons. Firstly, he'll never have the same type of stamina so he's not going to be able to beat defenders down the court as routinely as Shaq did in his prime. Because he arrives late to the offense much of the time, this cuts down on the number of plays run for him as well as makes it more difficult for him to get easy shots. He's fairly slow going after loose balls and has poor reflexes, which prevents him from being a strong rebounder and shot blocker. Yao's hands aren't as big and strong as Shaq's, and that prevents him from finishing as easily in traffic. And while Yao is capable of delivering good passes, his passing game depends on how he's used within the offense, and in Van Gundy's system his passing isn't used very much (which is a real shame). Also, Yao's personality and relationship with his teammates is much different. He doesn't demand the ball the way the great dominant players do, and consequentially he doesn't get the ball as often as he probably should. I don't know if his teammates respect him like Shaq's and Hakeem's did. Yao's one advantage over Shaq is his shooting touch. But that's not enough to make him any where near as dominant.
I think Yao and T-Mac being on the same team will benifit them both majorly.If they work together the Rockets could be the next NBA dynasty.While T-Mac is in his prime,Yao is still developing,(oppopsite from Kobe and Shaq),so it may take awhile for this team to be serious contenders. Yao will be able to benifit T-mac by becoming a better low post threat,I am not saying he is not a good one he just neds to get better.Once he is a dominant Center and attracts double teams this leaves players open,and hopefuly when that happends,the ball will end up in Tracy Mcgradys hands. Vice versa having a dominant center alongside Mcgrady will take loads of pressure off of Mcgrady,who is used to carrying teams on his back.Then Tracy may learn how to be a team player a feed the ball to Yao when he penetrates defenses. Hopefuly Tracy Mcgrady realizes that he is the second option and is willing to accept that,cause if he doesnt and things dont work out,its not impossible for him to opt out of his contract,and leave the Rockets.
