Maybe it's because the Rockets aren't solid enough at the point guard position. When you look at it, the Rockets don't really have that player (ala Stevie Francis), that is capable of making Yao Ming a better player.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">the Rockets don't really have that player (ala Stevie Francis)</div> I honestly don't think Francis made Yao a better player. McGrady has to some extent. Van Gundy might've slowed down the process by trying to force Yao into doing things he doesn't wanna do. When we drafted him, everyone was talking about how he has such a good shooting touch, yet people expect him to just dunk the ball all the time. I think the turn arounds are a great move for Yao to have. He rarely gets blocked like that. When he tries to bang down low, the ball gets stripped from him when he puts it on the floor. When he battles for position, he gets called for offensive fouls. Yao needs to stick with whats working for him, and not Jeff Van Gundy. I think his attitude toward the game is what needs to be changed. He is not really passive, just conservative. Someone needs to get him fired up. If it takes Dikembe's elbows, so be it. But he's gotta grow into (no pun intended) the role of the leader of this team. Yao will never be a great rebounder. He can get 10 a game, but honestly, he shouldn't have to rebound. Last year, Cato was our garbage man, Howard and Mo aren't those types of players. They put points on the board (sometimes..) but they don't block and rebound. We need that type of player on the team. Deke is old, we can't expect him to dive for the ball on every play. We need a Power Forward that is an athletic, rebounding, clean up the trash player. And we do have one in Malick Badiane. He will not be our savior, but if you think about it, he's just a big, athletic kid who will take fouls from Yao. The Point Guard position is another thing that's killing us. Had Ward been guarding Nash against the Suns, we would've lost by 20 -- atleast. Sura, cannot shoot, Ward really can't do much, and Barrett's height and inability to consistently hit a shot his killing him. We have a playmaker in Barrett, a defender and rebounder in Sura, and a guy who sometimes can hit his shot in Ward. We need a guard that can do all three. Damon Jones, Sam Cassel (sigh..), and maybe Mike James, all would've helped us here. Supposedly our answer is Spanoulis, the guy we traded for this year. Thought turnover prone, I had a mixtape of him, and he's as fast as Tony Parker, and can defend better than our point guards. He has a nice tear-drop shot that is almost automatic. He can hit the open three pointer, and who knows, he could be our Rashard Lewis or Manu Ginobili. Both Badiane and Spanoulis will be coming to the Rockets next year, but Badiane is injured, so he might be waived. The draft is our best bet to get an athletic forward without giving up the trade exception. Tyson Chandler and Stromile Swift are two players who we should be looking at, but as of now, our TE is the best trade bait we have, which is pretty bad.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Sniper:</div><div class="quote_post">What ever happened to Yao's 13-17 footer he used to take so often (and make)?</div> Good question. Even his turnaround jumper is becoming more and more rare. I think the coaching staff have told him he needs to take advantage of his size more and go for layups/dunks/hook shots. But when he limits his repertoire like that, its takes longer for him to get inside position which results in a sluggish offensive set and/or a turnover. He should at least mix it up a bit a take some outside jumpers as well. Maybe he's lost confidence in that shot, though, because I don't recall him hitting even one this year which is very strange.
It bothers me that Yao has the ability to have big games against the best center in the game (shaq) but yet gets pushed around by no name centers... Bring in the zen master ;D... I'm just waiting for a no name center to talk trash to Yao and hopefully Yao will explode hehe. I think if you wtach the games if he misses a coupla shots he'll stop shooting and become completely timid. Also if the rockets got a good defense/rebounding pwoer forward it would help w/ Yao's foul troubles, he's just too big to come over and help, since he doesn't have the quickness, he needs to learn to anticipate. I want to see: Yao getting mean and throw some elbows and get some technical fouls Don't want to see: a 7'6 center trying to take a charge then falling to the floor.
Yao's problem had always been the fact that he plays to passive, he scores more than 50 % of the shoot and taking in mind his skills and characteristics i believe that he can score more without lowering his fg porcentage. When, he starts being more agressive then his numbers will go up and he is already in the transition. He was even passive when playing with the Chinese national team and that is why they couldn't beat much opponents.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting durvasa:</div><div class="quote_post">Good question. Even his turnaround jumper is becoming more and more rare. I think the coaching staff have told him he needs to take advantage of his size more and go for layups/dunks/hook shots. But when he limits his repertoire like that, its takes longer for him to get inside position which results in a sluggish offensive set and/or a turnover. He should at least mix it up a bit a take some outside jumpers as well. Maybe he's lost confidence in that shot, though, because I don't recall him hitting even one this year which is very strange.</div> Ya mean like this one? http://www.asiansportsnet.com/videos/yao_1...ter_toronto.wmv Also he did hit a 20ft jumper earlier this season, I can't remember against who though. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting yudalicious:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm just waiting for a no name center to talk trash to Yao and hopefully Yao will explode hehe.</div> haha, I can imagine it now, the guy trash talks him, Yao remains silent, next time they get the ball Yao dunks on him, causing him to fall and Yao just looks and points at him Shawn Kemp style! lol!
from Beijing China <div class="quote_poster">Quoting durvasa:</div><div class="quote_post">Frustration isn't solely with Yao, but also with the way the coaching staff is trying to develop his talents. Yes, it is his third year in the league, and one would have expected after 3 years he would be more aggressive and alert. If we're not going to get that this year, then when? I don't know if its a culture thing, or just something about his personality.</div> i would say it is a culture thing Though Yao is not so good as everyone expects, he is a trying hard to be that.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting chazzo:</div><div class="quote_post">and i watched some chinese national team's game in the olypics, Yao was dominating, dunking on ever1. INSIDEHOOPS.COM ALL-OLYMPICS TEAM / Aug 29 1) Manu Ginobili (Argentina) - Stats: 19.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, .576 FG%, .405 3P% Carried his team every time it was necessary. 2) Pau Gasol (Spain) - Stats: 22.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.86 BPG, .614 FG% Was a dominant superstar and appears to have gotten better since last NBA season. 3) Yao Ming (China) - Stats: 20.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, .559 FG% A dominant force. The only guy he had trouble guarding was Pau Gasol, who isn't a true center and is far too quick for Yao to guard, anyway. 4) Carlos Arroyo (Puerto Rico) - Stats: 18.0 ppg, 5.0 apg, 2.1 rpg, 2.0 spg, .430 FG% Scored, dished, defended, and played extremely well. 5) Luis Scola (Argentina) - Stats: 17.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.5 bpg, .066 FG% Scored like crazy from start to finish. Defense is another story. In Scola's case, a non-story. 6) (Honorable Mention) Sarunas Jasikevicius (Lithuania) - Stats: 14.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.6 APG, .393 3P% Shoots the lights out, dishes lots of assists and, for better or worse, is a very loud vocal leader. Stepped up in a huge way against the U.S JVG has messed Yao's head with his strategies, JVG should be out. Bring in Phil.</div> I was watching Yao since he is young in Shanghai China. You know what? Yao has got about 50 pts in every game of the finals of the Chinese 1st class league (CBA). He can surly be dominating, if he thinks he must be. Here is the culture thing, we chinese never want to be "tough" until we have no other way to be! You may call us polite or kinds of SOFT.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting sinical:</div><div class="quote_post">I was watching Yao since he is young in Shanghai China. You know what? Yao has got about 50 pts in every game of the finals of the Chinese 1st class league (CBA). He can surly be dominating, if he thinks he must be. Here is the culture thing, we chinese never want to be "tough" until we have no other way to be! You may call us polite or kinds of SOFT.</div> yeah, i came from china too, i know that being polite is a good thing, but u not gonna make it in the L is u r too polite, Yao can be as polite as he wants off court, but on court he should be a beast! I heard that shaq is a kind and polite person too, but not on the court though. Yao should learn that on the court, it's like on the battlefield, he should be mean and fight. But, he will learn that soon, right now, I just belive that JVG is not doing the right thing to motivate him.
I don't think my problem with Yao is that he's too nice. There's a difference between being mean and being aggressive and focused. Yao often looks unalert and passive on the court, and that really hurts the team. Why should Rockets fans give him a break for that? Do they teach players to not be focused and to play without confidence in China? They don't teach that anywhere, so we shouldn't use Yao's Chinese background as an excuse for it. He alone is responsible for that, and he should figure out how to overcome it.
Very true, in the last Lakers vs Rockets game, Yao just runs up the court while Odom just goes on a fast break- gets past him, then dunks right in front of him. Yao needs to get into the game and stay focused. Maybe its because of his sluggish stamina? I don't know, but its important if he wants to progress in his career. He can't just let people drive past him or go for dunks right over him. I think he needs to learn some mentality from Mutumbo. In fact, Mutumbo has a great hook shot for Yao to learn, he is a great defender, and most importantly, he hustles. Yao should learn something from him, I don't care, anything!
that was funny real deal . <div class="quote_poster">Quoting chazzo:</div><div class="quote_post">put em in some the ghetto of houston to play some street ball, let em start to listen to NWA and watch some hood movies. I'm pretty sure his idol is still britney spears now, like an interview i read a few years ago, when Wang Zhizhi entered the L, some guy asked what kind of music he listen to, and guess what: Backstreet boys. </div> lol, poor yao. I bet some street games would help yao out tremendously after those guys beat yao to a pulp down there in the post.
I think the main problem is that this year he doesn't have Kelvin Cato in the post with him. 1 - Yao used to take the 15-20 foot shot and USED to have good rebounders in there to grab the board if he missed, ie. Eddie Griffin and Kelvin Cato. Now he's the one inside who has to clean up misses from the backcourt because other than Yao the best rebounders on the team are TMac and Sura. Another big body would help Yao and the Rockets out tremendously. Yao can step out and free up the lane for TMac and the other guards. 2 - Yao picks up too many fouls because of dribble penetration - Sura is injured and can't keep quicker guys in front of him because of his bum knee, and Ward/Wesley/etc.. aren't as good at stopping penetration as Francis/Mobley were. Then Yao has to help because he's their only shotblocker with Cato gone. I've said this before - I really think the inclusion of Cato in the McGrady deal really hurt the team. It would be nice if the Rockets could get a Tony Battie, Stromile Swift or Steven Hunter type player - an athletic, shotblocking big man to help Yao inside. Or maybe even Tyson Chandler?
Wake up, guys! Yao will never be a superstar. He is good player, but not a superstar. If he has the right players and stategy, he can be very good, even looking like a superstar, if not, he is just so-so, something like Scottie Pippen. Without Jordan, he cannot do much. Tade Yao, it is good for both Rockets and Yao. If we match Yao's offer when his rookie contract is over, there is no way we can trade him anymore!
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting hdchy:</div><div class="quote_post">Wake up, guys! Yao will never be a superstar. He is good player, but not a superstar. If he has the right players and stategy, he can be very good, even looking like a superstar, if not, he is just so-so, something like Scottie Pippen. Without Jordan, he cannot do much. Tade Yao, it is good for both Rockets and Yao. If we match Yao's offer when his rookie contract is over, there is no way we can trade him anymore!</div> You have a point there. But remember this. Even if Yao is only going to be a good player, not a MVP type, he will still be the best center in the league once Shaq retires. That will give you a nightly advantage over other teams in terms of centers, and that will be a valuable advantage to have. For that reason alone, we should never trade Yao.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">You have a point there. But remember this. Even if Yao is only going to be a good player, not a MVP type, he will still be the best center in the league once Shaq retires. That will give you a nightly advantage over other teams in terms of centers, and that will be a valuable advantage to have. For that reason alone, we should never trade Yao.</div> To some extent yes. However, right now Amare Stoudamire is definitely proving to be the better of Yao's draft class. In fact, right now he is playing so much better than Yao, partly due to Phoenix's new system. He's listed as a center player too. Sure, you may argue that he's not really a center but more of a powerforward, but he does everything down low that Yao doesn't do. Pound, drive, rebound. He's a much more versatile player and is much faster and energetic than Yao. However, I think maybe this season and offseason, we are doing this: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">If he has the right players and stategy, he can be very good, even looking like a superstar, if not, he is just so-so, something like Scottie Pippen. </div> We're surrounding him with the perfect players- which are generally perimeter shooters. He can dish it out to them for open shots when he's down low, and it will draw double teams away from him. Right now, we're just getting the right pieces in the right places.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trip:</div><div class="quote_post">You have a point there. But remember this. Even if Yao is only going to be a good player, not a MVP type, he will still be the best center in the league once Shaq retires. That will give you a nightly advantage over other teams in terms of centers, and that will be a valuable advantage to have. For that reason alone, we should never trade Yao.</div> The point is this: Do you want to give a just "good" player max salary, about 15M a year? But without the money, do you think we can sign Yao?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting hdchy:</div><div class="quote_post">The point is this: Do you want to give a just "good" player max salary, about 15M a year? But without the money, do you think we can sign Yao?</div> Yes I would, if that good player is the best at his position. Yao will be and is instrumental to our team's success, and if we don't keep him, I don't think we can get better. Frankly, who can we trade Yao for? His contract is not large enough to get a player of his caliber, and I honestly don't like getting 5 draft picks in return for him. The revenue he brings alone is irreplaceable.
