It makes no sense trading yao because then tmac is gonna get pissed and leave. Yao isnt doing much, but atleast were getting wins. Hopefully yao will start to play 7 6 rather than 6 7. I still say fire JVG, sometimes the coach is the main problem, i.e. astros.
<strike>You people are stupid</strike> The only reason why the Rockets aren't as good as they are supposed to be is because they refuse to play like a team. Every match it's either Yao scoirng most of the points or T-mac scoring most of the points or both sscoring most of the points or Howard or Sura have a good game and they score all the points etc etc If every member of the team shared the burden then the Rockets would be much better. Thank the lord we have JVG <font color="red"><font size="-2">Baiting and offensive comments are not allowed on this board, nor are they welcomed.</font></font>
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting rocketthruster:</div><div class="quote_post">You people are stupid The only reason why the Rockets aren't as good as they are supposed to be is because they refuse to play like a team. Every match it's either Yao scoirng most of the points or T-mac scoring most of the points or both sscoring most of the points or Howard or Sura have a good game and they score all the points etc etc If every member of the team shared the burden then the Rockets would be much better. Thank the lord we have JVG</div> You're calling us stupid? you've been here what a month and you're starting to cause trouble already, you say every match its either Yao scoring the most, T-Mac scoring the most etc etc, well what do you expect? everyone on the team to only score 10 points each then be benched until everyone on the team scores 10? then you said "If every member of the team shared the burden then the Rockets would be much better." Oh really? Thank You Captain Obvious! I also realised that if we make as many shots as we can go in, we have a better chance in getting more points! thus winning the game! Wow!!
LOL, come now don't be dissing the rookies. Rocketthruster, next time you post, make sure you read through it and make sure its intelligent before you post it. And your post up there was clearly not all that intelligent. Its already quite obvious our bench is not the best. With the likes of Mutumbo, Taylor, Barrett, Barry, and Padgett, our bench is definitely not the strongest. It probably should be a lot better, but these guys almost always have off and on nights. Right now, its not a matter of the team working together, but more that they need to get their shooting touch. Players like Wesley or Barry rely on their three pointer skills, so when those shots don't fall it, you can't really blame it on team work. Currently, our starters are doing the majority of the work for us while the bench is basically buying the starters time and just trying to shut the other team down on the defensive end. So I don't really see the problem with teamwork. The team has finally found the chemistry they've been lacking the last few games and have brought wins for us. What more can you ask?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AznxBaller:</div><div class="quote_post">LOL, come now don't be dissing the rookies. Rocketthruster, next time you post, make sure you read through it and make sure its intelligent before you post it. And your post up there was clearly not all that intelligent. Its already quite obvious our bench is not the best. With the likes of Mutumbo, Taylor, Barrett, Barry, and Padgett, our bench is definitely not the strongest. It probably should be a lot better, but these guys almost always have off and on nights. Right now, its not a matter of the team working together, but more that they need to get their shooting touch. Players like Wesley or Barry rely on their three pointer skills, so when those shots don't fall it, you can't really blame it on team work. Currently, our starters are doing the majority of the work for us while the bench is basically buying the starters time and just trying to shut the other team down on the defensive end. So I don't really see the problem with teamwork. The team has finally found the chemistry they've been lacking the last few games and have brought wins for us. What more can you ask?</div> I'm a second month sophmore I can do whatever I want LOL! just kidding, besides I didn't diss him I was simply explaining to him that since he IS new here, he shouldn't be calling us stupid as its not a good way to start out in a new forum, I just did it in a less polite manner
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting rocketthruster:</div><div class="quote_post">You people are stupid The only reason why the Rockets aren't as good as they are supposed to be is because they REFUSE to play like a team.</div> I really doubt they REFUSE to work as a team. And Yao and T-Mac are suppose to be the main scorers. Last time I checked Shaq/Kobe and Jordan/Pippen scored most of the points for their teams and they won just a couple of championships. T-Mac and Yao Just need the right peices around them and if another player gets hot then we should let him be a scorer. Right now Houston's problem is the bench. If Houston can get a tough PF and 1or2 good bench players, Houston should be ready to take off.
They're the main options so I expect them to be the leaders in scoring. Once in a while other players step up and that's part of the game. They do get their teammates to play better and thats part of being a leader. We may not see it now but we will in due time. Right now the team chemistry is very good and that gives us results. We've been able to bounce back from defeats and recent;y start a winning streak of our own. So no, they don't refuse to play as a team, if they don't we'd be losing way more.
Sura steps up, as does Howard. Even Scott Padgett did against New York. Our team shouldn't be the one that has everyone scoring 15 points per game. It is obvious that Yao and McGrady are the players that are head and shoulders above everyone else, so they should be the ones taking 20 shots a game anyways. If you want us to be like the Bobcats and have 7 players scoring 10ppg but no one above 15ppg, we'll probably lose a few more games than we have.
I agree. The rockets have great scoring options, with t mac, yao and then sura has stepped up a lot and this team is made of veterans. The problem is mainly that our PFs are a big weakness which hurt our weak rebounding. If we had a good rebounder, i think we might even be 2-3 seeds better considering the fact that we win and loose almost all of our games based on outrebounding. that goes to show you that sura is a vital part of the rockest with his 5-6 rebounds a game as a pg.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting hdchy:</div><div class="quote_post">I always hear someone says we cannot trade Yao, why not? If we sign Yao a max contract, which I think CD surely will do by the end of this summer, with T-mac and Yao's salaries, we have no cap to sign any other good players and we will be even further away from the championship! Yes, we need a defensive PF and we also need a good PG, they all need money. We are not Knicks or Lakers and we don't have Cuban as our boss. What we can do? SO I think we should trade Yao now for some cheaper, but more efficient players or for draft picks!</div> The Lakers?? lol. You mean the Mavericks.
I love Sura as a player...he competes and plays with heart and is easily one of our best all-around players...he can play both backcourt positions and can shoot, pass and rebound and also play feisty defense...I also disagree with the stated assessment that Yao gets great position...he often does not, we always see him shooting fallaways and turnarounds...its so easy to force him away from the basket...ironic how this thread blasphemes arguably our most competitive player while praising/defending arguably our most softest player...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trip:</div><div class="quote_post">While I believe we could trade Yao, doing it now is not good for the team. Yao is only 25 years old and still has a lot of potential. Even though people are knocking on him for not improving much, he has improved his scoring every season and none of his statistic categories have dropped significantly. It'll be a major disappointment if we trade Yao and he becomes a future MVP.</div> Unfortunately for Yao, a trade away from Van Gundy's offense and to a more progressive, outside the box thinking coach is probably the only way he could reach his potential and become a MVP. Yao is not a dominant low post player, and he probably never will be. His offensive skills are much more like Bill Walton, who was one of the best high post centers to ever play the game. Like Yao, Walton could score in the low post, but it was not the strongest area of his game. It was mainly set up by the damage that he did from the high post. His passing was so strong that the year he led the Trailblazers to the championship, they did not have a true point guard and Walton led the team in assists during the playoffs, and I believe the entire season, but I will have to check that out. That's how I envisioned Yao being utilized when he was drafted, so needless to say I have been truly dissappointed. I think he would benefit greatly from forcing the defense to defend him out on the high post. Which would keep them from just waiting down on the low blocks for him to come to them.
I totally agree, jmc. Yao lacks the strength to fight for position down low every possession for 35 minutes every game. He simply will not last very long if we forced him to back down a guy like Shaq or Brad Miller. He would simply get pushed out and not gain any ground, eventually having to just go for the fadeaway or the turnaround. If we can position Yao at the top of the post and let him play off the ball as a shooter from the top of the key, his stats would decrease, but it would help his game and the team overall. However, I don't think right now is the time for him to transform into that type of player, and his dribbling skills are still very bad, and he doesn't dare to dribble into the key. It'll be much of a waster of talent IMO if we just have him as a stationary shooter. When he gains a better dribble, Yao will be able to fake and then drive for a hookshot or get in better position for a shot. Somewhat like a taller, better version of what Brad Miller is now: a center who can toil down low and also make the 14-18 footer.
Is this thread even about Sura anymore? This whole discussion about Yao has been done many times before. There all these arguments about people doubting him etc etc etc. Ok now I'll jump on the band wagon and start goin with how this thread has evolved into a Yao thread. Trip is absolutely right. I've always seen yao as a high post player, and top of the key shooter. He has those sort of skills. I say he should mould his game around a hybrid of Hakeem and Kareem who both have impressive high-post moves. Add the sky hook, and some quick low post moves that Hakeem could do, and we have the best center of all time.
Sura's pretty ok as a starter although kind of inconsistent. His shot has really improved, he plays his high energy game with good defense and ok ball handling skills. He's pretty decent fundamentally and still athletic for a dude born in 32. I like him sometimes and then I don't, but his defense and passing is appreciated. And Yao? The guy's been disappointing and way overrated, but look at it this way: I think he has a legit excuse to play without the energy he should be playing with because he's been playing basketball without rest for what... 3 years? Playing in China in the offseason and the Olympics last year and all must really wear down a dude who is 7'6 or 7'5. His joints aren't any stronger than regular sized people. Must be killer on the knees for men that big to be playing all year without getting stronger in the weight room to play the style of ball the nba requires you to play to be good at both ends of the floor. Just be lucky you got him instead of Mike Dunleavy. Yeah the W's are having fun with him. At least your guy has a possible excuse for being passive and disappearing in games.
Well Sura is MORE than an Ok starter. He's really helping us win games and he is one of our hard workers out there. Yao has had a tough time, first of all, adjusting to the league, and also with his schedule both in the US and China.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dakeem1:</div><div class="quote_post">Well Sura is MORE than an Ok starter. He's really helping us win games and he is one of our hard workers out there. Yao has had a tough time, first of all, adjusting to the league, and also with his schedule both in the US and China.</div> 1st - Sura and company NEED to look to score more often if they are going to get respect from opponents, and therefore free up more space for Yao and T-Mac 2nd - Yao is efficient if you look at his FG% and maybe points per 48 mins (he averages 28 pp48) But you have to factor in the turnovers and rebounds... He doesn't scramble and fight for rebounds, partly because he's not athletic enough and partly because he's never had to previous to coming to the NBA. If you look at nba.com's efficiency ratings, Yao is #36 behind Lamar Odom who's been struggling all year. They really need to find someone to play alongside Yao who can play D because he's averaging nearly 4 fouls a game this season. Yao will never be a dominating shotblocker so people will continue to challenge him (see Stro dunk). Until they get another guy to play the Kelvin Cato role, I think Yao will continue to have bad nights due to early foul trouble.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trip:</div><div class="quote_post">I totally agree, jmc. Yao lacks the strength to fight for position down low every possession for 35 minutes every game. He simply will not last very long if we forced him to back down a guy like Shaq or Brad Miller. He would simply get pushed out and not gain any ground, eventually having to just go for the fadeaway or the turnaround. If we can position Yao at the top of the post and let him play off the ball as a shooter from the top of the key, his stats would decrease, but it would help his game and the team overall. However, I don't think right now is the time for him to transform into that type of player, and his dribbling skills are still very bad, and he doesn't dare to dribble into the key. It'll be much of a waster of talent IMO if we just have him as a stationary shooter. When he gains a better dribble, Yao will be able to fake and then drive for a hookshot or get in better position for a shot. Somewhat like a taller, better version of what Brad Miller is now: a center who can toil down low and also make the 14-18 footer.</div> Before they traded Francis and Mobley, I wanted Yao at the high post with the ball in his hand feeding them as they cut to the basket a large percentage of the time. I believe with 20 touches a game from the high post, Yao could have gotten 4-5 assists easily with strong finishers like mobley, francis and even Cato and Jackson. Plus Yao could easily get up 10 shots from that area, and I like his chances of hitting 5 or better. Add to that another 15-20 touches in the low blocks. With 5-10 shot attempts from that area, you have yao putting up 15-20 shots a game without wearing himself out banging for position. I think he easily hits over 50 per cent. With that type of offense, I could see Yao in the running for the MVP award. Factoring in free throws he should average well over 20 pts. 4 assists, and with less wear and tear banging for position in the low post, I think we would see double figure rebounding from him also. I don't know if they would be willing to run that type of offense with McGrady either. But I think he could excell in any offense they chose to run. The problem is getting the other guys to be as effective as they can be.
I see your point, but I don't think that Yao can flourish in that role now. Without a Cato down low who could get offensive rebounds, Yao is forced to stay there to have a chance for a rebound if a teammate misses. Besides, the only strong finishers we now have are probably only McGrady and Sura. Wesley is too short and never penetrates anyways. With Francis, Mobley and Jackson, it would have worked, but not now.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trip:</div><div class="quote_post">I see your point, but I don't think that Yao can flourish in that role now. Without a Cato down low who could get offensive rebounds, Yao is forced to stay there to have a chance for a rebound if a teammate misses. Besides, the only strong finishers we now have are probably only McGrady and Sura. Wesley is too short and never penetrates anyways. With Francis, Mobley and Jackson, it would have worked, but not now.</div> That's why it is hard for me to be excited about this team. I really think Van Gundy missed the boat when he came on board. (Not that Tomjanovich used him properly IMO either). I think you should build around your best players strengths. Then add players that complement those strengths.
