[MSNBC] Yao's star is still rising

sabonis · Oct 29, 2004

[MSNBC] Yao's star is still rising

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6355132/

Yao's star is still rising By Matt Guokas NBCSports.com contributor

Third-year center steadily improving. The Rockets' Yao Ming, has made great strides in two seasons in the NBA, and he's only going to get better, says Matt Guokas of NBCSports.com.

Updated: 9:11 p.m. ET Oct. 28, 2004 - Before Yao Ming ever played his first NBA game, it was thought he was going to be a project, a player who would come along slowly. That notion went out the window after Yao's first practice with the Rockets. Here was a good player who picked things up quickly. And what's more is Yao is only going to get better.

I think Yao is gradually going to improve for the next four or five years, becoming a much more valuable player, especially as he strengthens his defense.

With more experience, he'll find ways to become a much more effective and dominant player.

There has been some criticism that Yao isn't tough enough, but I would say compared to whom?

Yao's personality is different from many centers -- not that he doesn't get fired up from time to time.

But Yao didn't grow up and learn to play basketball on the mean streets in the United States, so he doesn't have the kind of mentality of some American players who saw excellence in the sport as a way to a better life.

But other than Shaquille O'Neal, there isn't a center as talented or as tough as Yao.

When Yao doesn't fight harder to mix it up inside, you can tell the Houston coaches get a little disappointed.

They realize with his length, and his strong low base, it's hard for opposing players to move him, but yet on a lot of occasions he'll take the path of least resistance and step outside and shoot a jump shot.

I don't think that is the end of the world since it also shows he has some balance in his game.

He certainly is not just an inside offensive player.

He has a good touch on his turnaround jumper from about 17 or 18 feet, and given he does that well, he ought to do it from time to time.

As a coach, I wouldn't do a lot of changing with Yao's game.

I would just try to get the most out of him as to who he is as a player now -- and it's very good.

Tough to compare
Yao and Shaq are obviously two different types of centers.

Shaq relies on his brute strength to muscle his way in and knock bodies out of his way to dunk the ball.

That's not Yao's game.

He has more finesse to his turnaround jump shot, and more range on that shot.

The two centers have different mentalities, so that's an area where the comparison certainly breaks down.

Shaq likes to get the ball a lot, and go for some big scoring games, but I don't think Yao wants to play that way.

I can't see Yao ever becoming a 25-point, 15-rebound guy, and unfortunately that's what people equate greatness with.

I don't think that sort of numerical benchmark has anything to do with greatness.

I think greatness is when you win a lot of games, make your teammates better, and you can do a lot of good things -- both offensively and defensively -- out on the floor.

That to me makes a player great.

T-Mac comes to town
Like with all centers, Yao needs other players to get him the ball so he can be effective.

That was the big selling job Rockets' coach Jeff Van Gundy had to do with guards Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley, who this past summer were part of the seven-player deal between Houston and Orlando that made Tracy McGrady a Rocket.

Van Gundy preached to Francis and Mobley that instead of coming down the court and taking quick shots in those set offense situations, they should look to dump the ball in to Yao first and then see what happens.

If Yao has a scoring opportunity fine.

If he's gets double-teamed, he can throw the ball back out and the Rockets can look to create a play.

McGrady has never played with a center like Yao, so I'm sure Van Gundy will have the same selling job all over again.

As to how McGrady will take to this approach, well, we'll have to wait and see.

Another challenge for McGrady is not just to come down court and have a free hand to shoot the ball like he's done for the last three or four years, but to look to be more of a complete offensive player, making use of his talent to go in and post up and his ability to drive the basket -- not to mention utilizing his passing skills.

McGrady's gotten into very bad habits as far as playing offense, and he's been able to get away with it because he is such a good shooter, and he makes his fair share of shots.

But that style is not the way to play when you have other talented players around you, or a dominant center like Yao.

Francis posting up was not a part of the Rockets offense last year, but this season Houston might post up McGrady some, so there are going to be times when they don't come down and dump the ball in to Yao, but rather they dump it in to McGrady.

I think that's going to be fine with Yao, who doesn't strike me as the kind of player who is so into himself that he wants to be in the middle of everything, and wants to get his touch in the post three out of every four possessions like a lot of other big men do.

So it will be quite interesting to see how McGrady meshes with Yao and with Van Gundy's game plan.

Yao's supporting cast thin
When you look at the rest of the Rockets' roster beyond Yao, McGrady, small forward Jim Jackson, and power forward Juwan Howard (also part of the deal with Orlando), it's not good.

They don't have enough good basketball players, guys that can make plays, guys that can spot up and shoot.

So it's going to be important for McGrady, Jackson, and Howard to somehow come together quickly and complement Yao.

A big part of their defense is playing a low possession game, taking somewhere around 75 shots a game, and I'm sure Van Gundy will be able to control that, but how good they will be defensively remains to be seen.

Even if the mesh between Yao and McGrady comes quickly, Houston will have to make some moves if it wants to rise to among the elite teams both in the Western Conference and the NBA.

The Rockets' outside shooting is weak, and that will make it tougher on Yao and McGrady because down low it will get condensed and clogged because opponents won't respect Houston's perimeter game.

They've also got to get better at point guard, and improve their depth.

It's hoped by Houston that Yao and McGrady will be the next Shaq and Kobe, but while we wait to see if that happens, the Rockets need to be working towards building a roster around these two talents that is of championship caliber.
Click to expand...

sabonis · Oct 29, 2004

It's good to read something positive... I feel like the Rox have been getting semi-negative press/season reviews as of late...

Stuart

wireonfire · Oct 29, 2004

Yao, people already say you are more hype than content, why you still doing a lot of self promoting?

sabonis · Oct 29, 2004

With this bum elbow, I have been relegated to the couch sucking down doritoes and ice cream. Depression has set in and nothin' makes it better like an ex-NBA coach talking me up.

Stuart

Jeff · Oct 29, 2004

Good artice.

I just wish

he had

longer paragraphs

because

reading one line per paragraph

really

gets to be

annoying.

KeepKenny · Oct 29, 2004

I don't think our outside shooting is weak at all. Ward and JJ can hit for good percantages, and Tmac is about 35%. Then Lue comes in with a good percentage also. We have a lot more shooters than the 2 we had last year.

wireonfire · Oct 29, 2004

Originally posted by KeepKenny
I don't think our outside shooting is weak at all. Ward and JJ can hit for good percantages, and Tmac is about 35%. Then Lue comes in with a good percentage also. We have a lot more shooters than the 2 we had last year.
Click to expand...

The question is do we have a deadeye shooter who can make a 3 on consistent basis when the game is on the line? I'd say we don't. That is why we got Pike last season, but too bad it didn't work out.

mogrod · Oct 29, 2004

This article is a perfect argument to those who constantly complain about Yao and/or JVG's system. Yao may never put up "superstar" numbers, but he does so many other great things in a team-oriented matter that will result in wins. JVGs defenses always cut down on shot attempts which result in the lower scoring. Like the article says, once the roster around Yao and Tmac is set, this team will be VERY hard to beat.

DavidS · Oct 29, 2004

Originally posted by wireonfire
Yao, people already say you are more hype than content, why you still doing a lot of self promoting?
Click to expand...

Heh... Self promotion. Not very "Yao-like" is it?

krocket · Oct 30, 2004

I wish we could dump Ewing and get Jabar to coach Yao. His game was so much more like Yao's could be. Their personalities and demeanors are so similar I just think it would be a great combination. If Yao had a sky hook and could rebound like Jabar he would be a superstar now.

Fegwu · Oct 30, 2004

Originally posted by sabonis
[MSNBC] Yao's star is still rising
Click to expand...

Hey Yao, can you stop going on forums accross the internet to prop yourself up and just focus on your weak rebounding and low post scoring for a change? I hope the answer is yes

SA Rocket · Oct 30, 2004

Originally posted by Jeff
Good artice.

I just wish

he had

longer paragraphs

because

reading one line per paragraph

really

gets to be

annoying.

Click to expand...

LOL

Jeff,

I guess

MSNBC

doesn't

have

any

editors,

either.

Forums

[MSNBC] Yao's star is still rising

sabonis Contributing Member

sabonis Contributing Member

wireonfire Contributing Member

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KeepKenny Contributing Member

wireonfire Contributing Member

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