The main thing is that people over analyze his game. They stare at him the entire game. If you concentrate enough, even Tim Duncan looks awful at spurts. People tend to focus on that. The same exact thing happens with Mario Williams. People watch every single play expecting him to destroy the opponent. People throughout the year were hating on him but he ends up 3rd in the league in sacks.
Houston has historically been a team with great centers. Moses, Sampson, Dream, Yao. Last time we had a great center, we won championship. That's why people's expectation is high on Yao. But please remember, it took the great Hakeem 10 years to get his first championship.
Great commentary. I had a double take when I heard Bill say he had 30 and 17. I think we get frustrated because the numbers he puts up seem very quiet. He doesn't get a DOMINANT 30 and 17. I love Yao, but I think it all boils down to two things... 1. He's the biggest guy on the court, so the expectations are so high that it's almost a disappointment no matter what he does for most people. And if he DOES do well, it's just expected of him instead of appreciated. 2. He's not as nasty as other dominant centers. He's not a mean guy that dunks, he's a nice guy that lays it up.
Bloop, I think you've further captured what my original post is saying. A lot of fans have just a strong, lasting viceral reaction to the negative plays. Our reaction to the positive plays are simply that Yao is so big and talented, he should do that. I hardly expected 5 pages of back and forth in response to my original pontificating. But the discussion reinforces another critical point that someone posted -- coaching and game plan is key. I think we can do more with the personnel we have, but also need to improve the personnel.
Because the Rockets are so dependent on Yao, he is under a magnifying glass. He ins't getting as many shots as he used to but in the last number of games, he is getting a lot of offensive boards and he is finishing strong.
It seems to me that Yao has the same "image problem" that Duncan had for a long time. It feels like only fairly recently has TD been given alot of respect for his game, but early on he never got the accolades because of how "quiet" and "fundamental" he played - code for "didn't dominate". The championships have gone a long way in changing the perception of TD - imagine how people would talk about him if the Spurs only had the championship with Robinson and him. I suspect that Yao would get the same kind of respect bounce if he manages to win some in the postseason.
i think you expect yao to do better becase we barely won and in most games when he does have 20/10+ we dont do that well in because he's shouldering alot of the offensive game. that just seems to throw off everyone else's rhythm. i think over the last few seasons we've been sort of off chemistry wise with the offensive rhythm. just remember that we're still adjusting, everyone thinks that the rockets are going to just meld into the system but the truth is everyone is still stuck in the post JVG era so just chill. if we aren't better by next season then maybe we should start to criticize Adelman's system. just have patience fellas.
I couldn't agree more with the OP. I get pretty pissed at Yao, and then suddenly the guy puts up ridiculous numbers like 30 and 17. I don't know why that is. Maybe it's because the Rockets have been so disappointing the last few years. The lack of playoff success really makes us overanalyze things, I think. Plus, fans that have been around for awhile inevitably compare him the the greatest Rocket ever, Olajuwon. Those are tough shoes to fill. Yao will to make his own mark, and I firmly believe he will. He is definitely someone I'm proud to have as a Rocket, and indeed, we are lucky to have the guy.
i think your assessment on yao is a typical under-evaluation of him. and a "center-poor" league? that is debatable as well.
I think this echoes the original post. It isn't the truth. First, statistically, it's simply not the truth. For a guy who gets as many touches as he does, shoots as much as he does, plays the minutes he does, etc. he isn't any worse than any number of other players. He has fewer turnovers per 48 minutes than players like Carmelo, Shaq (other players that aren't PGs) and is around the same as Manu or Dwight Howard. His shooting percentage is solid (thre only 1 player in the entire league that has taken more shots then him at a better percentage = Carlos Boozer). At 3.2 fouls per game he is less than Shaq, Amare, Boozer, Big Z, Brad Miller, Kaman, Howard, Okafor, etc., and on a per 48 minute basis, it is even better. He's number 7 in the league in blocks per game (and, though there's no stats to back this up, I think you will find because of some of his shortcomings, by default, more of his blocks stay in bounds then not...which is generally a good thing). So, I guess you're saying ignore stats. Does Yao get "posterized" more often than other players? No. You just only notice Yao. All other big men get posterized occasionally, too, especially those top shot blockers. Non-big men get dunked on also, and all guards get crossed over or taken off the dribble all the time (that's the way the NBA rules are designed now). The ONLY thing valid about the above, that I've seen from watching Rockets games and tons of other games on League Pass over the past 5 years is that Yao does do less dunking himself on other players compared to a Dwight Howard or Amare (though not as far behind as you might think), and usually with not as much "gusto". So, my point is that it is definitely true, we tend to undervalue Yao, and even when we accurately value his actual impact, we still undervalue his "coolness" as a player. I do it, too. Why? Because he's probably my favorite player in the league. I want him to do well, play mistake free, always look super awesome, and win. I feel bad for him otherwise and occasionally get mad at him if he doesn't. A more interesting view of this would be from a non-fan, like Nuggets4.
Be careful. You're venturing in to dangerous territory. You'll be labeled as a YOF in no time. Great points...wholeheartedly agree.
Hi rofflesarusholz aka ekim = SYOBH. You are a tragic human being. Your sorry life revolves around hating on a basketball player on the internet. How sad. I actually feel sorry for your parents. Why would their pathetic son waste his sorry life away to spread hate? And it's even more sad that their pathetic sorry son is a coward who only dare to do that when hiding behind his monitor.
Its more about presence with Yao. I really know what the Rox have and you do leave the games wanting more. What was said when Shaq was playing in yr 5 of the nba? He was dominating. Why? People said since ur the biggest player on the court, they expect big results. People can say its unfair, but it comes with the territory. I read earlier about who yao doesn't have, but Hakeem never played with a talent like McGrady. Say what you will, but if Hakeem had a tracy earlier in his career, he would have won a ring earlier. I don't know if it should take 5 yrs for Yao to know to dunk the ball when he's close to get the hoop and the foul. Again, I think that's more of a nature type thing. I think he's getting better, but like one poster stated, 12 rebs in the last 2 games of the playoffs isn't acceptable. Averaging less than 1blk a game in the playoffs isn't either. Being played 1 on 1 by Utah should equate to eruption type games. I don't think he's undervalued, I think most people really wonder if he has ''it''. ''It'' is the ability to step on a teams throat when they're down. ''It'' is the disrespect he should feel when Harrington or some other 6'8 guy tries to defend him. Other than that, he's a good player.
I don't believe many ere happy with Hakeem many years into his NBA career until his championship years.
I completely agree with your post. As a long time knicks fan I stopped watching basketball for a few years because as die hard fan after JVG left the team their transactions made little to no sense. I became more frustrated than anything else in turn losing interest. After joining the AF I moved away from the NYC metro area and in 02/03 season the Rockets began to get a lot more national pub/televised games. Along with that came the negative criticism of Yao. At this point I was over the bitterness of the Finals defeat of the Knicks and just began rooting for the Rockets so as to prove sir charles and company wrong. The organization began making very gutsy and sensible move and in turn I became a clutchfans member. I dont see what is the big deal about people being YOFs and TOF or SFOF because that is what the NBA does nowadays. back in the day they I didnt understand how someone could root for a team and now I totally see it. I identify myself with yaos humility and underdog status even at the rate of production that he is at now. Some folks just dont know enough about bball and end up rooting for a player regardless of what good/bad impact the player has on the court. I agree that as a Rox and Yao fan I want him to play so well that I only focus on his negatives. I look past the points and rebounds in the boxscore and go directly to the TO's. I also agree that he will get much more respect once he gets out of the first round. especially if they are a lower seed and face a top 4 team on their way out the first round. I wouldnt have it any other way though. I love rooting for the Rox and Yao regardless of how hard it is sometimes
Doesn't that mean someone is open? If it's a tight double team, just pass it. That's what Hakeem and Shaq did. Rockets need more shooters around Yao.
had hakeem had a talented player like mcgrady earlier in his career, he might've won the ring earlier. true. we did go to the finals before we won the whole thing, yeah? but i'd not say definitely "would". and being guarded 1-on-1, AFTER A MONTH BACK FROM A MAJOR INJURY, doesn't equal "eruption", at least no more than the 25-10 yao put up in that series. (see mcgrady is playing off the bench a month after a bummed knee.) and if yao was the yao pre-injury playing on an mvp-like level, i guess sloan would have to re-think his defensive game plan in the series. and this "it" thing... it exists, but pls don't overdose it. to me "it" means largely the spirit of ultra competitiveness. it is more of a desire than an "ability". that's what makes mj mj, hakeem the dream, and kobe (though i don't like him personally) kobe. yao has shown signs of "it" imo; he just needs a time to prove that.
I agree. He still needs to prove he has IT. Which makes the whole thing all the more frustrating, because he has shown he really really wants to have IT, and with his FT shooting and clear ability to just turn around and shoot on anyone, and make it 50% of the time, he really should be able to have IT. He definitely wore down as the series went on. He had 15 rebounds over the final two games, but only 6 in the last one. One excuse (a valid one, but an excuse nonetheless), is that JVG really did him a disservice by having him guard Boozer the whole series. And, despite all the Adelman vs. JVG threads, its clear, JVG was NOT an offensive coach. Even with our offense still not being great, I don't think you'd see a team with only 4 players scoring under the current system. Point being, as disappointing as the lack of rebounding in the final game (and it was ONLY the final game, Yao still averaged, 10.7 boards for the series) and the lack of shotblocking (1 every game except game 2, where he had zero)... why not be equally upset about the lack of assists (3 of the 7 games with no assists at all), or mediocre FG%. Check this out. How many games this year has Yao had ZERO assists in? One. One game out of 41. I think he's only had about 10 games of 1 assists. But in the Utah series, 3 games of zero assists, 1 game of 1 assist. Something just didn't work with that team offensively....which makes it harder for your star players to have "IT". Again, I recognize the above is an excuse. We were still winning game 7 at the end and lost. Yao needs to prove he has "IT". Sadly, Tracy's proven he actually does have "IT", when he wants it!
^^that sort goes back to the op's point - the coach and the system takes an effect as well. i don't think yao's rebounding and assist ability has jumped this season, it is just adelman has allowed him to go for the offensive rebound more and encouraged him to pass more to an open or cutting teammate.
