Season after season, it seems Yao takes a good 20 games to get his sea legs underneath him and hit his stride. Just a handful of games ago, we were talking about how Yao has regressed so much...now I look up and see him basically avg 20 and 10 on 54% FG and 86% FT. Talk about efficiency? But why does it take him a quarter of the season to get into his groove?
He had foot surgery, I think he is finally getting in shape, and his team is gelling around him and understanding where to get him the ball and when. DD
I wonder the same thing. His career december stats are pretty sick... If I had to guess I would say its because it takes him that long to build up his stamina.
The Rockets as a team always take one step back for every two steps forward. Getting the ball to Yao deep in the paint isn't necessarily a trivial thing. Now it involves reposts, swinging the ball around the perimeter, faking out the defense by starting Yao on the weak side, etc. The team as a whole is figuring out how to get the ball to Yao in a position where he can be effective. Heck, the team as a whole is figuring out how to run the offense and how to play together. T-Mac's and Artest's numbers are way down as well.
Of course that's assuming Yao is not out for season by the all-star break. I think Yao's doing fine this year. He's playing less minutes than he did for the last couple of years. His first priority is to stay healthy. As long as he is healthy and ready for the playoffs, I'm fine with his numbers (or lack of them according to some people).
One thing JVG was absolutely right about is Yao's ineffectiveness in the high post. I'm sorry, but he is simply not very good in the high post, and I think RA has finally realized that. Yao's jump shot is good for a 7+ guy, but simply average by any other standard. He needs to be near the rim, and the team has gradually learning how to get him the ball in his scoring wheelhouse. Having Battier back, who really searches Yao out, helps a lot.
Yao Ming was decent at the start of last season. And was putting up MVP numbers at the start of the season before. So, which seasons are you talking about?
First, he was injured almost every year, need the time to get normal physical shape, mental strength. Second, I tend to think that Yao is a slow learner, it takes a time for him to learn new things with a group of new players, just think about the fronting thing, it is getting old.
That's not a question and it reminds me of this link: http://quotation-marks.blogspot.com/ beyao=question mark abuser
(Warning, research was done over lunch... fat fingers+hand entered = not 100% confident in exact stats) November 06-07 (10-5 record) 25.7 pts 10.1 rbs End of Year Average: 25 pts 9.4 rbs November 07-08 (9-8 record) 21.5 pts 9.9 rbs End of Year Average: 22.0 pts 10.9 rbs November 08-09 (11-7 record) 16.8 pts 9.0 rbs Current Year Average: 19.7 pts 9.9 rbs Why oh why must he consistently suck in November?
Yao use to warn like an Hour before every game. Now they cutting his work routing to save him for the entire season.
Thats crazy. You think about it Yao averaged 25 points in 06-07 year 9.4 rebs which would have gone up. Hahaha if healthy we would have been chanting MVP.
i wish he would spend his offseasons practicing at the fonde center against nba talent rather than playing scrubs in china. no offense, china.
I was thinking the same thing. I was pretty sure that was pretty much just last year, and even then it's not like he was scoring 8 ppg. Fans are just easily swayed. If someone has a couple of good games they're MVP. If they struggle for one game (like after the Celtics game) they should be traded for Pietrus.
Yao finally started listening to me that's why! "I've been trying to use my body more, so that I can get inside and draw the foul," he said. "I think I'm using my size to my advantage." None of that soft stuff Yao NONE AT ALL PLZZZ.
i thibnk he does because he defers more to ta team concept and then when he realizes that the guys he play with don't think like team players, he says "OH screw it can you do this in the playground?"
