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Yao Ming Quits Rockets Just to Play for Olympics??

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by pryuen, Mar 25, 2008.

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pryuen Contributing Member

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This topic should belong to another forum, I guess.

But, C'MON, this Coach John Calipari from Memphis is soooooooo clueless.....

He made it sounds like Yao Ming had the surgery just to quit on the Houston Rockets such that he can play for China in the Olympics.

Get real.....that injury could be career-threatening. Whether there is Olympics or not, he had to have the surgery.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/sports/basketball/26rhoden.html?ref=sports

U.S. Team Needs International Mind-Set

By WILLIAM C. RHODEN
Published: March 26, 2008

What becomes apparent during the N.C.A.A. tournament is that there is an abundance of outstanding basketball talent in the United States, from California to North Carolina, Michigan to Texas.

Each bench has an abundance of coaching acumen as well. So why hasn’t this embarrassment of riches translated into international success? Why are we wondering if a team of N.B.A. millionaires can do better than third place in a tournament in which most of the competition is playing for love of country and a modest stipend?

For all of this talent, the United States men’s team has struggled on the global basketball front. It finished sixth in the world championships in 2002, third at the 2004 Athens Olympics and third again at the worlds in 2006.

Expectations are high that the drought will end in Beijing this summer, when the United States will send yet another team of N.B.A. All-Stars to reclaim Olympic glory.

•

The team will be coached by Mike Krzyzewski, whose Duke Blue Devils were pushed to the brink by Belmont in the first round of the N.C.A.A. tournament before being booted by West Virginia in the second.

Not to worry.

“I think they’re taking all the strides to take back what we’re supposed to be doing — winning,” Coach John Calipari said Monday during a phone interview. His Memphis team will play Michigan State on Friday in a regional semifinal. “It’s not a hodgepodge of All-Stars, the way it was back in the 1980s, when we could show up and win because we were so much better.”

But if the men’s basketball team wins the gold medal, it won’t be because it mastered the international system or because Krzyzewski is a genius. It will be because the world simply has no answer for Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

The United States team, as it did in Barcelona in 1992 — when USA Basketball first felt compelled to use professional players — is still counting on a shock-and-awe approach to winning gold medals.

But shock and awe are not the answer. Pick-and-rolls are; so is having centers who can step out and shoot the 3 on offense and guard the perimeter on defense. Win or lose in Beijing, the United States, once and for all, must adapt to the international game.

“The international teams will play zone because they don’t think the U.S. can shoot,” Calipari said. “That’s the way teams play us. They’re playing a style that is a sharp contrast to ours and more suited to international ball. It’s a wide-open style of basketball.”

In the United States, it’s time to do the unthinkable: widen the lanes. Widen high school and college lanes to 16 feet, and widen the N.B.A. lane to international dimensions (yes, adopt the trapezoid).

Let’s concede, for a change, that the rest of the world has it right. Clearly, the United States needs to adjust, although the attitude among its coaches is that, far from needing wider lanes, the team simply needs to have the right mix of skilled players chosen every four years from our abundant pool of talent.

“We can play like they play, but better,” Calipari said. “At the end of the day, it comes down to players making plays, and our players are better.”

We’ll see about that soon enough.

College players should be put back into the Olympic mix. They were the staple of Olympic competition until 1992, and they bring passion and enthusiasm to the competition. Problem is, college players are no longer strong enough to compete at the Olympic level.

On the other hand, an all-star team of highly paid professionals may or may not be sufficiently motivated to endure the rigors of a nine-month season, then give it the old college try in Olympic competition.

In discussing the differences between international teams and the Americans, Calipari pointed to how Yao Ming went to great lengths to have an operation so he would be ready for the Games. “He had surgery for one reason — so he can play and represent China in the Olympics,” Calipari said. “It’s like guerrilla warfare, where the other guy is willing to die for his cause and you’re not. Now all of a sudden there’s a different mentality, and you’re not winning.”

•

Calipari was not suggesting that the United States’ players are not patriotic. Patriotism is deeply personal. However, among high-profile players, the notion of competing for one’s country is less pronounced inside the United States, where the focus is on playing for a professional team or a university.

The answer — for national pride and continuity — is to have some sort of permanent national team. Calipari has an even better idea: send the N.B.A. champion.

His idea would involve identifying a core group of eight or nine players from the championship team, then adding two to three players from the outside.

Widen the lane, concentrate on perimeter play, send the N.B.A. champions. Regardless of what happens in China this summer, the United States must change its global ways.

E-mail: wcr@nytimes.com
Click to expand...

#1 pryuen, Mar 25, 2008

Cjballa14 Member

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John Calipari > Pryuen...

#2 Cjballa14, Mar 25, 2008
BrooksBall Contributing Member

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Potentially gross misinterpretation?

#3 BrooksBall, Mar 25, 2008
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Calm down Pru dude, this John Calipari did not imply anywhere about Yao quiting the Rockets.......He was just making a comment on the patriotism of internationally-born players like Yao who are more personal when it comes to competing for his country's pride. In fact, he was praising players like Yao more than anything.

And btw, this "John Calipari" is one of the most highly respected college basketball coaches in the country, and he would never say anything bad about somebody else.

#4 jasonemilio, Mar 25, 2008
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Are you sure he's not meaning the "timing" of the operation, so he could be healed in time for the Olympics?

Not sure, there.

But, and even better solution, would be to send both the NBA finalists starting teams, and rotate in and out. They would wear anybody out in a hurry.

#5 Sherlock, Mar 25, 2008
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Calipari has an even better idea: send the N.B.A. champion.
Click to expand...

Send ths Spurs without Parker , Ginobili and Alberto? Good luck, Team USA Oh yea, Ginobili, Oberto and Scola will beat the shxt out of them!

#6 ccjj, Mar 25, 2008
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Jesus... man, Calipari said no such thing...

#7 Blue Brick, Mar 25, 2008

bbjai Member

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Sherlock said:

Are you sure he's not meaning the "timing" of the operation, so he could be healed in time for the Olympics?

Not sure, there.

But, and even better solution, would be to send both the NBA finalists starting teams, and rotate in and out. They would wear anybody out in a hurry.
Click to expand...

that wouldn't work

that would entail sending a team like Cleveland which would get its ass whooped in international ball

#8 bbjai, Mar 25, 2008
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pruyen, your english to english translation is pretty bad

#9 vlaurelio, Mar 25, 2008
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calm down. Don't overreact.

#10 lastmanstanding, Mar 25, 2008
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What Calipari meant was simply this Pruyen...

Yao is Patriotic to the point he is willing to have surgery so he can play in the Olympics. It is the quickest way to get well so he can play.

In contrast, USA basketball players do not care so much. You can't even get Shaq to play. Lots of USA basketball players do not have this mindset of sacrificing for the honor of playing for the US. The Olympics do not mean as much. It's too bad really because in other sports, people train for years to be in the Olympics to represent the US. Maybe it's money so they don't care as much or maybe it's that they look down on the Olympics. Who knows. Calipari is right.

#11 poprocks, Mar 25, 2008
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It's an article about the disappointing performance of NBA players in the Olympics and a reason to use college players. It's goes on to say the college players might be more dedicated to the mission of gold than american NBA players. From there, it then quotes to John Calipari, who makes an analogy about Yao going to great lengths to get surgery, so he make back in time to play the Olympics, as guerrilla warfare and the will to die for a cause.

I understand how the OP got John Calipari thinks "Yao ming quit on the Rockets just to play for olympics" conclusion

#12 BetterThanEver, Mar 25, 2008
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bbjai said:

that wouldn't work

that would entail sending a team like Cleveland which would get its ass whooped in international ball
Click to expand...

Ummm, Boston... Detroit.

#13 BrooksBall, Mar 25, 2008

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I mean "I don't understand how the OP came up with that conclusion".

#14 BetterThanEver, Mar 25, 2008
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Sherlock said:

Are you sure he's not meaning the "timing" of the operation, so he could be healed in time for the Olympics?

Not sure, there.

But, and even better solution, would be to send both the NBA finalists starting teams, and rotate in and out. They would wear anybody out in a hurry.
Click to expand...

Half of the Spurs are international players. I doubt it would work.

#15 LegendZ3, Mar 25, 2008
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"And things are only getting worse for John Calipari"

You knew it was coming! Methinks the Clydisms will eventually make their way to mainstream media in 3 weeks...

#16 El Toro, Mar 25, 2008
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Hope Yao be stronger next year.

#17 xiao, Mar 25, 2008
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The article is a good one though. It makes me mad to think that everyone is busting their butt to be able to play in the Olympics in other countries and you can't even field our best players in the Olympics. T-Mac dropped out of the 2004 Olympics to get married. He's not even in this next one. Shaq basically tanked and opted out. What about Garnett? Has he ever played in one? I'm sorry but if you really cared about the chance to represent your country, you put off whatever you're doing and play.

#18 poprocks, Mar 25, 2008

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No offense dude, but your English reading comprehension still needs some work. At least I hope it does and you aren't just a conspiracy nutjob that thinks everyone is out to get Yao.

#19 Cannonball, Mar 25, 2008
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BrooksBall said:

Ummm, Boston... Detroit.
Click to expand...

as far as I know neither team made the NBA finals for the past two years when international competitions actually count. If they actually made it then yeh.

funny you mention that, Boston and Detroit are the only two teams that could not be jacked of all their players like the Spurs and the Cavs would be. Even our team would be without Yao, Denver without Nene, Kleiza, Dallas without Dirk, Suns with Nash, Orlando without Hedo, Spurs without Ginobilli, Parker, Cavs without Z, Pavolovic, Varejao. Golden State without Biedrens.

In fact you are right
Detroit and Boston are the only team without international players that make a huge difference AND they can't possibly both picked as they would be playing in the Eastern Conference Finals as opposed to the NBA final as proposed.

#20 bbjai, Mar 25, 2008

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