Chronicle: Yao's shot blocking improves http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6253363.html With Yao Ming having had a recent surge of blocked shots, averaging four in the past three games, Yao and Dikembe Mutombo both credited Yao’s work with Mutombo for the improvement, but for very different reasons. Yao said he is getting practice blocking shots by going against Mutombo. “He really improved my shot blocking and confidence,” Yao said. “He lets me do so many in practice.” Mutombo, however, said Yao has followed his advice about blocking shots rather than taking charges. “I was trying to put the left-hand baby hook on him, and he blocked it,” Mutombo said. “He was feeling so proud about it. I’m just proud he stopped taking all those damn charges. “When I came in, I picked on him a lot. I said, ‘You are a 7-6 guy. What the hell are you doing taking charges?’ ” Minutes for Mutombo After playing in just one of his 17 games since rejoining the Rockets, Dikembe Mutombo played six minutes against the Memphis Grizzlies and five against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Though both appearances would seem to have been special circumstances with Yao Ming fighting an upset stomach on Wednesday and struggling against Al Jefferson on Saturday, coach Rick Adelman said he had planned all along to play Mutombo on Saturday and hopes to play him more. jonathan.feigen@chron.com Game logs for Yao: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3599/gamelog;_ylt=AkHGtKF7pr7qj_KF6AtI1yasPKB4 I like Yao's take on the reason for more blocked shots recently.
Hopefully this smiling attitude will spread... I'm glad Mutumbo is getting Yao pumped up. Maybe when he retires he'll pass on his finger wag as a momento.
i still tihnk taking charge is safer than him jumping in traffic. just see what happened to al jefferson today, jumped to block the shot, sprained knee
Deke really have love for ming.But honestly speakin i would prefer this kinda spirit of having the ambition to block like deke to appear in yao's game,and may this to spread in all aspects of it,not just blockin'.
true, yao injured his knee trying to block tim thomas shot IIRC. I say try to block if 1v1, but take a charge when its crowded.
Actually, the culture of the Yao rebounds feeling for any help, He was not unable to grasp the basket version, but can not determine the direction of basketball placement
He is still going to take charges from time to time. It is not like Yao never goes for a block and takes charges the whole game.
