Remember when Yao was a rookie and first few seasons he was skinny and more perimeter oriented, he would shoot mid-range jumpers a lot more. When JVG came along he wanted Yao to be more of a banger, so he told Yao to gain weight and strength in order to dominate inside. Unfortunately Yao's legs couldn't bear that extra weight, which is why his career was short-lived. Do you think JVG ruined Yao's career? If you look, Yao was healthy his first few seasons when he was pretty lean, his injury problems started when he got bigger. I am sure that if Yao maintained his pre-JVG weight he wouldn't be hurt as much. He'd still be playing right now actually. Plus he'd be a lot quicker and able to play more minutes cause he wouldn't be as fatigued all the time.
He wouldn't have been the player he was if he didn't become more of a low post banger albeit it shortened his career.
He would still average 18 and 9 and be a solid 2nd option and stayed healthy for a longer period of time.
JVG did not use Yao properly but that wasn't his biggest mistake. His biggest mistake was wasting good years of Yao with players like Charlie Ward and Rafer. His ex knicks players were pathetic mostly.
No kidding. The more pressing topic, which belongs in the NBA dish, is if Thibs is going to ruin Derrick Rose's career. Final note on the subject though. If playing year-round did destroy Yao's career, then it's JVG's fault for not resting Yao enough in his early years. If you know your guy just finished playing 20 games in the summer, then you make it up by giving him 10-20 games off in the regular season. Save him for the playoffs. If you can't make the playoffs without him sitting for a bit, then you're not going to contend anyway.
Les Alexander ruined Yao's career, and TMac's for that matter. He should have asked CD to retire and hired Morey earlier so that we could have better role players around the two stars.
JVG ruined TMac's career as well by relying on him to put forth effort. .... No, JVG didn't ruin anyone's career.
is this a serious question? The guy put up MVP numbers under JVG. Playing year round ruined him he shoulda taken a 3 month break evry year from bball. instead he got killed by the typical shortsightedness that current Chinese culture. rather than resting their golden goose and saving him for the olympics, China ran him to the ground for stupid things like the Asia games. It's the same mentality that makes brands like Coach and Gucci love them so much. They have a ghetto shortsided mindset combined with the spending power of folks from the other side of the tracks. Les shoulda just dealt him to the Warriors or Knicks after he put up 25 and 10 and the Rox probably woulda gotten past the 2nd round a couple of times at least.
LOL. So Yao should have been rested in games that count that he is getting paid to play in so that he has the juice to go to China and play in 4th tier international tournaments for free? Yao should have told the ChiComs to sit on a sharp stick and never gone back.
Yao Ming being Yao Ming ruined his career Didn't he break his foot too when he was like 15 in China Was that JVG's fault too for bulking him up.
Actually, battier ruined Yao's career by forcing him to score every damn possession. They did over train him. Personal training regime and then the coaching staff routines.
