ESPN Insider Chat-Rox Talk : Ken Bikoff /John Hollinger

Gatorfan76 · 05-10-2005, 09:58 PM

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=8106

Joel (Kingston, Jamaica): Why are people always attacking Yao? He was better than Dirk in Round 1, but still got trashed way more than the Diggler...

Ken Bikoff: Expectations. Yao was hyped as being someone who would revolutionize the game, but he is coming along slowly. Yao is a great talent, someone who is tough to match up with, but he also still is getting comfortable playing the American game. He is getting more aggressive, but it takes time to change human nature. It's a shame that Yao is taking the heat that he has, because he was dominant in games in which he was the hub of the offense.
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Dave (Flagstaff, AZ): Hey Ken. Did you notice Dampier last night? He seemed completely oblivious on how to play the game last night, resulting in Nowitzki to get in his grill. Not rotating on D, and not rolling to the basket on the pick-and-roll makes one think that the Mavs wasted a lot of money on him.

Ken Bikoff: I've never been high on Dampier. Everyone can have a bad game from time to time, but Dampier is no more than an average at best center in my book. It just shows how much of a premium there is for big men, which is why I don't understand all the attacks on Yao, who actually is competent in the post.

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Florida (Tulsa, OK): Why does David Stern hate Jeff Van Gundy? You don't see him act this way when it's Phil Jackson doing the same thing (and please don't say what Jeff did was any worse, you know that it's not)?

Ken Bikoff: I think the fact that Van Gundy called the league's credibility directly into question is what earned Stern's wrath. In the end, the so-called clarification of what Van Gundy said is a joke, a dance to get out of trouble. Look, this is a league that has federally convicted tax crooks officiating games. Human nature enters into everything, and there's no question that different players get treated differently. But I think Van Gundy overstepped the bounds when he started implicating the NBA in insider talk about how certain players should be officiated. I think the league is hoping the issue will just go away now.

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http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=8110

Yao, Tracy & friends ((Houston)): Do you think the beatdown Dallas gave us in Game 7 was caused by us being too worn out, our supporting guys finally coming back to earth, Armstrong being the trump card of the series, or the Mavs were just better than us?

John Hollinger: Game 7 played out like I thougt the rest of the serie would -- Dallas' speed and depth was too much for an old Rockets team. The funny thing about Game 7 is that Yao and Tracy played great, it was the other guys who stunk it up. Houston has to get younger this offseason.

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Noah (Santa Monica, CA): These Kidd to Houston rumours... The only scenario that could possibly make sense would be a salary dump(Wesley and Weatherspoon) plus Juwan Howard. Is Rod Thorn that able to be manipulated?

John Hollinger: Of course not. Remember, Kidd asked to be traded last year too. But just because a player asks for a deal doesn't obligate the team to do it. And as Chad Ford pointed out, after what happened with Vince Carter last year, other teams will be gun-shy about dropping superstars.

Gatorfan76 · 05-10-2005, 10:13 PM

Gotta agree with Ken's opinion on Yao---

Shaq fouled out in Game 1 in 26 min. with 19 pts, and scored 16 pts. in Game 2 tonight.

Can you imagine how the media would rip Yao if that was him ??
Charles Barkley after Yao scored 30 pts. in Game 5 said "They're getting nothing from Yao Ming..."

Yao's numbers actually went up during the playoffs, and Dirk's was drastically down-- but ESPN ,TNT etc... bashes Yao -What gives ??

Ownage · 05-10-2005, 10:35 PM

Shaq has proved he is a winner. Look at the rings. So he can have bad games, plus he's team on a roll. Yao has yet to prove anything, so hes going to get alot of heat, till he gets playoff success.

ths balla · 05-10-2005, 10:35 PM

yea its not liked Yao hyped himself up, the media did all the hyping up, so when he doesnt play well they bash him to save themselves

tigermission1 · 05-10-2005, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ownage
Shaq has proved he is a winner. Look at the rings. So he can have bad games, plus he's team on a roll. Yao has yet to prove anything, so hes going to get alot of heat, till he gets playoff success.

Well to be fair, Shaq is not only injured, but any logical person would watch him and see that Shaq is not really even trying anywhere near his best out there. These first two teams the Heat are playing are both a JOKE, and therefore Shaq can rest/tank it out there until the team needs him.

I have no doubt that Shaq is basically pacing himself through the first two rounds to try and be restful for the Pistons. How he plays next round will determine whether or not he is still at the level he was in a few years back or if he really is on the downside of his career.

Shaq has just been pacing himself the entire 2nd half of the season pretty much, but that can only mean that the Heat will be heavily dependant on him to deliver them to the Finals by beating the Pistons.

Ownage · 05-11-2005, 01:13 AM

tigermission1, well said. Thats what I tried to say..
Shaq is that good, where he can coast thru.

Uprising · 05-11-2005, 01:22 AM

Hehe....So the self declared "2nd best Center in the NBA" is only average! :D

BigM · 05-11-2005, 04:39 AM

shaq can coast on bad games because he's one of the greatest ever. as tiger said also, he's pretty much saving himself for the conference finals and up.

yao gets bashed for a number of reasons, most of which are just unfair. when yao was drafted there were way more people quick to put him down then there were who thought he would revolutionize the game. now that he's playing well and developing into a star these same jackasses who said he would do nothing are putting him down for not doing enough. it's a joke. he definitely has alot to prove but that's no reason to bash him. lebron james is apparently the greatest player in history but he hasn't even been to the playoffs, but you're not allowed to say anything bad about him.