Yeah. And he's negligent for not making Reebok come up with a shoe T-Mac likes one or that would have prevented the toe problem. I really want to see Yao respond to this, because as of now I'm still inclined to believe him.
For people who don't think Yao's shoes are the problem (i.e. Old Man Rock - closet Reebok employee), they are. According to Keith Jones: "He doesn't remember getting stepped on and I don't think that was the case. I think it was just that the toe ran into the end of the shoe repetively." (From Rockets.com and also http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_a..._seven_to_ten_days_after_having_nail_removed/) And I agree with Jeff that Yao may be so compliant and cooperative that he may just not mention injuries or problems that other NBA players would (wisely) complain about. So it's not that Yao's a liar per se, but that he doesn't want to cause a fuss, which has the consequences of potentially shortening Yao's career. And a big FU to John Huizinga, Yao's agent. Way to stick up for your boy you moneygrubbing punk. And a big FU to Reebok, purveyors of dog poop.
I believe he tried a pair with protection in the toe last year, but did not like them. That doesn't mean that his shoes don't have better protection than the average basketball shoe. As long as his toes have the room they need and his foot isn't sliding around inside the shoe jamming his toes into the end of the toebox, then the shoes should be doing their job. Yao said the toebox didn't need changes, but I thought I read on the other thread that the toebox was not tall enough. I don't have time right now to read and confirm that (anyone else please). Reebok is doing revisions on the shoe to provide harder foam around the ankle so his foot doesn't slide inside the shoe. Yao does not have the shoes back with those revisions, which is why JVG is irritated. He is also irritated that they aren't proactively trying to prevent this problem as well, since Reebok doesn't even know what is wrong (see other thread with comments from Reebok). Also, JVG is exactly right. What kind of response from his agent is that? He should do his job, which is taking care of Yao.... which he isn't. Neither is Reebok. The only people interested seem to be the trainer, JVG, and Tracy.
maybe yao should wear tmacs shoe, see how they fit, of course in a bigger size. or he should buy the new starbury, theres nothing to lose with those, except 15 bucks.
You just don't get it. The problem is that JVG's first 3 days of training camp were too hard on Yao's toes. That must be the reason no matter what common sense and logic say. It doesn't matter how nonsensical and convoluted it seems, this problem is JVG's fault because he is too stubborn and stuck in his ways. [Turn sarcasm meter off].
Ok "old man rock" and "zboy" you guys are killing me here.... Play less defense? are you serious? this has nothing to do with JVG or his practices. How do you want them to practice? soft and subtle? please... I have a pair of reeboks (steve francis edition) and they quite frankly suck for basketball. i only wear them now for casual use and still own them only because i paid $50 bucks for them and want to get my moneys worth out of them. When i played ball in them they never seemed to keep my feet from sliding around in them. My toes would always get jammed up against the front and cause blisters on the sides. I did have my toe nail jacked up while wearing them but don't think it was because of the shoes but rather my 270lb buddy i was playing with stepped on me accidentally while jumping up for a rebound. I do know from experience that once the nail gets damaged, falls off and grows back that it does seem to get re-injured more easily.
If Reebok's gateway to the Chinese shoe market (ie: Yao) gets hurt, how can the executives not worry?
So much for the saying "Any publicity is good publicity." Now excuse me why i go buy a pair of Nike's made in a sweatshop by 9 year old kids that won't injure my toes.
I play basketball with the Kobe Bryant newest shoes, and I've got two huge blisters on my big toes. And now I need to wear four pairs of socks to prevent that, sometimes five.
Did you even read what i wrote? 1) From a biomedical engineer's perspective, the less "stop and go" mileage you put on Yao, the longer you extend his career. JVG's pick and roll defense for a 7-6 center does exactly the opposite. It has nothing to do about playing "less" defense. It has to do about restructuring your defense so that your 7-6 franchise center with a problematic foot does not run around chasing midgets at the 3 point line. Ingenuity has never been JVG's forte though. So dont be too surprised if Yao has another foot problem. It's risk analysis. 2) Yao already has had foot problems and has had a surgery done on it. Keep applying stress on it and it will only take it for so long. The more you weigh, the more stress you put on your bones and joints. (More force vs not so greatly increased cross section of the bones). What applies to most NBA players 6-something, does not exactly apply to Yao. Size MATTERS in biomechanics. You know those Trex in Jurassic park and how they raced the jeep? Its a myth. At that speed and the amount of weight that Trex was lugging, its leg bones would have snapped into a couple of pieces. Yeah yeah, I know Yao is no Trex, but I am just trying to show how size effects mobility and how much stress and beating the bones can take depends on your body mass/physique.
That's a good point, Zboy, assuming that's what JVG makes Yao do. From what I can tell watching the games, Yao was not made to run around the perimeter normally, but only on occasions. He has to step in and out of the paint anyway, or he would be called for 3-second violation; hence JVG makes him move around the paint area as part of the PnR defense. So, I agree with you on the biomechanical law, but I don't agree that that's the main issue here. After all, we all know our toes should never hit the front of the shoes under any circumstance. That's one of our checklist when trying out new shoes. A bit simplistic, but let's at least get Yao the right shoes first, and then devise additional defensive scheme to keep Yao from running around too much. What do you think?
My observations are based on how Yao was made to chase around little guards on the perimeter last year. The sad thing is that despite him working so hard, Rockets were still one of the most pathetic teams in terms of defending the 3 point shot. BTW, besides the structural effect, Yao running around the perimeter also effects his stamina. And we all know that Yao cannot go major minutes on the court. So why waste his valuable stamina by making his chase people? I think his stamina could be used more efficiently. BTW, in one of the first posts, I did mention that I do believe its the shoes too. Its a culmination of the 2, IMO.
I've got a pair of Reebok AI, and it's not that bad, but I never tried pump. Maybe the whole design itself has problem, not one part of it.
So.. is there any real objective evidence to show that big men dont last as long under JVG as they do under other coaches? JVG said everyone involved should look at ways to help prevent Yao's injury, and he has reduced the amount of practice in training camp. My guess it he'll look at game strategy if that's the case. But basketball causes wear and tear with or without P'n'R defense. Spin moves, cuts to the basket, jumping off, landing... you simply can't do away with stop and go movements and impacts on the toe. If JVG's defense really wears on big guys, I'll bet those you who intelligent enough to make the claim can provide some objective evidence to support your hypothesis. From my anecdotal memory, it does't seem like there is such a correlation. It doesn't seem like Jeff's big guys get injured any more often than that of other coaches, including those who don't play no D.
I am trying very hard to find 7-6 centers in the history of the NBA, much less those who have played for JVG. Yao is the guinea pig. Yay! Other 7-5 players (very handful) who have played in the NBA have not fared well, talent, skill or healthwise. Of course Bball causes wear and tear. No one is denying that. Still does not give a free pass to exacerbate the situation by causing wear and tear that can be avoided. Nothing wrong with better energy management either.
