NYTimes:Rockets Seek to Uncover Yao's 7-Foot-6 Mean Streak By CHRIS BROUSSARD When Carroll Dawson, the general manager of the Houston Rockets, met Yao Ming two years ago, one of the first questions he asked him was, "Why don't you dunk the ball?" "He told me he had been taught not to embarrass his opponents," Dawson said yesterday, recalling the conversation. "I said, `Well, that's something that's going to have to change, because if you don't dunk in our league, 6-foot-6 guys will block your shot.' Yao said, `I'm ready for the change.' " Yao, the Rockets' 7-6 center from China, has kept his word, dunking regularly while establishing himself as a force and an N.B.A. All-Star for years to come. But Yao, who will make his first appearance of the season at Madison Square Garden tonight when the Rockets (19-15) and their coach, Jeff Van Gundy, visit the Knicks, has yet to develop the aggression that the game's most powerful play, the slam dunk, has come to symbolize. Many observers believe his ability to do so will determine whether he becomes an all-time great center, which was part of the expectation when the Rockets made him the first pick of the 2002 draft, or just a very good player in his era. "If he ever gets a mean streak in him, look out," said an Eastern Conference official who spoke on condition of anonymity. "But his culture and his background might not allow that. If he can get that, wow! If he gets that mean streak, he's fighting Shaq in there." Though Yao has had some of his stronger performances against Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers' center, he is nowhere near the dominant force that O'Neal is or was during a similar stage in his career. Yao entered last night's game at Detroit with solid but not standout averages: 15.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.88 blocks. With his size, soft hands, great passing ability and varied arsenal of shots, Yao could do much more. And while Van Gundy and his assistants understand that Yao, 23, is still a work in progress, they are sometimes frustrated by his tender nature on the court. One of Patrick Ewing's main responsibilities as a Rockets assistant coach is to work with Yao, and Van Gundy referred all questions about Yao's development to Ewing. "He just needs to become more aggressive," said Ewing, who is in his first season with Houston. "Right now, he's too gentle. He's like a gentle giant. He's got to be more physical and aggressive. Instead of waiting, he needs to just take it. Show his dominance. Use his size, and just take it." Though Yao needs to incorporate that mentality at both ends of the floor, the Rockets have mainly focused on his view toward offense. Instead of settling for a fadeaway jumper, they want him to pound the ball toward the basket for a layup or a dunk. Instead of submitting meekly to double teams, in which defenders have been getting incredibly physical with Yao, they want him to throw an elbow that will discourage opponents from going at him so hard. And despite Van Gundy's desire to feature him more, Yao, a 51 percent shooter, is averaging only 11 shots a game. Part of that is because of Houston's shoot-first guards, Steve Francis (15 shots a game) and Cuttino Mobley (13), but Yao must also be more demanding for the ball. "I haven't reached Coach's expectations yet," Yao, through his interpreter Colin Pine, said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "I just have to keep working at being more aggressive and being nastier." But Yao is somewhat confused. Asked how to go about doing that, he said: "I don't know. If I knew the answer to that, I think I would've already met Coach's expectations." Donnie Nelson, the Dallas Mavericks' president of basketball operations and an expert on international basketball, said Yao was being asked to embrace an entirely different way of thinking from what he is accustomed to. "If you think of how community-oriented most young people growing up in China are, it's just a different way of being brought up," Nelson, who has been to China several times, said. "There's a lot more unity, and it seems like it's a culture that promotes a more unselfish, `what's best for everyone is what's best for you' mentality.
rox sink into laughingstock land as they fail to score 60 points in an pathetic and ugly loss to the knicks.
Tommorow's game is going to be the biggest game of the season...and it also will be the turning point to our season. Stephon Marbury and Penny have gone through their first days of practice today and they will be more comfortable on the court. Marbury is going to drop 30 in his homecoming....mark it down. Keith Van Horn might have another sick game as well..... Knicks win this one. To cap it all off...Jeff Van Gundy returns to NY. He's the best coach in the league and we really miss the guy. Link: http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=198267&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=12
Rockets win by a point 75-74 I think this will be a close game and but low scoring ofcourse. It will be in the 70's.............I hope that the Rockets win....I think if they dont somebody needs to make some real changes on this team.............a shock and awww trade................
Marbury will have his MSG debut tonight, and he will try his best to show he worth the trade and luckily this time it is his bi*ch Steve Francis coming to town. Not looks good. Knicks 98 Rox 76 Marbury 32pts 8 Asts 5stls
Lately the Rockets seem to do well on the 2nd game of back to backs. It is odd, but nevertheless. The Rockets players feel they really did not put much effort out last night. My guess is they will come out and play well tonight. Not sure if we will win, but the effort and play will be better I bet.
i dont think the rox will display 2 unmotivated performances back to back, they need to save some for mavs games. rox win 87-78 yao 17 pts 9 boards 3 blks stevie 15 pts 5 boards 6 assists cat 24 pts 3 boards 3 assists.
