Sir Jackie: I once scored 35 points in a YMCA game. Does this make me a bad mother f _ c_ er? No, it just means that I was on fire for one game, after which I never scored more than 12 in any league play (I like to pass the ball...and play defense). Yao is not a superstar...yet. He too often shys (sp?) away from contact and must rely on tipping rebounds because he does not have position to haul in the board. All I'm saying is that I am not changing my religion to Yaoism after one good game against Shaq, who has soundly defeated Yao in every game prior to this last one. Don't forget that Yao whipped up on Duncan pretty good last year and hasn't repeated such a feat to date. P1st, S2nd
Pass 1st, shoot 2nd, You know the thing about Yao that's frustrating? It's his passing when he's double-teamed. It's not very accurate because he's not fast enough to get in position for the out-pass. Recently, he's been improving on the out-pass by jumping up, and then throwing the pass. But he's still kinda slow at this. I bring this up because Yao does well when teams play him MAN-on-MAN. The Lakers will never double on Yao because Shaq has too much pride for that. But other teams (Heat, Memphis, Sacramento) will not play that game (Homey don't play that!). They double-team and front Yao almost every time! And it's this part of Yao's game that needs TONS of work. The out-pass and then repositioning.
Yao 3 - 1 Shaq There is a difference between not being a superstar yet and being a coward. One statement is correct, the other one is insulting.
Jackie, Look at the match-up wins, not the team wins. Yao is not better than Shaq because Steve Francis has some monster games against the Lakers. Yao does play like a coward. If you don't think JVG tells Yao that then you don't read the paper or see how red JVG's bald head gets when Yao Sugar Plum Fairies around the basket. Yao does play like a coward most of the time he faces marquis big men. If the truth hurts, at least the source of the pain can be found and treated. P1st, S2nd.
I think I know what you mean, I just find it harsh to say one of our own players is a coward when he just delivered a very good game.
When someone ( who dont like yao or NON-YOF) said that "Yao is not better than Shaq ", AND even Barley said yao kick shaq's ass, AND ... .... ...
Just thought I'd chime in. Yao played a very good game against the Lakers. Very encouraging step in the right direction for the whole team. That being said, the notion of Yao outplaying Shaq is a little misleading. Yao played 1-on-1 all night. Shaq played 1-on-5. I thought our help defense was tremendous on Shaq. I don't think any reasonable person would think that if we just left Yao out to play Shaq 1-on-1 that he could win that matchup. But in this league, you take what you can. If Phillip chooses not to double Yao, that's his problem. And Yao did the right thing in taking advantage of it. But let's just relax a little befoe we annoint the new king.
Well, I'll eat a little crow. I had previously said Yao was currently playing a lot like Rik Smits at his very best, but that's not true. Rik could never have stayed in the post against Shaq for that many minutes. Rik didn't have many 20-10 games, even at his best. Rik would very rarely have 11 rebounds in such a game. and finally... Rik was a lot more consistent.
Pass first wrote: I beg to differ. You was abused by Shaq last season, but this year he more than held his own. Last meeting between Yao and Shaq on Christmas day at Staples center was a push. And the game on Wednesday Yao definitely outplayed Shaq daddy. The stats don't lie. Sophomore Yao vs. Shaq: Yao 23.5 ppg 9.5 prg 51.4% from the field Shaq 23 ppg 9.5 rpg 41% from the field Shaq gets more assists and blocks and more TOs! . Rebounding is a push, Yao scored a little more, and shoots significantly better from the field.
Shaq played 1-on-5? OMG You're sounding like a whiny little ho like Shaq on that statement. At best it was a triple team, so those irrational overstatements are getting old and groundless rather quickly. The game I watched showed a weak side defender coming to help on D meaning a double team and if Shaq can't handle a double team with over a decade in the league and has to complain about it after a loss, then that's his problem.
And if you're gonna use the excuse "but shaq had 3 different defenders on him all night" who cares. That happens and if anything he should've taken advantage of having a 6'9" mo taylor guarding him and scored more points.
Lots of people think that the torrid shooting of the Rockets guard burnt the Lakers. Sure SF and Cat were 16-23 good for 42 points, But GP and Kobe were also hot from the field for a combined 12-18 good for 33 between them. This was a team win. Yao slightly outplayed Shaq, and SF3 and Cat also slightly outplayed the Lakers guard duo, thus the victory.
Silentfan, I'm just being realistic. Our whole defensive plan was to swarm Shaq on D and we did a great job. Are you suggesting that if we allowed Yao to guard Shaq 1-on-1 with no help defense that Yao would win that matchup? I only said it's a good team win more than Yao just outplaying Shaq.
Good team win, yes. But would you have thought that Yao Ming could (even with the help of his team) outscore and outrebound Shaq? Obviously a lot of teams try to use team defense to slow Shaq down, and I still cannot recall a center outscoring and outrebounding Shaq. So it is still an achievement for Yao individually also, no?
Absolutely! I am no way trying to take away from how well Yao played last night. Just trying to be cautiously opptimistic.
Being realistic? You know nothing about our defensive plan. I've watched the game on tape. A lot of people here have the game on tape too, chime in if you wish. Yao defended Shaq 1 on 1 a good part of the game, maybe 2/3 of the time. Some of the doubles on Shaq was either soft or not by design: - Steve's man cut thru the lane twice and Steve followed him and happened to be close to Shaq so he hacked him. - Cat sagged off his man off the top of the key after Shaq put the ball on the floor a few times and looked the other way. - The only hard double came from AG. - A few other times, Yao rotated off Shaq to cover Payton or others so Cato or MoT rotated to cover Shaq. These weren't double. When Yao got in foul trouble, Cato or MoT switched on Shaq and even Cato played Shaq 1 on 1. We only doubled hard to help Mo. If you count the soft doubles on Shaq then what about the times Payton and Fox took swipes at Yao? You sure sound bitter seeing a Houston Rocket outplayed a Laker! Are you sure you r in the right forum?
I said a while ago, that Silentfan really had a drastic mood swing. And my opinion is confirmed more and more with his posts, even more with this one Once a "die-hard" Yao Ming fan, made him a most dominant center; after a couple of bad games, made Ming a biggest joke, who "humiliated Asian people" and made our "Silentfan" "ashamed of being an Asian". Now he come out saying he was wrong to criticize Yao Ming, but indeed he is a superlative player who "outplayed" Shaq. You see, it's never about the team, or the player, it's always about "Me - Silentfan". Everybody can criticize any player, but with in means, and with facts to back up. In that case, Juugie is a much better FAN, at least he's constant, and he's talking about bastetball, the team, and the players.
Let's see... the "it wasn't one-on-one" excuse... I've heard that before... oh yeah. David Robinson - 1995 Western Conference Finals.
