With each game I see Yao play, the more frustrated I get just watching him. How many times is it where he does good in the first half and then in the 2nd half he doesn't score more than 5 points? This has got to be like the 4th straight game that has happened. In addition, it is obvious Yao is NOT the go to guy in the late game right now because he either turns it over or he bricks it. I really had some high expectations for Yao this season, especially since McGrady is out right now, but he is definitely not what I thought he would be. In fact, he is NO WHERE near what I thought he would be. He is not putting up the numbers like he should be, especially with McGrady out.
I'm done with the excuses about him being big and not expecting him to be able to play more minutes. I'm not sure what is going on, but I feel your frustration. However, I think Van Gundy could do a better job managing his minutes--not the amount, but rather, when he gets to rest. He certainly doesn't get the key resting time like Duncan, Garnett, and Dirk. That said, I'm not giving up on him. But I feel your frustration.
That pass from Barry that he blew the layup on was inexcusable. Totally changed the momentum of the game. He's playing more aggressive this year but he's missing a LOT of easy layups and dunks. He's also STILL fumbling away too many rebounds. How can a guy 7'6 miss so many layups? And another thing. Why does he insist on dribbling the ball in the lane? When he gets good inside position, he shouldn't even bring the ball below his waist when he makes his move, much less dribble it.
Yao's lookin' more like a Rik Smits than a Shaq This being his 3rd year and all, I think it's pretty obvious how Yao is stacking up against the centers of the past. He's just not a dominant player IMHO. theSAGE
At least Rik Smits is clutch, he keeped the Pacers in the game in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Jordan.
mental energy as well. the last play pick n roll play by head and yao, yao ran toward the basket not expecting a pass from head. that was mental exhaustion.
First of all, Yao is clearly a better player than Rik Smits. Those of you who expected Shaq though...were expecting way too much. It's a little funny that everyone's finally realizing his limitations getting upset about them. Those limitations have been there since Day 1 but for whatever reason, a lot of people refused to see them. It's simple physics. He's 7'6" and SLOW. He has a VERY high center of gravity, meaning he'll never have great balance or effectively box his man out. As a result, he's never going to get that many rebounds. Stop expecting him to do so. Frankly, I never expect him to grab more than 7-8 rebounds a game. As it is, he already ranks toward the top in rebounding among men his size that have played in the NBA. People that big just don't react quickly enough. That high center of gravity also causes him to crumple when defenses begin putting pressure on him. Since he's the primary focus of opposing defenses at the moment, he's gonna be missing a lot of shots. Furthermore, he has fairly small hands for a man his size...it's no surprise he fumbles passes and gets stripped all the time. Yao is what he is. He'll most likely never be anything more than a below-average rebounding, above-average offensive center with decent defensive presence due to his sheer size. If he becomes more than that...then that's great, but I never understood the whole "he still has plenty of potential" argument. His game has only shown incremental improvements the past three years. If he were truly meant to be great, there would be a clear indication of that by now.
Ming is a very frustrating player to watch because you can't help expecting him to do more than he can apparently do. He is more aggressive this season, but he still can't jump, has slow feet, and weak hands. And for some reason, he is now struggling with his shot, even layups. When they make a film on stupid fouls, he is going to be in every scene. I didn't know there were so many ways to get cheap fouls. Other teams have it down on how to get him out, he is so predictable. Ming is not a great player and never will be. He can get 20-10, but he can't carry a team and doesn't have "IT," that indefinable quality that all great players have. He still demands a double, and his presence on the court does change the game. I think Rick Smits is now a fair comparison.
Yao is a very frustrating player to watch. He's no Shaq. but what the hell is he if he's not shaq? certainly not an above average center right now :\
Did any of you see Rik Smits play? All he did was shoot jumpshots, and he was a much worse rebounder and shot-blocker than Yao. His best year, he averaged 17/7, with career averages of 15/6. He's hardly a fair comparison. He's definitely an above average center. Personally, I think post-injury Ralph Sampson is the best comparison for Yao. Solid player and all-star caliber but definitely not a franchise player.
I thought Smits was a very good player, especially offensively. I agree that he was not as good as Ming, but they were both well over seven feet tall, thus the comparison. Sampson was much more agile than Ming. Sampson's career never got to fully develop because of injuries. Sampson could have been more of a Kareem type player. I think he was much better than Ming.
I agree that Sampson's ceiling was much higher than Yao's initially. That's the reason why I drew post-1987 Sampson as a comparison. He was repeatedly hobbled by his chronic knee problems during that time, thereby losing a lot of his athletic ability. Naturally, the comparison is also set before his knee finally gave out after his surgery and he started playing only like 15 minutes a game.
