Note: I am not the original poster, some of his comments are quite accurate, IMHO 92755 of 92773: New Perspective On Ming (Long) 139 Hits / 0 Recs Posted by: hitmantb (5 Msgs) 7:47PM PST, Dec 28, 2002 Thread [13]: Original Message < Prev. Message in Thread | Next Message in Thread > Hi I like many others on this board watched Yao Ming's every move since he came here. Being Chinese I am able to read both sides of the media and I noticed Colins did a horrible job. Many of the questions were translated poorly so did the responses. Hence many funny answers. When I read Chinese articles on Ming, things feel a lot more natural as he can properly express himself. A few perspectives I haven't seen elsewhere on this board (and I have been a close reader): 1) Ming studies his opponent and plays MUCH better the second time around. When Ming first came to CBA he was completely beat down by the likes of Wang Zhi Zhi (who when given playing time should become a solid backup center in this league, unfortunately he has been given little opportunity) and Bateer (ditto). Using his words, he carefully studied Wang for several years as using his own words, he always spend a lot of time learning the habits of those he consider to be worthy foes. In a very recent interview he said the following things about the following players: Duncan/Robinson: I didn't know hard (read: as in tough) they were before, after my first game I knew how tough they are. The second time around I play hard against hard, and I have a definite height advantage. Divac: He is a trickster. You must take it to him and intimidate him with offense and raw intimidation. Brad Miller: He always puts his body on you and that's not what I am afraid of, the way he defends me I can feel exactly where his body is and with a fake or two he is done. Candi: By far the hardest defender, he always keep space but puts a hand on me, and his hand is extremely strong, reminds me of Bateer's when I first started CBA. The way I see it, finesse type centers/power forwards have very little chance stopping Ming. It takes a thug / physical type to really slow him down. (CONTINUED)
92757 of 92773: Re: New Perspective On Ming (Long) 122 Hits / 0 Recs Posted by: hitmantb (5 Msgs) 8:07PM PST, Dec 28, 2002 Thread [13]: Original Message < Prev. Message in Thread | Next Message in Thread > 2) Maturity Ming, as matured and humble as he is (really shielded by the translator as well as the fact that Chinese, particularly Shanghai people were built to be modest), is still a kid. On many Chinese news papers, before recent games against Spurs, Kings, Pacers, teams that embarrassed him before, he mentioned revenge. When a game is against a known opponent he simply plays more aggressively, and a little aggression in his game goes a LONG way in pushing the envelope. Put it simply, against a known big time player, a known big time team, on national TV, usually fires him up more than say, a game against the Hawks. This doesn't mean he is not playing hard, it is just that he grew up playing finesse and a little more aggression makes him play physical and that adds so much to his dominance. Given time, Ming will eventually be able to play aggressive and physical every game. However, until he gets more rest (see next section), he will not be able to fulfill his potential. 3) Rest This is not an excuse, but the reality. It is a known fact that Yao Ming has not rested in more than 2 years, playing year round. In China he never had a legit weight training program, and the conditioning program they did there is sufficient for CBA play, but when you are banging like you do in NBA, your endurance training program must be done on another level. It is no secret that he is talking about fatigue all the times. When a player is tired he is just a little slower, a little less aggressive and a little less effective on everything he does, and that makes a huge difference. He entered this league under arguably the worst case scenario: No training camp, an insane schedule and behind everyone else in endurance training. A full summer's rest without playing competitive basketball, coupled with a solid strength/endurance training program is what keeps him from putting up 20/10 numbers on a more consistent basis. When you are traveling from city to city in a foreign land and trying to get everything rolling, it creates the "rookie wall". For someone like Ming, it is even harder to climb. 4) Hype Yes, the amount of hype has been out of control. From overly negative to overly positive, but keep in mind Ming did not create those hype, deep in his heart he wants to be treated like every other player in the NBA, with the publicity of say, a Tim Duncan, laid back, relaxed, instead of under the microscope every move. So let's all ease up a little bit on him and enjoy what was one of the most unusual way for a top draft pick to enter the NBA and compete at a high level. A little more patience and a little more rest goes a long way, 17 points and 5 rebounds would be a respectable showing for just about any rookie, the fact we are disappointed about it really says how good he is. Keep in mind, while Shaq and Duncan put up vastly superior numbers in their rookie year, none of them had to deal with even a fraction of the obstacles Yao did.
92759 of 92773: Re: New Perspective On Ming (Long) 103 Hits / 0 Recs Posted by: hitmantb (5 Msgs) 8:39PM PST, Dec 28, 2002 Thread [13]: Original Message < Prev. Message in Thread | Next Message in Thread > 5) Rockets Yes, the team work is non-existent at times, and there have been too much one-on-one's. Like most rocket fans, I believe this team will play much better with a more disciplined, old-school coach that forces his players to stick to his rules. Steve Francis: He is an all-star but he is NOT a franchise player many hardcore fans consider him to be. It doesn't mean I don't love him, and it doesn't mean he can't be a floor leader like say, Avery Johnson of SA Spurs's 1999 run. Francis can be an excellent side kick to a dominant player (and Yao is not that caliber of a player, yet). He is a great player Scottie Pippen style, who can give you points, rebounds as well as assists, but with his height, the only thing he can do in crunch time is an open three, a nice pass, a sudden run through the defense to the basket. He is the glue that holds a team together with production in every category, but he is not that spearhead that can put your team over the top with sheer dominance. Compared to say, a Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady, Francis pales in comparison. He lacks an unguardable move such as Jordan/Kobe (in his prime)'s fade away jumper, O'Neal/Duncan's hook. I will take him over Allen iverson, but just like Iverson, he simply lack the ability to truly take over a game. And I know both of those players have done it for their team, but if you are comparing against the best of their time, as much as I hate Kobe Bryant, look at his 4th Quarter performances in those play-off games when the game truly is on the line. When he gets hot, nobody can stop him. When Iverson/Francis get hot, the damage they to is still tolerable as long as you put a bigger/physical defender on them. Height wins championships. A great player with average/below average height will always make you admire their effort, love them for what they do, but when the game is on the line, a player of equal caliber but the physical advantage wins. Mobley: Like Edmund, who I believe to be probably the most knowledgeable poster on this board as far as basketball is concerned, I truly believe this guy belongs on the bench. The style of play he possesses is perfect for a spark off a bench that lacks offensive production. How many times have you seen Francis/Ming out of the game and the team quickly give up a big lead or sink deeper into a hole? I personally believe barring foul trouble, at least one of Francis/Ming must be on the court nearly at all times because without either the Rockets struggle immensely on offense. At crunch time I believe a great defender such as Doug Christie of the Kings makes all the difference in the world. You already have two very potent weapons in Francis and Ming, you need defense to shut down the opponent's perimeter player. If Posey is that player, then despite of the current weakness at forward, it is well worth it for the long run. Cato: Again, like many other posters on this board I believe he deserves more playing time, and I believe he should be used at power forward at
Trust me, you will not want to see the amount of *cr ap*, swearing, personal insults, flooding ..... on that board ! The lack of moderator on ESPN boards is really turning sane people away I occasionally go there just to catch on some of the rumors. http://boards.espn.go.com/cgi/nba/request.dll?LIST&room=nba_hou
