Yo-Yao Chinese center has some good moments -- and some bad

windandsea, do you know whats up with Mings offensive stats?

Is he afraid to take the shot attempts?
Does he have pride to share the attempts with his teammates?
or do the coaches just outright sux? not knowing who the star is.

Besides Yao, this team could not be bench warmers in the CBA (us version). Why in the world is Yao only taking 6-7 shots a game? He should be taking 20 shots a game. I think he only had one basket in the entire 2nd half?

This is just confusing to me.

 

the chinese teams offensive gameplan doesnt include giving yao many touches the guards would rather jack up nasty shots.

 

I couldn't be happier with Yao's play. Keep in mind that this guy is a rookie. In his first game against NBA talent, he was forced to play against a team of all-stars, not the Cavs or the Clippers, and he still held his own.

13-11 for what was essentially his first NBA game is impressive, in my book.

 

The Chinese guards are terrible. They hardly ever fed Ming the ball. All they did was jack up 3s.

 

13, 11 and 6 blocks(NBA.com has it listed at 6), those are all star numbers for a center. Keep it up Yao.

 

ZRB: I am also impressed. But I'd call it more than essentially his first NBA game. Which NBA team fields a squad like that? It was more akin to something in between an NBA game and an NBA all-star game. When has any rookie faced such a challenge so early in his career? Never, right? A double-double plus the blocks is amazing. More so when you consider he had to do it without guards who could feed him. Never mind the turnovers. All rooks suffer that problem. Our franchise player had more of a problem with TO's than Yao did in this game, his first year. The most impressive thing to me about tonight's game though was Yao's boards. No team in the league boasts a better rebounding squad than the USA team and Yao still came up with double digits. It's going to be an exciting season.

Doubters? Where'd you all run off to?

 

Did anyone notice how the Chinese guards would constantly fast break and jack up an outside shot when only one or two of their teammates had made it back? Yao could've probably gotten 5 more touches and a few more rebounds had his guards slowed things down and set up the offense. I'm amazed that Yao didn't put up Wilt Chamberlain like numbers playing with those scrubs in the Chinese league.

 

I like his 6 blocks.
Think about those NBA guys' speed,experience, physical play ,athletics, ...

I doult any one else can repeat this block number on USA team with NBA all stars.

This happened when he is "not a shot blocker".

It looks like Yao Ming can start for Rockets and can do some heavy duty,right now.

 

I think Ming showed he belonged in the NBA. As for blocked shots with six sounds like defense to me. That doesn't even show how many shots he caused to be changed. The other thing in his favor is with the Rockets he will have some guards that can see him.

 

Some quotes from the updated AP article:

A crowd of 19,873, many of them cheering for China, watched Yao do a little of everything -- positive and negative. Yao swatted away six shots and denied Antonio Davis the honor of being the first American to dunk on him, but he also blew a dunk of his own and struggled when he was defended by Ben Wallace.

"When you have pitiful moments, that makes the good moments more valuable," Yao said.

Yao injured his right hand in the second half banging it against the backboard, although he said it wasn't serious. He did manage to emerge unscathed after Wallace landed on top of him after Yao faked Wallace off his feet in the third quarter.

"I hope when he fell on me it didn't hurt him much," Yao deadpanned.

Quote from an NBA player

"To play against him was an eye-opening experience for me. He's a lot better than what I thought," Michael Finley said. "He earned our respect."

I like everything about this guy's attitude, but I wasn't sure he was ready. He was impressive against some of the league's top players. And he's only 21.

 

Not only are the guards and the coach the problem, Yao has to be a little more selfish. From what I heard on the radio and observed on the live look-ins/highlights, Yao has terrific court awareness and passing ability for a big man, but there comes a time when you have to take over, especially on this very very mediocre China team. Yao seemed content to look for his teammates instead of looking for his own shot. Also, Yao had the ball poked away from him many times...he's going to have to learn to be strong and keep the ball high away from pesty defenders. As you guys know, NBA guards like to swipe at and strip balls from big men. Another negative was Yao's stamina and endurance, he seemed to wear down big time during the second half from what was described on the radio commentary. Luckily these are things that can be improved upon and taught during the season. Nothing to really tear your hair out about.

On the positive side, he has a great shooting touch, along with the court awareness and passing ability mentioned earlier. He also changes quite a few shots which is expected out of a 7'5" guy. The shot blocking instincts aren't quite there. He did block six shots, but on the most part, they're not the type of blocks you're use to after witnessing Dream the past 15 years and Eddie Griffin last year; mostly deflections, tips, etc.

As a whole, I was pleased with Yao's performance. I mean, this guy scored 13 points, grabbed 11 boards, and blocked 6 shots against NBA all-stars. You can't find any center that's come into the league in recent years that can do that...especially in his first game against NBA competition since the 2000 Olympics as a teenager. Put him in an era where the best centers outside of Shaquille O'Neal are Alonzo Mourning, Michael Olowokandi, Dikembe Mutombo, and Vlade Divac followed by loads of undersized mediocrity, and you got something here. It'll take an adjustment period, probably 2-3 years, but in the end, I think the reward will be sweet.

 

how bout this for a quote:

"To play against him was an eye-opening experience for me. He's a lot better than what I thought," Michael Finley said. "He earned our respect." (CNNSI)

how you luv dat....

 

"...struggled when he was defended by Ben Wallace."

Hey, that describes almost EVERYONE in the league last year!

Yao's a rookie and he's not going to get 25 points a night, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him regularly get 15-20 once he gets his feet wet. And an occasional 25 point game toward the end of the year is possible. He'll probably also have his share of 6 point games until he gets the hang of it and his teammates learn to trust him.

Wallace is just pissed because he knows that he'll probably be coming in second this year in blocked shots. I'll bet that's going to cost him some serious incentive money, too.

 

Nice to know that Yao has earned the respect of a NBA veteran in his first game.

 

I agree with you whole heartedly!!! What makes it even more impressive is that he did it "by himself" - that is he had no help from the other players on the team. With people who can actually play his stats would be awesome.

13pts on 5-12 is pretty good for a person playing "solo" against 5 all stars. His 11 boards rocks and the 6 blocks are even more impressive.

Bring on November

 

Barbourdg,

The "Chinese way" is teamwork. Individual play is frowned upon,
even if it means a win. They would rather play as team and lose, than
play individually, and win. That's just the way it is in China. No need to
worry. In the USA, we milk our best players.

Add Yao to an already good team (Rockets), and we got a VERY good team!!!

 

I am very excited about next season. I will admit that I was not in the pro-ming camp until near draft day. My main beef was the political BS, but now that Ming has been cleared - the Rockets look great next season.

Lets hope that the Rockets don't do something stupid like trading Griffin for Lewis!

Can you imagine a front line of Griffin & Ming? They will be blocking everything in site together.

 

I have always liked Michael Finley. He is a guy with class.

 

If he keeps up this, team-guy, low-profile, HIGH-efficiency attitude, he will be a perfect fit for our team.


I'm impressed. Very much so. But I am a tiny bit dissapointed with his FG%, but more so about his FG attempts being so low.