Seeing so many ugly posts on Yao, a hard working, decent man, I start to wonder what right do they have to judge Yao? For their expectation? Yao never say he comes here to rule the NBA. For Yao's high salary? Yao makes way less than MoT, and Deke. For being selected as a #1? Well, although from time to time, you might get a Shaq or TD, you gott more AI, Kandi, Joe Smith, Coleman, KMart, Webber, Larry Johnson....... Yao is unhappy man now. As a player nurtured from the Chinese sport machine, he used to treat his team as the second HOME. Now what happened to his HOME? The lovely, caring Rudy gone, in his place a guy with "small man syndrome". Stevie is gone. You can say a lot of things about Stevie, he standed up for Yao against Amare. Can TMac do that for Yao? Yao is such an unhappy soul. His mind starts to affect his game, as we all witnessed. Everyone is crying, begging and cursing to ask Yao to show some aggresiveness and assertativeneww. Before doing that, Yao should learn from DREAM. GO TO LES AND ASK FOR A TRADE! Either trade him or assemble a team according to his style. Yao is slow on helping defense, then get somebody quicker on perimeter to help Yao. Yao is not a good rebounder and enforcer, then get a PF who fight for rebounds and enforce the will. It is not Yao's fault to have Old Charlie Ward, JJ and slow Mo as teammates. I would cheer like a mad man if someday MoT got fouled out. But it won't happen. Mo will still collect his 10 points, 4 rebounds and 8 millions to watch fans cursing the helpless Yao. Houston is not a good fit for Yao. I am serious. the coach, the teammates, the style, and now, the fans.
So basically .....you are saying that we shouldn't ask Yao to change nor should anyone critisize him, but we should critisize everyone around him and ask everyone around him to change and/or ask the owner to change the team around him to mask his faults? That doesn't seem fair.
If Yao is not fitting JVG's scheme, I seriously hope he demands Rockets firing JVG or demands a trade to Lakers. JVG and Eugene's coaching has been pathetic!
Poor Yao. If Yao is really unable to handle the way the NBA is - trades, coaching changes, tough defenses - he doesn't belong in the NBA. And, frankly, I think your assessment of him is selling him significantly short. I think he has the competitiveness necessary and is flexibile enough to handle the changes that will come his way. If he wasn't strong enough to handle that, he would've already cratered under the enormous pressure he faces being one of the most recognizable personalities on the planet. He's stronger than you give him credit for.
Basicaly, the guy is nice, hard working and keeps trying. He is 7'6 and he can never be as quick as dream. He is a finesse player and he can never learn a power game as Shaq. If you want him to improve, ask something doable, not something impossible. It is management's fault to trade away the team's best perimeter defender (Cat) and best rebounder (Cato), which make Yao's weakness exposed. What benefit can Houston gets if Yao is in constant, endless foul trouble? If you say Yao is your franchise player, then build a team around him. If you say Yao is not a franchise player and you don't plan to build a team around him, then give him a break, stop to ask this guy for everything, Treat him just like MoT.
It's not about the criticisism. Yao has taken more criticism than most in the NBA. The poor dude is clearly not having fun and has too much pressure of the wrong kind. When you are not having fun, you don't improve. Two years ago, Yao clearly had much more fun playing basketball. He had more offensive moves/passes even though he was much weaker. Nowday he is just a double-teaming/fronting target in JVG's so-called offense and every pass is a TO waiting to happen. Free Yao Ming!
Where are you guys getting this crap? Do you have any proof whatsoever that Yao is unhappy and that JVG and his teammates are the reason?
lancet, Im glad Yao was having fun when his team wasn't making the playoffs. Im glad hes not having fun now because WE ARE BELOW .500. and saying that Yao gets more criticism in the NBA than most is just not accurate. In fact, he doesn't even get the most criticism on his team.
I can't agree with you more. Basically, we need Kidd or Nash type player to pass the ball to Yao, Tracy can still work as our SG, and we need somehow acquire KG as our SF and Duncan as our PF to grab more rebounds and taking fouls. We have to get enough quality players to build around our franchise player! Oh, don't forget to hire a babysitter too, Yao need be taken good care of to be effective. Keep that in mind.
what the hell have we been doing for the past 3 seasons? Steve and Cat obviously wasn't going to take us far so we traded those guys who had played for us their entire careers for a Superstar to better suit this team and Yao. We want to win. It's the other players fault that Yao is in foul trouble all the time? You want us to treat Yao as a role player, Yao understands that he was the first pick in the NBA draft, there is a certain expectation that comes out of it, he's shown us glimpses of greatness but thats it. As fans we expect more from certain players more than others and what the hell do you have against Mo Taylor? steal your weed something?
I agree with you that Yao won't fold. But he is really an unhappy man now. I am a Chinese, I can see it from his body language. This man is missing Stevie. He is trying to be business-like. But man, look at this Houston team, there is just no fun personality. Yao needs that kind fun thing in the locker room to dilute the foreigner feeling. That is why he was missing Moochie. Trust me. Yao won't ask for a trade, just like he won't be assertive on the court. But he won't sign the contract extension, either. These are his subtle messege to Les: 1) Where did you find this JVG guy from? 2) What were you thinking? Trade away 60% of starters and then close your purse.
codell, don't get me wrong. In Yao's rookie season, he was labelled the all-time bust in more media than any other, as I as I can remember. You want to point out someone else?
oh lord....poor Yao Im being serious..I feel for the guy... it must be horrible to be such a competitive guy(or he would have never wanted to play in the most competitive league in the world) and have fans that claim to be devoted to him, yet dont want him to succeed by improving himself.. lets just ask poor Yao to stay the same, adn not learn to play at the highest level cause..........his fans dont think he is happy... nice.... as for trade....if you think that any team (and their associated fans) are goin to be less hard on him...or ask him to do any less as their center....you are seriously delusional. The thnigs ppl here want of him are mearly the requirements of the position he plays... If he wants to be great.....he needs to play great. if you dont want him to be the best he can be...you arent much of a fan.
What are you, a sociologist? You can tell what the man is feeling by watching his body language? Seriously, no offense, but that is weak. You've got to have something more than "I am a Chinese, I can see it from his body language" to convince me or anyone else that he hates JVG and won't re-sign with the team.
*******, you people need to calm down. He plays a game for money! Yao Ming isn't being subjected to anything every other NBA player isn't subjected to. It's part of being an all-star, and it's DAMN sure part of being a #1 overall pick. If LeBron James was going through stretches of games where he disappeard, do you believe he wouldn't be criticized? You think he'd simply be given a pass? "He's only 19... lay off the poor guy!" Yao's my favorite player. I hate seeing the no-calls the refs allow his defenders to get away with. Yao should be at the line 7-8 times a game. People beat the crap out of him out there, but that's how it goes when you're the team's #1 option. It's their job to stop you by any means necessary. If the refs never call the fouls, then they never do. Yao will have to figure out a way to excel anyways or resign himself to being defeated by players 8 inches shorter. I also hate seeing Yao uselessly jump into people on defense, racking up fouls that keep him on the bench. I hate it when he brings the ball down 4 inches off the floor where anyone can just snatch it away. I hate seeing him bat around rebounds when I know he can palm the ball. Like I said, he's my favorite player. I like him already and want to see him continue improving. So far, Yao hasn't been able to make the leap for true SUPERSTAR yet. I think he can, and I'm not alone in that. Right now, the Rockets' coaches are trying EVERY strategy to get him there. It's not good to see him make the same mistakes over and over. Sometimes players need to be shocked out of their comfort zone to make real progress. I think that's what Yao's experiencing right now. And I know, I KNOW that he isn't the type to back down. He's come too far already. He'll make it.
well said Hippy......that is so spoton it isnt even funny... what he said goes for me too... oh...and btw folks....feel free to take advantage of the "rate This Thread" option down at the bottom... you know what to do.
How many people mention Sam Bowie every year at the draft? This is a guy that barely had a career in the NBA and he's still the poster child for bad picks. Kobe has been KILLED in LA since he was drafted. The guy gets reamed by everyone for his attitude, his criminal problems, etc. Yao is not the only one who gets hammered by fans and sports writers.
