IMHO, nothing further from the truth. Any great player can be shut down in this game. No great players can or could constantly score when double-teamed, let alone triple-teamed in a zone defense, including MJ. It's up to his teammates to take advantage of it. As long as Yao could remain assertive, going for rebounds and blocks, and stop committing those stupid fouls, he has played his role as a leader in this team.
Yao is a big PUSS. Let me rephrase. BIG PUSS He can make a strong move in the post. I've seen it. But not consistently. Why? (see above). It's a mindset and he just doesn't have that mean streak in him yet. But I'm an optimist. A Big Puss just might grow up to be a Tiger. At this point I'm just hoping for a stray
He should play like a Bigman. Let me rephrase. BIGMAN Seriously, we are trying so hard to make Yao another Hakeem or Shaq. But that's not his game. Older Kareem with less atheletism would be a better model, who was also a top 3 center.
Yes, it's very frustrating to see that. However, we are seeing less of it as time goes on. Yao is not great yet, he's still improving, that's a good sign. What frustrates me the most about Yao's game is his inability to get more rebounds. Right now, he is an average rebounder. There is no excuse for him not to average 11 rebounds a game. And that part of his game is not improving. I also agree Yao needs to get his sucky games to around 15 pts a game. So far this season, each low scoring game by Yao had been caused by early foul trouble(refs hate Yao, or it's just difficult to officiate someone that big). That is good sign again in my opinion. Anyone who says Yao is an average player has got personal issues. Of course if you think NBA has only about 15 non average players, I suppose you might have a point.
A rebeling Catholic Puss would be ok too. Yao needs some Artestostrome in him. Not craziness, just Artestostrome. PUSS. lol have you seen shrek 2. I loved PUSS.
Yao Ming is a fantastic player. He simply needs to become more consistent and be aggressive every single game, whether it's at home or on the road. I've been supportive of Yao since the first day he's been drafted and will continue to support Yao until his last day in the NBA and beyond. In time, Yao's abilities will shoot through the ceiling and all the negative people will realize how wrong they are about Yao.
I can't wait till BIG BEN or Ron Artest beats the crap out of Yao's face and sends him crying to the stands to his mommy!!! That would be funny!!!
I think it's just a mistake to think that Yao is going to break the mold of what giants in NBA history have done. If Yao had a well-proportioned body, it might be different. Look at NBA giants. They are usually somewhat disproportioned in their physical stature. Yao's lower body is very big, but his upper body is small. Look at Hakeem. The guy looked like a regular guy proportionately. The same goes for Shaq. This is why the tallest guy in the Guiness Book of World Records was probably never successful in basketball. The Rockets need to minimize Yao moving his legs. They are lead weights that move with the speed of a sloth. He needs to maximize the use of his upperbody in the high post which is where he first got his acclaim. He was a good passer in the high post, and he could shoot the jumper. All these skills do not require the movement of the legs. I think it is a serious flaw in Yao's game not to have a good mid-range jumper.
Let's not rush to judgement on this one though. Yao promised a 10+ rebound season to his chinese reporter-buddy YangYi. something he said like " I can not guarantee that I will score 20+ pts /pg this season, because that depends on our new team get gelling, but I am sure I can grab more than 10 rebs per game, I know this because I have much more power this year than last" that's a bold statement from a humble man. I would say let's wait till january before we drop the judegement bombs on him. [QUOTE What frustrates me the most about Yao's game is his inability to get more rebounds. Right now, he is an average rebounder. There is no excuse for him not to average 11 rebounds a game. And that part of his game is not improving. [/QUOTE]
They used to triple team MJ (and Olajuwon and Jabbar and Bird) and he found a way to put up big numbers. I have to assume that many of you who honestly think other centers or players who are hall of famers would not have been able to be effective in a zone haven't been around the game very long. Basketball was a MUCH more physical game 20 years ago. There were far more quality big men. Fouls were harder and fewer overall were called. Handchecking rules allowed guys both on the perimeter and in the post to push people around. Up until the early 90's, they could actually put BOTH hands on the offensive player's back when he was in the post. Now, you can't even use an "arm bar" in the post or on the perimeter. I doubt Yao or anyone who really knows the history of the game would say Chamberlin or Russell or Mo Malone or Jabbar or Olajuwon would be unable to dominate in today's game. In fact, I can guarantee they wouldn't say that. So, we probably shouldn't be trying to use that as a reason Yao is inconsistent. It is an unfair not to mention inaccurate assessment.
Without reading this thread, I can tell you Yao's problem: People have always compared him to Shaq, which means all of his workouts, goals, etc. have concentrated on POWER. That is good and all, but they have focused way way way too little on speed, agility and balance. Especially given that he is 7'6, these should be obvious things to work on constantly. Any time Yao makes a defensive mistake, or fails to catch a rebound, it can almost entirely be pinpointed on lack of speed/agility. His power is good this year...he just is a step or two slow compared to most NBA players.
That is what the league wants. They want to open up the offense so they are forcing players to adjust by calling fouls tighter. Eventually, players will adjust and stop taking those fouls, but without being able to put your hand out on a guy, there is a better chance he'll be able to drive by you. At least that is what the NBA hopes.
it was interesting watching the Vintage NBA episode on ralph sampson last night on espn classic. some of the same things people say about yao were said about ralph at his time. things like - for his size, he should dominate on the inside more, he should be more aggressive, he should have a better post up game, etc.... keep in mind, i'm not comparing ralph sampson's game to yao's game. its just that they both were/are on the receiving end of some of the same exact criticisms...
For those Comparing Yao to Sabonis, i suggest you grab a video of Sabonis in his prime. Robinsons once said if he came over to the NBA IN HIS PRIME, he would be an top 3 All Time Center. as great as yao is, he is'nt anything as good as Sabs was....
I guess I'm old enough since I did first follow the games as a teen in the mid-70s. MJ wasn't physically played against 2 or even 3 defenders most of the times, and may I say not near the paint either. Your assessment would be fraught , if you think it's just as easy to trap a guy out near the perimeter as near the paint. As a matter of fact, MJ was able to beat his defender before the other defenders could get there. Your example of Bird makes me laugh too. He didn't CONSTANTLY score over 2 or 3 defenders. He was a great player, no doubt about it. He was great because of his shooting and passing abilities. Bird couldn't do squat if the rest of his teammates couldn't make use of the mismatches and overplays in a PRE-ZONE era. I guess I'm not old enough to watch Chamberlin or Russell. But from what I saw on vintage footage, the physicality and the talents were no where near todays standards. Lastly, I wasn't even trying to make excuses for Yao. Nowhere in my statements did I ever compare him to all the other greats. With all your respect, sometimes I found there's just a little too much of "arrogance" in your thread.
It seems you'll have to wait for at least 5 more games and one more season respectively to see that happen...
