"I just played him like I've been playing," Dampier said. "He got a couple of shots to fall in the fourth, and that was the difference in the game. He hit a couple of tough shots. He got a layup on the fast break and got a couple of easy baskets for them during that stretch. "We didn't double-team him the whole game. He's not a Shaquille. There's no need to double-team him."
Interesting...words of a looser Hope that all teams decide not to double team Yao so that he can make them pay...
i'll give dampier credit for outplaying yao for the first 3 quarters but he sure sounds like a bitter oldman who just got ate up in the end. i hope more teams share his defensive ideas.
the man sounds like a sore sport. no need to throw the comment of no need to double team yao and that yao's not shaq. just sounds like a cheap jab to me.
Dampier pushed, shoved and muscled Yao all night long - with Yao getting very few calls from the refs. Arm bar, pushing with both hands........you name it. He really gave him a working over, and Yao didn't back down. Credit Yao for taking the punishment, not getting frustrated, and taking over in the 4th quarter Now if we could only see some improved game smarts from dumb and dumber. D R
I'm going to disagree with the majority opinion. He's just making a matter of fact statement and he (and Musselman) are entitled to their opinions. To get some idea of what GS does as a team, I watched them the night before vs SA. Seldom did they double down on Duncan and they let Cliff Robinson play him heads up. On the occassions when they did double, it was never with Van Exel on the floor. It was almost always Speedy Claxton who is fast enough to rotate back. On the Warriors current road, they have been burned multiple games in a row from the 3 point line. So Musselman really refrains from using the double. I love Yao's game and I'm very glad he's a Rocket, but realistically until his dunks start to rival his passing prowess, not every NBA team is going to double him.
Dampier did a good job on Yao last year, too. Why knock him? He did push and shove and abuse Yao and he should have as the refs weren't blowing their whistles inside for the 1st 3Qs. Yao did his usual good job of maintaing his composure and still being effective as the game got towards winning time.
exactly. there's nothing negative with what dampier said. yao is no shaq... and it's a compliment. yao's game is yao's game and completely different from shaq's. he's "capable" of doing an array of things differently to get the job done.
As usual, reading stuff into someone's comments that aren't really there. As well as Dampier played him, there wasn't any reason to double him. Fortunatley for us, he couldnt keep it up all game long, and Yao made them pay in the 4th, when we really needed it. I do agree that he got away with alot of stuff thanks to the refs...I can't count how many times Yao was fouled and didnt get the call. We should be thankful that either Yao is developing the stamina to stay effective ini the 4th, or he is just playinig thru it.
Dampier is a good center by the standards of the 03-04 season--I don't think that Yao "got lucky" on him though. Yao isn't Shaq for sure, but he muscled Dampier all night till he made him foul-out....Shaq is gonna make ya foul out too, WHILE he posterizes you--Yao ain't that bad....YET
Dampier is an underachieving player who had a lot of potiential out of college, who now has settled into a "journeyman's" role. He is just hating.
Yao is not good enough to demand a double team consistently yet. There's nothing wrong with what Dampier said. He's just not at Shaq's level yet.
Dampier was right. They did the right thing playing Yao 1 on 1. As strong as Yao finished, he only shot 50%. GS could very well have won that game.
I don't see anything wrong with his comments either. Dampier is right. When Yao is struggling, there is no need to double him. Nothing wrong with that statement. Dampier is right. Yao is not Shaquille and has problems backing his man down and getting a high % shot close to the basket. Nothing wrong with that statement either.
This team is just halfway through the maturation process. When Yao develops to the point that he can't be left alone on any night, and the guards have realized fully that Yao is the best thing that has happened to them since sliced bread, this team is gonna be scarier than Micheal Jackson's face.
Dampier committed at least 35 fouls on Yao Ming without many calls. If the Refs had been doing their job, Dampier should have fould out no later than at the Half Time.
I agree...Yao Ming is no Shaq.... I would just like to add that Dampier is pretty good himself...but he's no Yao Ming.
Hacks across the fore arm At least one hack across the face Constant pushing with two hands in the back and extended arms. Joey Crawford was the ref last night and while... Yao is not Shaq and Dampier is no Yao... Joey Crawford is no Dick Bavetta Crawford is the absolute worst ref in the history of the NBA or any other sport. Bavetta is the best. And btw GATER I have to disagree with you about having to dunk to be a dominant center that demands double teams. Certainly Kareem was not a dominant dunker. He could and would but usually did not. Teams are consistantly double teaming Yao Ming even when he does not have the ball already so Golden States and Eric Dampier's arrogance was very much welcome last night. Eric Dampier worked hard and played hard last night but he could not stop Yao Ming when he needed to and eventually fouled out. The NBA is full of players that lose with excusses. We've seen it here ourselvs over the last few years so I am not going to start forgiving another player for making excuses for being outplayed by Yao Ming. Dampier just needs to shut up and admit he was out played.
Dampier is a really good center this season. He played better than any center he played this season, even Shaq can't say he beated Eric. Look at the line: Eric: 44 min 6-11 FG 2-2FT 23rb 14pt Shaq: 40 min 8-19 FG 1-3FT 14rb 17pt Yao is the only center played better than him face to face: Eric: 45 min 6-8FG 3-8FT 12 Rb 15pt Yao: 35min 9-18FG 5-9FT 11Rb 23pt Eric is the 3rd best center in the NBA!
