Mr. Yao (c/o Yao's Team): Now that you've vented your hate about refs biting for flops, don't be so naive that Mr. Stern would do something quick for you because this is NBA in America, not CBA in China. I predict your opponents are not far away from using their punches and elbows to defend you as they always get the benefit of doubt from the refs. For the sake of your success in the NBA and to protect your body, perhaps you should initiate to do something on the basketball court. Don't expect something would be done by Mr. Stern. If your Gentle Giant's touch is regarded as an offensive foul why don't you try "gently" touching those who are bullying you in the paint with your elbows. Make your opponents fancy what your elbows would do to them when they approach you in the paint. That would distract their defense, give your more open space and AB/KL would be able to pass the rock to you. If you don't know how to do it, watch films of Karl Malone's play. If you want some instant verbal advice, Deke is at your side. Don't worry about your reputation of "Gentle Giant". It's only applicable to your play in CBA, not NBA. It's getting outdated and annoying to your fans through your 7 years in the NBA. It's time for you to man up and use your elbows in a much better manner. Your fans would give you a better nickname, how about the "Tough Giant". Mark my words: your fans like you much more when you become the "Tough Giant" on the court. Go Tough Giant, Go Rox!
http://www.82games.com/0809/FDTEAM15.HTM The Rockets are actually 5th best in the league at limiting shot attempts around the basket, which is a good thing because they're only 19th in limiting FG% around the basket. On the season, 32% of our opponents shots come in the inside, and they shoot 59.5% on those shots. Conversely, 37% of our shots come inside (6th best), but we shoot only 55.6% on them (29th out of 30 teams). As for drawing fouls, the Rockets draw a foul on 11% of their shots, which ranks them 20th. Conversely, their opponents draw a foul on 12% of their shots, which ranks them 11th. So we get more shots around the basket, but we are much less effective at finishing those shots. As for fouls/FTA, the Rockets don't draw a lot of fouls, but they're pretty good about not committing a lot of fouls as well.
well, if yao doesnt get called for a foul every time he takes a breath then nobody would ***** about the officiating. that being said. it's nothing new that the rockets get the bad end of officiating. we should be used to it and plan to play through it. maintain a good lead so that by the end of the game with bad officiating we win by 5 or so instead of 17. we lost the jazz game on missed free throws and mistakes on defense. and i dont care if the officials are calling every foul on yao. he needs to throw Dwill to the ground then. make him feel a real foul (or fau, as another poster stated). it was just embarrassing watching the little guy put up a layup in yao's face. either way yao is taken out of the game. make them think twice before going into the paint. but yeah, i kinda agree. some ppl ***** too much. it's houston. if olajuwon didnt get the ticky tack calls his way then yao definitely wont. that is just about the only thing i miss about tmac this season. at least he would get some calls his way.
Yao's opponents *should* punch the *#!!@ out of Yao. They should try to injure him to improve their chances in the playoffs. Why not? The NBA won't do a thing about it; rather, the NBA seems to encourage it.
Like the martial arts philosopy of Bruce Lee: "Anticipate the move of your opponents, move before them and hit them hard." It's time for Yao to act, and act fast.
Durvasa, great work as usual. I didn't have all the stat info, but I could see it. I wonder what the rox give up when yao goes to the bench. It seems like a layup drill when yao is out. The lack of finisher and no one contesting shot at the rim is a problem.
it's easy to APPEAR tough. did you tell the kids how to play through? did you protest the officiating for the kids? if not you aren't a good coach imo. someone used the analogy in a other thread already. in a gun fight i have a .44 magnum and other guy has a water gun. now go tell the other guy he needs to "nut up" and "be a man". the rockets did man up and fight through last night, and see what happened. if something is wrong then it's wrong. if all the complaints and venting by the fans (which i think is part of the function of a bball bbs) after the fact is considered "whining", then there's something wrong about that, too.
still waiting for your assessments of how deke (or was it chuck) "shut down" boozer last year in the series.
No kidding. We got beat. That's it. Utah is a good team, so are we. We've beaten them twice at home. They are damn near impossbile to beat at Utah, and we're not a very good road team....hence they win.
you just can't admit you could (and in this case you are) be wrong, can it? even when you are staring at the facts. lol. since when a 16-11 is being "shut down"? improved defense, yes. "shut down"? far from it. plus, how many points did deke or chuck score? how much energy did they have to spend in the offense in comparison to yao?
ibm, so I guess when boozer went from 24 to 16 and the fg% drppoed from 49% to 42%, that's not shtting him down? If he had those numbers in the playoffs the year before, how many games do the jazz win?
if you think allowing an opponent 16/11 @42% is "shutting him down", then i've got nothing to say. lately scola was on a roll and scored like 8 double-doubles in a row. i guess he was "shut down" 8 times in a row (longer than a series). lol. how bspn-like is this? and if boozer had those numbers the year before? we'd never know what would have happened. we may have passed the 1st round, or maybe not. talking about what-if's is meaningless in sports and you know that. and i wonder if jvg was an a moron - since deke could be so effective in guarding boozer (or should i say "shutting him down") and hence we'd have a series victory in the bags, why didn't he play deke instead of yao? and yao was coming back from a major injury. boozer's #'s were 21.4/12 @ 52.9% shooting when they played the spurs in wcf that year. just 2 facts for a reminder.
yeah, he didn't make a difference 2 yrs ago. He only got x number of points over his avg. I guess Yao foot was hurting last night from the year before too right? This thread never brought Yao into it, but of course you being sensitive about yao, that's where it has gone. Let me just say something, at some point, after trial and error, something has to give. Someone earlier suggested playing yao less. Someone has said changing personel. I think awarness is the biggest issue as opposed to the other 2 options. A earlier poster, not me observed that Yao is always in no mans land. Too far to contest, too close to stop a dribble drive. How do you think yao can actually get out of no mans land? Is it from film study? Experience? Do you, IBM, think the wide open jumpers by boozer or the dribble drives by boozer are too much for Yao?
I think film study is an important factor but at some point it just comes down to awareness and instincts. Some players have the instincts to recognize where players are on the floor in relation to where the ball is, the speed at which they're all moving together, and the probable paths that the offensive players would take to the basket. Too often Yao is out of position to be able to contest the offensive player driving the lane. It would certainly help if he were quicker but at this point he knows how quick he is and he should adjust his positioning to be able to react to drives. It's something that Artest had mentioned on the last home stand, Yao's defensive presence on weak side drives. It seems that there are times when the game is not only too fast for him physically but mentally as well. He struggles to anticipate what's about to happen. The maddening thing about Yao guarding Boozer is that he gives up the open jumpers and the drive to the rim. Yao just needs to recognize he can't contest the jumper and let him take it if he wants it but he should be ready for that drive every time and he should dump Boozer on his ass on a drive every once in a while. Get physical with Boozer, let him know there's a price to be paid for driving the lane.
hey, did deke "shut down" boozer, or not? don't take a detour. c'mon, it was a simple question. and i brought yao into this thread? you're lying now (or to put it politely, purposedly twisting the fact). read post #55 in this thread, authored by you. for your own convenience, i've quoted you here. out of nowhere or clear context, you said, "Deke shut boozer down last yr, why can't yao?" then all the arguing started from there. now who is "sensitive" about yao? it's okay to have difference in opinions or preferences. after all we all have biases, especially in sports. and you can try to suggest reducing yao's role on this team, or playing "trial and error" in nba 2k9. you're entitled to it. but to twist the facts is something else; it's just senseless.
