Yao & Jump Ball?

He's not quick enough.

Didn't Eddie jump most of the time last year?

 

i think we should give yao another try at jump...cato doesn't win them all either....

besides yao's jumping, refs dont throw it high enough for yao to have an advantage

 

Early on he got a lot of chances, but he just wasn't very good at it. I don't know if the jumpball is really something you practice, but for whatever reason it doesn't seem like Yao has much of a knack for it.

Course, maybe it's worth giving him another shot.

 

Agree. But who cares? Winning a tip-off is meaningless except for the over time. Teams alternate possession after opening tip-off. Just assume we choose to play defense first every game.

 

Yao doesn't jump because he waits until the ball reaches it's peak like the rules say, but no one else waits. Every American just steals it. It's a culture thing. If I was JVG, I would room Yao with Cato and hope Yao picks up some of Cato's street attitude.

 

Yao just didn't really have his timing down for the tip. I remember once I believe this season when Kevin Willis was able to steal a jump ball from him by scooping it out of the air right when the ref tossed it.

Maybe Yao could try tipping jump balls to himself.

 

Bingo - Yao waits til the ball is in its downward motion. All opponents grab the ball on its way up. And the refs never call that nowadays. They used to call it all the time, back in the day.

-- droxford

 

OH GAWD! it is NOT some cultural thing...

the reason yao doesnt do the jumpball is the EXACT reason why he doesnt get 6 blocks a night.

the guy severly needs to work on his timing and reaction speed.

you see it in half his rebounds as well. how many times have you seen the rebound surprise an unaware yao?

love the guy but he seriously needs to work on that. give him 3 years and he'll be blocking 6 a night.

 

Wrong assessment! Yao didn't get 6blocks a night is cuz people scare of challenging him, that's why he hardly get any block.

 

3 years??? In the NBA that's eternity. Wow in 3 years well have like maybe 3 players left from this current roster.

 

This would be a fun "movie-montage" scene.

Ewing could spend hours and hours working with Yao on the jump, like Mr. Miagi in "The Karate Kid." He could make Yao jump up to catch a fly that's buzzing above him. Then Ewing blows up a bunch of helium balloons, and when he releases them, Yao has to jump up and catch them before they fly off into the sky. When indoors, Ewing makes Yao jump up and catch the blade of a ceiling fan. Yao is frustrated at first, never catching the fly, and watching with a sad, anguished look on his face as the balloons float beyond his grasp. Every time he lunges for the fan he just hurts his fingers.

Finally, to use the most cliched phrase on the board, he "gets it." Cue dramatic music--(think Rocky Theme meets Karate Kid Theme). He catches the fly. Then, not only does he reach the bottom of the balloon, but he jumps so high and so fast that he palms the balloon with a massive hand, squeezes his fist and pops it. The music swells. Slow-mo. With an expression of fierce determination, steely-eyed, Yao looks up at the whirling fan. Ewing stands nearby with with arms-crossed. The whole Rockets bench is behind Ewing, standing up from their chairs, captivated. The camera zooms in on Yao's eyes. They narrow. Zoom out. Yao's muscles twitch and then, with a super-human, lightining-quick burst of speed, he explodes off the floor and lunches for the wooden blade. Super slow-mo. With perfect timing, Yao grabs the blade. His other hand grabs a second blade. Then he yells--a primal, monstrous scream, and with both hands he rips the fan from the ceiling. Ewing hugs him from behind and the rest of the team mobs him. Chunks of the ceiling rain down on the players, like the sparks of light in "The Natural."

Last shot of montage. Camera focus on Yao, who is crouched, ready to jump, ready to catch the fly or pop the balloon. He leaps in the air. We see the ball, then the camera rotates to show that there is no fly or balloon: Yao faces a glowering Shaq. The camera keeps rotating and we see that we're in the LA Forum in the Western Conference Finals. Even before the ball is at the top of the arc, Yao beats Shaq by a split-second, snatching the ball from mid-air.

End montage.

[sorry. slow at work.]

 

Last year in that ad where he and Steve went to the older couple's house, he caught a ceiling fan with his face. Then he cheated at Scrabble.

 

Really? I don't live in Houston anymore-- never saw that ad. Scrabble?!!?? That sounds like fun.

 

Thanks, stealing is definately an American cultural aspect....@$$ hole.

 

I heard they are going to give 10 points to the team which wins the jump ball next season, instead of only 5 points as of now.

 

I think it just has to do with his timing on the jump ball.

Watching League Pass i know i get tired of hearing the oppossing teams annoucers ask why don't the Rockets have their 7'6" center in there for the jumpball. Its a reoccurring theme before ever tip now.

 

yeah 3 years. what? do you think you become a nba "veteran IN your 3rd year?" and he'll be what? 26-27.