Rockets head to Northwest tired but eager Van Gundy, Ewing assess Yao's game By W.H. STICKNEY JR. Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle GALVESTON -- A tough four days of training camp at Texas A&M University-Galveston under new coach Jeff Van Gundy came to an end Monday for the Rockets. Now that Yao Ming has arrived, the team turns to a tough start to the preseason, a stretch of three road games in four days that begins tonight at Portland. "In some ways it's bad that we're playing a lot of games early," Van Gundy said. "But in some ways it's good because it gives us a lot of practice time later in the preseason. "So you know what? Complaining about your schedule never does any good. So you just play the games, practice and keep moving on." The Rockets won't begin wearing away some of the new shine on their downtown palace, the $235 million Toyota Center, until Sunday night when New Orleans visits. By then, Van Gundy should have a firmer knowledge about how the Rockets will perform under game conditions. They will have faced Portland and Seattle twice (Wednesday night at KeyArena and Friday night at Little Rock, Ark.) by then. They are certain to look better than Monday at the close of "Camp Van Gundy." "Today wasn't a good day," the coach said, "but the three other ones, I thought, were very good. We just didn't play very well." It was the first day at camp for Yao, who arrived in Houston late Sunday afternoon after having led the Chinese national team in the nine-day FIBA Asian Championship for Men in Haerbin, China. Yao led the hosts to eight straight wins by an average of 37 points, including a 106-96 win over Korea on Wednesday to secure the last of 12 spots for teams in the 2004 Olympics. Teammates said the 7-5 center looked well during his first workout under the Van Gundy system. Yao said the practice was taxing physically and assessed himself at "50 percent" of where he expects to be on opening day. "It was very tiring. There's a lot of running," Yao said. "And the drills are tough. I think I have to get used to the speed." Adjusting to Van Gundy's discipline will take time for Yao and all the Rockets. Power forward Maurice Taylor sat out his second day of practice because of a shoulder injury suffered Saturday but said the Rockets are anxious and ready to begin the preseason. "I would like for us to have more (preparation) time so I could play," he said. "But we're ready." Yao made the transition from amateur to rookie well and quickly under former Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich, eventually becoming one of the more charismatic members of the league despite huge language and cultural barriers. Yao was second in voting for NBA Rookie of the Year. Guard Moochie Norris said Yao's adaptation to the Van Gundy way of basketball should similarly be an easy and quick process, especially with the premium on communication. "Everyone's out there talking," Norris said. "(Center Kelvin) Cato and the rest of the big guys are helping Yao every step of the way. The coaches are, the guards are. Everybody's trying to bring him up to speed as fast as possible." It is a universally accepted principle that most players in the NBA experience a quantum leap in performance from their first years to their second years. It's what's expected of Yao. Norris believes it will happen. "We're definitely going to be more of an inside-outside team," he said. "We're going to be running a lot of things through Yao. "Yao will set up a lot more things for us as well as we will do for him. So it won't be more of an outside game the way it was for the last couple of years." One of the primary reasons former New York Knicks coach Van Gundy hired former Knicks All-Star Patrick Ewing as a Rocket assistant was so he could help facilitate Yao's progress as a center in the NBA. After just one day of working with him, Ewing said it's premature to make an accurate assumption about how good Yao can become. "It depends on the individual," said Ewing. "Some people are late bloomers, some people are early bloomers. "Who's to say when Yao or anybody else is going to kick their game to the next level? All we can do is basically teach him all of the things that we feel he needs to learn to help him be a very good center. And hopefully, he'll learn them quickly and become one." Ewing was impressed with what he saw from Yao. "I thought he picked up things very well," Ewing said. "And he did a good job." How and what can Ewing do for Yao over the long haul? "Just basically (help him improve) his overall game," said Ewing. "Positioning on the floor, posting up deeper, defensively. The way he positions his body. I can help him out and show him the right technique that would help him, hopefully keep him out of foul trouble." Yao is excited about working with Ewing, a veteran of 17 NBA 7easons and one of only 13 NBA players with 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds. "I think I'll just learn slowly," Yao said. "I'm sure that he's got a lot to teach me, and it'll take quite a while."
Rockets summary Yao only, please The final day of Rockets training camp under coach Jeff Van Gundy was over. One of the first media members to question the former New York Knicks coach wanted to know about the Rockets' 7-5 center, Yao Ming. Instead of using just the first name, the inquisitor asked about "Yao Ming." "You didn't have to go with the `Ming,' " Van Gundy said, sparking a round of laughter. "I sort of knew who you were talking about." For the record, Van Gundy said Yao "did fine." He said Yao will probably be held out of tonight's game at the Rose Garden. Taylor works out Maurice Taylor on Monday missed his second day of practice with a dislocated left shoulder. Taylor said the shoulder feels better. "We did a lot of exercising with it today, a lot of strengthening," he said. "It's getting looser and looser each day." The jury is out on when the shoulder will be judged ready for battle again. "Some people say a week; some people say two weeks," Taylor said. Breaking training When practice was over, Rockets guard Cuttino Mobley briefly left a small group of people with whom he was talking and draped an arm around new coach Jeff Van Gundy as he walked nearby. Near the end of their conversation, Mobley leaned down to whisper in Van Gundy's ear. "I told him I love him now, because camp's over," Mobley said. Apparently, none of Rudy Tomjanovich's camps were as strenuous as Van Gundy's. Mobley hesitated to make a comparison but after a pause said, "I miss Rudy." -- W.H. STICKNEY JR. Preseason schedule Date--- Opponent----- Site ------Time -----TV Tonight --Trail Blazers ---Rose Garden --9 p.m. --Ch. 51 Wed. --Sonics --KeyArena --9 p.m.-- Ch. 51 Friday --Sonics-- Little Rock, Ark. --7:30 p.m.-- Ch. 51 Sunday --Hornets --Toyota Center --7:30 p.m. --Ch. 51 Oct. 14 --Kings --Arco Arena --9 p.m. --Ch. 51 Oct. 16 --Kings --Toyota Center --7:30 p.m.-- Ch. 51 Oct. 22 --Nuggets --Toyota Center --7:30 p.m. --Ch. 51 Oct. 24 --Spurs SBC Center --7 p.m. --Ch. 51/ESPN All games on radio station KILT (610 AM)
It is?? I know he's tired, but I'd like to see him put in 6-10 minutes tomorrow. Watching the new additions should be fun too.
I know this is being overemphasized a lot by the media, but then again, it must be partly true. What the hell kind of camps did Rudy run?
Yeah, I am sure it is probably messed with by the media. Mobes probably really means that inside, but I think he said it as a joke to the media.
In relation to his height they are "short." But not by much. The real "shortness" comes from Yao's "narrow" shoulders. Again, it's all relational to his height. To use, he's HUGE! But we are just mere mortals! What to see someone with long arms? Keon Clark and AK47 (Andre K, from the Jazz).
Anyone notice the size of Yao's biceps compared to Cato's? Last year, it was day and night. Today, they look pretty similar.
Dont forget Teyshaun Prince. He has huge arms. They basically say your wing span is supposed to be around your height. I remember in a game last year they say how he is only 6' 9" but has a wing span of over 7' 2"
Yao is thick and long everywhere. That makes his arms look short. He must have the biggest head size in the league.
Yes, Yao it seems stronger. And stronger arms = more rebounds, more inside presence, tough body, difficult stop him on the low post.
No kidding. For those wondering about what radio guys look like, the guy next to Stickney (the guy in the cowboy hat) with the dark hair is Robert Hensley from KTRH and the balding guy right in front with the pattern shirt is David Dalati from KILT 610.
