http://www.nypost.com/sports/nets/42251.htm 'ZO: EW GOTTA BE HUNGRY By DAN MARTIN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- November 4, 2003 -- Few people have a better appreciation for the teaching skills of Patrick Ewing than the Nets' newest center, Alonzo Mourning - a protégé of the Big Fella ever since his days at Georgetown. Mourning believes that Ewing, now an assistant to Jeff Van Gundy, will have a great impact on the play of the Rockets' 7-foot-5 Yao Ming. "Patrick is going to help enhance Yao's game," Mourning said after practice yesterday as the Nets got ready to host the Rockets tonight at the Meadowlands. "He's a Hall of Famer, so of course he's going to make anybody better." Not that Mourning thinks the Chinese import needs all that much improvement. Since Mourning was sidelined last year by a kidney ailment, tonight will be his first meeting with the 23-year-old - but he was impressed from afar. "I wasn't skeptical," Mourning said. "He's one of the few guys who are that size and can shoot and pass the way he does and are as coordinated. I would have picked him first, too." But, Mourning added, Yao's greatness is hardly a foregone conclusion. While offering effusive praise, the 10-year veteran pointed out that raw talent isn't enough. "He has the skills [to be great]," Mourning said. "But whether he has the work ethic remains to be seen." * Kenyon Martin didn't practice yesterday and won't play in tonight's game, but he issued a statement yesterday saying that his sprained left ankle was "feeling better, but still sore." Rodney Rogers (thumb) will also miss tonight's game. * Scott had hoped to reduce Jason Kidd's playing time this season - but after three games, that hasn't happened. Instead, the coach is doing the next best thing: cutting Kidd's practice time. "We'll shut him down when we have to," Scott said of his franchise player. "I felt that we were going to be able to do it during games, but he's actually playing more than he was last year because Zoran [Planinic] isn't ready." Mourning, however, had little sympathy. "He's the franchise - and when you're the franchise, you have to put up those minutes," Mourning said. "When I was in Miami, I put up 40 minutes a night and I did it for a number of years."
Does show the great insights from a NY kind of thinking. And when Yao succeeds, it is the specific result of tutelage from PEw, right?
Exactly my thought. Yao biggest improvementcame in the offseason. He came back this year stronger and more agressive and he did that primarily on his own. The kid is absolutely dedicated to being better and Mourning's comments just show how little he knows about Yao. He is consummate team player who studies the game and wants to do whatever it takes for him and the Rockets to improve.
I thought Georgetown players were supposed to be smart. But this statement is simply illogical. A HOFer is necessarily "going to make anybody better"? That's like saying that a great scholar is necessarily a great teacher. I am in the teaching profession. I know that is not true, not even close.
Common, is Yao well known for his work ethic? Did JVG say a single word about this? All I heard from Van Gundy is 'Yao is nice, he is nice, he is a nice guy...' Zo probably got his impression from Ewing. Ewing: you think you are aggressive enough?
Do we have to take every qoute from someone and turn it into a negative? From what I read from Zo' it was more him praising Yao than anything else. All he is saying is for Yao to be as great a player as his potential shows its going to take more Work Ethic than talent. He didnt say, "Yao doesn't have the work Ethic." He just said it remains to be seen. He is only in his second year and Zo is right. That statment goes for everyone projected to be great based on their talent and skill IE: Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Yao Ming. Derrick Coleman was supposed to be great too, but he didnt have the work ethic. And let me say this again. We all know Yao will be great, but how great depends on his work ethic and that cannot be told until his career is over. I think Yao may have a great work ethic, but I am going off his personality. I never read a qoute where someone said Yao has a great work ethic. Technically it is hard to have a great work ethic if you have to play year round. You can also say playing year round is having a great work ethic. That is all Zo is saying. Zo is praising our precious Yao, people please stop taking qoutes and turning then into negatives. People's interpretation skills here are seriously lacking...
I read a similar article in the NY Times today where Zo was talking about Yao and said that he has the skills to be a top 3 center. But that work ethic and how much he wants it would be the deciding factor. What is Zo talking about? Yao already is a top 3 center!
Yao has been here more than one year. I am amazing that someone still called him Mr. Ming. He is Mr. Yao not Mr. Ming.
Haha that is so true. I think part of the reason for that is that when you get to the university level, teaching makes up a very small part of the professor's time and the majority is spent of research. So most of the professors are very smart people, but they just can't teach very well, but I'm sure they do great research which is why they still have the job.
