That's basically my point, it just seems he get blocked a lot because of non calls, if he get the calls he would statistically have minimal amount of blocked shots.
This shows you 2 things: 1. Yao is not a superstar or even a star yet. 2. Yao has to learn how to bump other players before shooting, which will create space.
You guys do realize that EVERY player gets hacked when they shoot, right? It isn't just Yao. How many times do you see other Rockets grabbing their wrists after shots. Clyde Drexler used to do it so often, you got the feeling he was going to get a repetitive stress injury just from slapping his forearm to demonstrate to refs he was fouled. It's life in the NBA. Yao needs to get used to it and everyone needs to get over it. As for Yao getting blocked, the simple fact is he is 7'6" but he likes to fade. When you fade, your body angles downward reducing the height of your shot making it easier to block. He actually had to take a rainbow fade the other night to avoid being blocked. NO ONE who is 7'6" tall should EVER have to rainbow his shot over ANYONE. He also doesn't go up strong enough when he is near the basket. I've watched Yao pump fake guys who are 8 inches shorter than him and who are not even known shot blockers. He needs to dunk on those guys and they will be reluctant to try and block him the next time.
It would be more productive and interesting to try and figure out ways that Yao can shoot without being blocked, than trying to make excuses for him. Yes, Yao gets fouled often and there are no calls. But as Jeff said that happens to every player. The responsibility is on the player to adjust and compensate.
If that is the life in the NBA and the ref's does it to everybody then I would have no complaints. I just hope people would stop asking why Yao is being blocked so often.
It is. Watch enough NBA games and you'll figure that out. But, that isn't the problem. Yao IS being blocked. He IS pump faking 6'9" and 6'10" guys who aren't shot blockers. Those are facts. It isn't that every time he gets blocked, it is just a ref missing a foul. There are other great players in this league too and Yao is susceptible to getting his shot blocked because he doesn't use his overwhelming size advantage enough. He is bigger than almost every player in the league. He is stronger and a much better low post player than most of the guys who will try to defend him. Yet, he choses soft jumpers, layups and fadeaways against them. He negates that very size and strength by choosing those types of shots. It has nothing to do with the referees. It has to do with Yao's style of play.
It has to do with Yao having played against smaller players all his life. He has never had to jump for a rebound or worry about getting his shot stuffed back in his face until he joined the NBA. Yao is smart, he will adjust, but changing his attitude is harder than changing his game. He has been told all his life to be a team player, now he must understand, that the great players are all a little bit selfish. DD PS Steve is not a great player....
You are really funny. Why people should "stop asking why Yao is being blocked so often" ? I think Jeff's post already told you that many of the blocks were not caused by tough physical contact, but because of Yao's own problems. If you still could not get it, I pasted here once again. Why should we stop asking? ========== As for Yao getting blocked, the simple fact is he is 7'6" but he likes to fade. When you fade, your body angles downward reducing the height of your shot making it easier to block. He actually had to take a rainbow fade the other night to avoid being blocked. NO ONE who is 7'6" tall should EVER have to rainbow his shot over ANYONE. He also doesn't go up strong enough when he is near the basket. I've watched Yao pump fake guys who are 8 inches shorter than him and who are not even known shot blockers. He needs to dunk on those guys and they will be reluctant to try and block him the next time. ==========
Exactly,Jeff.Yao should use his body strength to keep defender not to jump, and move to the rim as near as possible to dunk.
I don't completely understand this logic given that the NBA is so athletic. I mean a 5 foot 7 guy won the dunk contest one year. The rim is 10 feet. Yao is 7'6...surely then people can jump high enough to block his shots.
This is the most intelligent post I've seen in a while. The Problem IS Yao's Style of Play Tall players who don't take advantage of their height essentially negate the very advantage they are blessed with. Sure, Yao may not be the fastest of jumpers, but then again, why does he need to be a fast jumper??? There are so many vertically challenged players (e.g. Charles Oakley) who simply played to their strengths (e.g. girth, height, size, etc.) plus great positioning and you've yourself a strong rebounder. I think, by playing for so long overseas, Yao has gotten into the habit, and perhaps spoiled by his height, to simply "reach" for the ball and not move his legs. This problem also carries over to his shooting where, as Jeff pointed out, he settles all too often for the fadeaway. To utilize his size, Yao has to keep his body going FORWARD. Watch any layup drill and you'll see the best guards finish a layup having run "through" the line of sight in the direction of the basket. Yao does this most often with his baseline spin, which works like a charm. But other moves to the center of the paint end with his feet in the paint. If he can practice jumping forward and THROUGH the direction of the hoop, he will be unstoppable. As for other field goals, I still think Yao's best and most unstoppable shot will be the short-range hook. Here, he can shield the ball with his body, get the required spacing to get the shot off, AND have eye contact with the defender. Why he doesn't use it more is anyone's guess. theSAGE
Lovely. That means two months from now Yao will have a boyish stubble under his chin. I think Moochie should vow to not cut his hair until he scores over ten points in a game. He should look like Bob Marley before he retires.
Before going up for a shot, or when making lateral movement with the ball, Yao Ming tends to bend his upper body to a very low position. Too low for a 300+ lb body. IMHO that habit costs his height and weight advantages. Stand up and Move FORWARD.
Learning process. A lot of his shots are blocked cleanly. Yes, he is fouled hard sometimes and doesn't receive the calls, but thats life in the NBA. It may be frustrating to watch Yao get tapped or hacked, but I see it as a learning process. Yao is a smart player and will learn to play through it and hopefully in the near future, play through his opponent instead of away from them. He'll learn to play more physical and still maintain his grace keeping in mind that he'd not even a quarter-way through his second season. Stuart
Exactly. When I post up, I routinely get my hook shot over guys much bigger than me. With Yao's height, I don't think anyone in the league will even come close to his hook shot. Dump Ewing. Let's get Jabbar instead.
Yeah, you know what? When you're 7'6, you're gonna get hacked. He's gotta learn to expect it and make his shots. They really do miss some blatantly obvious hacks, though. I'm not on the refs side on this one. I'm just saying #1 don't cry about the non-calls ('cause you already know the refs suck), and #2 don't expect to get your points on the foul line -- make your shots ('cause you already know the refs aren't gonna help you get yours). It seems when you win despite the refs, that's when they start to notice you're getting hacked frequently.
It is simple. The ref are not used to the angle of watching 7'6". So, the ref can't see any foul from there.
Kareem is already coaching somewhere else. He's the head coach of Columbia University's Basketball Team. Honestly, maybe I should start a thread about this. But why do NBA refs suck? This isn't a tactic of complaint against previous losses the Rockets have suffered, but in general--with all the teams and games thus far. Compared to refs in other professional sports, they really really really suck. I mean, it's like "Let the superstars get away with stuff" and "Let the newbies not get their fair share of calls and call bogus stuff against them" and "Let's call a T because I feel like it (i.e. Tim Duncan's recent T and suspension)". Are NBA and NCAA Division I refs comparable? I don't think so. The NBA, being a "professional league," should have the best coaches around. Do you know what NBA refs are? Washed up people who once had dreams of making it the NBA but were too short and just plain stunk and got as far as the junior varsity high-school squad.
