If this has been posted then my bad. April 19, 2004, 12:15AM OK, Yao, no more Mr. Nice Guy By JOHN P. LOPEZ Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle LOS ANGELES -- Nervous? Yao Ming said he was more nervous before Chinese professional league playoff games. Anxious? Pumped up? Sitting casually in front of his Staples Center locker before Game 1 of this Western Conference first-round playoff series Saturday, Yao talked about feeling more tension at past Olympic qualifier tournaments. What? Yao worry? Everyone wanted to know just how much pressure Yao was feeling in facing the world's greatest big man in a seven-game elimination showdown. But Yao did all he could to make it clear he felt no pressure. There was no way anyone could expect him to match Shaquille O'Neal point for point, rebound for rebound, shove for shove and scowl for scowl. And there lies the problem. Yao conceded the war even before the first battle. And once the game began, clearly one 7-footer played with a chip on his shoulder and bad intentions in his heart. The other -- Yao -- played OK. Certainly, no one here is suggesting Yao should cover his biceps with tattoos, mumble his way through postgame news conferences and start calling himself Yao Diesel. But we have seen so much talent begin to shine. We have seen remarkable confidence in his NBA skills develop. We have seen Yao's game grow teeth. Now, Yao has reached the point in his career, and certainly in this best-of-seven series, when his demeanor must grow teeth, too. He must quit playing nice. He must stop always being the unselfish one, the perfect teammate, the one who takes only what Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and, most importantly, O'Neal give him. He must quit always settling for setting perfect screens, passing first and taking the pull-up jumper whenever he sees Shaq bearing down on him in the lane. Yao's command of the game -- and the ball, no matter who plays center for the other team -- needs to reach a higher level, just like every other part of his game has done. That much was clear in Game 1 on Saturday night. Yao's numbers were fairly decent with 10 points and 11 rebounds. But as much as Yao didn't really do anything to lose the game, he could have done a lot to win it. And he didn't. He couldn't. He conceded the post to O'Neal. He gave Shaq spin moves and dunks without so much as one strong, message-sending hack across the arms. He rarely pushed his way onto the block for a post-up. He never dared to drive the ball high and hard over O'Neal. Not once did Yao try to nudge the crown of world's best off Shaq's head. That must change, beginning tonight. The Rockets practiced for more than 2 1/2 hours Sunday. Van Gundy said he wanted to work on all the mistakes the Rockets made in the series opener, which makes you wonder why practice didn't last even longer. But despite the turnovers, the missed shots in the Rockets' backcourt, the thin bench, the lack of big-time frontcourt players to complement Yao, the easy rebounds allowed, there is only one way the Rockets can get back into this thing. And it's not so much a practice thing as a mental thing. Yao needs to match Shaq's mean streak, not to mention the playoff-level energy the Big Diesel brings. Like the advertisements say, it's time for Yao to think big. The man is too imposing to allow O'Neal to spin around him on the baseline -- twice in the first quarter alone -- slip under Yao's outstretched arm and slam a thundering dunk in his face. He is too athletic to let rebounds be ripped out of his arms or fail to slide into defensive position. He is too talented to suddenly become a one-dimensional offensive threat, taking the mid-range jumper, when a hard drive or strong post-up just might get O'Neal in foul trouble. Like Yao was in foul trouble. The greatest center in the world dominated inside. Worse, Yao let it happen. Some within the Rockets organization have said Van Gundy has spent much time lately pushing different buttons, trying to incite Yao to a higher level. Publicly, Van Gundy has sung many praises of O'Neal as the best center in the world, which might be a subtle way of goading Yao into trying to prove his coach wrong. The Rockets should hope it begins tonight.
Yao will play better and better in this series, I believe. It is customary for him not to shine in any of his debuts Remember his comments about Jordan in his first all-star?
I'm sorry, is this an editorial? because it seems that he is making conclusions about Yao from one quote that really has nothing to do with what he's talking about. If I can be a sports journalist by making assumptions about what the athlete feels, then sign me up because that's free money to me.
Shaq is better, Yao is smarter. Yao will learn, as he always does ... it should be fun to watch, if he doesn't let himself get drawn into "tiredness."
This dude is dreaming if he thinks Yao's going to be able to turn it on this series. It's not going to happen. I've said this before and I'll say it again, Yao will NOT be getting the ball anymore. All it takes is one bad game for the team to ignore him. I'm not saying they should or shouldn't, just that they do. If he has over 10 shots Monday, I would be very, very surprised.
people, starting from media, have raised expectation too high. When Yao was drafted, people called him a failure on the way. Optimists called him a project of 2-3 years before NBA-ready. After one season, people called him the next dominant center, the man for years to come. But people were still talking about after 2-3 years. Now, people are expecting him to go head-on-head agasint Shaq in a 7-game series and win the battle? Is this realistic?
most of these people are fair weather fans. when Yao has a good game, he is the next dominant center.When he has a bad game, he is just another Shawn Bradley with a jump shot. I have faith in Yao to become the next dominat center , its a matter of time.
You're joking, right? Yao packs more humor and articulation into his second (or third for all we know) language than Shaq does in his first. Are have you actually bought into all that "Big Aristotle" garbage? If you're talking about on the court, Shaq is one dimensional player who took a whopping .04 (point zero four) of his shots beyond 15 feet last season and who happened to come along as the era of great back to the basket centers (Dream, Robinson, Ewing, etc) was on the wane. If the NBA would call the dislodging rule correctly, Shaq's stats would be far less impressive. All that aside, since you seem to have a different opinion...why not tell us why Shaq is more intelligent.
Okay, you're telling us why Yao is a more technically skilled center, not smarter. How is Shaq playing into his strengths and not going outside of his range not a sign of intelligence? He may bully his way into the basket, but Shaq has some of the best footwork I've seen for a guy his size. Look at the position of his feet when he goes in for a dunk or spins around, they're always in a perfect spot. He knows what he's doing. Shaq knows how to play the game to his advantage, knows how to score and intimidate people, and has multiple championships and a MVP award to show for it. He may not have all the fundamental skills of Yao, but his "one dimensional" skill is just being dominant. And witty remarks in the media are pretty pointless. If that's what we're judging people on these days, the Bullard was one of the best and smartest players we've ever had...
Ok, Gater, although I like Yao too, but saying Shaq doesn't have a sence of humer is wrong. Shaq is a heck of funny guy and he is outspoken, although sometimes arrogant. And talking about one dimension offense, if a one dimensional player can score 30pts at will in his prime, be called most dominate player, why he need to play like guard, using fade away turnaround jumper. Isn't the most effective offense by just dunk? Can Yao do that more? And Shaq's great success was because the era of greate centers was on the wane? Well, how about Yao's era? Only one true center left and Yao's second year stats is still no where near those centers' rookie season's stats. I like Yao too, but I feel more and more this guy won't be the player we expected, and I think his so called intelligence is hurting and limiting his games.
Is there any chance the Chinese National Team will release Yao? In the next couple years? Yao loves the game, but anyone can get burned out playing all year. Just absolutely drained. Yao sometimes appears on the court as if the opposing team had sent over four hookers to his hotel room the night before the game...and he didn't say no. Or as if he had finally acquiesced to Patrick Ewing's exhortations: Ewing: "You got a VISA, Pow?" Yao: "That's 'Yao'. Of course I have visa. I cannot live or work in United States without visa." Ewing: "No, Pow, you big dummy. A credit card. You got a credit card, Pow? VISA? Mastercard? Let's go check out some t!tt!es." Yao: (sigh) OK, but do not tell my mother. I will call her and tell her I am practicing free throws. And I will use cash. Credit cards can be traced. Ewing: You're smart, Pow. Yao: Do you want me to drive? Ewing: That's some hell no right there, I heard about your driving, no way.
