http://sports.sina.com.cn/r/2004-11-22/16531263339.shtml (original in Chinese) http://www.hoopchina.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17627 (translated) The Chinese Confidence - A Chat of Yao's Problem Rockets made two wins after two loss, two gloomy loss and two lucky wins, all in a few points. Let's talk about the situation of Rockets with facts, that is that they are still struggling with team coordination, either JVG or MM, or other guys in the team, every one of them is searching each other desperately. So, I think declaiming the fate or base tone of Rockets for this season right now is not reasonable, at least we should wait until All Star game to the real Rockets. Recently, Rockets had tow consecutive loss to two so-so teams, and our YaoMing didn't play well neither and some people in China jumped off and through out the theory of "useless Yao", claiming to reveal the TRUE Yao. What is the TRUE Yao? I don't really know, but after Rockets lost to Nicks, for JVG, who just cannot forget his past with Nicks, the lost is unbearable; he jumped off like being blow off the head in Counter Strike. He fired up to Yao who is most responsible for the recent loss. One of his central points is that Yao didn't show enough confidence in the recent loss. Let's try to understand why JVG criticized Yao's confidence. What he is really saying is that Yao didn't show his determination at some point. Concretely, when Yao was playing one-on-one at low post position or under double team defense, he usually chose to pass the ball, not try to make a shot by himself. Why such an accusation came from JVG, who always in pursued of team work? I remember he said, "Yao should be more aggressive in offense during the key time, he should finish the offense with confidence, he should bring the confidence he showed in Chinese National team." I believe he must watched the Chinese national team's games during Olympic, especially the game with New Zealand. I watched loss Rockets games this season, and I don't think there really is a big problem with Yao's offense, and actually I think the way he played his offense reasonably. When you got double or triple teamed, chose to pass the ball the other free teammates at outside is the right way to play, But, that would bring three important questions, let's see them in detail. The first one is all the start-up guards of rockets are kind of cold, either JJ who played really well last year or Ward and Lue who came in this year. The field goal percentages of them are low, but of course it's temporary, won't last long, but with cold hands like this, sometimes no matter the ball is passed to whom, no one can score. There is nothing we can do about it, after all it is a good pass, and just don't score. But we lost the game, and Yao is the major piece of the team, is all-star, he has to carry the responsibility of game, he has to step up when his team mates cannot, he has to save the game by himself, this is not a problem of confidence, but a problem of necessity. From this perspective, Yao need to change, not his confidence, but his idea of how important he is. He needs to think his teammates are in the same level as his Chinese National team mates, and play the game like he is the center of universe. For example, why always came off the paint to screen for others? O¡¯Neal doesn¡¯t do it; Yao rarely do it in Chinese National Team. That's the job of PF. An all-star center should stay in lost post position and waiting for ball. The second one is the poor coordination between Yao and his teammates, especially the complex coordination between PF and center, which I never saw during a slow offense. Let's talk about the guards' passes, very poor, always waiting for Yao to pass the ball out after he got into position. When this happens, the fans would even know there will be a pass from guard to center, and then it is inevitable for a turnover to happen and the path to be cut. Even the ball gets to Yao, it would be really difficult for him to score, and sometimes he has to pass the ball out in a hurry with an inevitable turnover. From this perspective, the problem of Yao's mistake or hesitation is not really a center's problem, but a guard's passing problem. To increase the quality of passing and association among players is the most important thing to do to solve Rockets' offense problem. Yao's problem of confidence is just the result of this problem. The third one is the different ideas of being confidence between Chinese and American. In the CBA of China, to evaluate a player, except his personal performance, the coordination between these players and others has to be considered. If he can became a part of the team, play the game with others like a team, then the Chinese would say he is the best player. That's the Chinese cultural tradition, if you don't know about this; please listen to some commentaries from the Chinese commentators during a NBA game. Lots times we could hear the critise of someone playing solo. But in US, to say a player is good, personal stats is the most important thing. Whoever can take over or win a game single handily is the best player, the hero, which is the so called individualism, American's idea of being great. So, from this perspective, the real reason that JVG critises Yao's confidence roots from here. The last thing I want to point out is, Chinese have their own style of being confident, even American could not understand, but it is still confidence, is still self-acknowledge. In here, I would like Rockets and Yao could solve the problems they are facing as soon, as good as possible, that's the most important thing.
