I agree with you but Yao gets so few shot attempts that he has to hit 90% of his field goals to do this every night. That's just not realistic....
I don't disagree that Yao's an extremely talented player. The problem is he can't learn not to push people that get around him in the back, so he only gets to play ten freaking minutes a game. He needs to learn.
I understand why some people diss Yao last night, even clutch, said Yao cost us the game. Yao did not play good last night, but that doesn't warrant all these hate from all over, at least should not be on this board, which is the best sport BBS anywhere. It's amazing how people's reaction to Yao changes from last season. This season, when Yao made the crucial two free throws so Rockets win a close game, we're just happy the team win and enjoy the team win without even thinking this is a game we could easily blow and lost. This win is a great team effort, and when the team lost like last night, even though the whole team shooting a poor percentage, a lot of people here just want to scream out, yao cost us the game, trade him or whatever. Also, these people that say Yao is not clutch, I totally disagreed with you, there's more games when Yao performed in the clutch and win the game for us than he lost the ball and the team lost. Just look through the games Yao had in his 3 years. It's like Michael Jordan said, he missed a lot more clutch shots than he made, but people tend to remember the ones he made. People's reaction toward Yao is totally different. When you play basketball, sometimes you made it sometimes you made mistake and lose the possession. Yao needs to improve himself in so many areas and he's still learning and has enormous potential ahead of him. Let's give him time and support, he's gonna be a great player and he'll lead Houston to several championships in the future.
but him being in the paint makes huge difference whether he gets the rebond or not. lots of times he boxed out the opponents and quicker players like sura or tmac sneaked in and got the rebond. i do agree with you that he should have more touches. that will involve the coaching staff working with him and design more plays for him.
I used to get upset when I see Yao get bashed for not being tough enough or turnovers, but I just ignore it now because the trolls with jump on the bandwagon as soon as he hits for 30. Look..... I don't need to tell you how long I've been watching basketball to tell you what's the MINOR problem with Yao and the Rockets. It's very simple....................give Yao more than 8-9 shots and damn game! How can anyone be judged off of 8-9 shots a game? That's why the people on this BBS that bash Yao, I immediately discredit them for having any source of basket IQ or knowledge. I agree with you Rockets-R-Us, we are a perimeter team, but often forget how those open shots became open in the first place. Not all open jumpers are created by T-mac penetration. The team just seems to forget about Yao when we need him the most...I don't understand why Jeff would allow our guards to roam off of picks trying to find room for a 18footer? when Yao is 4-5 feet away from them........MORE THAN 8-9 SHOTS. When Yao starts getting 18 shots a night.......then we can talk. PS......I know he's been in foul trouble lately, but when was the last time he fouled out? Give him the ball
You know, it's human nature to try to place blame on someone when things go wrong. Last season EVERYTHING that went wrong was Steve's fault but us making the playoffs wasn't any of his doing according to most on here. The same is happening to poor Yao now. No one is going to blame T-Mac for ANYTHING b/c he is the new sensation in town and the honeymoon period has just begun. The same thing is happening to David Carr. He got booed the last game of the season when his line did bother showing up to protect him. It happens. It's sad and frustrating to see but you can't stress over it because that's just the way people are. Blame has to be placed somewhere when things go wrong and sadly the latest victim is Yao. Hopefully the fans won't run him out of town as well because he has amazing skills, with his potential being verrrry high. Imagine, he is averaging 18+ and 8+ in only his third season and everyone is complaining. Just wait til he is at his prime (scary if you ask me). Anyways, when the Rox start winning again, the HATE will stop. That's just the way it is. Peace.
I see a few minor things that could significantly improve Yao's foul trouble. 1.) He needs to hold his position and stop getting happy feet. I feel that this will come with time. When a guard penetrates, he not fast enough to cut him off in time and fouls the player. It's amazing how many fouls Yao gets him when it is not his man. 2.) He should keep his arms high when a guard penetrates and focus on the ball after it's released. At 7'6" he is not going to have much luck grabbing for the ball low. IMO - The problem is that when you are not as fast as your opponent, you will rarely get away with closing the lane at the last second. It always looks like a foul. Whenever Yao does this, I shake my head. If Yao could hold his position and force the player to make the play around him, him might have better luck. Offensively, he just needs more shot attempts and to keep the ball high.
if there was one play this week that sums up Yaos potential, it was the spin move in the game against Chicago. the way he spead the floor on that play, getting himself into position, a sweet Dream Shake followed by the spin move .... thats what we want out of Yao every night, but unfortunately he doesnt bring it every night...
The problem here is those who say the blame assigned to Yao is "hate" and not valid criticism. What is hate? Hate is saying that Yao should be traded and not given a max contract because he doesn't deserve it. THAT is outright hate for Yao. But when you criticise his shortcomings and the fact that he lost the game DOWN THE STRETCH for the Rockets (after Mutombo and the bench, along with T-Mac and MJ, who seems to be the new target of YOF, brought them back in a game that otherwise would have been one of the best comebacks ever) that is not HATE! As I have said before, the problem with Yao is NOT numbers, I am not worried the least bit about that. His real problem is that he doesn't play up to his awesome abilities and skills. Yao is undoubtedly as talented as any big man has ever been. He just doesn't play smart! He makes the SAME EXACT mistakes over and over and over again! And that hurts even more when it is down the stretch and you need flawless execution. We lost the Wizards game due to shortfalls from our entire team, not just Yao. But the bottom line is that when the game was close and we were leading down the stretch, and we had the chance to redeem ourselves, we fell short because of a number of factors, chief among them is Yao's uninspired performance. But again, I really think the main problem is that Yao is still being billed to us Rockets fans as the next great big man in the league, alas Hakeem and Shaq. I don't want him to become the greatest big man by default, just because Shaq and others aren't around to punish him anymore. I have unbelievable confidence and hope vested in Yao, and that might be my own fault, but it is hard not to have such high expectations from Yao when you see flashes of brilliance from him every now and then, he teases you with those moments and then, out of nowhere, he does a 180 and shows you flashes of what you NEVER want him to become, and the problem is that his flashes of brilliance and flashes of 'bust' seem to be on balance! That really bothers me! He has had as many terrible games as he has had brilliant games. And even at this stage of his career (only his 3rd year) would would expect to see a bit less shortcomings on the part of Yao. Still, any trade suggestions or anything like that is rediculous and extremely annoying! Don't bring that s*** around here about "Yao for Odom" or "Yao for the entire GSW roster". Anyone who suggests for Yao OR T-Mac to be traded simply hates this team and would like to see them fail. Bottom line is we will STILL make the playoffs, and that was our goal earlier this year, wasn't it? So I am still grateful and happy overall. It is just frustrating to lose so many close games recently (Sonics, Jazz, and now Wizards) still, GO ROCKETS!
He is a good shooter for a big man. I don't know if that qualifies as among "the greatest offensively skilled players" ever. Making hyperbolic statements like that is part of the problem when you set the bar too high.
BTW, I had earlier this season predicted that Memphis would secure the 6th spot by the end of the year, and the Rockets would secure the 7th. I still think that holds true. I just think Memphis is a better, deeper, more athletic and skilled team than the Rockets. They are as good a defensive team as the Rockets are, and better offensively. They are winning without Pau Gasol, their best player. So I still think by the end of the year the Rockets will slide to 7th and Memphis will secure 6th or even 5th, since the Webber trade made the Kings worse in my opinion. In fact, let me just revise my previous prediction since the Kings did trade Webber: Memphis will get 5th seed, Kings will get 6th. So here is my ranking: Spurs Suns Sonics Mavs Grizz Kings Rockets Nuggets The only thing good about our losses recently is that all of the other teams behind us have been losing as well at the same pace. So despite our recent struggles, everyone else is going through the same thing. But again, this is why, guys, the Rockets are still nowhere near elite status in the league. They are still (talent wise) not one of the elite 4 in the West. So I guess our performance now is reflective of that fact.
And that is why he gets bashed. Everybody has a bad game. Everybody's shot is off sometimes. BUT, you can always play with intensity, you can always play defense, you can always look interested, try hard, work. Even when you have bad games you will be respected. You gave it your all. You tried your best. You left it all on the court. Many are angry with Ming because he "appears" to be lazy. He "seems" at times to be unfocused. He may care. He may "want it." He may feel committed to the team's success. But he often does not "appear" to be. For those of us who have played the game, we think we know what Ming is doing. And it is unacceptable. As a fan, all I want is for him to play hard while he is in. Play with intensity. Work. Then dumb mistakes are more acceptable. But when you don't appear to be trying you deserve to get bashed and excuses are lame.
Please enlighten me how do you know Yao is uninterested or not trying hard? Different people have different ways of showing intensity, espcially for someone who grew up in a totally different society. Please let me know what makes you qualified to tell this?
He is infamous in Astros' recent history of being a player who was very non-chalant in how he played the game.
*sigh* Don't know what it is with Yao. His focus seems off. WAY off. Maybe the acquisition of Mike James, another shooting guard (let's not pretend otherwise, although I'm glad we got him) has frozen Yao somewhat. But I do get sick of Yao being out there, flailing away, getting into quick foul trouble, again and again and again and again (DAMN!), and getting that painful squint when the refs tag him with another foul (when I wish, just once, he would point a finger in the face of the offending ref and say, "F*** you," or, "Look, Lazik surgery would do wonders for your eyesight," or whatever---but alas, he's a respectful soul). And then, when Sura returns, chemistry issues yet again; working Sura and James into the same rotation, neither really wanting to give up the rock to the big guy. And if Yao keeps up his anemic game, I can't blame them too much. Yao needs to act like a leader, not a follower. Might as well assert yourself. Maybe the refs will, in time, give him the benefit of the doubt on certain calls. As far as trading Yao, it ain't gonna happen. Sometimes I wonder if we'd be better off with a decent center and a great PF; but I also know how much we'd regret ever losing Yao, because one day, the refridgerator light will come on, and it's all gonna just "click." I just hope it's next game, you know?
