Chron: Great Wall

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March 9, 2006, 12:42AM
Great Wall now an NBA institution


By JOHN P. LOPEZ
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

YAO Ming has long been called the "Great Wall," not so much because he was great, but because he was big, Chinese and good.

The reality of Yao's first three-plus years in the NBA was that he was more the Above Average Wall. He was widely recognized as the second-best center in basketball and a regular All-Star, but clearly the gap between Yao and Shaquille O'Neal was as expansive as Secretariat and the field in the 1973 Belmont.

He had the numbers and could command double teams, but was less than a dominant figure.


Taken out of his game
That's why the league always knew the secret to exploiting Yao. Either get to him early with high screens, leading to foul trouble, or wear him down late with big bodies taking a toll.

Indiana coach Rick Carlisle's Pacers came to town Wednesday, like they always do, with sleeves rolled and elbows extended.

Carlisle ran one bruiser after another at Yao like so many teams do, hoping to chip away at the big man's stamina and the so-called great wall.

They hacked. They pulled Yao to the floor. They chopped and scratched and shoved.

No one has defended and frustrated Yao more than the Pacers over the years, which is why Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy called Wednesday's game, a great test and Yao's biggest challenge.

But Carlisle must realize now, and so must the rest of us, that Yao finally has tapped into a deeper well within himself than even the deepest NBA bench.

This is not the same Yao we saw early this season, much less a year ago or two ago.

The Yao we have seen since he returned from toe surgery Jan. 30, but especially over the past three weeks is the Yao the rest of the league wished could have just stayed wrapped up in potential and gentlemanly deference.

"He's unstoppable right now," Pacers forward Peja Stojakovic said after Yao's 38 points and 10 rebounds led the Rockets come-from-behind 103-99 win. "He reminds me of when Shaquille O'Neal was in Los Angeles and winning championships."


Improved confidence
The statistics bear out Yao's improved spring and confidence on the floor. Over the past nine games, Yao is averaging a Shaq-like 27.7-points and 13.6 rebounds. He also had five blocked shots against the Pacers and changed at least that many more shots.

But it's as much Yao's recognizing in himself what everyone else could always see that has elevated him to another place.

He commands the ball and refuses to be pushed away from the low block like never before.

Earlier this year, last year and the year before that, nothing frustrated coaches more than Yao's allowing sleek big men to command where he received the ball on the floor offensively.

After Wednesday's win, Yao was asked about leading the Rockets down the stretch, especially with Tracy McGrady having left in the third quarter with more back trouble.

Nothing said more about the heights Yao's game has reached than his response.

"I know who I am," he said.

Remember the days early in Yao's NBA career when he didn't?

Remember when Yao would nervously fiddle with the yarn bracelet tied to his wrist, a gift from his girlfriend? He looked out of place, which he was. He looked anxious and unsure.

That bracelet still is tied to Yao's wrist, but you'd never know it. On Wednesday, Yao pushed back every time Pacers big men Jeff Foster, Scot Pollard or David Harrison grabbed and hacked. Eventually, Yao had all three Pacers in foul trouble and the game in his hands.

Yao screamed for the ball, posted on the block, then re-posted and confidently overwhelmed anything the Pacers tried with sure steps, aggressive spin moves and confident jump hooks.

"I think I'm moving from block to block and around the lane better," Yao said. "The speed I needed, I had already, but now I know how to use it better. I'm taking the right angles, using it better."

Remember the days when Yao would timidly take whatever anyone dished at him, bowing his head and walking away no matter how bad the call was against him? Remember when he would shrug off the extra pushes and elbows he took?

On Wednesday, Yao showed off his inner-Shaq. He flailed an arm into the air after an uncalled hack, earning a technical foul. He glared at Pollard after one tumble under the basket, walked away and one possession later, spun past Pollard for a lefthanded banker.

"Yao is not your ordinary star," said Rockets point guard Rafer Alston, who finished with 14 assists Wednesday, many of them to Yao. "He's not one of those cocky guys.

"But I think he understands more now that no one can really stop him.

"He's a game-changer. He can take over the game at any point."

Remember when Yao's dominance was untapped? The rest of the league misses those days.

john.lopez@chron.com