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[AP] Yao takes his place as NBA's dominant big man

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by mackomon, Dec 12, 2006.

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  1. mackomon

    mackomon Member

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    Not sure if this article was posted yet. Not as indepth as the Sporting News article, but an interesting read anyways.

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061212/sp_afp/basketnbachnyao

    Yao takes his place as NBA's dominant big man by Jim Slater

    Tue Dec 12, 2:16 AM ET

    Sorry Shaq. Too bad, Tim Duncan. The most dominating big man in the National Basketball Association these days is a 7-foot-6 Chinese giant who puts the Ming in overwhelming.

    Yao Ming has spent the past four years learning and improving against elite competition, enabling the 26-year-old center for the Houston Rockets to evolve into a formidable force that can seize command of a game almost at will.

    "He's the most dominating center in the league now," Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "He can pass. He has the offense and the defense. He has the whole package."

    Six weeks into his fifth NBA season, Yao is averaging 25.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.0 blocked shots a game and has ignited the Rockets to a 14-6 mark, their best start in a decade and third-best in the league.

    "We have got some strength. We have played together a lot better," Yao said. "I have been more aggressive."

    Yao scored 38 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 114-109 victory Saturday at Washington, the Rockets' eighth triumph in 10 games. Yao scored 23 points in the fourth quarter after back spasms sidelined star guard Tracy McGrady.

    "That's what the big fellow can do," McGrady said. "He is comfortable coming in and taking over the team. He showed that he can do it in the second half of last season and Yao has improved his game this year."

    Yao was an All-Star Game starter in his first four seasons but this year he is playing longer, better and more consistent in crucial moments and making far fewer fouls than in prior years, avoiding an early seat on the bench.

    "He's not getting in foul trouble like he did in the past," raved Washington playmaker Gilbert Arenas said. "It's hard because the big fellow has gotten a lot smarter. He doesn't help you stop him."

    The Rockets allow the fewest points in the NBA and keep foes to a league-low shooting percentage while setting the NBA pace in grabbing defensive rebounds and ranking second in total rebounds. Much of that success is because of Yao.

    "Yao is playing better than ever. He's the reason we have started so good," Rockets guard Luther Head said. "Yao is being Yao and it's tough for anybody to keep up.

    "We always try to go to him. Yao has got a lot more respect around the league. He just keeps going to the basket."

    Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, who has been fined a total of 125,000 dollars for arguing that Yao was being called for too many fouls, has seen Yao win more respect from NBA referees.

    Yao's second foul Saturday came with only four minutes to play and Van Gundy contends that Yao is unstoppable unless opponents foul him.

    "He gets fouled and he's going to make his free throws. He can have bad nights but consistently he's going to score," Van Gundy said.

    "Guarded legally, he's going to score."

    Yao was named NBA Western Conference Player of the Month in November, the first Rocket to claim such an honor since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1995. Yao averaged 25.7 points and 10.1 rebounds and hit 54.4 percent from the floor in the month.

    "When they put single coverage on me, all I have to go is catch the ball and go. It's my job," Yao said. "I need to learn the skills I need. I've got to keep working to get better."

    Yao has averaged more points every season in the NBA and now ranks 13th in the league in scoring. He overpowered Miami superstar center Shaquille O'Neal for 34 points and 14 rebounds in a 94-72 victory on November 12.

    "This guy has got an arsenal that I haven't seen before," said Wizards coach Eddie Jordan. "He is equally dominating on either end."
     
    #1 mackomon, Dec 12, 2006
  2. brantonli24

    brantonli24 Member

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    RESPECT. Whoohoo! Yao Has finallly turned the heads of the non-believers!
     
    #2 brantonli24, Dec 12, 2006
  3. Htown57

    Htown57 Member

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    and i expect a few 30 + point games if we're without t-mac for any amount of time..more will notice
     
    #3 Htown57, Dec 12, 2006
  4. eaglewu

    eaglewu Member

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    I still think yao is a very very good player instead of dominant. Even TD is not considered as a dominant player. TD is a great player.
     
    #4 eaglewu, Dec 13, 2006
  5. YaozaMac

    YaozaMac Member

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    Yao Ming..........puts the Ming in overwhelming.


    Love that. Absolutely love that.
     
    #5 YaozaMac, Dec 13, 2006
  6. professorjay

    professorjay Member

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    Of all the years, and all the puns made on Yao's name, I'm surprised I haven't heard this one yet. Not bad.
     
    #6 professorjay, Dec 13, 2006
  7. YaozaMac

    YaozaMac Member

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    I agree. See Yaolater :p
     
    #7 YaozaMac, Dec 13, 2006
  8. wordspicker

    wordspicker New Member

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    this is my real saying something first in this bbs:

    The game of Rockets vs. laker I only watch the second half . based of my watching I think I have some words to yao:

    in second half, yao just can not turn round for a jumper because defenders are always pasting on his back when he get the ball. If yao want turn round to push the defender to gets some room for next move, the other defender will immediately get close to him and double team him. They just paste at yao, and not jump. This totally restricts yao’s moving, especial for a turnround jumper . by this way they get yao out of court and let him really disappearing there.

    The reason caused this is not jakson but yao himself. Why?

    Because without Tmac yao became the only key player of the team so he had to decide the ball for whole team. when he get the ball, he certainly wants to have a look to make out the condition of the court. And this slow cause the defenders to paste him and double him.

    Yao must get the ball and immediately turnround for a jumper. And as we all know, this will be yao’s real kill shot, and yao can easily make it.

    So, does’t reluctant. Just turnround jumper. When everything is under control, you can make everything at your will. Yao.

    Forgive my poor English. Thanks for anyone reads this post completely.
     
    #8 wordspicker, Dec 13, 2006
  9. erying007

    erying007 Member

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    Agree. I watched the entire game. Yao was dominating in the first half but was not able to adjust to Lakers' change of tactics. Yao still needs T-mac. Unfortunately, we have 2 superstars in term of popularity but not yet in term of domination (due to several reasons i.e. health, coaching etc...). But the result is that we are not dominating. Hopefully i am wrong when the playoff time comes.

    BTW, Head rocks and Bonzo is f@@@g useless.
     
    #9 erying007, Dec 13, 2006
  10. blazer_ben

    blazer_ben Rookie

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    According to head, yao gets alot of respect now from around the league, but why dont the refs apply the same respect for yao in there officiating. i've never seen 1 guy get screwd by the officials like ever. those phantom fouls in the 3rd quarter were disgracefull.
     
    #10 blazer_ben, Dec 13, 2006
  11. Kindger

    Kindger Member

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    That's just not the way to play basketball. No team can win consistently by just relying on jumpers, you have to attack the basket to get better FG%.
     
    #11 Kindger, Dec 13, 2006
  12. wordspicker

    wordspicker New Member

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    yea. for whole team, i agree about this.

    but for yao, for yao disappearing in 4th, i really think that yao's immediately turn round jumper can make some different. remmeber vs.warrior game? yao made a 11sec turn round jumper befor the game over and this really hurted the warriors.

    it's hard to say that yao made some great 'immediately turn round jumper' we would win the vs.laker game. but it was obviously in second half our players had to do something, especially yao, he must score, and then, we could compress the laker's defence, and our outside player could get some open shot. although, today they made many faulty shot, but that's the way for "inside-outside".------it's seemed that the only way we can win the game without t-mac.

    btw, i really like luther's playing. he did a great job. and with his performance we can somehow manage to get through the hard period without t-mac. expecting.....
     
    #12 wordspicker, Dec 13, 2006
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