Yao still has room to improve but it is unfair to label him as "not a reliable 4th qtr player", usually the defense is much intense during the last few minutes, Yao has to rumble with one or two big guys for the 35minutes, it is understandable he will loss some of his shooting touch. If we want to say Yao is not a reliable 4th. qtr player, i would propose "Rocket is not a reliable 4th Qtr team" instead
What do you expect. Yao was playing 1 0n 5 for 3 quarters. He was fighting for osition inside on every possession. Yea, TMac can do better? Show me.All he can do lately is taking jumpers after jumpers and clanking them. I remembered one possession he even put up a3 pointer when there was not a single rockets player in the arc and 3 Jazz players right uner the basket. Playmaking, good BB IQ or glory seeking?
This thread is no more an apology by ToF to excuse TMac's play and diminish Yao's performance. What rubbish.
Is Tmac a clutch player, sure he had few, but who doesn't? JVG should not have Tmac take the last shot everytime when the game is on the line....he miss the one vs. Lakers and the one vs. Jazz. And shooting less than 30 or 40% every game is not that great, either. Shane needs more shots than Rafer, and Yao needs to improve and dunk the f-ing ball.
I think Yao is going to have stamia problem for his entire career, because of his size. So maybe the coach and the physician should work better with how to use Yao more effectively.
If his teammtes were reliable, then he wouldn't have to work his socks off on offense all the time. That in itself is good enough to conserve his energy.
Have ya'll noticed how Yao reacts everytime he makes a mistake? It's gawddamn annoying. Maybe he'll stop committing these turnovers if he stops feeling sorry for himself and stays focused on the game. I think he's too mentally weak to raise his game to the next level.
Wow. Feel sorry for himself? If owning up to your mistakes = feeling sorry for himself, you leave me speechless. I think you're referring to T-mac, because every time he does make a mistake, he either, complains to the ref or blames his teammates for it. The post game interview for the Jazz is a prime example of such behavior. If he's too mentally weak, why don't we just trade him away to make you feel better?
Man, I thought the Yao haters were dead with a steak through their heart, but here they are again, back in full force!
All this discussions are moot if only TMac had played unselfishly in the first quarter instead of bricking 6 shots. Before Yao went down with injury the team always pound it in in the first quarter to establish Yao first. Now because of the good record when Yao was out JVG has reverted to 05 when TMac was the first option. TMac can score 30 points every game and we will still loose because he will have to take 30 shots to do that. Yao only need 20 shots to get 30 points and also put pressure on the other team because of the fouls he draws. TMac mainly scores with jumpers. Many people here are still living in the past. Yes, 5 years ago TMac was the premier scorer of the league but he is clearly on the decline but Yao is just reaching his peak or about to. TMac and ToF must realize this franchise is built around Yao and not TMac. TMac was brought in to complement Yao and not the other way round. Reminds me when Stevie said that he and Yao were Batman & Robin and implied he was Batman. Well, TMac also thins he is Batman to Yao's Robin. The earlier he gets rid of this notion the better it is for the rockets. As for Yao being not a reliable 4th quarter player those who think so obviously have not been playing very close attention to the games as they are only focussed on TMac's play. TMac is a has been. Accept it. Yao will lead TMac and the rockets out of the first round and not the other way round.
First off, no one is talking about trading yao. Don't put words into my mouth. Secondly, owning up to mistakes is not equivalent to pouting on the court in a "woe is me" manner after every turnover. Of course he should care about limiting his mistakes and trying to improve. He's already a great player, but reacting the way he does is a sign that he's frustrated. Don't think the other team doesn't take satisfaction in knowing that.
Maybe we're just seeing completely different things. I personally don't see the woe is me attitude that you perceive. In fact, quite the contrary, I see Yao as the first one to owe up to his own mistakes. I suggested trading him, because paying a max contract for someone who is too mentally weak to take it to the next level would be waste of resources. We already have T-mac, who is too "mentally and physically weak," and if Yao is as you claimed, then I would naturally deduct that the one that would have to go is him.
Yao will be a scoring machine if he is not as tired as he is right now in the 4th quarter. He can improve....
