Typically Yao does have a high basketball IQ, but there are occasions where he does this and makes everyone wonder about him... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWFhsWMddx4
That didn't turn out very well <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWFhsWMddx4"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWFhsWMddx4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Dumbest foul I've ever seen in a basketball game. And Scola committing multiple loose ball fouls in the closing minutes, with a lead, and when in the penalty, should not be overlooked either for sheer stupidity.
Yao's basketball smarts seem above average to me, at best - certainly not among the elite for his position. Among other bigs off the top of my head... Pau Gasol has elite bball IQ, at least on the offensive end. His brother seems like a high IQ player as well. Tim Duncan has high bball IQ. Dwight Howard has very, very low bball IQ but makes up for it with his amazing physical gifts. He repeatedly makes dumb decisions during the course of every game. One small example: Late in their game last night, he grabbed a board then waited about 5 seconds to give the ball to Redick in the backcourt. Redick ended up not crossing midcourt in time and it led to a turnover. Dwight was laughing during and after the play. He just gets by on his physical abilities at this point in his career. Andrew Bynum has low bball IQ as well. Like Howard, he gets by on physical attributes and an improving skill set. As far as a definition of basketball IQ, I think some people try to laugh off this term like they do when people describe an overzealous shooter as a chucker. I think both terms have signficance and are used for a reason even if often misapplied. In this case, I'd roughly define good bball IQ as the ability to read and understand the game at both ends of the court while making good decisions with and without the ball. It's a general term that usually needs additional description accompanying it to make clear why it's being used but I think people do often accurately sense which players have IQ versus low IQ even if they aren't able to articulate why. I think it's harder to describe what makes a high IQ player a high IQ player or vice versa than it is to spot which players fall into which category.
Na Eistein would make the most perfect passes.. he will calculate the exact force and angle used to get the ball in a specific spot. i bet he would be better than nash if he did play int he NBA lol :grin:
Sarcasm? You DO know there are other types of "English," right? Over here, its "Fish and fries," but over in Britain, its like..."Fish and Chips," or however you say it. Don't knock the all-knowing Wiki.
Yao is a special player, if not for his injury issue over the years, I don't think the laker or Celtics could beat the Rockets.
only problem I have with Yao is he is still too nice. If he learned how to rebound with his elbows out and kept the ball up, players would learn twice before trying to take the ball away from him. Instead he brings the ball down where a 6 footer can knock it from him... Almost once a game he gives the ball away that way.
Part of that issue, besides missing time due to injuries, Yao rarely in his recent years has gotten the benefit of the doubt from refs because he is so big, so he avoids creating a lot of contact, meanwhile his opponents don't have that problem because they have to hack at Yao all day before the whistle is blown. But as for his Basketball IQ, I actually find the discussion kind of stupid. Since most of us have never actually sat down and talked to Yao about basketball. Still I'd imagine it would be pretty high, most international players that make it in the NBA all have been playing/training in the sport since their childhood at a higher and more professional level early on. Add in the fact, that Yao plays the game literally year round most years and in different rule sets of international competition and the NBA, while being a top performer in both, speaks volumes to what he knows about the game. Although, given his size, all the intelligence in the world won't stop someone with quicker reflexes from snatching the ball or harassing you out of optimal position.
