First off, let me start by sayin the Chinese guards need to learn how to do a LOB PASS. My goodness, I heard the guards were terrible at gettin Ming the ball, but it was so much more frustrating actually watchin it happen. Yao showed a great turnaround jumpa - I dont think anyone aside from Bradley can actually block that shot. His turnaround can be a great go-to move, especially since he can mix it up - I saw him fake a turnaround and start drivin/postin a few times as well. LOL at Ming's moving screens - I guess they allow those in internation competition but he'll have to adjust to the rules in the NBA. Ming needs to get down the court a lil faster... it seems his endurance is lacking which is a problem thats been documented before. Nearly everytime Yao got da ball, he either scored or got an assist (did I mention that turnaround is nearly unstoppable), and there wasn't much stoppin him when he posted up either. The man only has to get remotely close to the basket anyway b/c he can just shoot over everyone. Ming should have gotten a few more rebounds IMO, and he needs to work on his fouling however since the limit is 6 in the NBA, it shouldn't be as big of a problem. My final impression is that I'm very excited to see him play with some worthy teammates.
You can see the obvious strengths (silky shooting touch, soft hands, willingness to pass, altering shots). However, he needs MAJOR work on boxing out and getting more rebounds. There were several rebounds that he shouldve gotten but didnt because he was out of position or he just tipped to someone else. The other thing he needs to work on is his footwork. He wil get into major fould trouble if he continues to defend with his body. He needs to angle his body where he can block shots without body contact. Otherwise, he will always be in foul trouble.
The reason the Chinese guards don't know how to throw a lob pass is that teams in China all play passive zone defenses with very little fronting and so the lob is almost never needed. Yao is also partly to blame though. Playing in the Chinese leagues has made him relatively passive on offense and defense. Bateer was more aggressive and was able to get more touches in the post despite being 6 inches shorter and slower. Playing in the NBA (even for only very limited minutes) for part of last year has really helped Bateer improve his game. I wish Yao can skip all that Asian Games stuff and just start working with Rudy T as soon as possible. It'll make a huge difference on what kind of a rookie season that he'll have.
Yes, there's no question that the guards suck. I'm just saying that Yao wasn't as assertive and aggressive as he should have been. When the guards refused to pass him the ball even though he had pretty good position, I thought he should have just went outside and grabbed the ball from the guards himself. Bateer did that a couple of times, and the guards were much more willing to deliver the ball after that. I guess what I'm saying is that I kind of expected him to be the team leader and act like the heart of the team since he was clearly the most skilled player. I know it's a lot to ask of a 21 year old, but it's something that he'll have to learn if he's going to be a superstar.
Well finally got to see Yao Wilt Ming Chamberlain play and I guess Team USA isn't quite Algeria. He's got some nice skills and a nice touch but I'm not so crazy about him having an 8 inch height advantage and still shooting 20 foot fadeaways. And why is he trying to draw a charge on a frikken point guard? Who does he think he is, The Mermaid? He needs to stand his ground and swat the shot once it's in the air, forget taking charges. I wish Yao's game were more like Bateer's, down on the block backing people down which he did once on Antonio Davis which was terrific but I guess that'll be Larry Smith's job to get him comfortable down low with his post moves. Defensively he does kind of change the other team's ability to drive the lane which is awesome but he doesn't look very strong in the air when he gets contact from the offensive player. He does seem prone to the stupid ticky tack fouls also which he's going to get a lot of in the NBA, especially as a rook. His conditioning needs a lot of work as well but RudyT REALLY has something to work with here. This should be an entertaining basketball season ahead, thank goodness.
China's guards suck no question. Quotes from the Chinese Coach said he used very young players for the experience. So just exactly how old are these players? ----------------------------------------------------------------- I'm a Raptor's fan who is almost a Yao Ming convert
The ball must hit the rim before the 24 seconds. If it leaves your hand, and the buzzer goes off right after that, its a violation.
Must hit the rim within 24 seconds (not 24 seconds to get your shot off). I've watched a few games from the championships now .. they are using blind people as shotclock judges.
Yao was over zealous and tried to do too much by himself. Diving for loose ball on the floor being 7-5, it shows he's got some warrior mentality but used it in the wrong way. He'll use his judgement better once he get used to high expectations and intense play.
No, standing your ground is knocking the weenie point guard on his ass and slapping his shot into the third row!
Despite weighing nearly 300 lb and with a pair of stong legs, Ming is vulnerable when he is up in the air. His upper body strength is relatively weak. His legs could hold a position only if his upper body does the same thing, especially in the air. If his upper body hold up well, he could stand firm on the ground, take the charge, and swat the ball away at the same time without fouling.
There is some kind of mix up on Yao's weight. People keep saying he's 300lb. but yesterday and on another occasion I heard Marv say he was 255lb. What's Up Wit That?!
I've been wondering about that to. I think the 300 is more accurate. He got that weight about 2 or 3 times, from what I heard. (at CHi camp, when Rockets checked him are two I know.) I don't know how they got 255. I checked to see if they got KG and LB mixed up, but 255kg is way over 400lbs, sot that's not it. (I actually think it wa around 500 or 600.)
255lb is the weight of Ming at Sydney. FIBA never changes (or updates) any mistakes they have made before. The age of Wang on their website is 23 although wang has been 25 now.
