Spurs eager to size up Rockets' Yao tonight

http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=200&xlc=845927
By Johnny Ludden
San Antonio Express-News

Web Posted : 10/23/2002 12:00 AM

As an assistant coach for Australia's national basketball team, Brett Brown had seen Yao Ming transform from a gangly Chinese teenager into the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.


Over the course of six years, Brown faced Yao about a dozen times in tournament tune-ups or goodwill games. In most of their meetings, Yao seemed content to keep his 7-foot-5 frame away from the rim, instead utilizing his face-up skills and athleticism to shoot over the Australians.

That changed on the evening of July 6 in an exhibition in Guangzhou, China.

Yao posted up under the basket and demanded the ball. When he received it, he usually dunked. When his teammates couldn't deliver the entry pass, he grew frustrated. He finished with 22 points, helped foul out three Australian players and led China to victory.

"That was the first time I saw that anger," said Brown, the Spurs' new director of player development. "That was the first time I saw him want to dunk on as many people as he could every time he touched the ball. When you saw him act like that, forget the skills, the size, the talent. It was like, 'Whoo!' There was a disposition to dominate.

"When you see a man of that size hit a three, when you see a man of that size be a reliable free-throw shooter, when you see a man of that size with that mentality ... you start to think he has the ability to be a franchise player. And you don't throw that term around loosely."

Perhaps it's fitting then that the Spurs, who know a thing or two about 7-foot franchise players, give Houston's latest supersized import his first NBA test. Rockets officials cleared Yao to play in tonight's preseason game at the SBC Center after he passed his physical Tuesday.

"I've heard a lot about him," Tim Duncan said. "I'm excited to see what he can do."

Duncan won't get a glimpse of his own Chinese teammate likely until the end of next week. The Spurs are waiting for U.S. immigration officials to approve a work visa for Mengke Bateer and don't expect him to join the team until after its season-opening two-game trip on the West Coast.

Bateer, a 6-11, 290-pound center, teamed with Yao and Los Angeles Clippers center Wang Zhizhi to form China's "Great Walking Wall" frontline. While Bateer lacks the depth of Yao's skills, the Spurs like him because of his overwhelming size.

"The first thing you think of is that is a big man," Brown said. "We're used to always being around big players. (Former Chicago and Phoenix center Luc) Longley struck me as big. (Shaquille O'Neal) is big. Bateer is thick.

"There is a presence that he is going to bring with Kevin (Willis) that you better come with a piece of wood if you're playing downstairs because it's going to be physical."

While Bateer will have a much more difficult time earning minutes behind Duncan, David Robinson, Malik Rose and Willis, he does have the luxury of having played in 27 games for Denver last season. Yao's NBA experience is primarily limited to China's loss to Team USA in the World Championships two months ago.

"(Yao) might be somewhat tentative in the beginning in the sense of looking out of place and getting used to a new system," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who watched Yao as an assistant with Team USA. "But given time he's going to be a really good player.

"He has really good quickness for somebody that's so long. He's willing to stick his nose into physical situations. He's not going to back off on anybody. He can take a hit. He can give a hit.

"He's here to compete. He's not here just to be a phenomenon or some sort of oddity."

Claxton won't play: Speedy Claxton is not expected to play tonight because of pain and swelling in his left knee. The team's physicians examined Claxton and found no structural damage. Claxton tore his ACL in the same knee two years ago and missed the entire 2000-01 season.

jludden@express-news.net



10/23/2002