Obviously the Rox are happy with Ming, why not us?

This is the best I've seen Yao so far. He was agressive.but collected. I think he is getting comfortable with his role when he is out there on the floor. He does need to get stronger because there were more than a few times that he lost a rebound because someone bumped him hard.

 

I now see what the hype was all about. The first few games, I thought "oh crap." But, he looks good. Couple of nice assists.

 

I'm really happy to hear that Yao is becoming more assertive on the court.He has a long way to go but he will get better with time and more minutes. Once he gets stronger,and learns how to play the NBA game he will be a difficult matchup for any team.

 

You know as excited as I am about this year. Im even more excited about the next 3 or 4 years.

 

Obviously the Rox are happy with Ming, why not us?

It's not us, it's them, bro.

 

Yao turn and fake, turn and fake, fade way jumper...it hit..he socre his 30th point... Fox quick pass down to another side of the court..Kobe is going for his layup....Eddie came out from nowhere, block the shot...Shaq pick up the lose ball, go for the dunk and Eddie again jump up, challenge the shot......Shaq got blocked....

 

That drive around Sabonis that ended with a layin and a foul on Paterson was spectacular. Every couple of games Yao Ming does something that is so fluid and effortless yet so amazing that you can just see that it is a matter of time before he is the most dominant center in the game.

Yao Ming definitely looked better tonight than any other game since he has been here.

 

He has shown so much improvement in only 6 games. The Rockets should have one goal with him: play well by playoff time. At the current pace, I think he should be reliable by then.

 

I saw that play on TV too. It was really amazing that a 7'6" could have done something like that. The move was so fluid and graceful. Ming shows glimpse of greatness from time to time. I hope he will be more consistent and do things like that on a constant basis soon.

 

a great effort tonight from Yao, an excelllent rookie stat line (15min 2-2fg 0-0 3-3ft 1o 3d 4t 2a 0f 0s 2to 1b 7p). He's finally getting into the flow with the team tho he needs to hold rebounds (but thats just upper body strength, a known "weak area"). If he could've held the rebounds tonight, he would've had another 3 or 4, which would put him right near the top in rebounds per minute (KG is leading in rbds and gets them at <3min per rbd!). Yao is sitting comfortably within the "1 rbd per 3-4min rule" that is the proverbial yardstick for a good rebounder.

What reason is there not to be happy with him (help! - i can't see )?

 

I was SO impressed with Yao Ming tonight, especially with his rebounding. The thing about rebounding, is that the main things necessary are positioning, timing and desire. Tonight, Yao Ming showed marked improvement on the positioning and timing front. You can tell he wants to get each board, but he's still a bit tentative. However, he had some nice, hard-fought rebounds. With a few more months, I think he'll really have a good feel for the proper positioning and timing in the NBA.

Watching Arvydas Sabonis reminded me of what I'd like to see Yao Ming evolve into. I was extremely impressed by Sabonis' passes and the good, strong picks he's able to set. As Yao Ming gains experience and upper body strength, I think he's really gonna look like Arvydas when he was in his prime.

 

exactly. he could have scored 0 points tonight and still easily looked his best out there. while he was way too complacent in the first 2 weeks, he went after every ball tonight. his hands were up and it's clear he's no longer just waiting for the ball, he's going up to get it.

 

It's important to mention that he has a painful ankle and his jump will most probably improve when it's healed.

I hope doesn't have a career-long rebounding problem.

Hopefully they get the "it's coming to me" thing out of his system, and install the "I have to get every single one" mindset.

Once he's got the rebounding basics, then they can work some on his shotblocking timing. he has the size obviously, and sufficient quickness. But they need to work on timing, when to jump, if it's worth it...bla bla bla. Once he's got those basics down, then they can put him in the game without being worried about the game's outcome.

Can you guys imagine Yao when he'll be in tip-top physical condition in the near future, and will know all the plays, and will have a year of NBA coaching, improving his techniques and thinking?

As long as he doesn't become one of those players who ALWAYS plays away from the basket, he will be great.