Yao Ming leads the league in shotting with a FG% .667

Take a look at who's #4. Oscar Torres!

 

Actually, 17 of his last 18.

 

Hopefully both Yao and the Rockets will take a hint and have him shoot more.

I got a funny feeling that Nachbar could be a high percentage shooter as well - if he was given the chance.

 

forenzi,

OK, for a second lets just ignore the fact that Yao was set up at the rim by at least 4 very nice teammate passes. Let's also forget that Yao praised his teammates setting him up at the rim.

I said this before regarding your self-fulfilling prophecy. There are two ways to look at Yao's successful games. One way is to say: See I told you I was right that with more minutes Yao does better. The other way to look at it is: Yao gets more minutes when he plays aggressively, and Rudy gives him more minutes in those games.

If you'd consider all the quotes from Yao saying he needs to play more aggressively, and if you consider for a second that he has had some lethargic minutes, you'd stop making this a "See I Told You" situation, and just sit back and enjoy watching Yao get more comfortable and more aggressive. Enjoy the growth.

NOTE: Yao's best two games came against 6'9" power forwards.

 

Yao is still a liability on defense he is much improved and the improvement from opening game till now is amazing but he still screws up on defense and does not protect the basket enough. However he is such a pontent offensive weapon that I want him on the court as much as possible. He clearly was a significant contributor in the win last night and he is rebounding and playing better D every game. In time he will start but right now I like the way Rudy is bringing him along. Rudy continues to give him enough minutes where he can learn and improve but he tries not to put him situations where he will have much opportunity to fail...

I know many Yao fans will dislike the coach for not playing him more... but if you ask Yao I think you will find he is very appreciative of his coach... Rudy will help Yao... Yao is in the best situation he can be in... He is on a young team that will make it to the playoffs and he doesn't have to be the star...

The rockets have so many weapons and it was nice to see Yao become one of them last night, but he is just one of them and eventually he may be the best option but what is going to make him even better is the fact that the Rockets have so many weapons that if you focus on Yao, Stevie will kill you and if you try to shut down Stevie and Yao, then MoT and Cat will kill you. And this will make it difficult for teams to double down on Yao... plus he will have solid backup in Cato to relieve him when he gets winded or in foul trouble... The Rockets are a talented group of players that only need time to develop as a team and become champions... In due time Yao will become our starter but more importantly Yao will eventually be a starter on a championship team and that's what will make him a star... because that's how you measure true stars in the NBA, Rings baby!

 

Amen Old Man Rock!

 

We are going to playoffs this year. woo hoo!

 

Yao has really started to show his offensive abilities. However, I have to agree that he is a defensive liability. If Cato can get back, I think that they will compliment each other well. Not saying that they will be on the court at the same time, just that Cato has been providing good defense and great rebounding. Between the two, the center position should be strong.

 

HP, Rudy T sometimes have to be forced into doing something. He played Ming because he had to. As far as I am concerned Ming got an opening and took full advantage of it. I give Rudy no credit at all. What I think most people are saying is that Ming could have been where he is today, almost two weeks ago.

 

Wrong, 2 weeks ago Ming looked terrible... I am glad you are not coaching the Rockets

 

Don't Jinx It!!!

 

Ming is not a defensive liability. That term should be used for lead-footed people who cannot move. It is the strategy and his aggressiveness that has put him in those situations of being exposed. He switches very often which Cato hardly does. Not only does he switch but he actually goes out to meet the smaller player while Cato would not even contest the shot. Ming needs to respect the quickest of the smaller players and give himself a bigger margin for error. I would consider him a liability if someone like Dampier was able to take him in the post repeatedly and beat him. I have not seen that. I see him leave to help and his man gets an open shot like the center for the Suns in that game. Currently his fouls per minutes is now coming closer to that of Cato and in the next two weeks, Ming's contribution defensively will astound you. As the word gets out more, and he gets more comfortable, there will be less challenging of him. He will be no more challenged than Mutombo is.

 

forenzi, Rudy awarded him by starting him in the second half. And he went back to his lackadaisical play. He got the start, didn't perform, and got benched. So, I don't think that game is anywhere close to showing you are right...I think it is the exact opposite. The 2nd half start didn't work. I saw it. Old Man Rock saw it. And the Rockets beat writer, Jonathan Feigen, reported it.

Rudy gave him the opportunity for many minutes by starting him in the 2nd half. Rudy pulled him for not performing like he did in the first half. Using DearRock's words, Rudy was "forced" to take Yao out for not performing.

 

OMR, he looked terrible because of his transition and the coaching. Two weeks ago, the website (rockets.com) showed Ming hitting 12 of 13 jumpers or something like that. Two weeks ago, and for the most part still, they have not run pick and rolls for him to pull up for jumpers. They instead had him in this back to the basket game which although it is part of his game, it is clearly not his best suit two weeks ago. He finally got a nice iso on Sabonis and we saw what he did with that. We saw what he did in his first game versus the Spurs. He was very good then and a little better help from the coaching staff he could have had his first 20 point game against the Raptors, at least.

 

Totally agreee with you. Ming needs to learn how to avoid silly fouls, like the ones he got when guarding the small man. I think Ming has improved defensively, maybe not as much as much as his offensive. It always takes time for a rookie to play good D in a new system like NBA.

 

I will be careful in my words lest I become confused with someone who is not a Yao fan because I am... I think he is a phenomenal athlete who has much talent and will be a starter and a star on this team... but perhaps you have not been watching the same games as I have... ( I have seen or attended them all)...

In the beginning of the season He was not challenging the players taking to the basket and little guards were able to easily score over him.. He also had no idea how to box out and he couldn't hold onto a rebound ( This is all understandable, the guy just got into the country and had verylittle time to learn the NBA)... He has improved by leaps and bounds, more than I imagined and I only expect him to continue to improve... Last night was not only his best offensive showing, but I thought it was his best defensive game as well... And because of that effort he deserves more minutes on the court and he will get them...

But he still needs be a little more agressive on D and he still needs to become more comfortable with the defensive sets as well as the offensive plays... Those must become second nature to him so that his game becomes more instinctual... I see no reason why that won't happen with him... Yao has done nothing but improve from game to game and he will only continue to get better but give him some time he still has some learning to do...