DCKid, when we think that Yao has only been a Rocket for 40 days, and that first week was a media circus, you can appreciate the speed at which Yao has come along and the team with him. I'm definitely not complaining. November was like a second preseason for us. Thank goodness for the weak early schedule. lol. btw: When did Gasol start producing last year after the benefit of a full training camp?
Not 100 % sure, but I think it did not take him long at all to be productive. He was a little bit more inconsistent in the beginning (perhaps a bit like Yao), but had some good games pretty much from the start.
Will - THIS IS A BIG PLAY this is the Opposite of the Shandon Wave OFF Steve has the ball in the corner, dribbles up to the wing and you think he is going to go to the rack but instead call Ming up from the low block to the around the midblock to feed him, he doesn't just call his name which you can here, he with his right arm/hand waves him into the post. If i can get video capture working on my computer, i will convert this play for viewing.
I saw that play too. That was outstanding. There is no longer any doubt in my mind that Steve can adapt and play the kind of PG we need to succeed in a Ming based offense. Now the biggest questions left are what we will do at PF, and whether or not Cat can adapt like Steve has.
Raven, Cat has improved and readjusted his game every year he has been in the league, give him some time and it will happen.
i wonder if the mavricks fans say, "naw, steve nash is just a pg, this is dirk time baby!!! whooo hooo" its simple, steve's job will be easier because of ming, and mings job will be alot easier because of stevie. we need both. some nights, yao's game will be off, and sometime's stevies, but the other guy can pick 'em up. this is great! just enjoy what developes.
You just sank a 3pt play with this post,,,I know there have been ALOT of people calling Rudy T out for his use of Yao I go back and see the day Yao got here and how tired he looked Along with his play early on and remember he had NO off season he was from another world altoghter I too think Rudy T has done all and I mean ALL the right things to make this team a winner sooner rather than later Just like when we got Drexler from Portland we are 1 of the teams that can get better and better and better as the year goes along....
The ball going through Yao Ming is going to eventually draw double teams. That is going to open it up for the rest of the Rockets to knock down the long jumper, or drive to the lane. This team is going to be really good in the near future. Today on Around the Horn they were talking about the best teams in the NBA, one said Kings, other said Spurs, the other Mavs, then one guy said, Don't count out the Rockets. Yao Ming is bringing in National Interest to this team. I think they will make the playoffs at about a 6 seed, but next year with new arena is when they become part of the NBA Elite.
They probably don't want to turn it over to him because he's a rookie and since he's playing ball for the past 2 yrs consecutively, they don't want him to break down. Clearly, more than any player on our team, aside from Shaq, Ming will have a mismatch evry night. Francis will have it maybe half,Taylor,Thomas and Griffin probably none and Mobley 25%. The way I see it, he is so court savvy and makes such good decision with the ball, most plays should involve Ming. No more Kenny Thomas iso against a guy just as quick and 5 inches taller, no more Mobley holding the ball down taking it between his legs, and since Francis is a pg, no plays shouldn't ever be ran for him. The good thing about Ming is you can move him mid post, throw him the ball, and cut off him and get a quality shot from him or the cutter,plus still leaving the baseline open. This team will be only as good as young Ming turns out to be. Unless Francis and Mobley turns out to player Thomas and Dumars were both atheletically and mentally which i don't see, then this team will have the ride the wave towards title contention with Ming. We've seen what the dynamic backcourtbrought us, 3 lotto season, so now with Ming, its time to ride Ming.
I say we bring back some old plays from the showtime lakers. We have a point that can do it all and a center tall enough to eat up the league like kareem did. Francis will get his points. Give yao the ball and everything will be opened up for him. Then he can sky rocket and showboat and the team will be unstoppable.
Tycoonchip... not a bad suggestion. Too bad we don't have the James Worthy or Michael Cooper, Byron Scott... etc.
I agree whole-heartedly DC, I'm just happy Kenny isn't running the offensive for the first 2 plays of the game.
