First off, props to Yao for really banging inside. I saw him fire a few elbows around against Charlotte and that was the first time I've really seen him bump a guy off the block and Campbell, while he isn't Shaq, he isn't Shawn Bradley either. They guy is a big body. Nice to see Yao creating some contact. Second, one of the big knocks on Yao was that he would be foul prone. How stupid is this prediction looking? Not only has he managed to avoid foul trouble in just about every game, but he has been fouling OUT his opponents. What seemed to be reason #37 of the "experts" list of why Yao would be a bust, is turning out to be just the opposite.
Just to clarify so this isn't just a "game post" ( ), Yao has been improving consistently on this over the past few games. What has really been impressive to me is his capacity for learning. Each game I see him make mistakes that he corrects in the next one. He just doesn't really repeat mistakes very often. He has stayed out of foul trouble and has actually fouled a few guys out. I had seen him bang around a bit, but nothing like tonight. If he can consistently be strong on the block like that, he is going to be tough to stop inside. By the way, his rebounding is WAY better than advertised. I mean, this guy came into the NBA with the label of not being in good position and not being very instinctive when it came to rebounds. There was even some suggestion that maybe he wasn't agressive enough. I guess that is another on the long list of Yao myths now de-bunked.
Jeff, I was just baiting D.o.D.... I agree, he is really banging now, I truly think in 2 or 3 years he will be considered one of the best, if not the best, player in the league. Yao is catching on VERY VERY quickly and his willingness to be more aggressive is a pleasant surprise. DaDakota
Ming's 3 blocks in the fourth quarter was awesome, 2 of them are on Hornet's dunk attempts. He did got called for fouls twice for his blocks. He still tend to jump toward the attacker instead of straight up. The physicalness in the fourth quarter (1 with an offensive foul) was a pleasant surprise. He keeps improving his weakness and avoid them in later games.
Yao Ming's learning curve is off of the chart. Elden Cambel could have easily been called for his fith and sixth fouls much earlier in the game.
Props to Yao physical improvement, but I notice unlike the Dallas and SA spurs game, opponent centers seems to have success in banging him down low and effectively slow him down. He shoot alot tonite likes in the spurs game, but his FG% drops due to low post banging so I think opponent centers will continue to banging him and be much more physical with Yao from now on, It's does seems to work. He should utilized the sky hook more to neutralized this strategy, just my 2 cent.
What I'm most impressed by is he seems to noticably improve something every game. Crash I agree, right now his learning curve is off the charts. His confidence has to be sky high right now because he's obviously taking his game to another level. What BBall expert said this guy couldn't play??? His skill level, especially for someone his size is phenomenal. What in the world did someone with a clue find wrong with this guy.
Yao's comfort level on the low block, while very good and improving, seems to really be on that one side with about 5 or six moves. The baseline spin, the turn and shoot, the up and under, and a few others. He tried to bring out the hook a few times last nightunsuccessfully. By this time next year, I can imagine Yao having an additional 5-10 moves on the block, be more comfortable on the other side, and be able to get better position. Heck, if he can use a sky hook anywhere near as good as he does his turn around jumper in 1-2 years, he will be unstopable. Yao's banging has impressed me, certainly. But I think it isn't a stretch to say all that banging took his shot off ever so slightly, and when your tallking about a touch player, that makes all the difference. I see the team getting better at getting him the ball in the post game by game. What I hope to see soon is a cross pick, ala the one that always used to free up Karl Malone, to get Yao on the block in a position a little closer to the basket. As of now, his positioning too often comes as a result of setting a pick for the guard to hit the 3 point elbow and literally pushing as far as he can against his own man, which, for anyone other than Shaq, doesn't work. Hopefully we will start to see more picks that help Yao get better positioning.
You are right JayZ. The banging did throw him off just enough. That is just part of the NBA and he'll need to get used to that. If there was and is one area where he can dramatically improve, it his strength. As that gets better, the banging won't be an issue at all, but we all knew that would take some time.
Jeff, You'll like this from http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=221206003 He WANTS to bang, and he wants to get close to the basket where he can make 80% of his shots. I like his desire, and I think that as soon as the Rockets make it more of a priority to get him established on the low block, we will see them emerge as a contender. That's not a knock on the other great players on this team, but the Rockets are going to have to make the low post their starting point, since Ming is their best player RIGHT NOW, in my opinion. He is the biggest mismatch night in and night out. No team has any one person who can guard him. And, Jeff, like you, I'm happy to see Yao shoving right down all the the critics' throats --- I mean, one guy in Indiana or somewhere said Yao would be worse than Manute Bol, and that he wouldn't even last two years in the NBA. Not only that, the guy said Yao had "absolutely no basketball skills". What a moron. Go ROCKETS!!!
Statline for Todd MacCulloch tonight: 17 minutes 7 points FG: 3-4 FT: 1-2 2 rebounds 0 assists 5 FOULS I hope the trend continues!
The only minor quibble I have with Yao is when he goes over the back for a rebound. Sometimes he gets away with it because his arms are so long. Its good that he's aggressive but he does have to watch that. Right now it's not a big deal because he plays 30 minutes/game and if he picks up some fouls, Cato can step right into the rotation. However, next year when he's looking at 35-38 minutes/game, its an adjustment that he'll have to make. Of course once he gets accustomed to the refs' modus operandi coupled with additional respect from them, he should be able to avoid the cheap fouls.
Great posts on Yao. Yao who learns quickly and does not repeat the same mistakes. Actually reminds me of the young Sam Cassell that way. Maybe Rudy and his coaches and scouts can recognize talent? 2nd best '5' in the Association? Soon the vote will be #34, SO'N.
I must say, even though I'm a big Ming fan, I never expected him to be this good this early. I am still worried that he has had no rest for a couple of years, and worry that it will hit big. Hopefully, he doesn't play in the All Star game, and gets to rest. He really needs it. I'm just wondering about what will happen come playoff time. Will he be too exhausted to help us? Will he carry us? I just don't know what to expect. The onll thing that I KNOW will happen is, he'll improve. He'll always improve, because he's very very smart. I think next offseason will be the difference between historic player or Zydrunas Illgauskas. If he gets into tip-top condition, tones his lower body, adds a LITTLE strength to his upper body, I think he can be unstoppable. He will be right there with Shaq and Duncan as best C's in the league. Let's see if offseason commitments will be a problem. Till then, GREAT job being such a pleasant surprise Yao.
