************ { He's ready to be The Guy We did some analysis and discovered the Rockets are 4-1 when Yao shoots the ball at least 10 times a game and has 6 or more free throw attempts (equivalent to three field goal attempts where he's fouled). The lone loss in this statistic was against the Mavericks, a team playing in a different stratosphere this season. Any other team than the Mavs, and they would be 5-0. Given those numbers, why doesn't that drive the game plan every night? Any talk about Yao being a rookie and needing a few more years to take this team deep in the playoffs is bunk. The Rockets should realize that Yao is so special, the sky is the limit THIS season. Yao has the capability to do the same thing Magic Johnson did his rookie season to lead his team to the NBA Finals. Any talk about doing that "in a few years" is not the mindset you want in trying to maximize a player's talents today. When Magic won the championship back in his rookie season, were people saying, "Don't give him the ball so much. He's not ready." Of course not. We believe if the Rockets don't make Yao shoot at least 10 field goals and 6 free throws a game, the Rockets won't maximize their potential. So any excuses about how tough back-to-back games are, how the Rockets got into Minnesota at 2:00 a.m. and might have been tired, etc., are self-fulfilling prophecies that would limit their ability to win it all. This Rocket team can be the Anaheim Angels of basketball this year and shock the world if they shoot for the loftiest of goals AND BELIEVE. Hell, even Pacer coach Isiah Thomas said he believes the Rockets could make the Finals this year. To get there, they need to take on a Tiger Woods-like mentality where they develop the discipline to execute in the final round (or fourth quarter in basketball terms). The guy who can help them do that is a similarly incredible athlete who is as fundamentally sound, 'automatic,' and brilliant as they come on a basketball court. If Yao-fans, Rocket fans or the Rockets ever doubt they can win it all by putting this team on Yao's back, they just need to ask themselves the following question, }"If Magic was capable of doing it, why not Yao?"
Prlen, I agree with what you say about winning it all this year. As Bill Walton put it best in my opinion Yao Ming is very cerebral in his approach to the game. I believe that is what he meant when he kept comparing Yao Ming to Magic and Bird the other night. I believe, as Bill Walton believes, that Yao Ming plays the game at an entirely different level mentally than not only the rest of the Rockets but also the rest of the league. With that knowledge we must play for this year as well as the future. I think Rudy T agrees. Some disadvantages that Yao Ming has that Magic Johnson did not having coming to the NBA: 1. Magic came to a league and a team that understood the passing game. Magic’s game was already tailor made for the style of offense’s that NBA teams utilized. Yao Ming into a league and a team that has gotten away from team ball and now plays dribbling isolation me first take to the rim on my own basketball. For those that would argue that this is just a Rockets problem I would suggest getting NBA league pass and watching a few games that do not include the Mavericks or Kings. 2. Magic came onto a team that was full of play-off savvy veterans and one player who had won multiple league MVP’s and was arguably the best player in the NBA. Yao Ming joins a team in transition, one that is still searching for its identity. Our current Rockets team although full of talent has had zero continuity over the last couple of years and with the exception of old man Rice and Cat (a rookie at the time) also has zero play-off experience. The only starter on the team that started consistently through out the year last year was Cuttino Mobley. Steve, Rice and MoT were either injured all of the year or most of the year. Yao Ming, Hawkins, Posey, Boki and Tito Maddox are all new to the team. That’s eight players that were not on the team or missed close to a full season with the team. 3. Yao Ming for all of his talents has looked tired to me since the second half of the Indiana game. He does not seem to be fighting for rebounds and position in the paint the same way he was earlier during the month of December. He looked like he had lead in his feet during the 1st quarter during the Minnesota game. All of this is to be expected since he is averaging about 10 minutes more a game in the month of December than what he was averaging. Perhaps Yao Ming is hitting a physical wall that he has to climb. 4. I don’t think enough can be said about the culture shock he has had to endure and is still going through. Just look at some of the arguments on this bbs between Chinese and American posters and the cultural differences are clear. Magic Johnson never had to experience that. Yao Ming is doing a better job at handling this than anyone could have predicted but there has still got to be times where he misses home, his girl friend, familiar surroundings and the relationships he built with friends and his community. Magic Johnson just never had to endure anything like this. 5. Last, as a point guard Magic Johnson could control the offense and the flow of the game as a center Yao Ming can not. I personally do not think Steve Francis possesses the same basketball I.Q. that Yao Ming or Magic Johnson has. Anytime you have someone like Yao Ming on your team that can do so many things both physically and mentally then you had damn sure better reach for the championship. Unfortunately the reality here is that Yao Ming has many obstacles to overcome that Magic Johnson did not and most of those obstacles he has no control over. Jonhty, The situation is not as plain and simple as you think.
Are you talking about Magic the rookie, or Magic the legend? Even Magic the rookie couldn't compete with Magic the legend. Yao is doing fine. Remember this... Yao: Rookie of the Year? Yao: All-NBA First Team? Yao: Defensive player of the Year? Yao: All-Defensive First Team? Yao: All-Rookie First Team? All the above are possible. All of them, not just one of two.
The team has some glitches to work out before seriously talking about winning it all. The road to a championship is long and winded filled with obstacles. The team has to have two superstars, the right suppporting cast, a taylor made system, a savvy coach and everyone being on the same page to get it done. This current team is lacking in each of those aspects. Maybe some more years or drastic personel change can cut it, but not this year.
Keep an eye on the team after all star break. About that time things should be taking shape nicely. At that time we will have a lot better feel of what to expect in the post season. Something really good to come from the last two cames. Mo Taylor looks like he has found his outside shot. This was huge two years ago during the 45 win season and it was about this time that year that Mo found his shot and he carried it through the rest of the year.
We did some research and found out that when Steve has 9+ assists the team is 0-3. I think that Steve should pass the ball less and we'll have more chance of winning! Seriously, I think Rudy knows how to use a big man effectively, Yao's getting better and better and I hope that he continues to do so. But finding statistical anomalies don't necessarily suggest that something is/will become a trend. I agree with crash; post all star break should be a great time to be a Rockets fan.
David, Honestly, you have to think that three of those are a long shot. All-NBA First Team - Shaquille O'Neal - if he stays healthy the rest of the year Defensive player of the Year - Ben Wallace, hands down All-Defensive First Team - Ben Wallace, hands down I think ROY and All-Rookie First Teams are a given as long as Yao continues to improve and stays healthy. The other three awards just arent realistic IMO.
I think Yao's presense may enlighten some people how the basketball should be played. Everything begins with fundamental. And the Rockets are just having tough time to adjust and execute the intended plan consistently. In order to fully utilize Yao, it is imperative for the team to play the way that Yao can contribute.
Magic had a guy named Kareem Abdul Jabbar on his team. And Kareem was MVP that year also. Which begs a young'un like me to ask...how in the world do the LA Lakers get to draft Magic when they already have Kareem?!?!!
Back in the day, when a team lost a free agent, they received draft picks as compensation. Well, sometime in the late 70s, I belive Gail Goodrich left LA and signed with New Orleans (Jazz) as a free agent. Because Goodrich was an all-star, NO had to give up 3 draft picks to LA, one of which, was New Orlean's #1 in 1979. Well, at the end of the 1979 season, New Orleans had the worst record in the league. The rest is history. Just think, Magic Johnson could have been a member of the Jazz! Egad!
BTW...I hope in tens years, I'm the old guy and kids ask me: "How in the world were the Rockets able to draft Yao Ming when they already had Steve Franchise!" Can't wait to be old
Don't forget that they had another 1st pick in Worthy a year later, if I'm not mistaken. So, the rich got richer.
Well, I forgot about Wallace (sorry Ben). But the mere fact that Yao (rookie) is threatening Shaq's (10+ vet) top perch is amazing!
Last time I checked, Yao didn't lead his team to a championship his rookie year. Yao is nowhere near Magic. They guy played CENTER and led them to a championship..a position he hadn't played since high school. You guys really need to have a reality check. Yao is a great solid player, but he's no Magic.
I love Yao to death. BUT Magic played center in the final round in the title run his rookie year. Kareem was not playing due to injury. Of course Magic played for the Lakers who already had a great center. LA would be a playoff team without Magic anyway. But without Yao, Houston is not gonna win more than 35 games this season.
Yao: Rookie of the Year? - Yao Yao: All-NBA First Team? - Shaq Yao: Defensive player of the Year? - Wallace or Artest Yao: All-Defensive First Team? - Wallace Yao: All-Rookie First Team? - Yao All the above are possible. All of them, not just one of two. 2 of 5 isn't bad.
