You have to like the perfect shooting and blocks (sure, more touches and definitely more boards would be nice), but you have to be most impressed witha few of the fundamentals that Yao demonstrated in the small bits were able to see. If you look at the pictures from the game, look to see how Yao handles the ball. Very specifically, look to see how he holds the ball in pictures. Not hamfisted like most clumsy big guys (Cato, Dampier, etc) but up on the fingers. Its reflected in his soft shooting and passing touch. Bet thats one trait that Rudy and Bill Walton focused on early. Second, in the dunk play they taped, look at how he uses his shoulder to create the space to go up for the dunk. If the defender was the "short" guy the writers are talking about, that was a 260 lb block of concrete he moved away. Its little things like that I'd be looking for... plus, you have to like his attitude and his self awareness. He knows he needs to strengthen up for the NBA. He also seems to understand the game will need to come to him (instead of forcing hismelf into the game). I am really looking forward to watching him play...
From his game with the canadian, Yao need to practice more boxing players out for position. His offensive skill is good for shure...
previously posted in other thread. Its a matter of center of gravity. A 6' 6'' 260 pounder is better than a 6' 10" 260 in pushing out a taller offender. It is simpily a law of physics. Many teams use stronger, rather taller players to defend Shaq in NBA. Shaq still need the ball passed to him to score. From what I've read and seen in most of the posts here and elsewhere. The 6' 6" Canadian center is a real strong guys for his height, very well built. They dont put him up to defend Yao for no reasons. I m sure there r taller Canadian players. Not to mention Yao got double, even tripled-teamed in the game. If You got guarded like that and didnt get the balls even U r wide-opened, it doesnt help even your opposing center is 1 foot shorter. In situation like that, if i were the coach, I could just let Yao shoots the lights out from the outside, the 6'6" cant defend that. Yao being such a high percentage shooter, that s not a bad strategy. In similar situation, Shaq usually pass the rock to open men rather "dominating" and scored over his 2 or 3 defenders. He definitely cant back out and make a persistent jumper like Yao could. There s no question Yao's upper strength needs improvement, so do most big men in their rookie year. One quick comment, if Yao could learn to get next to rather than behind his defender. He would be awesome in offensive rebounding.
Good observation, NewRoxFan. Yao has a really very good feel/touch for the ball. "Good hands." Although Yao doesn't have huge hands, he does have LONG fingers! Freaky, long, octopus fingers! Similar to Duncan and Rasheed Wallace.
I like the way Ming used his shoulder to knock the defender backward before he made that monster dunk. It was physical and agressive and those traits are just exactly what he needs to be successful in the L.
Yao won't get pushed around in the NBA. He got pushed around a lil in the post cuz' he met Charles Barkley who's allowed to wrestle him with both hands on the court, and the head coach didn't run plays for him to let him shoot from outside, not gonna happen in the NBA.
If you are going to have a two-hands pushing match between a 6'6" 260 lbs guy and a 7'6" 296 lbs guy, I am sure the 6'6" guy would win coz of lower center of gravity. The fact is that is not going to happen in NBA games.
i have a good feeling about yao. he will be able to score well in the NBA. he will get his share of blocks. he may even be a league leader in fg% and blocked shots.
Yao Ming will score quite a bit and register a few blocks for sure. But imo he will be pushed around badly. Talk to me after Aug. 31 game. btw, I will drive to Indi for the game.
I like the boy already!!! I just thought his strong legs would be able to hold him up better against the stronger smaller fella's. He's only going to get better.
almostready,,,,,,,,, you are absolutely correct, he's going to get pushed around and he'll have to play smart and play big to stay in the games. Until he learns the tricks of the trade down low and gets stronger he'll be fodder under the boards. Just to try and kill some stupidity that's trying to fly as physics, will someone who's 5'4 and weighs 260lbs. also be able to outrebound him and push him around easier than an NBA veteran who's 6'11 and weighs 260. And are you trying to say some 6'6 guy with no NBA skills can push him around easier that what Ben Wallace can??????????
Rocket River you are right he is 6'7...... I was just trying to make a point that if a 6'6 stiff moved him about as easy as it sounded in what I've read an NBA center will move him around even easier. I don't think him getting moved off his mark will bother him as much as it would most centers because of his apparent shooting range but to say it won't happen in the NBA or that its just a matter of center of gravity that this 6'6 guy did it and Karl Malone or Duncan won't be able to do it is ludicrous
he will be fine if he lifts more weight that canadian power forward from canadian team bench press 335lb......the one guarded yao ming
somehow I doubt your intelligence... a guy 5'4 260 pounds is NOT...... NOT consider stronger.. but very much OVERWEIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it'll probably take the guy an hour to run down from one end of the floor to the other.................... duh.........
Moving someone off the blocks is not always about strength and size. Sometimes it is timing, leverage, and overall positioning smarts. Ming will learn how to counter and get himself positioned better not through strenght, but smarts....
I hope opposition players push on him a lot. Afterall, Yao is a great free throw shooter. When other teams tire of paying at the line, he will be free to play his game.
I read in another post that someone thought Yao didnt play hard enough, however, I have traveled aboard before, and "jet-lag" is real. So I think you will see a different Yao Ming in games ahead..and I also predict the China national team will also play like a different team. I think he was great, considering how tired they no doubt were
