Article --Denver takes wind out of Yao's 7-6 sails

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nuggets/article/0,1299,DRMN_20_3552507,00.html

Denver takes wind out of Yao's 7-6 sails
For top voter-getter, altitude adjustment is part of game plan

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News
February 17, 2005

Yao Ming is a tall guy, but he's not that fond of tall cities.

The 7-foot-6 Houston Rockets center was the NBA's leading All-Star vote-getter and will start Sunday for the Western Conference. But making him less enthusiastic is that the game will be played in the Mile High City.

"I don't like the one-mile city here," Yao said. "A mile high every time I come here. It's so hard to play."

Yao often gets winded playing at high altitude. Nevertheless, in his past two games at Denver, he has averaged 22 points after averaging nine points in his first three Pepsi Center outings.

Perhaps Yao is better learning to deal with adversity. If there has been one rap on the third-year player from China, he hasn't always been the toughest guy around.

Yao sometimes disappears in games. He sometimes gets pushed around despite being 310 pounds.

"I'm sure everybody in the world wants him to be more aggressive, but maybe it's not in him," Denver Nuggets center Marcus Camby said. "He's getting there, but it's not going to happen overnight. But I can see his improvement. He's going to be a great one."

Yao's scoring average has increased from 13.5 as a rookie to 17.5 last season to 18.5 this season. But the consensus is Yao, averaging 8.5 rebounds after getting 8.2 as a rookie and 9.0 last season, needs to grab more boards.

At least this season, Yao hasn't had to worry about any All-Star voting controversies. In his first two seasons, likely because of votes cast on the Internet in his homeland, he beat out then-Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal to be the West's starting center.

O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference, so it's no surprise Yao again was named a starter. Yao, who accumulated the most All-Star votes in history, easily beat out the Sacramento Kings' Brad Miller by a margin of 2,558,278 to 429,413.

Yao, who scored 16 points in the 2004 All-Star Game after scoring only two in his 2003 debut, still has the pressure of being a hero in his homeland.

At least the number of Chinese media members following him has decreased from the circuslike atmosphere of his rookie season.

"I try to focus on the court," Yao said of the scrutiny he receives for being the only significant player from the world's most populous nation. "I don't let those things bother me. I worry about me."

Yao had more to worry about earlier this season. The Rockets got off to a 6-11 start and he heard plenty of criticism.

The Rockets, who acquired All-Star guard Tracy Mc- Grady in the summer from the Orlando Magic, eventually started to mesh. They headed into the All-Star break with a 32-21 record.

Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy scoffs when critics call Yao soft because of his upbringing. But he would like to see a bit more consistency out of him.

"I think everybody, because Yao is from China, wants to pigeonhole him into, 'He's this way because of how his upbringing is,' " Van Gundy said. "That's as ludicrous as saying every American was raised the same way.

"Last year, he improved greatly. This year, he has been a little less consistent. We're not as deep a team as we were last year, so (some) nights we have a harder time overcoming an up-and-down performance by him."

At least Yao's performances at Denver have been strong lately. He hopes to huff and puff his way to another one in the All-Star Game.