Did you guys hear Barkley was talking about Yao Ming on TNT just now? He said that Francis and Mobley need to pass more to Yao Ming. Then Kenny added that 11 min for Yao Ming is not long enough for Yao Ming to do anything. Magic Jonson then said Ming need to use his size not his foot, something like that. What do you guys think. Were they just making fun of Ming. I wasnt sure about the vibe.
Magic also said that Ming at least need to make 10 shots. He's also implying steve didnt pass the ball much.
You know, with all of the hoopla surrounding Ming, it seems like a lot of the national media have forgotten that we have 11 other players. I like Yao as much as anyone. However, you have to admit that he didn't play well last night. Whether he played 11 minutes, or 25 minutes, he was not a presence defensively, and he had the ball stolen from him when he got touches down low offensively. Yao's going to be a great player, but just because he's such a great guy doesn't mean he can be immune from criticism. He didn't play well. Blaming it on Steve is a little extreme. First of all, he was the two last night, making him less dependent to create for others, and the rest of the team also shot a terrible percentage, making it even harder to pile up assists. He was a terrific scorer, and at a good percentage while at it. We probably win if Eddie can actually make 40% of his shots, or if Yao can contribute something in the low post. I like both of them, but just because they are young doesn't mean they can't be held responsible for their failures. Considering what I saw last night, I have a hard time believing their stats would be all that different if they got double the touches. They just didn't play well. IMO, in the weeks before the season, the Ming bandwagon gathered a lot of steam, and a lot of analysts who criticized him before the draft were projecting him as the difference-maker for the Rockets and the playoffs. Now, they seem to be trying to cover their own asses by blaming someone else, instead of admitting that Yao just wasn't ready.
Magic is right on the money. He says Yao Ming doesn't know how to defend on the ball yet. His defence off the ball is good, but since everybody is quicker, jumps higher in the NBA, he has the difficulty to defend on the ball. He is going to be fine once he pass that. That's the most honest expert accessment I hear till now.
I agree, Magic is on the money. Listen to what Magic says before people accuse Francis or Mobley of not passing the ball. Charles kept mentioning that the backcourt didn't pass the ball to Ming but that's not true. He got several passes thrown to him and was stripped of the ball or lost the ball. His 3 TOs were because they got him the ball and he lost it. Magic said that Ming is realizing that the NBA is faster, guys jump higher and things are more intense and it's going to take time for him to learn. Ming also said he didn't know where to go on the floor, there were numerous times in the preseason Francis tried to help him with that but it's a learning experience. It's easy to blame the guards for not getting him the ball, but if he doesn't know where to go on the floor, or he keeps losing the ball or gets stripped of the ball and has more TOs then rebounds then it's obvious it's not the guards faults. It's Ming's inexperience that is hurting him and he is learning.
I won't claim to know more about basketball than Magic, but I recall that two of Yao's three fouls were on players that had beaten their man and were giong to the basket. Maybe it's a matter of definition, but to me when you pick up someone else's player that would be "off the ball" defense.
Steve is the star on this rocket team right now, no doubt. But on the other hand there is this 7'6 guy who can move&shoot, and just had 1 shot attempt. Rocket is going nowhere if Yao Ming is not invovled.
2 touches in 11 minutes. Gasp just imagine how many he'll get when he get 22 minutes of PT. Maybe 5 or even 6!!! Strip 1 - Foster got him becasue the entry pass was too far out on the floor and it was low where Foster could reach in instead of high where he couldn't. Strip 2 - Strickland from the weakside. Again, the entry pass was so far out that he had to put the ball on the floor. Did any Rocket see the double and dive to the basket? Nope, not one especially Moochie who was guarded by Strickland. I think I agree more with Charles...pass the ball.
Actually, I had it on in the background. And I believe Charles also disagreed with Magic. "Jonathan" http://www.nba.com/playerfile/jonathan_bender/index.html
Yao is looking really uncomfortable on the court.He is being pushed around and it's going to take time for him to get used to the speed and physical nature of the game. He also has to learn the plays and how to position himself in spots where he feels comfortable taking his shots. There will always be players following him and he is going to face double and triple teams as well. He looks especially vulnerable on the defensive end and gets in quick foul trouble,and needs to learn how to box out and go for the rebound, It's going to be a long process for him but he is talented and has good hands, is tall and athletic . I remain optimistic that he will start making an impact by the All Star Game.
Then"The Rockets should draft Jay or Butler"Barkley. Now"GIVE YAO THE BALL!"Barkley. Change of heart?
From David Barron's Chron article today: TNT's Kenny Smith on Yao: "I was very skeptical at first. To be honest, I didn't believe in Yao. However, after seeing him, he's very impressive, just what the doctor ordered for Houston. They're going to have to realize he's their best player." Charles Barkley's response: "You've gone plum damn goofy."
That is a great sig, Cat. On Ming, I have to say that I agree with Kenny when he says that 11min isn't enough time. I've been playing basketball since I was 5 and I know from experience that 11min isn't enough time to get a rythmn going for any one.
How would Magic know if Francis didn't pass enough. Wasn't Magic doing the halftime show for the other TNT games that night?
The Rockets played on Wednesday, and TNT didn't broadcast any games on Wednesday. They're Tuesday/Thursday, while ESPN did Wednesday. Magic at least had the opportunity to watch the game.
