http://www.boston.com/sports/basket.../2008/01/06/better_than_a_lottery_hit/?page=3 Scola has excelled in transition game The newest NBA import from Argentina, the Rockets' Luis Scola, is gradually settling in to his new life in the United States. Scola was one of the few "name" Argentines to play last summer in the Olympic qualifier, but he played well enough to get Argentina to Beijing and was named the tournament's MVP. Now he's playing 19-plus minutes a game for Rick Adelman, averaging around 7 points and 5 rebounds. "He's been learning the game. He's been learning about our league," Adelman said. "He's had some real big games. He's still learning how to play without getting fouls. Offensively, he's going to be a very good player in this league. One thing you love about him - he plays so hard, every night, every minute." cola was thought to be the designated starter at power forward next to Yao Ming, but that job has remained with Chuckie Hayes. Scola has not missed a game this season, but said his biggest adjustments have come off the court. "I knew it was going to be hard for me," he said. "You're changing everything - your way of life, the way you play, your teammates, your coaches, the city, the food, everything. And there's a bunch of stuff that you have to do when you move to another country. It's tricky if you don't know." You'll see plenty of Scola next summer in the Olympics. He was a big part of Argentina's 2002 team that nearly won the Worlds and the 2004 gold medalists in Athens. But he said it's too early to know how good Argentina will be in Beijing. "We don't know who's going to play," he said, although he and everyone expects the Argentine A team to show up. "We don't know how people are going to feel in six months. It's going to be different. Everyone is a year older. But I know I will be there." Straight shooter In the 1979-80 season, Utah center Rich Kelley shot 81.4 percent from the line. The team trumpeted the achievement as Kelley being the first 7-footer in NBA history to shoot 80 percent from the line. This story came to mind last week when the Rockets were in town with the remarkable Yao Ming. First off, Yao has shot 80 percent from the line in four of his five seasons and this year is shooting a career-best 86.5 percent. Against the Celtics, Yao did miss one - snapping a string of 21 consecutive makes. Three times this season Yao has had free throw streaks of 20 or more, including one in which he made 35 in a row from Nov. 9-14. He also made 27 in a row from Nov. 26-Dec. 5.
I feel Yao's FT shooting is much under appreciated here. His clutch FT shooting makes up for his TO problem somewhat IMHO.
IMHO a flagrant elbow or two would solve Yao's TO problem quickest. No one is concerned with getting close to YM thus 'free' slapping and hacking and abusing him. (Back in 'Y' ball it was a common practice - and one best handled by the 'slap-ee'.)
Actually, it's under-appreciated because it's under-utilized. If he'd stop shooting so many fadeaways or long-distance jumpers or hooks and start attacking the rim, he'd get more foul calls and we'd get to benefit more from his FT shooting.
As much as I'd like to think this true, I have my doubts these days. The game is called differently than a year ago, when Yao was able to back down opponents with three or four dribbles and end up with a dunk during the first half of the 2006-07 season. The amount of physicality the defenders are allowed against him now is stifling. And either way, the help defense either comes too soon (though to your credit, Yao does wait for the help to come nine times out of ten). And let's be honest, Yao is getting fouled fairly often on his fade-away shots. Watch when he gathers the ball into a shooting position on his turn-around jumper. I'll bet more than half the time the defender is forcefully pushing Yao off as he pivots and leaps. It should be a point of emphasis, because I believe there is no other player in the league who doesn't get this call.
He gets shoved on the hip or "bodied" as he elevates nearly every time. It isn't even like guys are subtle about it. It is like the refs have specifically be told any contact below the shoulders while Yao is in the act of shooting is not a foul.
The only apparent answer for YM is for him to give up a flagrant elbow or two and then let's see these free swinging arsewholes continue their antics...
I feel sry 4 yao, guys like dwayne wade who "don't" get touched go the the FT line heaps and uys like yao who get hacked like crazy don't get calls