Chron: As second season nears, Yao just one of the guys

As second season nears, Yao just one of the guys
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
RESOURCES

Jeff Van Gundy was in the middle of one of his frequent heart-to-hearts with his team. With so little time to go so far, he was not wasting words with chitchat.

Then he caught a glimpse of Yao Ming and could not go on.

Yao was comfortable with his place on the Rockets. A year after all the madness had begun, he was at ease with his unique life. But he was also comfortable enough in his high-backed locker room chair to sit with his legs tightly crossed as if he were a guest on The Dick Cavett Show.

"I saw him sitting with his legs crossed at the meeting and told him that it wasn't inspiring to see my center sitting there like that," Van Gundy said. "It's become a running joke.

"I think he probably gives it back in his own way. He asked if I wanted to jump in the shooting drill. I think he's probably laughing with me, at least on the inside, which is good. Join the crowd."

Yao has done just that, a year to the day after he landed in Houston. He has in many ways adjusted enough that he qualifies as one of "the crowd" as much as he ever will. The daily media sessions, the swarming fans, the enormous scrutiny and skepticism of the public and opponents are gone, or at least manageable to the point he barely notices.

Steve Francis' line -- "He's just like me, but 7-foot-6 and Chinese"-- now makes sense.

Yao always had a talent for fitting in. But one year after his frantic arrival and the whirlwind it inspired, Yao has a daily life roughly the same as that of his teammates. And he is far more adept at handling the parts that are unique.

"Last year, there was so much media at first and having to deal with that ... that last year will be greatly helpful toward the rest of the years dealing with the pressure and the media," Yao said with his interpreter, Colin Pine, on his right as always.

But now, the punch lines follow in English, such as Yao's addition: "Also for Colin."

Said Yao: "I speak English in practice. With (the media), I still need Colin. But I remember one year ago he faced the camera -- he was nervous, right?"

"Very nervous," Pine admitted.

"Very, very nervous," Yao corrected. "Now he looks much better."

Yao is more on his own now. Pine, who lived with Yao last season and served as his constant companion, instructor and chauffeur, has taken his own apartment. Because Yao now drives himself, Pine is car shopping. Pine is at hand and still interprets when Van Gundy has particularly long talks. But Pine no longer is at Yao's side at practices, nor does he serve as his translating shadow during timeouts.

"He's one of the guys," Rockets center Kelvin Cato said of Yao. "He was one of the guys when he got here, but everybody was kind of tiptoeing with him. Now, we pal around with him."

On the court, however, Yao remains unique. As improved as he is a year later -- his first game last season began with his being tossed hard to the court in San Antonio -- he said his experience has demonstrated how much he still must learn.

"I wasn't here last year, but the language, the adjustments to a new culture, where to live, all those things, I'm sure it's unbelievably, exponentially better this year," Van Gundy said. "That being said, I expect him to continue to get better. It all starts with him being an unbelievable worker. He has an intent every day to improve.

"He's done well. His conditioning is probably our primary concern. He needs to keep improving his conditioning. There are just certain things that when you're a man of his size that are going to be a little problematic -- transition defense, pick-and-roll defenses. Those are things you're constantly going to work with him. I just like the way he plays the game. I'd like him to get more 50-50 on force and finesse. But he's a really fine player and a good worker, a willing worker."

Yao even has become a willing communicator.

"He speaks extremely well," Van Gundy said. "Like most American or foreign players, he understands about half of what I say."

That in itself represents a marked improvement. But Yao wants more. He arrived in Houston a year ago because he wanted more: to become a better player than he could become in China. When he first played an NBA game, it was all he could do to stand up. This preseason, he has seemed in complete control of his game.

In Yao's four games, he has averaged 18 points (making 63.4 percent of his shots and 95.2 percent of his free throws), 2.25 blocked shots and 9.3 rebounds in just 28.3 minutes per game.

"Just last year when I got to San Antonio, I didn't have a feel for anything," Yao said. "I didn't feel I had a rhythm with the team at all. This year ... it's just much better than last year. From a technical aspect, there are a lot of things that I think I need to work at, get better at and I think I can improve upon. But it's definitely easier this year.

"Mostly, I just have to become more consistent, especially in terms of turnovers. It's a maturation process. I think it just continues to get better."