[Chron Blog] Yao's not great, but he doesn't have to be

I liked how Okur looked like he won the raffle every time he blocked Yao's shot.

Having said that, Yao really needs to take it to the hole stronger. Yao has made much progress up until he broke his leg, but after coming back from injury, he seems to have digressed a little. Perhaps this is due to a lack of competitive shape, or passiveness on his part to avoid injury.

 

20 jumpers per game at 40%.
20% jumpers and layups are blocked.
never dunks.
don't know how to fight rebounds.
slow and soft defense.
slow dribble, slow shooting, slow passing, slow catching.
never pass out when being double teamed.
play worse in clutch time.
no passion. can only get pissed by Amare.
a winner in business not in basketball.


Yao will be great after he changes one of the items in the above list.

 

do not want to give execuse to yao, but he used alot energy defending utha's 50% offense.

 

King Solomon's Mind - most of the stuff he posts on the Chron tends to be controversial. I think he tries to stir up the pot.

Personally I think he's only about 1.5 seasons behind in his assessment of Yao.

 

I hate when people base their whole opinion off a bad stretch of minutes for a player. How about we see how he responds to Okur predicting that he will shoot. Okur is jumping before Yao even shoots, Yao will hopefully start pump faking Okur and draw the foul or take it to the hole. It is the response when someone plays you well that determines a player's greatness. He acts like Yao has never beaten Okur's ass before.

 

Solomon, why are you posting on here? We already know you are anti-Yao. Unfortunately we read your dumb article.

 

yea, right.

If NBA still had same rules for D then yao can easyly score 10 more than his now. when Other teams play us, they have to think a lot about how to D yao.

His D is not that great but he do impact the other team's O strategy a lot.

So he is great.

 

To second some other posts: Yao getting blocked by Okur a few times is not indicative of being dominant. I guess being 7'6 w/ a 2 inch lift on your jump shot should never be blocked or you are a failure. All this judgement seems to be based on two playoff games, the second of which was a below-average game by Yao's (and the rest of the team's) standards.

 

I have always loved Yao.

That said - he is good at what he does.

Indeed he is not great and truly does not have to be (will likely never be "great" due to his physical limitations, and to some extent mental). I have come to a resolved mindset to just accept him as is. He is efficient from the free throw line, knocks down over 52% of his field goals, rebounds on average about 9 times, works hard and defends okay. He is a great guy to boot - a great role model.

It could be worse - but we have Tmac_Yao combo. At least it is worth being thankful for.

 

i agree. but to a casual fan, to be blocked by okur 3 times looks kinda weak , esp. in his face too.

just hope yao can avoid those.

 

Even if Yao averages 50 points throughout the rest of his career, the media still won't acknowledge him as dominant or better than the other "top 10". They're all too stuck in their old mind frames

 

Yao had a devastating injury this year and still averaged 25 and 9...in the playoffs, he's averaging 27.5 and 11 and his team's undefeated. What more do people want?? Yao is a excellent teammate and consistent scorer who knows how to get his shot and get to the line where he's one of the best bigs ever, not a liability like you-know-who.

Yao is never gonna be the best center to even wear a Rockets uniform but he is easily the best center in the league right now and for years to come...quit yer bashing!

If you watched Hakeem play against Mark Eaton, you'd probably call Dream a scrub, too!

 

I really don't understand why one of Chron's own (this King fellow) would come up with crap like this. We are in a playoff series - surely there are something more positive to write about? What is the big deal if Yao is not one of the 10 greatest ever centers? Is it not enough that he is already the best center today?

And for those among us who can only see the flaws in Yao's game - just stay away.

SS999

 

WTF with Chron's writers?

Spread rumor,then try to piss yao off? Does Utah hire them?
I can't understand why they downgrade Rockets in the playoffs,even after 2:0 against utah.

 

They say opnions are like a certain part of the anatomy in that everyone has one. I think this one is worthy of what might pass through that certain body part. If you don't think Yao is dominant, then tell me the last player to average 25/9.5/2 and shoot 52% from the field and 86% from the FT line? He is dominant. The stats back it up and so do my eyes. Just because he got a couple of shots blocked by Okur he's not dominant. Just plain STUPID. I guess when Hakeem blocked 3 shots in a row by Jordan in a game in Houston that made him suck too right?

 

20 jumpers per game at 40%.

Unfortunately that is still our best option as T-Mac is shooting 37% taking 30 jumpers

20% jumpers and layups are blocked.

If you believe he has 1 out of 5 shots blocked, you are truly insane

never dunks.

Hmm, I remember an alleyoop from Tmac in the not so distant past

don't know how to fight rebounds.

What about the fact that he is our leading rebounder, and we usually outrebound opponents in the regular season?

slow and soft defense.

I'll take this slow and soft, but SMOTHERING defense any day of the week.

slow dribble, slow shooting, slow passing, slow catching.

I'll take this too, as long as the ball goes in the hole.

never pass out when being double teamed.

That's because his shot while being doubled is better than a Rafer uncontested shot

play worse in clutch time.

Yeah, if you call worse never being passed the ball

no passion. can only get pissed by Amare.

So why is he averaging 25/10 this year and better in the playoffs??

a winner in business not in basketball.

Last time I checked Rockets had a winning record and are up 2-0

 

Bravo,

These are all true and FACTs.

All the lame excuses have worn thin over the years.

Shaq getting blocked by Ming in a meaningless regular season game cannot be compared to the humiliating clean in your face blockS from a no name Euro trash in the POST Season.

Countless times getting stripped, falling down while try to post up, slow indecisive moves to the basket, disgusting almost gay like fairy layups while 2 feet from the basket, putting two hands up like he was arrested by the Cops in a w**** house while trying to block a shot, jumping straight up two hands up within the circle lilke a moron when he trys to block a shot even when everyone tells hims that is against the rules, deciding when he wants to rebound or fight for them and not considering this aspect of a center is HIS JOB -day in day out job is to REBOUND!!!

jumper after jumper, after jumper . . .

These are Not (potential) Hall of Fame credentials.

these type of moves do not bring confidence in your teamates that you are a reliable leader and future champion.

I am getting sick of his Jeckal and Hyde personality.

 

It's pretty clear that soloman is a racist and would say Yao is dominant if he were black like him.

 

I love Yao. I love his game and I am thrilled he is a Rocket, but Solomon is right about his place among the greats of all time. To be mentioned with the best of the best, you have to have the kind of year Yao had this year for 6 or 7 years straight and NOT be marred by injury.

That does NOT DIMINISH what he has accomplished or change the fact that he is the best center in a game proliferated by power forwards playing that position. The guy is a phenomenal talent and still has plenty of room for improvement.

I don't know if he'll ever be ranked among the best 7 or 10 centers of all time. Even at his pace now, top 5 is unrealistic given the fact that most of those guys did it from their rookie year virtually until they retired with little or no let up.

But, that doesn't make him any less great right now and it should be NO SOURCE FOR CRITICISM of Yao himself. The guy is a massive talent and I for one am really glad he's on our side.