Great. So JVG is a YOF. Maybe, just maybe, he's looking out for what is best for the team, and what is best for the team is an aggressive Yao? It has come time to call out the hypocrisy of Tracy-only fans who claim YOFs don't care for the team, yet they show that themselves they don't care for the team by comments like these. Oh, and before you point out JVG's statement yesterday that the offense would stay the same as proof that JVG wants Yao in a deferring role, take the fact that he said "the ball will find Yao", combine it with this statement, and you get "If Yao aggressively stakes out post position and aggressively demands it, the ball will find him." Too bad, TOF's. You're not going to get what you want.
I agree with this, but Yao seems to have a bit too much self-doubt still. I don't think Timmy ever concerned himself over whether his presence was good or bad for the team. For some reason being confident and being an ass have been combined together, but this doesn't have to be the case. Yao needs to stay aggressive, because if he becomes passive, the ball will stop going into his hands, because teammates sense passivity and will just not pass the ball to him. This is what happened in 2004-2005, and with Yao's recent progress this would be a huge regression and a great disappointment. JVG is trying to stop that from happening. IMO when he said that he'd keep the offense the same, he didn't say that Yao would be in a deferring role. I think this is his attempt to implement an offense that tries to get both Yao and McGrady to be dominant, but for it to happen Yao needs to stay aggressive, which is why JVG made this statement. Right now he's not there speed-wise, so he defers a bit more, but JVG doesn't want him to stay in that mentality.
regardless, JVG's right if Yao's remotely feeling that the team is doing just as well without him. All he mentioned is that Yao is needed and that he should have a little selfishness in him to keep his attitude up. There's nothing wrong with that. Stop nickpicking at every word and interpret it differently for argument's sakes
Contract extensions don't always happen during the season. CD has said he'd wait till the end of the offseason to deal with all that because during the season, it would cause too much of a distraction. Sorry buddy, find something else to hate JVG.
I'm pretty sure JVG just want Yao to not waste his time and distract himself by thinking so much about how good or important he is or isn't... kinda similar to his comments earlier in the season about Tracy having to stop worrying about how much "Mac-ness" he had left and just play basketball. There are enough things to think about in a fast-paced game already, you don't need one more thing in the back of your mind. I doubt Yao Ming will ever be a stereotypical arrogant pro athelete like Terrell Owens in any case.... and I doubt that's what JVG wants out of Yao.
Van Gundy never mentions swagger if you read the article. That's the editor putting a title on the article. JVG lays down truth on Yao. JVG is saying, "You think we are better without you, Yao? Don't let that thought enter your mind. We need ya, big fella, and don't ever doubt that. No matter how many wins we got without you, brother." Here is the 11-page "We can win w/out Yao" thread. Where some people were questioning if we needed Yao. Of course, we need him and JVG agrees we are better with him and Yao shouldn't think otherwise and be so sensitive about it. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=122511
We all love how unselfish our boy Yao is, but he does need to add a little swagger to his game. Don't get on JVG's case about telling the truth.
Call it swagger or otherwise, we'd like to see a Yao with bigger INTIMIDATION. Don't care if it is via strength, via elbow, or via skills. The more intimidating he is, the easier it will be for him to play. Look at Shaq, when he is about to dunk, no one gets near him. When he gets a rebound, no one tries to get it out of his hand. Yeah, that's what we need Yao to do - punish those who even try.
