http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/4270621.html Oct. 19, 2006, 12:27AM Yao dislikes what he sees Center unhappy with his play after taking time off By FRAN BLINEBURY Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle If the question was how much difference nine days on the sideline can make in a 7-6 center, the answers were all around. Yao Ming popped open for a turnaround on the left baseline, and the shot kicked off the rim. Yao gathered himself, spun and tried one of his bread-and-butter fadeaways from 5 feet in the lane, and it rolled off. Yao put up a jump hook down on the low block, and it clanked. Then there was the 9-footer that didn't make any sound at all because it connected with nothing but air. After missing seven of eight shots in the first quarter Wednesday night, Yao finished with a respectable line of 22 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes of a 111-97 exhibition victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Toyota Center. For Yao, it's not a problem with the sore left toe anymore, but just trying to get into game shape and develop an offensive rhythm after missing nearly 1 1/2 weeks of training camp. He shot 3-for-9 in Dallas on Tuesday and wound up 8-for-21 against the Bucks. But the shots that went in were mostly dunks and putbacks. "It felt hard," Yao said. "We didn't play well in the first quarter. I didn't play well in the first quarter. I was missing shots that I usually make. They were easy shots, and I wasn't shooting well." Fatigue an issue It wasn't a case of the Bucks collapsing on Yao defensively. For the most part, his offensive struggles came when he was being guarded straight up by 6-9 Brian Skinner. "No, it's not the foot," Yao said. "That wasn't a problem. It seems like my turnovers are going up and my shooting is going down." Yao appeared to be rushing his moves on offense and not getting the proper elevation on his turnarounds or his jump hook. Until he started to clean up around the basket, he looked every bit like someone who'd been away for nearly 1 1/2 weeks of camp. "There's fatigue," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "He's in a constant battle with that. But he'll get into as good a shape as he can." With less than two weeks until the regular-season opener, the clock is ticking. "I can't say my conditioning was fine," Yao said. "Playing 28 minutes is good for me. But I need more time playing to feel the court, to feel my teammates, to feel my playing. "I was making mistakes, running to the wrong place and not knowing what to do. It will take time to fix that, and it's going to take some work." Feeling frustrated Of course, Yao had put in much of that work over the summer, getting back into game shape and getting himself into decent conditioning for the World Basketball Championship in August. By the time that competition was over, he was feeling on course to start the Rockets' training camp and pick up where he left off before breaking a bone in his foot last spring. Now, time is of the essence. "I feel rushed," Yao said. "That frustrates me. But I've got to put that frustration away and continue on." fran.blinebury@chron.com
This was fully expected, at least to me. I would be worried if he hadn't averaged 34.1 effective minutes per game last season, but he did. That shows that fatigue is something that he can overcome. In time, he'll be fine again.
The new balls which they usein CBA and FIBA are similar to the ones that are used in the NBA..similar components
according to Sina.com Yao did say 'i hate the new ball' or something like that. He also compared it to his first miserable western-style food experience.
How did you get to the post game quote from rockets.com? I could never find the post game quote section.
Yao will be fine by the start of the season. He has a whole month to get into shape. I don't like the look of the new ball. Has anyone touched the new ball and played with it?
^^^^^^^^ maybe Span is considering Canadian citizenship good on Yao for propping up his teammates. comments like that give a young guy like Span a lift, a confidence boost. Yao knows what he's doing when he makes a call like the Nash comparison for Span.
I think Steve Novak needs to teach the team about shooting with the newball because it seem she doesnt have a problem with it.
Do you know something about Novak that the rest of us don't? In any case, I think the griping about the new ball will decrease as the season progresses and the players get more familiar with it.
"seems he" "seem she". people don't all type at ridiculously slow speeds, and therefore, mistakes will be made.
well he did wipe his sweat with yao's towel in the dallas game.. i think yao has found a replacement for boki..
