ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Mavericks 12/2/2004

There is a difference between not making Yao your #1 offense and saying he's worthless.

Some of the people who stuck of Yao and his 18pts and reb. a night alos posted that they believe that Tmac should be the first option and that it was his team, and not Yao's. That doesn't mean that Yao is worthless or a waste.

 

Yao tried, he really tried last nite. I saw an aggressiveness at both ends of the court that I haven't seen in a while. I'm not too worried about his offense; if he keeps getting good post position, his shots will fall.

What is obvious is that he hasn't learned the subleties of what works and what doesn't with respect to the officiating. In other words, he hasn't learned to "game the system" of NBA officiating. What he gets called for, others get away with. And you can just see and feel his frustration. He'll learn over time (I hope) that the aggressor gets the calls. It's not fair at all, and flies in the face of who he is: honest, fair, respectful, unselfish...but that's the way it is. (But then, I'm still trying to understand Greg Maddux' strike zone!!) He is going to have to will himself to become a bully, and then he'll earn the official's "respect." If he ever does that, and it's a big if, he can help lead us to the elite team status.

D R

 

But if he can't play D, cant block a shot, and rebounds like a 6'8 center instead of 7'6''center, then what is he? The Rockets are giving Yao every opportunity to succeed but he is just not doing it. They got rid of Francis and Mobley because they wouldn't pass him the ball. They brought in players who wouldn't take shots away from him ot TMac. They tailored the offense so everything had to be through him. What more can the Rox do? This guy is leading them to a 6-11 record so JVG better wake up and realize this guy ain't cutting it before its too late.

 

I agree. If anything I would likek to see a shift in the offensive scheme. You have to have Yao as a option to keep the defense from collapsing on TMac every play. Yao is a work in progress and I remember alot of people on this board saying that they would just be happy with a "Rick Smits" type player when Yao was drafted and right now thats what we have. IMO this is going to be TMac`s team BUT you have to have a 1-2 punch and a presence inside and Yao does that.

 

He's just someone who gets under your skin, someone who pisses u off, someone who makes all your posts on this board are bitter, and most importantly someone who gets your idol steve traded IN YOUR OPINION. For me he has done quite an awesome job.

 

Are you saying the way people play BB in China is this: I got the last rebound, it's your turn this time or I scored the last pts, pls take the ball to the hoop and I let u lay it in ...

I am telling you if Yao can jump more than 10 in off the ground, if he can run like a deer ... if he can grab all rebounds ..... he would .... but physically he just can't.

 

That was a nice show from T Mac. If the rest of the team would just do thier job playing d and getting rebounds we would be a good team.

 

I don't know why we try to argue any kind of logical point with amed, or any of the "Yao-haters" on this board. They hate Yao, hate his presence on the roster and do not want him in Houston. And, there's nothing that will change thier minds. Arguing, till we are blue in the face, is not going to change anything. I just think it is funny that we see nothing from them when Yao scores 30+. Of course, that is all "Yao-haters" look at. Nevermind the 14 boards or the 2 blocks. Let's just forget about the times he sets great screens or makes a nice pass out of a double-team.

 

You nailed it. Acturally there won't be any winner in those debates. So why we still post here? Just for fun, right? And I think the players that we root for will shut them up.

 

Great game by the Rox even though they lost. We had soo many chances/scenario to win the game. What would've been, if T-Mac had made that free-throw to take the lead? If sura had made the 3 ball? If Yao had not fouled out? If Dirk was called for the obvious charged on Yao plus the walk? If a screen was set for T-mac? Stuff like this was always on my mind after that game but I guess it was just the Mavs night especially for Dirk who was on fire. I really hope the players don't take this one too hard and will continue to play at this high of a level. Again, great game but a depressing lost.

Does anyone know why Don Nelson always carry and use that seat chusion for his chair on the bench? I mean, the chair already has chusion on them so he must have hemmoroid or other similiar health problems.

 

Right on. A lot of posters on this board have got to learn how to ignore Yao haters, whose only pleasure they get is from bashing Yao after Yao gets a bad game. They often pretend they are Rockets fan, and they care so much about the team. However, the reality is that only things they are interested in the team is to see Yao fail at the expense of Rox.

you probably can hear him screaming, pulling his hair every time Yao scores if you listen harder.

 

I think alot of people (including myself) are just frustrated with Yao. I think we should know by now that he will not be a great defensive player in this league. However that does not mean he still cant be a dominant force on the offensive end of the floor. Once he stops picking up stupid fouls and gets more respect from the refs i think he can accomplish that.

 

Depends, I still think that Yao could be very effective on the defensive end if JVG use him correctly. If Yao can stay around the lane area, he can block the lane and stop guards from penetrating. Right now, JVG is making Yao running around on the perimeter, he is 7 freaking 6, speed is not his advantage!

 

the problem with that is that Yao cant just stay in the lane against most teams since most teams are using a smaller player as center against yao that can shoot a little jumper (McDyess for example). Additionally when Yao has stayed in the lane he just picks up stupid fouls trying to pick up charges against smaller players. He even said in the paper today something like "from the frist time i started playing basketball my coach always thought me to get in the lane and put my hands up". this shows that his mentality is not always to block the shot but rather pick up a charge. Most refs will never give him that call however.

 

No, that is more like Mo saying, "I surrender, don't kill me, please."

 

Don't forget he was also saying

"Im more important than you Yao....go ahead and take the foul for me"