ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Timberwolves 12/16/2003

Yao's disinterest in tonight's game, I think, is a kind of protest. Imagine you are a very hardworking center playing with basics and team spirit. Every time you would run up the court, get good positions despite double-teamed. But your point guard just ignores you most of the times and put up bricks. When this selfish PG's shots connnect, it's OK as I guess Yao don't care whose shots as long as the team wins. Now this PG is in a shooting slump and he still puts up bricks time after time. Of course, Yao would be frustrated and lose interest. I suspect if this kind of play persists for a few more games, there would be big changes in the Rockets - SF and Yao would play for different teams. May be this is a good thing for both of them as their styles won't match.

 

One thing for sure: LeBron will own SF.

 

I definitely think it frustrates Yao to get good position have no ball coming to him in the post when he wants it. This is why I think the Rockets need a passing point guard to make decisions on this team. Get the ball out of Steve's hands. Put it into the hands of someone who gets it to the player in the best position to score whether it is Yao or Steve. Steve should not be a decisionmaker.

 

I don't like this trade.

Why should I care if Yao will "get a whole lot of Chinese basketball fans" in Oakland?

Why would I even want Dunleavy on our team?

If we trade Yao, we need to get a ready-to-go PF plus two #1s.

This team is going nowhere as is.

 

That's BS. Yao was paid a lot of money to play basketball. If he really wants to protest, give back his paycheck and go on strike.

 

The Rockets had no flow on offense!

Yao started the game missing a couple of point blank shots and was never a factor again. Cat didn't get to shoot much. One time he hit a couple shots in a row and wasn't heard from again. Same with JJ.

We just don't know how to milk the hot hand. We can't establish the rhythm for any shooter. Why?

Stevie (I am gonna call him) Wonder only knows to get his own shots. Even most of his assists were forced out of him by the opponent's double team. Mooch was just himself. He simply doesn't belong in this league any more.

We had poor output from most positions, and players like Yao played very weak but the responsibility to get the team going has to be put on the PGs. They just don't make it easy for the guys around them. Good PGs make their teammates better. Ours just didn't get it done.

 

LOL!!!

bigballerj, you are right.

AND-1 type players never win championships. Yelling "AND-1" says, "What's in it for me!?" Or "Look at me, I deserve more!"

Do you see where our game has gone today? "And-1" and all that it stands for makes me sick! I'm just tired of it....

It's sad....

 

Sometimes I wonder if Steve is waiting for Yao to take the lead. Almost like, "You want this team? Ok, you can have it. Now take charge! Do something!"

But Yao is so shy that he doesn't want to....not sure... Leadership is so invaluable....sigh....

 

The sad part is that i don't think you can teach leadership. Either you have it in you or you don't...

 

Why doesn't Van Gundy try a new starting line-up? Anything new to try to jump start this sad, sad, team.

 

that was a terrible game to watch and i watched it
having said that, i thought yao played aggressively most of the time last night. quite a few times he was the first one run down the other side after the wolves scored. he worked hard to get position. it must be frustrating for him not getting the ball when he was open but getting the pass when he was struggling position which lead to turnovers.
on the other hand the game did show some of his weakness, like slow reaction and lack of explosiveness.
as the commentator said yao needs to develop into a dominant player before the rockets can go anywhere. i can't see a quick fix.

 

Honestly, Rockets team is Steve's team. I believe Mobley, MoT, Moochie and Cato are all steve's guy. I watched a lot of times they refused to pass inside.

In the rockets team, Eric P, JJ and Boki are Yao's playmates, and they like to find Yao first when they got the ball.


That's what I watched, forgave me if I am wrong.

 

Stop posting immediately.

 

Thank you! You are not wrong you are quite accurate on your observation. I have been saying it for a long time and posters just refuse to believe it.

 

I couldnt agree more.

 

In the Chinese national team, the guards were also blamed for not being able to pass the ball to Yao Ming. Does Yao Ming always play with bad guards or he is the one to blame? If I am the guard playing with Yao Ming, I wouldn't like to pass the ball to Yao Ming either because a lot of turnovers will be counted in my stats. When Yao is fronted, he is simply too slow to catch a lob pass. Yao's shooting percentage is pretty good. Let's say it is 50%. But the percentage of him catching the pass is only about 60%. So the total percentage is only 30%. Steve shoots better than 30%, right?

 

You need to get your fact straight. In Chinese National team, the guards can't even bring the ball to the front court without TO when pressed. They suck. Also Rocket's PG sucks too. worst ASS/TO ratio. That's the truth.

 

Do we suck that bad...I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry...

We need some help real bad...

 

Like some fans pointed out, Yao played like a sissy and looked tired even mid first quarter! I guess that is the major reason for Taylor's sub.

Now if Yao continued to play like this, he himself as well as Rockets will go nowhere.

Come on, big man! Get off your computer, stay away from your own BBS, stay away from the vedio games, and spend more time in the gym or just find a girl to pratise English and have fun!

And only by doing that, you will gain strength, run faster, grab rebounds tight, dunk with authority, and play like a man!

Otherwise, we are seeing another Shawn Bradley growing up!

 

How's that going to make Yao tougher and more aggressive?