I think that when this thread first posted, Yao was not getting enough touches. Since then, we've seen his production go up in points (but his fg % way down) and he has made some incredible passes (ESPN top 10 play last week). However, in the last few games, his "touches" have been mediocre. i still agree that he should get more touches, but some of his passes( I don't know if it's because he feels confident after his highlight reel passes of late) have been poor decisions. A few of them have been turnovers where he made good passes but nobody read him. Some passes goes back out when he should have shot it miself. He still needs to get a better grip on the ball whether he goes for a shot or passes it back out. Bottom line is, he's still learning and as someone mentioned in a diffrent thread, the League is adjusting to him. Now he needs to adjust to how he's being played. I though despite 15 points and 10+ boards, Miami did a good job of boxing him out last night. It would also help if Eddie developes into a more consistent shooter that we all know he can be.
Do you really want to know the difference between Steve Francis and Yao Ming? <B>Championships</B> Yao Ming has the ability to give the Rocket team a chance to win championship(s). Steve Francis has the ability to distroy that dream. <B>Yao Ming Leaving Houston</B> Yao Ming will most likely leave Houston once his rookie contract ends in 5 years (4 years guaranteed and 1 year team choice). Yao Ming will probably go play for the Lakers or Knicks. <B>Here are the reasons why</B> 1) Winning championships comes first (not sure how Rockets feel on this issue...jury is still out...I'll wait till playoffs to make my decision) 2) Larger Chinese population 3) Larger Market in general
So lemme get this straight ......Yao his going to leave Houston for NY because they win championships?? You need one of these ----->
Beautiful!!! One of my favorite posts has just been revived. And for good reason. It seems that people are noticing the direct relationship between Yao Ming's involvement in the offense and the W's. It's very simple, actually... Yao Ming is touching the ball often -- Rockets win. Yao Ming barely gets any shots or touches --- Rockets lose. But, I'm tired of complaining. The Rockets coaching staff and front office know who the future of this franchise is. And they know it's not Steve Francis. But, they also know that given time, if Steve Francis and Yao can develop a chemistry, it will be a deadly combination. However, Steve and Cuttino are obviously going to have to get sick of losing before they will buy into any system that takes the ball out of their hands. This is where the line is drawn between true champions and perennial losers. The true champions learn to trust their teammates, and they put team and victories in front of their personal stat sheets. We'll see soon enough if Steve and Cuttino are more interested in winning or in their own personal agendas.
I think Steve and Cuttino have come a long way with integrating Yao into the offense. I think it's also clear to EVERYONE that when Yao gets a touch, good things happen. Now, if so, why isn't Yao STILL getting the ball more? My only answer is simply: NOT ENOUGH PRACTICE. The Rockets, having not had a full training camp with Yao, simply don't have the Post angles and Post passes down yet. Once everyone, including Yao understands the passing and post positioning, which I anticipate should happen rapidly as we progress through this regular season... the offense will be beautiful. To date, the Rox offense can still get away with the SF and CAT show and average 85+ppg. That is definitely respectable. But it's raising the FG% as a team that will really demoralize our opponents. This is where I think getting Yao more involved in the offense will pay BIG TIME DIVIDENDS.
The other thing I would mention is that Yao is not yet, a comfortable post player. I don't think it's a stretch to say that, anecdotally, Yao still prefers to face up to the hoop vs. having his back to the hoop. Perhaps its simply habit from his days on the Shanghai Sharks. But for him to become REALLY EFFECTIVE, it's gonna require that he get comfortable - establishing position AND making quick decisions - in the post. Everypart of me says, "YES, the dude is smart enough to adapt." But to date, I think Yao is still not 100% comfortable with the lo post. theSAGE
