Yao's productivity probably cannot be improved. 25/10 is just about his limit. He can improve at intangible things like better positioning and fundamentals on defense and better passing and fewer turnovers on offense. He will never average 30 pts/game or 15 rebs/game over an entire season. I expect him to continue being a 20/10 player for 4-5 more years. That is good enough for me. My main concern with Yao long term is injuries and fatigue after the Olympics next summer.
you need to stop drinking the haterade. you seem to enjoy stalking this forum and posting responses to anything positive or encouraging about Yao. I guess your boy TMAC would not be a franchise guard either than, huh? since he's never advanced even during all those years in the pathetic east. good rationale there.
i think that is the misconception with adelman. after the dallas game where yao only took what? 9-10 shots? adelman distinctly said he needs to attack double teams and be aggressive. then the next game v. the spurs he did that. but for some reason these past few games, he's just been passing A TON, even when the double doesn't come. it's on yao. the coach can't tell yao to pass every time, just like adelman can't tell tmac to shoot or pass everytime. they're the stars of this team. nobody is gonna yell at yao for shooting if he wants to shoot it. most of the shots he takes are "good" shots.
not exactly a fair comparison when taken with the fact that the rules HEAVILY favor the guards/swingmen. Back then when Dream, Robinson, Ewing played the rules were more geared to post players.
that is quite a bundle to ask for. since we arent a championship team, we havnt gotten past the first round, and yao cant carry us without t-mac.
i didn't say yao will end up being considered a bust for a #1 pick. shaq allen iverson tim duncan need i go on? for every pick that's worse i can probably give you one that has had or will probably have a better career.
He's not as good as Robinsonbecause the Admiral was a better allround player. better rebounder, defender passer. however ewing is a stretch. the only thing pat has on yao is shooting. pat also had a better face up game. However yao is a better scorer and defender. players better then yao in there primes are Dream Shaq Wilt Russell Robinson Sabonis Brad daughrty Kevin McHale Isay he's on even footing or just better then walton, Ewing. there is probaly 2 players better then yao at the C position today. Dwight Howard and a motivated Shaq.
i think it's better if u read my post. the reason you're BLINDED is b/c you already said yao is going to win 2 championships. please, it's you who should relax with the jocking. obviously if yao is going two win 2 rings, he'll be above patrick at least b/c patrick didn't win. rings will elevate you. but i'm talking about RIGHT NOW AT THIS RATE (we're not a championship contender yet). that also means TMAC won't make it to the HOF if he goes at this rate. he won't be mentioned as one of the greats. get it? tmac, if he retires at this rate, won't get in the HOF first ballot. (so i'm jocking him, o really) PS - i don't want to go into the tmac-yao thing but apparently all yao fans think so when people criticizes certain part of yao's game.
They are plenty of things Yao can improve on. He's no way reaching his peak. The only reason he won't improve anymore is because he is contend with his 20/10 numbers and Adelman continues to misuse him. Things Yao can improve on. - his post up game. Stop wasting energy fighting for position. move around and wait for teammates to be ready to pass the ball. open up hand and ask them to throw the ball the hand. He can improve on his hook shot, and make that as his go-to move. It's even better if he can shoot with his right & left hands. Catch the ball and immediately go up for the hook without taking a dribble or bring the ball below the shoulder. DO NOT TAKE THE HOOK SHOT IF YOU GET PUSH OFF THE BLOCK. - use his butt/hip to push defender to create space instead of his hands/arms. - should spend more time in the middle of the paint right at the dotted line. ==== on defense, Yao can defend better. For example against Boozer, don't just stand back and wait for Boozer to put up the shoot and then challenge it. - he can't block it, but more importantly Boozer knows his shot won't be challenged. Occasionally, Yao has to go out and try to block it. If he gets beat, so be it. He has to send a message to Boozer that I'm going to go out and challenge your shot.
i would think that his stamina problem would have slowed him down over a full 82-game season. i'll believe it when i see it happen.
Lol tracy is having hes best year as a rocket. i say he is a better player then in 04-05.This team wins when tracy gets the ball and takes over games. yao's avge will endup coming down to around 23 to 21 because he and every tom, dick and harry knows tracy is our best player.we will have more success with him running the show.
not if yao dominates also w/ his 22-23 ppg and 10rpg, and 2-3 role players consistently stepping up. u can always count on tracy's 30, 7, 7 in the playoffs
Yao needs to perservere to reach the next level, but I (unlike you) think he has the tools and personal drive to get there. Cutting any of the great centers (with the exception of Wilt, Kareem and Russell) off at the age of 27 and you would have a real hard time making heads or tales of who ranked where. Anyway, Yao's proven he can dominate when played one-on-one like the past centers. We all remember what happened to Hakeem when he faced Seattle's double teams, which Yao faces practically on a nightly basis these days. I don't think the other centers would have fared any better than Hakeem against that type of D....except maybe Shaq since he's an athletic freak of nature.
The question is can he take the next step mentally? Physically, he will never be better than he is now. He is also so skilled I don't see him being able to add much there. But can he see the game "in slow motion" like all of the greats seem to do? Honestly, I'm not sure he can. His confidence seems to fade when he is having a bad night. He also seems to get so frustrated that he loses his composure at times. Yao just seems to lack the (I hate to use this word on this forum) swagger of Hakeem and MJ. Those guys KNEW when they got the ball it was all over. Yao seems to hope that when he gets the ball he will be able to do something good. I don't think Dream or Jordan ever wondered if they were going to dominate a game. Yao seems to lack that quality. I think we also need to ask ourselves if he is overachieving already? The guy, from everything I hear, works harder than anyone and obsesses over his performance. Maybe there isn't another gear for him to reach because he is already playing over his head? No matter what, I do believe this team with THIS Yao are good enough to win it all.
The major thing I want to see Yao improve on is his hands. Once the ball reaches his hands, it needs to be practically stuck on them. I've seen over the years that he sometimes have trouble catching passes, especially when he's fronted and the person needs to pass him a high ball. His shot when defenders are in front of him will definitely improve, now that he's trying to incorporate that to his offense. PS - Yao, LEARN TO PUMP FAKE It tears me up when guards/forwards predict your shots and raise sky high to block you.
I have a different opinon.. I think Yao still has room to grow. It's clearly that both Yao and Adelman are trying very hard to adapt to each other's game. Adelman's past experience/theory were not gear towards a quasi-super-star center like Yao. Until Adelman and Yao figure out a way to adapt to each other, Yao will continue to suffer under Adelman's system, at least on paper wise.
Atleast the Tmac show will make the playoffs. the ya show has proven it will never make the playoffs. how many losses have we had without tracy?.
Agree with all that you said, 'cept for the part about this team as currently constructed being good enough. I hate to say it because I love him, but we'd be much better off if we had Rudy Gay instead of Battier. Gay's slashing and aggression is something this team really lacks. I hope you're right, though.
Morey was correct in assessing Yao not getting any better. One, it brings expectations down to earth. Second, he's in his 6th year and 27. Most other players are viewed "as-is" instead of having "unlimited potential". Third, front office can be in accountability mode for immediate on-court results, instead developmental mode where they're waiting for the results. I believe Yao's at his peak, and if not for the business side and the crazy money he generates I'd consider trading him (A player perceived value and hype thats more than his actual value is the best kind to trade...*ex: Steve Francis)
