Link To Article I didn't see this article posted here, saw the chron blog article, not this one. If I missed it, lock it up!! March 28, 2007, 12:28AM Yao has reason to cry foul Rockets center says refs aren't giving him calls By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle With the frustration welling inside him for days, Rockets center Yao Ming tried to come up with a response that would not leave the wrong impression or draw the attention of the NBA word police. He could not. He let out a long sigh, like a steam engine at the end of its run, and said only, "I don't know how to answer your questions." But his body language had screamed of his discontent. For two days, he had been reminded of the many times he had believed he had been fouled before, after and during his shots without hearing a whistle. This, he had seemed to accept between games of the Rockets' Sunday-Monday back-to-back as life of an NBA big man. But after two games struggling with many parts of his game and even his reliable shooting touch, he had grown tired of being as draped in frustration as he had been with defenders. Choosing words carefully "I feel like it's harder to move quicker," Yao said, choosing his words carefully. "Obviously, from my strength and my skill, when they play with deep, deep contact on me, I can't get very comfortable shots. Some of (it is) my problem. Some I would say (Sunday night) I got only two free throws; (Monday) I got seven, three in the last two minutes. "I mean, come on. It should be more than that. I do my part. I fight inside. But if they don't give me the call, then they don't give me the call." Yao took 22 shots in each game, making seven Sunday, nine Monday. In a stretch after his 4-for-4 start against the Hornets on Sunday, he made three of 22, admitting some of his frustration about calls had an impact on his play. "A little bit, but move on. Move on," he said. "Think about the two games in L.A. (tonight against the Clippers and Friday against the Lakers) and hopefully, get better in those two games." In his previous game against the Clippers in Los Angeles, he led the Rockets to a 108-103 win, scoring 32 points and at one point shouting, 'You can't ... stop me.' " He was hurt in the first quarter of the Rockets' second game against the Clippers, and had just 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting March 14. He was 38-of-72 in the next four games, before making just 16 of 44 attempts in this week's back-to-back. But he did seem certain of the solution to the frustration. "For my part, I'll fight through it," he said. "I did it too late (Sunday) night." But none of this is anything new to Yao. He and the Rockets often have spoken about how he is officiated and what he must control. "After four years and 70 games, whatever is permissible is going to stay the same," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "There's nothing that's going to change it." But he said Yao can do something about playing through "whatever is permissible." Two-step plan "Second shots would be No. 1," Van Gundy said after Yao had gotten one offensive rebound in three games. "Two, just (play) stronger and jump through the contact. Other than that, just keep playing. Nothing is going to radically change. Whatever is deemed permissible contact is going to be deemed permissible contact going forward. "I'm not concerned with Yao making or missing (shots). I'm more concerned with what precedes the making or missing, and defense and rebounding that I think should be consistent with our team in general." Still, Yao's shot had long been as reliable as the Rockets' defense and rebounding. Every complaint about non-calls, every scowl or stomp, seemed to have been followed the past two games by missed shots. The Rockets don't expect that to last.
yeah I wish there was a way to televise something where the officials sit down and look at some of the calls of games they've officiated, and explain why certain contact in the paint aren't fouls. I'd like to hear their explanation, and I'd like to hear them they were wrong. I remember earlier in the season, Bonzi goes up for a layup and NO CALL. Funny thing is, someone hit his head so hard, his headband went flying off. And its like, PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, call a foul refs.
The closest thing to that would be Making the Call with Ronnie Nunn on NBATV. I believe it comes on tonight, actually...6:30 or 7pm I can't remember. He goes over certain questionable/confusing calls from recent games and explains why they were correct or incorrect. It's actually a great show. Remember against the Bulls when Rafer was taking the ball out of bounds on the sideline and he shuffled his feet? The Bulls wanted a traveling violation but didn't get one. Turns out it was the correct (non)call because the man taking the ball out is allowed to move "one stride's distance" left or right. Very interesting tid bit, I thought. Anyway, I doubt they would ever do any kind of focus on Yao's trouble with the refs. That would take a whole show.
Never put these two events together until now. I'm not saying there's a connection; just an interesting chain of events. I hope he drops 40 and 20 on Captain Caveman tonight.
"I'm not concerned with the team making or missing shots. I'm only concerned with what precedes the making or missing, and defense and rebounding are the only things that I think should be consistent with our team in general." Edited to reflect JVG's true overall philosophy.
Theo Ratfliff is no Ben Wallace, or Hakeem Olajuwon defensively, but he was pretty good in his day at defending the post and swatting shots. One of Yao's top 10 plays ever still comes fromhis rookie year when Ratliff pissed him off on one end, so Yao came down, backed Ratliff under the basket and slammed it in his face. I'm all for Yao getting more foul calls. But he is now a bigger, stronger, faster, more skilled and overall better version of his rookie year self. Bring a couple of power dunks every game, and then he'll start getting more calls. Count on it.
Maybe Yao should wear a lot of "PostIt" (or something that will not fall off unless the opponants foul on him) on him, so he will have physical evidence.
That would require an entire dedicated season in itself. Best part about it is that 85% of the time they will get it obviously wrong. Like I said earlier, if they give Yao 10% of the calls he'll shoot 8-10ft per game and average 30/10
JVG needs to borrow a phil jackson line and get fine $50k for Yao, yes I realize he already has a fine of $100K for opening his mouth. However, that should not stop him from complain or getting a technical on behalf of Yao. I can't remember JVG being thrown out of game for arguing calls, so JVG it's on you to same something to the officals. I agree that Yao is getting murdered in the paint without a call. I think shooting fade aways also hurt Yao. The drop step move would create a lot of fouls for the defender on Yao.
Jeff Van Gundy is the leader of this team. This team is entirely coach dependent and will fall apart completely against a decent team if he's kicked out of a game. This isn't like the days when Rudy would throw a fit and Dream, Clyde, and the rest of them would improvise and win it out. This current Rockets team lives and die by Van Gundy's system, meaning their players are not used to improvising. That's why JVG can't get kicked out. I don't want Charlie Ward coaching us the rest of the game.
Even being a long time Rockets fan, and watching how Dream was officiated, I had a hard time believing what I was seeing in that last game. It was shameful and I was more than a little surprised Yao or a coach didn't draw a technical. They showed amazing restraint.
Absolutely true, I agree completely. Shameful is the approriate word. What is wrong with the league officials? Something must be done. They are allowing players to simply beat up on Yao, they can do virtually anything to him. And then near invisible "touch" fouls are called on him. He can't breathe hard on a player. It is absolutely ridiculous. Dream never got this kind of disrespect.
What get's me is that "BIG Z" can get away with a trip on Yao...but when C Paul jumps in front of Yao while Yao is in full run down the court C Paul practically jumps into Yao falls down taking out his legs and gets free throws at the other end...that pissed me off.
Good god that was an awful retrospect of the two extremes. Those two plays right there are the hypocrisy of the Yao officiating.
