How will playing for the Rockets affect Yao Ming’s game?

When Ming actually gets the ball, instead of the guards losing it half court, he can definitely be a big threat.

I'm sure we will see a lot of pick n roll, and with Steve and Cuttino's driving ability, the center's will definitely have to come up on them, leaving Ming with a nice 10ft jumper (hopefully).

The USA vs China game is great experience for Ming, but he won't be going against O'Neals, Wallaces' and Davis' everynight.

 

I think he'll get more touches which either means more pnts or assists. I mean......you CAN'T really do anything but block without the ball right?

 

Actually, one could argue that the WC Centers are more formidable than US Worlds Team. Facing these guys 4x each is not exactly a cakewalk - Shaq, Robinson/Duncan, Divac/Pollard, LaFrentz, Nesterovic/Jackson, James/Drobnyjak, Rasheed Wallace (maybe Sabonis!). Heck, even Kandi, Tsakalides, Fortson and Dampier (when not injured).

Yao Ming has his work cut out for him...but he think he has the ability and attitude to succeeed.

 

I yao ming will get more touches from the Rox than from the Chinese NT.... I were thinkin about yao getting a ton of assists this season.... triple-double will be pts,rebs, and assist

 

Surrounded by Frances, Mobley, Griffin, Taylor, et al, Ming will become another player. He will bear little resemblance to the center on the Chinese national team. If the NBA teams make him the focus of attention, Frances et al will tear them up, if they ignore him, in time, he will dominate. The Rockets appear to be loaded with first line talent and moderately deep.

 

Just like in the World Games ,Yao Ming will be the Center of attention on the court with the Rox. This will be just great, double teams, triple teams, but this time the senario has changed from a less than good team, to a first class NBA team. The Rox are now loaded with scorers and should be able to take advantage of all the open places, on the court ,that Yao Ming will create! Afer a while Teams will have to adjust, to the fact that they can't keep leaving too many open scorters and that Yao Ming is an excelent passer. After this happens then the Rox will become more of a Center oriented Team.

 

I'm curious as to how Rudy plans on using Yao, as well. I wonder if he'll implement a High Post Offense, since that's what Yao's used to. I'd love to see him touch the ball on 80% of the offensive possesions, if only so he can pass to a cutter or spot-up shooter. He's proven that you can't back up off of him on defense. Which brings to mind an interesting question:

What's the strategy against The Lakers?

Do we keep Yao on the outside and force the Lakers to either

a) Pull Shaq out of the box

or

b) Guard Yao with Horry's long arms on the outside and with Shaq if Yao goes inside


There's no way Yao gets position on the Gorrilla, so I'm curious as to how we plan on attacking The Lakers or other teams with centers nearly as strong. I think even if the other team guards Yao with a smaller forward, Robert Horry type player with long arms, Yao is still able to hit the J facing the basket.

I agree with crash, I think Yao has a major impact this year. His presence alone makes teams change the way they play defense against the Rox. Even if he only scores ten points a game (which I think is lower than what his actual average will be), he will make a significant, positive impact on the Rockets if he's able to log the minutes.

That's really the key, imho. He's got to learn to adjust to the American style of play, which is all about driving to the basket and trying to draw the foul. Playing to the officials, that's what American basketball will teach him more than anything. What can you get away with, and what can you not?

It's my biggest gripe about the NBA game today, but it's the first lesson Yao has to learn.

 

Crash and Gascon, I agree with your assessments completely. Either Yao averages 15 or Steve is going to average 25 or more. Who in the world is going to stop Steve from going to the hole. The answer is nobody. So he either scores or passes to an agile 7'5 target. If MoT and Rice comeback relatively healthy and bring their jump shooting ability into play, the Rockets are definitely moving up the food chain.
I wouldn't quite put them with the Lakers and Kings yet (there is an experience factor they have to get, especially a playoff one) but everyone else including the Mavs are on notice. The Run and Shoot is back in Houston.

 

And we don't even have to worry about the Bills.

 

Exactly, just watch what Bateer has learned after only 1 year in NBA.

 

Hmm...I didn't think about that. Good point. Now I'm just more excited.

BTW, I went past "as giddy as school girl" a long, LONG time ago. Anybody else the same?

 

Most definately Ming's biggest problem is gonna be adjustin to the speed/style/aggressiveness of the NBA game and stayin outta foul trouble. Until then, I think that Ming will have some sort of an impact while he's in the game, but he won't be able to have a truly significant impact.

Thankfully, I don't think it'll take him that long to adjust and stay outta foul trouble.

As far as the effect of the Rockets on Ming's game, I think he'll know what Shaq feels like when he has Kobe standin out in the perimeter, and likewise Francis/Mobley will realize what Kobe feels when he has Shaq down low. With all the weapons this team has, once they gel they will be damn near impossible to stop unless people start gettin injured again.

 

Playing for the Rockets will have a positive affect on Ming's game. I cant wait to see Ming get double-teamed with the rockets cause the rest of the league is gonna pay every time with a Boki 3 pointer or a Mo Taylor monster dunk.

 

What about something from Franchise, the Cat, or Griff-dawg?

 

Yao can be used as a point center, like the Spurs did with Robinson for a time (when he was healthy and before the arrival of Duncan). That is, position him at the high post. Every play goes through him. Let him decide whether to pass it or to take the shot or to drive and dish or to pass it outside and reposition himself in the low post for an inside attack.

A point center set is a truly inside-out game and it can have many options and be very creative.

That takes experience and maturity, of course. Maybe 2 or 3 years down the road. But he has already shown that he has the basketball sense to do it well.

 

I'm fairly calloused as far as the NBA refs are concerned. Shaq gets all the calls because of his "superstar" status -- the NBA needs that and the refs (wink, wink) understand what the NBA wants and needs.

Fortunately, the NBA wants (and perhaps needs considering the decline in overall fan attendance) Ming to be a superstar like Shaq. Therefore, he will soon get the calls like Shaq.

Once that happens, Rudy can use Ming in the high post, middle post or low post. He will get his share of points, and his teammates will have a field day. The Rockets are on their way back, baaabeee.