Uhh...Are you expecting him to put up Shaq like numbers every night in his rookie season? Yao's numbers have steadily gone up. He's averaging 13 points per game now...didn't he average like 3 ppg in his first 5 or 6 games? yeah...get off whatever you are smoking, it's having a major effect on your thinking.
I'm still shocked that Yao's played this well right now. He really shouldn't be good until next year! But I guess what really bugged me was during the WBC, all the announcers were saying that he would have a very difficult time in the NBA when he is playing every day with the toughest players. Wait a minute. How would he have had a tougher time against the regular NBA players when he was dismantling the (second) best American players in the world?!?!
I suppose u said this as u see Ming's numbers are down from the breakout games he has..... I believe this is due to the opposing team starting to double/triple team him now..... u dun expect to still be able to put up such a high numbers with that kind of attention.... maybe later he will be able, but not now yet.... plus, We have Francis, Mobley doing the scoring job also.... so dun expect too much from Ming..... it is now TEAM ball that the Rocks are playing....
He's doing better than Shawn Bradley!!! He is probably one of the best rookie centers besides David Robinson- 24 ppg. Kobe and T-Mac and Kevin Garnett weren't superstars when they started. They took years to develop. So NO, Yao Ming is not hitting Rookie Wall now.
I don't know why you brought up just David Robinson. Hakeem, Zo, Shaq, Kareem, Moses, Wilt, Sampson, Ewing, etc. all put up better numbers than him. Of course, times have changed. Joe Smith was considered a terrible bust at 15.3 points a game as a rookie in 95. Nowadays, he would be rookie of the year. Things have changed in a short time and I'm not sure why. Even experienced players like Jay Williams and Drew Gooden aren't putting up numbers like the rookies of the mid-nineties.
I'm pretty sure 28 other teams wish they had a guy hitting a wall and still get 16pts 7rebs 4asst and 4blks. I'm surprised he's still playing this well, but he has to be tired. In a way, i hope he doesn't go to the all star or rookie game so he can get rest. I hope they make the playoffs, but i can't wait till Ming get some rest and enters next yr after a offseason workout.
Yao was playing below average, compared to his standard output after the break out game, in the last three games. I think it's due to the doube and triple teaming, prolonged minutes spreading his energy and playing 7 games in ten days. He needs a rest now, physically and mentally. Thanks for the prompt Christmas that gives him three days of rest.
Don't know if Smith was considered a "terrible bust", but you've pretty muched summed up the NBA of the past few years. If Phil Jackson can put up '*s', then so can I of the past few years. It's sort of like the Dark Ages for the NBA IMO. In about 3 or 4 years, it'll be much better and competitve...at least I hope so.
I beleive the NBA is going down hill from here on, picking up high school ballers instead of 4 year college seniors have excerbated the level of play in the NBA. Also, alot of college players with 1 or 2 years under their belt are leaving right away without actually honing their skills down. Thats why there'll be alot of bone head plays, lack of court awareness and intelligence...those young players have yet to develope those. Current basketball is not what it once was, like the days of Bird, Jordan, Drexler and others during the golden ages (80-90's). Almost every player drafted graduated from college back then. However, currenyly the NBA bball is one of the least watched sports spectacles when compared to football,baseball and hockey; we're watching players develop instead of them actually playing real basketball.
Plus, there's expansion coming AGAIN next year, meaning another dozen players in the NBA who have no reason being here. More CBA rejects and 19-year-old bench-warming "projects."
If what he is doing now is hitting the rookie wall then the future is bright for us. I think the reason his FG% go down compare to earlier in the season is he is taking shot that are heavily challenge by the defender. Early in the season his shots were in with the flow of the game. Now he had to create his own shot and the defense are gear to stop him. He is probalbly also feeling more tired now that he play more minute than the beginning of the season. I think his Fg% are going back up when he start to adjust against the defenses that were throwed at him.
It's looking like he's so tall, he's just going to step over that rookie wall. I'm glad he got this rest, and I hope he misses starting at the ALL Star Game by 100 votes or so, and doesn't get picked by coaches. So he can rest. But if he has to play the rookie game anyway, then I hope the coaches pick him for the real game.
I dont feel Yao has hit the rookie wall at all. What has happened, is defenses have started to account for him in their game plans against us. They are giving him different looks via the zone, fronting, and double teaming. Up until the last week or so, teams have pretty much been playing Yao one on one, with the occasion zone/fronting. Yao has done most of his damage one on one. Im actually very suprised it took defenses this long to start throwing different looks at him. I felt that after the SA game, teams would do this more. IMO, it really started around/near the Miami game. The rest of the season will be very interesting to watch. Yao is going to have to learn how to beat the various defenses he sees. Just like a quarterback does in football. Hell have to learn when to shoot and when to pass. I would like to see Yao be more assertive with his post moves. I think hes holding the ball a lil to long. I know he does this so he has time to read the defense and look for cutters. However, as we have noticed several times, this gives a wing player on the defense time to come from behind and strip the ball from him. This can be prevented in two ways 1) Yao should make his move to to shoot or pass quicker and 2) Yao's teamates need to warn him when their man has left them and is attacking yao from the blindside.
it would be fun to measure how many rebounds get tipped by Yao to our team and result in an official rebound, though not for Yao, but kept alive by Yao and also measure how many shots get changed by Yao, like the NFL stat QB passes hurried! If this were in the stats, Yao would lead the league in these areas too. My point here is that Yao is doing so many things right now on the court that make a difference that shooting is not always going to be there. He is such an all around player....I expect the Rookie wall to be numbers in the single digits...not double doubles. A double double means he is active...single digits means he was not. If you notice when he has a double double, he also has high assists and high o rebounds and high blocks and probably high change shots and high tips.
