I don't get this, why people have to link the hard nosed defense with thugging basketball? The big people are supposed to protect the basket, knock the little guys out if they dare to come into the lane. That's called old school, hard nosed defense. How can any 6'10"+ player guard the lighting quick 6' small guys like AI, Bibby, etc? When those guys come at you, you'll be called foul 9 out of 10 times because they are too fast for the big guys. To prevent that from happening, you have to put some doubt in their mind, knock them down hard a couple times. Hard fouls are not cheap fouls, you don't have to injury people to establish that reputation. The way Yao has been playing so far, he is sending an invitation to those guys. That's why he is the most challenged big-name center in the league. He's better to change it, or he will be constantly in foul trouble most of the nights.
There are numerous role models for Yao that don't approach the thug or ultra agressive level. Many NBA examples exist historically...McHale was tough without being on par with Laimbeer. The perfect model for Yao is Tim Duncan. IMHO, some improved fundamentals (ie footwork and sealing defenders off) is a better alternative than agrression.
