Let me put it this way, if Shaq doesn't play well, Yao doesn't take credit, because 1. Shaq's fault, 2. team effort, helf defense. But yao still has to take the blame, coz he didn't capitalize on Shaq's off night. But if Shaq plays well, Yao has to take the full blame, because he's supposed to stop Shaq. If Shaq plays great, then let's get Yao's head. And, you called yourself a Rockets fan. Maybe you didn't.
You're a Laker's fan right? Yao for Shaq, straight up, disregard salaries. Do you take? Age is a factor. Let's say Shaq is two years younger, do you take?
Let me put it this way, Yao played decent but we need more, who cares what Shaq did or didn't do, fact of the matter is we did not get what we needed from Yao. I could give Yao all the credit in the world and it means nothing, all that matters is what he does on the floor for those 48 minutes (well 32 minutes and not a second more) Yao has not given us what we needed to win.
It really depends on whether what you "needed" is reasonable. Yao didn't have a great game, no arguement about it. But he was relatively good tonight. If you tell me he can cancel out Shaq on average performance, I would take that everyday. We lost because we went away from first half's game plan. We lost because of lacking of depth. But it's not because of Yao. I always say that at work, don't point fingers, we succeed or fail as a team. Basketball is still a team game. The Lakers understands that. And that's also the difference between Malone and GP.
Why should we not care what Shaq did tonight? Surely you don't mean that if the team loses, all players get Fs, while if we win, all players get As. Yao didn't play badly. He played in a very inexperienced fashion, and made many mistakes. But to not give any credit to him for Shaq's performance is just wrong. Just like one shouldn't discount Mobley's defense on Kobe last game just because we lost that one.
I think the single biggest problem for Yao is: footwork. After he put on 20 lbs, and played back-to-basket low post game for the season, he has lost his footwork. We don't see anything close to the "Shanghai shake". His style has changed, but on the way he's lost something valuable. In recent games it has become clear that if oppenents guard him tight, he has trouble shaking off the defense. His baby hook is not working either because his legs are not there. I hope he will work on it this offseason.
yao should have taken over today. He had his chances, Shaq was in serious foul trouble so he never really got into his rythum. I don't understand how Yao didn't fully take advantage of this. .....SF had a great game......oh well. He was pretty much the only player who really showed up tonight. What is up with our FT?! We can't hit our freebies, it was pissing me off. We kept on hitting only 1 of 2.
Yao ming was 5-16 (15 points) before he hit three consecutive shots in the garbage time. He had 4 rebounds and 1 blocks in 40 minutes! He also had 4 TOs. This is not a good performace by any stretch of imagination. Shaq only got 7 points, but he grabbed rebounds, blocked shots, had no TOs and let Kobe do his things. That is what Yao should learn. Sometimes if your shots are not falling or you are in the foul trouble, you can still contribute in other ways.
Yao has been like this since he came into the league. He wont crash the boards or bang in the post. Even though he has the size to do so. He needs to get nasty. I don't like him settling for jump shots, and I don't like hearing about how he is tired. Every interview he does he complains about how he is tired. Who cares if you are tired Yao, JVG had it right. Hopefuly JVG's toughness will start wearing off on him.
Yao should learn to grab rebound, block shots, protect the ball...yes! BUT "let Kobe do his things"? Yao is not luck enough to have a Kobe.
We lost as a team. No single player should take the blame. It seems that someone has to be blamed every time we lost. It's so pathetic. Please show more support to our players...
We had the fortune of the refs calling fouls on Shaq. That does not happen all the time. I don't think most of us demand the domination of Shaq. Yao should bring his inside post game and take his lumps. Those screens and lower percentage jumpers are an easy out, and they give his teammates the credible excuse for not giving him touches. Yao is probably fatigued, but this is the post season. His teammates need something to rally on, and it's not going to be Steve Francis's shotgun drive and pray for a break.
It's not that Yao is playing poorly. He's playing decently. But that's the problem. In the playoffs, you have to raise your intensity level. Raise you effort level. Yao has raised neither, and that's a very troubling sign. The bottom line is, in the playoffs, you find out what kind of player you really have. You find out if you have a guy that can rise to the occasion. Yao is playing decently, but I haven't seen any fire or desire in his play. And these have been the tings that I have questioned all along. Of course, Malone if pushing and mugging him in the post. That's what playoff basketball is all about. If you can't over come that, you're alway going to be an average playoff performer.
aaaahhhhhhhh Yao gets a taste of the treatment francis has gotten for the last two years Rocket River I blame JVG . . . and Yao should have been more aggressive
It's interesting to see what some folks consider good and bad games. FWIW, here's the +/- for the Rockets 1st 6: Cato > -16 Francis > -15 JJax > -13 Taylor > -11 Mobley > -9 Yao > -9
Yao can't shoot if he doesn't get the ball, he did a good job in the first half. He didn't get many touches in the second half. He was getting mugged, but at least get him the ball and wait for the whistle. I still think he expends too much wasted effort setting picks all over the floor for the dribblers. You've got to love the way he sacrifices his game for the team, but he remains a little too unselfish. Get down in the block and demand the ball Hakeem-style.
