Agree with most of this, but I do think Yao gets screwed on the low block, 2 hands in the back and pushed off a ton. At 7'6" tall his center of gravity is very high compared to others which makes it easy to dislodge him......ala Hanzlik and Ralph Sampson. Yao could do more by getting lower and spreading wide, but for some reason he has not improved his game much these last 3 years. DD
Good Post. Lee no matter which way you cut it Yao has just got poor balance, he's the complete opposite of Hakeem. I remember as a kid being taught by coach Abe Lemons of UT that balance was everything in basketball, you can't be a great player without it. I guess in Yao's case nature compensates, the game wouldn't be fair if he had athletic agility at 7'6. He definetly has some holes in his game and I think his growth as a basketball player has been stunted due to him being so injury prone. But your right he is what he is.
Hakeem got fouled nearly every single time he was in the post with the ball. Lord knows Yao isn't Hakeem, but we need to stop expecting the refs to suddenly call it "fairly." No big man is officiated "fairly." Yao is NOT going to get any better. He peaked in 2006. That's another reason we had to bring in Artest. TMac can't carry the load anymore, and Yao isn't dominant enough to pick up the slack.
How does Rafer continuously shoot at approx. 30 percent and still get over 30 minutes a game. I am not trying to bash Rafer, but ever since he was inserted back into the starting lineup and Brooks was placed on the bench, this team has gone nowhere. I'm sure there are other variables involved, but Rafer is the weakest link.
Hakeem would punish people that reached in though, Yao will not....if Yao just got a little meaner and elbowed a few guys, gave em some stitches as Bullard said, they would stop coming in and poking the ball away. Also, Yao should lean into the defender when shooting, do not let them jump and block his shot. Last night he had the ball 2 feet away from the rim, and Ratliff jumped and blocked it twice...all Yao has to do is go to the basket...lean in...and Ratliff is trapped underneath with no option to foul. Honestly, I am a little dissappointed that Yao has not learned more tricks of the trade by his 7th year. DD
I have been on Rafer's case since he has been here; I am convinced that he doesn't start for any other team in the NBA. But, I think at the moment, TMac is the weakest link. He is sucking at both ends of the court. He needs to sit.
Yao still holds the ball low, still hesitates too long before doing almost anything, still puts up whimpy shots instead of slamming it, still doesn't use his body wisely including his giant butt and sharp elbows. Still puts the ball on the floor. I just don't know.
