By the way, the word "High IQ" when it relates to basketball has to do with the ability to learn and pick up the intricacies of the game quickly. Yao does have a "high basketball IQ." But his problems are bad technique that he's learned in China (versus the competition over there). And his physical limitations. He still does NOT have very good lateral movement and is not a quick jumper, and maybe never will. Notice that he's not jumping center court anymore? If Yao is still doing the same mistakes that he does this year, next year. Then we can question his "high IQ." Yao! Keep the ball above your head!!!! Please!!!!! Learn from TD!
Why are Rockets fans so pessimistic and quick to change opinions and moods after one loss? I swear, some people act like the NBA regular season is only 15 games. 82 games, folks. A lot can happen in 82 games. Case in point: no one ever thought that San Antonio would win the NBA title, let alone make it to the finals over Sac and LA at the beginning of the season last year. Another case in point: no one thought the Rockets would repeat as champions during the beginning of the season when Clyde Drexler seemed out-of-sync with the rest of the team, and no one thought they would even advance very far once the playoffs started. If the NBA was just the NFL with a game a week and only a handful of games to play, then I wouldn't mind all these panic-threads about problems on the team.
If you play hoop at a compatitive level, you don't just get the ball and shoot it. You wait to see what the defense gives you first then you make your move. I refer you to check out this thread: http://bbs.clutchcity.net/php3/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68489 and see what "yaotheman" posted. If you have watched the game last night, did you not see the great passes? You can't blame Yao for Boki and Mo T missing the point blank shots. Well, you should ask yourself why the sky hook was such a great weapon? The key is hit the shot that no one can block.
Well, if it's Clyde's beginning of the season, then you must mean Clyde's second season (and first full season) with, we didn't win a championship that year, we were defeated by the Sonics 4 - 0. But you also said repeat as champions so I'm guessing you're talking about the 2nd championship run. Clyde joined us at the second half of the year via trade.
fyi, I wouldn't consider his post "constructive". To be constructive you point out areas of improvement and offer views or ways for that person improve. I consider this just negative venting. After a horrible lost like that to portland it's understandable.
Who knows nothing about basketball? Even the commentators remark about how Yao should not be fading away. Geez. You're telling me going straight up or toward the basket and drawing a foul is not better than shooting a low percentage fadeaway? Right.
I think Yao has an extremely high basketball IQ. I also think Yao has an EXTREMELY LOW level of experience. It took Hakeem almost 10 years to figure out he didn't have to take on every double and triple team by himself - which he did and often beat because he was so athletic. Yao does make dumb mistakes on the floor. Are they directly attributable to his knowledge of the game or metal capacity? Probably not. More likely, they are directly related to his inexperience with the speed of NBA basketball. Guys who come from American colleges consider the NBA more than twice as fast and physical as the college game. I've got to imagine that makes it easily that much if not more than Asian basketball. Yao is an interesting athlete. He has tremendous basketball skill and a very large capacity for understanding the game. However, his athletic skill and phsicality on the floor are well below the average NBA player. Unlike players like Hakeem, Yao doens't have the pure athleticism or sheer agressiveness to will his way out of difficult situations. It's like comparing his game with Amare Stoudamire. They are almost polar opposites. Stoudamire's whole game is about raw athleticism and power. He's got no game outside 10 feet and his basketball skill level is relatively low depsite his awesome physical ability. Yao, on the other hand, has phenomenal basketball skill and understanding of the game. Yet, he isn't strong enough or agressive enough to be individually dominant against agressive defenses. In the long run, a player like Yao has a better chance of being one of the greats than someone like Stoudamire only because you can get more physical and experienced. However, greatness isn't a given because you need to have the physical tools, the mental ability, that competitive fire and the basketball talent to be great. All the great one's had that combination of skill and mental toughness. Yao is still a long way from that and that lack of experience and lack of physical agressiveness sometimes hurts his game, especially against swarming defenses.
What I don't understand is why Yao makes so many dribbles. When he makes his spin move or post move, he should only have to take one or maybe two dribbles. Instead he takes 2 or 3 dribbles and gets the ball swiped from him or fouled. The guy is 7'6" for god sake. It should only take one dribble to get to the hoop from anywhere he gets the ball. Big men shouldn't have to dribble at all. Take one bounce and take it the hoop strong like Dream and Shaq.
I think you aren't remembering Dream that well. That guy might go through 3 or 4 different moves with the ball on the floor before he went to the hoop. He's do a dribble, spin, ball fake, pump and then fade. And that was on a post up. If he faced up, it was even crazier. Shaq is one of the strongest guys ever to play in the post so he doesn't the dribbles and ball fakes. That's just Yao's game.
I remember him doing all those fakes with his pivot foot down without dribbling. That was why there was all those complaints about him traveling. My memory is not as good as it once was so I could be wrong. I will go back to my clutchcity tapes and check again. I'll report back tomorrow.
With his back to the basket, yes, he didn't put the ball on the floor as much, but Hakeem faced up probably half the time he had the ball.
Stoudemire makes 15footers every game. On this board everyone is considered a troll if he doesn't agree with everything the core of Rocket fans with rose coloured glasses think. Truth is Yao is no more "skilled" or " basketball intelligent" than Brad Miller or Zydrunas Ilgauskas. That's just the hype that surrouds Yao since there he doesn't have realy highlights plays they make him out to be smart.
Personally, I don't think Yao has the lateral quickness to face up against most guys in this league. I'm not sure he'll ever have that kind of lateral quickness. That isn't to say he needs it, necessarily. The guy can be so physically dominant when he wants to, it probably won't be an issue. Frankly, I think Yao's future lies in the combination of his ability to post up, his ability to run the high pick and roll and his ability to run the high post offense (i.e. Vlade Divac in Sacramento). He's already one of the more dangerous post players in the league. He still has a ways to go on his pick and roll (he hasn't figured out the roll part yet and still isn't comfortable enough with the 18 foot jumper). And, he hasn't even had the opportunity to run the high post. IMO, JVG wants Yao to be a low post center before he begins to run plays for him in the high post position. When they do develop that part of his game, he's going to be almost impossible to guard. Imagine a 7'6" guy with his passing skills at the freethrow line. I don't know that we've ever seen any player his size with that ability. But, all that will take time and experience.
Bad example in Brad Miller. Please go back and check Brad's first three years. PPG, 6.3, 7.7, 8.9. RPG: 3.1, 5.1, 7.3 in first three years respectively. Miller has been in the league seven years. Will Yao become better than Z? He is already. The mere fact that Yao has the skills that he does AND is 7'5" gives opponents a reason to double-team him a lot during any particular game. Ironically, Yao's height has been a hinderance to him the last two years (he's too big to move fast). He's like a BIG BABY that hasn't grown into his body. He's not matured yet on a basketball level or even a physical level. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a very good center. He was a ROY. And he's got game that's for sure. He doesn't get doubled nearly as much. He has more free reign. One of Z's best assets is that his arms are SOOOOO LONG!!! Z is 7'3", but his arms make him equivalent to Yao's hight (vs Yao's short arms). That's the good part about Z. The bad is that he hasn't really improve since he's came into the league. He's hovering around 15/8 without double teams. Now as far as "skilled" or " basketball intelligent." Remember, we are talking about a 2nd year player. I think you are confusing "skilled" and "basketball intelligence" with athletic ability and inexperience (or lack thereof). Let wait and compare Yao in his 2nd year vs Yao of his 3rd. See if he keeps making the same mistakes. I doubt it.
Slinslin, we missed you last week when the Rockets didn't play so well but proved once again that can pretty much use and abuse the Suns like toilet paper at their leisure. Wonder why that was?
slinslin, you're still here. I thought you were crying at home, just waiting for the suns to climb out of the western gutter so you could start talking your biased Suns crap again. Oh wait, you do have a better record than the warriors now, you only needed some help from the Rockets to achieve that milestone after we beat them for you. congrats. On a serious note. I have seen Amare make a few jumpers on a reasonably consistent basis. Does that mean he's shooting 30% off of dunks to even out is HOT 15 footer? Wow, now thats dominance...
