really though, what did you expect?

i always loved reading your insightful stuff. you should post more often.

 

I was onboard with Yao from the day the Lotto pick dropped into our laps. IIRC, I had expectations at slightly above Rik Smits. And I didn't see anything wrong with that. Still don't.

I very honestly believe that a summer with a little bit of rest and the additions of some athleticism in the rotation will help Yao to a big 2005-06 season.

 

In an era of zone and officiating geared towards fostering the run 'n gun game, I wonder just how well even Hakeem would do these days. He was certainly hampered and limited by Seattle's quasi-zone in '96. And that was nothing like the 3-man-tackle-post-defense Yao sees today. Likewise, I wonder if Yao could have revolutionized the game had he played in Hakeem's era. What if with all the single coverage and illegal defense rules, he had averaged 33ppg on 65% shooting.

 

thacabbage, you are the man.

 

I was thinkin he was gunna be something like a dirk nowitzki (back when i liked him) player. Hitting the 3's, playing the post, rebounding, blocking shots.

A top 10 player,

He's Top 25 now, and im damn happy with that.

 

i always think about this. i definitely think if you stick yao back like ten years, he's a top 10 player easily, but revolutionizing the game, i don't know. of course on the other side, if hakeem in his prime played now, he'd still have no problem dominating.

 

I wanted to get Yao from the beginning.
Only if people would have traded Garnett, or another superstar for him i would have traded the pick. I'm glad with how Yao is turning out. Lets hope he keeps improving.

 

I agree with what many people are saying in this thread. The defensive rule changes have hampered "big man play" severely. I think you could even say that Shaq has been affected by the rules too. The league is turning to leaner, faster play versus the big man days, with their backs to the basket that you saw in the 80s and 90s.

When Yao gets the ball on the block, with another 7 footer guarding him - he can't be stopped. Its the guards fronting him with a second defender behind him that makes it tough. The rules have made it where yo ucan almost take out a powerful post player.

In a way it makes sense, if you put shooters on the floor then you can punish a team for defending this way, but even then your still taking numbers away from Yao. He still has an enormous impact on the floor, but I don't think he will get enough touches to satisfy many of his critics...

 

I hate how the league is not calling the contact where the defender will practically uproot themselves up in Yao's stomach and push him out of position. This can't be legal can it? Of course a lob would take care of all of that but we see that very little. Just throw that lob up high. Only a high leaper could get up to the ball on the weakside or else it should be a foul EVERYTIME!!.

oh wait what am I talking about. Refs can't see that high to call a foul for Yao

 

I like Yao. I admit I thought he would revolutionize the center position when we got him. However, I am not quite ready to write him off yet. Yes, he is a bit slow footed, but at 7'6" he afford to be in some respects. With his schedule for the last 3 years he really hasn't had a summer to work on his game. If what I've read in another thread is correct and he really plans to take life easy this summer and not work his ass off in China, then he can work on his game, get some coaching and we'll see what happens. Then I may be ready to make a decision on whether or not he can be dominant after next season. Tmac will make him better, maybe we'll get a point guard that can find him, oh! and maybe we can get some back cover from our power forward. And even if they have to get the ball to him in a certain spot, that spot seems to cover a lot of territory.

BTW averaging almost 22 points/game against the second best center in the league in the Dallas series ain't half-bad.

 

You started to see the Rockets throw the high lob to Yao much more in the playoffs. Its like it suddenly clicked to throw it up to him when he's fronted. Now the other side to that coin is that Yao has to go and AGRESSIVELY catch the ball. When he did they usually called that foul. Yao has a bad habit of trying to catch the ball with one hand while holding off the defender with the other. This makes it easy for someone to come and snag the ball from him. WHen he goes (or tries) to catch the ball and then makes contact a defensive foul is usually called.

I saw a serious improvement in the way they were getting him the ball vs Dallas. I am just not sure if its our smart play our Dallas' poor defense.

I never understood why when they first come down the floor to run and offensive play, Yao is on the block with the defender on his back. Instead of giving him the ball right there on the post where he has established position, they pull him out for the high screen and roll... i think if Sura would just dribble it up the side and clear out the wing player he would have a good angle for an entry pass. Pick and Roll makes sense if he doesn't have quick position... thats just something I have seen all year that they never even looked at. I'd like to try and call in the JVG show next year and get his take, I am sure this is some reason behind it.

 

Torraye Braggs lobs it to Yao in his first stint with the Rockets. Though after a few lobs he was cut from the team. Maybe that's why no one else lobs it. They are afraid to get cut

Also for those that say Yao is slow of foot. TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE TREE TRUNKS!!! YOU TRY MOVING THOSE AROUND WITH SPEED!! I think it's safe to say that Yao has the biggest legs I've ever seen in the NBA.

That's the reason why he sets such fantastic screens, well....with a bit of movement but I credit that to rolling to the basket.

 

That was pretty much my expectation as well.

 

The biggest disappointment that I have in him is that he probably hasn't won more than like 1% of the tipoffs he has jumped. 7'-6" and he can't win more than this.

A few more rebounds would be nice, too.

 

The biggest disappointment is:

He is being used in a way that amplifies his weakness and underuses his strength.

 

Well a flipside to all these new rules, is that they allow Yao to guard a lot of big men without getting into foul trouble as easily (well I mean without committing fouls, even though he is still called for them!). Without the current rule structure, Yao would not be able to get double team help on defense as quickly as he does now, and would be more vulnerable against the quicker big men in the league. So Yao would likely get A LOT more easy shots in the game of the early 90's, but would also give up a lot of scoring or end up getting into (legit) foul trouble more often.

And about the comparisons still made to Rik Smits, I just don't get it. Smits was strictly a jump shooting center who was non-existent on help defense/team defense. Yao's bread & butter is his postup-game and he spends half his playing time chasing the other team's perimeter players and patrolling the paint guarding players from the weakside. Even if the numbers and stats are similar to Smits, that only applies if you compare such from late in Smits' career and of course, right now early in Yao's. When Smits was Yao's age he couldn't even get off the bench. And regardless, the points that come off a post-up center who establishes your team's inside game and gets the opposing team's entire front line in foul trouble is a lot different than the points that come off making open 15ft jumpshots courtesy of Mark Jackson's passes.

 

That's a false statement.

We certainly have a few patented Yao haters on this board, but they are not that many (you can count them on your hands). We have a few hundred YOF, and most of them are well known as well, but still not anywhere near the majority.

The majority of us are satisfied with Yao and wouldn't want any other big man to play for us in the front court. Most of us are patient with Yao's development, and are encouraged by what we see from him.

So the "we all love to hate Yao" is a misleading statement, and is just not true.

 

opposing players steal the tip before it gets high enough for yao. same thing happened with deke when he lost 2 jumpballs in the same game against dallas. i believe stealing the tip like that is an infraction, but it never gets called.

 

The sooner we let go of expectations and realize that "Yao is who Yao is", the sooner we can accept the fact that having a fairly skilled 7'6" center on our team ain't so bad. A couple of observations from this year:

1) Yao is beginning to establish better position in the post. Earlier in the year he seemed like he was getting the ball (when he did get it) just a little too far out. It may be just my perception, but he looks like he's doing a better job of catching it closer to the basket.

2) Yao's game is not the same kind of post game we were used to seeing with Hakeem. His post play is improving, but IMO his game will suffer if the mindset is to "dump it to Yao in the post" as his bread and butter. Take a look at how his game has opened up with better execution on the PNR, for example. His timing on the pick and roll will continue to improve as he and TMac get more time together.

3) Yao is not soft. I have been lucky enough to watch him play from up close this year, and as the season progressed, he has looked much tougher in the post. This guy is working his butt off.

4. Teams have to plan around Yao. Even on a night when his numbers are poor, he is a factor in that the other team must account for his presence in the game.

5. Yao does not have to be our #1 option. What if we had TMac first, and then brought in Yao? Would our expectations be any different? Might we be happier just to have a developing skilled big man to complement McGrady?