With T-Mac not being 100%, it put more of burden on Yao to deliver, which looks like has made a much greater player. This is very excitining to see a player reaching his potential. If we make the playoffs watchout, and if we don't next year we are going to put fear on many teams
I partly agree with you. Without TMac, with the team we have, there is no other alternative other than rely on Yao, which in turns provided more opportunities for him. The Rockest have never been so committed to Yao in his career until now, I'm talking about the players on the court, not talks by the coaches or players on the paper. Early in Yao's career, if he didn't start the game well, the ball would move aways from him, and few times he got it, he was timid because he knew if he mess up, he won't see it again. That's not the case now.
That certainly seemed to be the case in the early years. I wonder if Sura still calls Yao the "big goof".
At the same time, w/o TMAC, we're not going anywhere. Only with a healthy TMAC can we advance deep into the playoffs and possibly be a contender. Yao can be a beast under the basket, but he can only carry us so far.
Yao needs to sustain his touches . . .even with T-Mac at 100% Yao [to quote Charlie] is the stick that stirs this drink Rocket River
Can you see the fire is Yao's eyes?? Seems he will eat you alive if you don't pass him the ball......
In the movie Hoosiers Gene Hackman get himself ejected from several games to make Shooter have to carry the coaching role on his own. Would be interesting indeed if T-Mac wasn’t as hurt as it seems. Conspiracy theorist at its ugliest I guess.
This whole season could be a blessing in disguise. 1. Tmac comes back healthy next year 2. Yao has discovered who he is and is confident in that. 3. Bogans is becomming a good piece of the puzzle 4. Alston is doing his role (should shoot 300 3pters every day in the offseason) 5. Luther getting valuable minutes 6. Decent pick in the lottery 7. Swift is showing signs of getting it. Next year, we are gonna ROCK da house, and if we somehow slip into the playoffs, Yao will be a LOAD to handle on the low block. DD
I could have picked other posts because I've really been expecting this thread for about a week. DD I specifically chose yours because once you really didn't want JVG to be our coach anymore you came hardcore and took no prisoners. Yet there was always a glimpse of reason. But I don't believe what's going on with Yao is a coincidence. And I believe there's more internal dissention going on in the front office than any unproven rumors can muster. A couple of SINA quotes from Yao regarding Bogans and Swift specifically can also be ignored, I guess. I choose to believe JVG's working very hard earning his paycheck now and has swallowed more pride than he'll ever admit. Yao's teammates apparently think Yao's better because Yao is suddenly and guys who were reluctanct to give Yao the ball before are acting like their PT depends on it. Go figure. Just win games baby, and Yao suddenly looks like an alien from outer space. Even if we'd lost the last two games he'd look no more familiar, and I would normally be heaping an avalanche of praise on JVG (or any other coach, ala Rudy '92) but I can't. Why hasn't someone stuck a mike in JVG's mouth and asked why he singled out Juwan and RyBo as the only guys on the team that really worked and played hard enough - after Yao had won the POW - but is now praising Yao's approach as greater than probably anyone in the NBA. Yo JVG, shtick aside, coachspeak aside can you help us reconcile your statement with the one you made 10 days ago? No? Can you help us out on why Yao's suddenly getting the freakin' ball? No? Well, can you imagine how long your tenure would last if T-Mac said "Boo" privately? No? Ever feel heaven blessed to have a really good player that reveres authority? I think what's happening now is both JVG's nightmare and wet dream. I hope T-Mac grabs Yao and gets him far away from it. Honestly.
and we know what Van Gundy has done with an 8th or 7th seeded playoff team in the first round in the past.
ok Im glad you said that....I was just reading it and saying to myself "What the hell is the point of all this?"
honestly, you haven't been paying much attention. van gundy has praised yao ming consistently from his first day on the job. i have no idea what the point of your post was but i wish i hadn't read it.
It's part of the mind that can't accept things for what they are. you know, when it's right, some minds will look for what's wrong, and if they can't find anything wrong, they create something that doesn't fit. it's kind of like this is too good, there has to be a dark cloud somewhere. and what's even funnier about it is, when you see this kind of thinking and it is accepted by another like minded individual who complains that JVG is too negative or whatever but here the both of them are not able to accept reality right now because things are going to good.
