For everyone that believes that SF and Yao can never co-exist must take in a couple factors. I know this season is suppose to be about "No Excuses," but there are some that can't be overlooked: 1. SF and Yao have only been playing together for 1 year and 3 months. 2. In that short period of time, they have already been through 2 coaching changes!! One with a brand new system. 3. Both have been asked to dramatically change their game, Yao use to be a finesse player, but has been asked to be a banger, power player, SF has been asked to be more of a team player when the last 3 years has been about ISOs and freelancing. I don't care who you are, no player can change their game without mistakes and time (15 games). 4. 2 new starters this season, 6 including last season. (Cato, JJ, MoT, Posey, K. Thomas, Eddie) I'm not a Steve-only or Yao-only fan, I feel like these two have the ability to be a great duo, but with the short amount of time they've had so far and with the other obstacles, I feel like they are right on schedule. I hate to compare these two to Shaq/Kobe, but look at what the Lakers would have missed out on if they bailed out on the duo. It didn't happen right away and at times it was ugly, but look what they've become. I know we're all grumpy from our 4 year slumber, but we need to give THIS TEAM more than 15 games to come all the way together. We've seen what this team is capable of doing, but with some consistency and experience, great things could happen. The two have almost been throught everything, everything but consistency. We officially need to change "Be Big" to "Believe, Again" -Gucci
You're right that we should give them more time. But how long do we give them if they show no improvements? Sometimes when you don't have chemistry, you can build some, but other times some players just don't work well together.
1) 13 months together? It is not the 13 months, it is the 5 years that we have seen from "Franchise". Why hasn't this so-called franchise taken us to a single playoff game? Why does he keep referring to himself as being young? Why does he keep saying the right things and do the wrong? Enough is Enough! It is time for results. I WILL NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING SF SAYS UNTIL WE MAKE IT TO THE PLAYOFFS. NO MORE EXCUSES! 2) Two coaching changes? Steve and Cat are the two biggest reasons Rudy was fired. Who do you want to blame for that? You want to find excuses for them instead of trying to face the issues. 3) Change their games? Passing, DEFENSE, knowing how to run a fast break and team play is not asking someone to change. IT IS EXPECTED! IT SHOULD BE NATURAL! 4) Two new starters? Cato has been on this team long enough. That's not a valid argument. JJ has been around the league long enough, he isn't here to be the franchise. He is here to play team ball and defense. NO MORE EXCUSES!!!!
We would have been in the playoffs if Rudy could have played out the season, period. I will always be a Rudy fan, but he was a player's coach, he didn't have an offensive system, he could have stopped the iso's if he wanted, but didn't, and that's part of the reason he is gone. Regardless of why Rudy is gone, they had a coaching change in the middle of the season and that hurt them. You can't soley blame SF and Cat for Rudy's departure, Yao came, we went from 28 wins to 43 wins, and Les still let him go. Les obviously wanted a new system and he got it. Of course we want it to be natural, but it's not. Tell Shaq to play an outside game and tell me how he does. Our defense has been great, but you can't argue that SF and Yao has not been asked to change their style. When 2 of your starters are shooting 30%, who is to blame? When we had our hot start to the season, it was team wins. After a poor road trip, it's one person's fault. Yes, SF hasn't taken us to the playoffs yet, but who has he had to help him? Cato? Mooch? Cat? Yao is finally here and we're not gonna give them a chance? I know ya'll are sick and tired of hearing excuses, but the fact is that they do matter.
