1. B. Miller 3.2 ast 1.4 to 2. Shaq 2.8 ast 3.1 to 3. Big Ben 2.5 ast 1.1 to 4. Rasheed 1.9 ast 2.0 to 5. Z. Ilgauskas 1.6 ast 2.4 to 6. M. Okur 1.5 ast 1.0 to 7. Kurt Thomas 1.5 ast 1.1 to 8. C. Bosh 1.5 ast 2.6 to 9. Magloire 1.5 ast 2.9 to 10.L. Wright 1.5 ast 1.3 to 11. Camby 1.4 ast 1.4 to 12. Rasho 1.3 ast 1.2 to 13. C. Robinson 1.2 ast 0.9 to 14. C. Wilcox 1.2 ast 2.1 to 15. P. Brezec 1.1 ast 1.4 to 16. E. Okafur 1.1 ast 2.2 to 17. Stoudemire 1.1 ast 2.2 to Here are 17 with more assists and higher ast/to ratio than Yao. Yao 1.1 ast 2.8 to. Interestingly enough, Yao's passing in his 1st year(before being Van Gundied) was better. Yao had 1.7 ast and 2.1 to, which would be good enough for 5th place. If he had improved on it, He could have easily been top 3. His assist/turnover ratio has gotten worse every year under Van Gundy. I sure miss those fun games when he woulld make those incredible passes. He would get 2-3 highlights on tv just for his assists. His shooting is incredible, but he mentioned he was having problems making his shots away from the basket, so that's why he is working so close to it. He is still getting used to the arm strap. Can't really talk about his shooting until that strap comes off. Since we are on this line this line of thought, Brad Miller had 5 assists last night.
On that list there are about 10 real centers and of these real centers there are maybe 2 or 3 who are actually better passers than Yao. I wonder how many players out of that list you really have seen play in a basketball game...
Everyone knows that Yao can't pass. He has never shown any "wow" passes. No vision and no skill. Luckily we have great "system" to cover his weaknesses. Otherwise he would average like 0 assist and 5 turnovers.
"Everyone" but me. And I don't know what ""system"" you speak of. Yao is a great passer, stats are one thing, but ability is another. Just because Mo Williams averages as many assists as Jason Kidd, doesn't mean that Mo Williams is an inherently great passer as Jason Kidd is. Unfortunately, Yao has yet to consistently show-off his natural passing ability. We've seen flashes of it, but it's few and far between. Especially this year, where he has seemed to have regressed in that area. Stuart
My Opinion. Strength Height - overused cliche but you cant teach height and Yao has this one is spades. Shooting - I used to be so amazed at his shooting touch but he seems to have lost it. I will reevaluate this once his brace comes off, but watching him I would actually feel suprised if he missed a shot. Passing - He used to wow us with his court vision and passing if he was surrounded with better shooters he would have way more assists. Strong Base - The guy has thick legs and strong lower body which helps him get position but he doesnt have the width and upper body strength to hold it. Student - Always seems to be a student of the game and keeps developing himself and his skills. Remember how Yao would barely spend anytime down low in the post then last year lived in the low post. Weakness Quickness - He moves pretty well for a guy his size but he doesnt compete against players his size.. Teams have started defending him with quickness instead of height or size. I think zone defenses are also taking their toll on him. Yao in the pre-zone (man to man) era would eat people up and probably be a top 10 player right now. Positioning - I dont know if this is a product of the system or if Yao just doesnt know how to position himself for rebounds / blocked shots. You notice he always seems out of position for rebounds and some of that has to do with him chasing guys out to the perimeter and the same applies to him being in position to block shots. Not that his timing is any good... * everyone has their own opinions and I have to agree that I have been pretty disappointed in what I have been seeing on the court. But I dont see why people say Yao is soft? - because he doesnt snatch every rebound? - because he doesnt block every shot? - because he doesnt try to dunk every shot? Yao is pretty active on the court and its hard to be aggressive when your shackled by the refs. If Yao got the benefit of the calls that Shaq gets.. I could see Yao running over players and dunking on their face. See Yao jumping over the back of other players to snatch away rebounds. Blocking tons of more shots because he runs into them first If the refs would just let Yao play to his ability and size he would be unstoppable. J
Did you watch any game during Yao's rookie year? Remeber the bowling pass to Steve for the layup? The no look over the head pass to Cat for the dunk? The behind the head touch pass off the rebound to Cato for the easy slam? Don't tell me you don't remeber any of those.
Please for the sake of God, tell us that you were being sarcastic here. Even those who hate Yao would admit that Yao is a good passer. Wait a minute....you said we have a great "system"....so you were being sarcastic. Nevermind.
One on One Yao has some amazing moves and skills to allow him to score, occasionally he has even backed his skills to beat a double. At times he has shown above average passing ability (although not the Walton/Sabonis type level some of us hoped) He is extremely smart he's not a bad defender especially 1 on 1, wioth team defense he tries to go to help on too much, where he tries to draw charges and jumps and often a fraction late and usually the cause of his foul trouble
The lone outstanding strength of now is regards to Yao is his durability. He has played every game for the Rox since his rookie year. He is not yet a great shooter or passer. He is a poor rebounder and shot blocker. The stuffs many of you here are mentioning on this thread I would consider potential. A strength to me is what you do well and I am not sure Yao does much well or exceptionally at this point of his career. He is currently average on many phases of the game but there is hope that he will be gain more areas of strength with time. I believe he will become outstanding in more areas other than that of "iron man". Baby steps.
I think Yao has eye/hand coordination problem. He often has problem snatch a rebound. It is like his hands don't close at the same place--one above the other. The ball just gets rolled out of his hands. Maybe that is what you get at 7'6".
If he breaks AC Green's record, then I wouldn't care if he ever became 25 and 12 guy, or even won a championship for that matter.
Nothing can be truer than these points. IMO Yao's greatest strength is the aggregation of his qualities: Versatility. He is a unique combination of height, power, vision, touch and agility(quite agile feet at his height). Low post, high post, close and long range shooting, one on one, teamwork... he could do it all. Right now Yao doesn't have a single strength that is on hall of fame level. Therefore Yao's offensive capabilities will only be fully utilized in a system that makes him the creator as well as the finisher, the jump shooter as well as the hook shot launcher, the roller as well as the popper, the passer as well as the mover... Unlike in JVG's system, in which he is just a role player when he's having trouble in the paint. The versatile Yao should be able to score in various ways when one way is off but right now he's dead meat if he's having trouble in the paint. To make matters worse, Yao's low post game is limited to the Patrick Ewing arsenal with his decreasing low post creativity. The regression or lack of involvement in those areas is diminishing his greatest strength, versatility. Ewing has done things to improve Yao in the past, but I think he's without extra value anymore, and can be a glass ceiling rather than an elevator for Yao at present. I'm also afraid that the offensively challenged JVG is not the best coach to use Yao's versatility. To take a closer look at JVG's approach to Yao: The constants that favor the De-Yaoing of Yao or the Shaqnization of Yao are Yao's low post skills, his height and poundage. Height isn't really a factor in this equation because it's also an advantage in other type of offense. The constants that are against Yao's Shaqnization are: 1. Yao can't bulldoze people like Shaq. He has lesser bulk and his higher center of gravity helps the defender disstablize him. Yao's height is a plus as well as his culprit in the Shaqesque play. 2. Unlike Shaq, Yao can shoot jumpers. 3. The reduced agility and explosiveness from bulking up. 4. The stamina discrepancy between Yao and Shaq. 5. The zone defense. 6. Yao is a 7'6" shooting machine, inside and outside. He is a unique combination of touch, height and power. Limiting him to the post creation decreases his touches and negates part of his height advantage and mid range shooting touch. In order to not let this 7'6" shooting machine go to waste, the way is to run plays for him to finish. In short, Yao must be an inside and outside creator, plus inside and outside finisher, by one and one play as well as structured teamwork, to fully utilize his versatility. Right now Yao is playing only half of his game. What a shame it is. The variables that favor Yao's Shaqnization are, IMO, none. The varibles that are against the Shaqnization of Yao are. 1. There's teammates that can shoot respectably from the outside, which there isn't. 2. The refs are giving Yao the Shaq calls, which they don't. Instead they give Yao the tick tack fouls. 3. There's entry passers that pass decisively, accurately to Yao and there's plays to make entry passes, or beat the fronting and overplaying on Yao, which either are missing or inadequate. If Yao is to become the next Shaq, he'd better get the teacher that can maximize his height advantage with the hook shot. Hiring Jabbar is the sensible way to go but the coaching staff doesn't do it. Also, flashing to the low post off plays, receive the ball and immediately launching his hook shots is a way to utilize his height advantage at the same time preserveing his energy in contrast to fighting position. Also, Yao needs the coach to get the teammates that can shoot and make good entry passes, to install plays that makes entry passes easier and keep the defense honest, to stand up for him when he gets unfair treatment from the zebras. So far these things seem to be missing or inadequate. Instead, Yao's lack of stamina is exposed by posting multiple times before getting the ball, and his lack of speed is exposed by constant help and recover defense between the paint and the perimeter. Furthermore, so far JVG has been disappointing in properly utilizing Yao and T-Mac. Incorporation of these two on offense is nearly non-existent, save for some half a$$ed pick and rolls. Shots for these two aren't enough, 'cuz if our MM combo doesn't average 40 shots each game it's a waste of their talent. Save those BS involving teammates stuff unless you can average 90 points. To me if these bullsh*t continue to exist and the Rockets can't reach the second round this year, it's time to let JVG go.
Potential? It has always been potential since he was scouted, yet since his entry into the NBA of his first season here, it's been completely brushed aside and ignored.. And it will soon be potential whithered away, if it continues without being tapped into even the least remotely.. The areas being worked on to be gained strength someday, aren't even existent in his nature. His naturally existing ability isn't being bettered, or even being touched, it's being KILLED off and neglected. And I don't buy the bs of being a process of improving areas on which he lacks and THEN combining them with his natural abilities argument.. Simply because, this so-called "improving", is really stripping away at his natural flowing talents as he's not practicing them anymore.. And, instead practicing to exhaustion, crap he's not even built to achieve or do or surpass anyone in. HENCE the mediocrity of the performance given in court and in game. That is the truth behind his mediocre to average play of 17/8 of this "improving" process and behind his hesitance in his shot, and his hailed potential confound as only potential for these 2-3 yrs and nothing more. I wish others would see this.
Excellent Post Panda. . . Honestly .. . The great thing about Yao is His game PRE JVG *DID NOT REQUIRE AGGRESION* It did not require him to MIX IT UP He would get less offensive fouls and would not have to work near as harm he was IMO an economy of effort now. . he labors. . . far too much Rocket River
I totally agree. But I don't think only JVG will lock him in the low post. I bet two third of NBA coaches think the same way. From traditional NBA coaches' point of view, it is a total waste if a 7'6 big man doesn't play in the paint more often. Most of them fail to realize that Yao's case is different, just like so many international players coming to NBA. They don't play like the way NBA big men usually do. They focus more on shooting and passing. I can hardly recall any internationally player locks his move in the low post. I truly believe Kings offense could utilize Yao's ability to maximum, their big men actually don't run that much, they usually stand at the shoulder of the paint, pass for the back door cut, shooting jumpers after PnR, and a little bit post offense. Remember Yao's low post offense is far better than Miller. It is truly painful to see Yao shooting these 15 feet jumper less and less and eventually loses his touch this year. Two years ago, these jumpers are automatic. Fire JVG and Ewing!
