What changed Hakeem's career, and could it change Yao's?

of course. he didn't have to be nasty once he got 2 rings.

 

What changed Hakeem's career and I know many will disagree but it is clearly the catalyst for Hakeems sucess was the hiring of Rudy T. Yeah I know all the bashers will come out now. But when Rudy took over the first thing he was asked by management was should we trade Hakeem. And Rudy's response was absolutely not... he said Hakeem was one of the most dominant players in the league and we should build a team around him. And that's what he proceeded to do. He made Hakeem the focal point by teaching Hakeem how to best utilize his talents, by getting a supporting cast that could successfully dump it inside to him and then hit the open 3 when everyone converged on him. Yao is no Hakeem but he is still a force down low in a league where they are a scarcity. With the right coach and the right supporting cast he too could be dominant.

 

Dreams knees were shot by the end of 1996. Combine that with his heart problem and he didn't have the same physical skills anymore that he did in 1995. Hakeem in his later years resembled Jabbar late in his carreer. Hakeem though didn't get the next Magic and Worthy to carry the team. Instead, Hakeem got an aging Barkley and Pippen.

Things can go downhill quickly for some athletes. Remember when Kurt Warner was MVP of the NFL? I wouldn't trust Kurt now to QB a high school team.

 

I'd be happy if Yao played like Hakeem did BEFORE he became the player we remember most...the one that won rings. I'd be just fine with Yao being Hakeem pre-1993/4. I don't think we're ever going to get there, though.

 

If that's really the case, then we can lay the blame at the feet of JVG. As head coach, he should be drumming it into Yao's head on a daily basis that he and T-Mac are considered equally important and are expected to lead this team every minute they're on the court.

You can't expect Yao to just know that intuitively like someone who came up through the US BB system would.

 

ummm...i'm thinking all the hype surrounding him and the #1 pick overall should be sufficient clues.

 

Rudy T

 

Yao will never be the player that Dream was. Dream was one of a kind.

Yao's topside may be 20 ppg and 10 rpg (which he would be pulling now if he could average closer to 40 mpg). I would like to see Yao's apg to go up, since he is a good passer.

 

three things in my opinion

1. The Fadeaway got a lot better, unstoppable
2. Robert Horry, Otis Thorpe, Kenny Smith, Cassell, Maxwell all capable of 20 plus to help out.
3. The jump hook countered the fadeaway, and was just as unstoppable.

The passing, eh, I think it got better, but mainly because we got people who knew how to score.

 

I don't think we will ever know.

I am very sure that what happen was something away from the surface of the mind. I'm sure it's deep and only Hakeem and his subconcious will know for sure.

But I will say this, I do not think Hakeem would have been the same player he was if he ate as much Mcdonalds as Yao has been said to eat.

But I am not saying 'if he stops eating Big Macs and fries every day he will dominate like Hakeem' but I am saying that could be a start.

If Yao takes it to the next level that will be between him and Colin Pine. Colin Pine to Yao can be what Apollo Creed was to Rocky. But the video gaming, the big mac munching, the dungeon and dragon slumber parties, all that will have to stop.

If it happens, it happens.

If what we see is what we get and will keep getting, I will not be disappointed.

 

dungeons and dragons slumber parties may be the best phrase in a GARM post EVER. well played!

 

Strongly agree!

 

Max, thank you sir. I try.

 

This is really the best assessment of Yao in his short NBA career.

I've been pretty much the same way all my life when it came to organized sports. If I either felt like I was the best player on the team or that I had to be THE leader, I did it and always played my best ball. Whether it be football, baseball or basketball; I needed that pressure of everything being on my shoulders to perform at my best. If I felt like, in basketball, if there was one or more players that were just as good or better than me, I played very passive and decided to be much more of a role-player.

I really feel like, if the Rockets' roster consisted of Yao and a bunch of scrubs, then he would easily be a 25/12 player in the league. Why? Because he would have to be to win games.

I'm 27 now and it wasn't until a couple of years ago before I realized that I did this and thus fixed it. I think maturing and dealing with life as a whole on my own that made me realize this.

I think at some point JVG, CD and especially TMac need to go to Yao and say, "Look, we will win or lose depending on you. You are our rock, our leader and the foundation of this team which aspires to win championships."

But, I think they did the opposite by bringing TMac in. They saw that Yao played as a role player and thus brought in a superstar player who can carry a team to compliment him with. I love that we got TMac and I truely believe it will lead to multiple trips to the Finals, but I just think it stunted Yao's maturation as a basketball player and a superstar a little bit as a result of it.

 

When Hakeem attained the fadeaway and the hook shot, it was game over for the opponent. He didn't need to spin his way to the basket on every low post possession. He didn't get many foul calls with his fadeaways, but he was so proficient with the fadeaway and hook that they carried the Rockets to a couple of championship.

Does anyone have a video of Yao schooling Shaq in the game where Shaq fouled out? I'd like to see how his hook shot was last season when it was at its best.

 

Exactly what I was thinking. Dream was one of the most dominant players, not only in the league, but in the history of basketball for HIS ENTIRE CAREER... from rookie season until about 97-98. He didn't magically excel to a whole other stratospere. I think it was more of the team that eventually surrounded him who knew their roles and not him becoming more dominant that brought the championships.

 

i agree. he did settle down a bit...stopped fighting all the time. found a peace for himself that made him a better player.

but geez..the guy was recording quadruple doubles and was a huge force long before he won a ring. in his second season he was the best player on a team that beat the showtime lakers and went to the NBA Finals. he was scoring and rebounding like a freak, even as a young guy.

 

You have got it reversed. It was Hakeem who was saying that to Moses after Hakeem would take the ball strong o the hole.

 

Dream was in the position of being top dog and had the swagger to prove it. But the Rockets had a lot of losing seasons in between that gap between Finals and it was his burden to carry it. There were times when he wanted out, but it took coaching and a new perspective on life for him to share the burden and trust his teammates.

Maybe it'll take a little more patience with Yao to learn what he needs to do to win from all these losses and expectations. Though throwing in another superstar already doesn't really help his development. The excuses of being tired, and the subconscious need to hide would've been thrown in the fire if he had a struggling team of his own. He'd also learn when to take command like he does sometimes in the Asian games so that he could do it on a consistent basis.

 

I couldn't agree more about this

It will never ever happen on JVG which already show a little confident on Yao, and on Tmac Who is turely selfish player.

That's what exactly they did which really screw up themselves.

QUOTE]Originally posted by mogrod I truely believe it will lead to multiple trips to the Finals, [/QUOTE]

it's not gona happen, Yao isn't happy right now, i believe TEAM YAO could do something about it, let him get out of the miserible land.