The Rockets are so stupid. Two great centers from the past: Ralph Sampson and Moses Malone offer their services to tutor Yao. Why the heck are we not responding to this? If I was Carroll Dawson, I'd get both of them on the phone immediately and bring them in as assistant coaches or at least just to help Yao out. I really hope the Rockets can get either one of these two to help Yao out. Think of how good he would be with their help.
I don't know how this would work out.. but I guess it's not like you can bring anyone in at will.. when hakeen came in.. was he tutored by anyone?
Why doesn't Ming invite them to be his personal tutors? I wouldn't think they are after money. Ming can hire whoever he wants.
Moses Malone seems very interested to help Yao Ming, and I think that in the offseason he will spend some time with Yao. I think that Carrol and Rudy just want Yao to spend all of his time getting acclimated to the Rockets offense as well as the NBA before he starts learning how to be a dominant center from the greats.
"when hakeen came in.. was he tutored by anyone?" Hakeem was working with Moses Malone before he even joined the Rockets when he was still at the University of Houston. It was a mentor relationship. Moses Malone wasn't paid to do this. He did it because he liked Hakeem and he loves basketball. From what I've read, he'd gladly do the same thing with Yao. But hell, like the Rockets can't throw Moses 50 grand to work with Yao part time. That kind of money is nothing to these teams.
Teaching and playing are completely different animals. Why would Moses and Hakeem be good teachers? In the brief interviews I've heard with Moses, he isn't exactly a master of communication, much less being effective at getting things across to someone who doesn't speak English as a first language. The same goes for Hakeem. He hardly talks. If you can't teach by verbal communication, then you would have to teach by example. Yao would kill Moses at his age, and Hakeem has a bad back. I personally don't want Yao to play like Hakeem did. I think that it would be a horrible waste of his particular talents.... Now if you brought in Walton, or Russell....
I would personally pick someone like Wes Unseld - one of my favorite players growing up. He has coaching experience with a no-nonsense type personality. Having a 6'7" overachieving center teaching Yao to maximize his height would be ideal.
Rockets' offense? We have about five plays, and SF/Cat iso is a large percentage of the *called* plays. Sometimes we drop it into Ming, and the passer cuts to the basket.
Supposedly the Rockets have the biggest playbook in the NBA. Even if we dont use all of the plays, Rudy would still want Yao to know them and be comfortable with them in the case that he for once decides to pull something else out of the hat.
I'm not sure if Yao really <i>needs</i> help, with the way he's been throwing it down lately, particularly in LA. He's starting to play more aggressive under the basket, so he must be learning from somebody. Moses can wait till the offseason.
Yao has coached 2 of the best centers in the history of Basketball! He knows what he is doing with Yao, don't hate, celebrate!
Every player can use some guidance. Whether they'll accept the tutelage and whether a team will invest the time and money are the issues. Maximizing Yao's potential would be in his and the team's best interest.
