If I remember correctly, Yao was ineffective for several games after the first matchup with Shaq. I think playing Shaq physically exhausts Yao. Not to mention, it's getting close to the end of the season. Frankly, I think Yao's running on fumes; the tank's just about empty. He hasn't really been aggressive. He hasn't played strong down low lately. He plays volleyball with rebounds rather than getting 2 hands on them & bringing them down. I don't blame Mr. Mean. I think it's just strength & conditioning.
Yes. This coach doesn't know how to use Yao. Or maybe Yao has lost his confidence. Or maybe he is tired. Yao is horrible to watch. He doesn't do anything anymore. On offense, all he does is get the ball and turn around and shoot and miss. He never does any of his shanghai shakes or moves going inside anymore. And he never looks to pass. Mainly because the other players are just standing there and watching. Our coach needs to do something. And on defense, first, he is being held by other teams' players. This is why he can't go to help out on defense. And he is too nice. He needs to be aggressive and try to block shots. We definitely need a new coach.
Yao is still the same player he was. What he needs now is self-confidence. If the coach doesn't try to help boost his player's confidence, he doesn't deserve to be the head coach.
With the current coaching style, I am afraid that our Rox is on the track of turning into a Texas Clippers. Hope that won't happen.
True..Yao looked tired early on. As far as confidence goes...he was getting whipped by Duncan and everyone else, pulling him and resting him for a better matchup later was the thing to do. Larry Smith knows the Rox are counting on Yao to help get to the playoffs and is not playing mind games..he's just trying to get Yao some rest and some more favorable matchups.
At first (starting with the Clips game), I thought maybe Yao lost his confidence and touch, but after watching a bunch of highlights from other games, it has to be something else. I have to agree that Yao is tired and weak right now. His previous games were flooded with quick moves and motion in the paint. He only did one move in the Laker game and a couple against SA. Just like everyone here seems to notice, this is just like after the last Laker's game. He'll get his mojo back in a few games if Smith stays off his back.
I try to translate the whole article by Yang Yi. The title is: Rocket internal turmoil, Yao should stand out and address the issues Rumor has it that Larry Smith and his players can not stand each other. There's several reasons lead to the turmoil between the subsitution coach and his players: 1. In the west road trip, in both Seatle and Oakland, Smith mad several important substitution mistakes. 2. the game against Lakers, in the final 9 seconds, Rockets trail by 3, even though they have Rice, Mobley and Francis such great shooter, Larry Smith could not come up with a good 3 point play. His play is easily being recognize by Phil Jackson twice. 3. Today's game against the Spurs, looks like Smith intends to throw the towel in, Francis only get 29 minutes, Yao had a pathetic 16 minutes playing time. For the entire fourth quarter, both stars sit on the pine. According to the colleague from San Antonio, after the loss, Rockets' locker room is really noise, even though Reporter can not get in, it sounds like a really angry argument broke out. If that's true, Rockets' coach and player is getting angry toward each other. Fact is, if anybody is going to say no to Larry Smith, it most likely will be Francis, although he is the most easy going team leader I ever seem, even Rudy T considers his emotion, Larry Smith bench him out right. Yao is the major focus of the internal turmoil, number explains everything. Start from Clipper's game, Yao had 3 games that average 22 min, 5.3 pts, FG% dramatically slide to 25%. However just before that decine, under Rudy T's coaching, Yao average 13pts, 8 rebounds, FG% above 51%. Since Yao does not have any injury, there's no reason that his performance took such a huge plunge. The simple reason is there's a problem in the way coach is using him. 3. Smith has been the assistant for coaching big guys. In his playing days, he's known for his physical and aggressive play, that's why he got one of his front tooth knock out. Usually when Rockets train Yao Ming, most of the time Rudy T or CD personally involved. It's no surprise that Smith doesn't know how to use such skillful center such as Yao Ming. Smith criticize Yao not being aggressive and not working hard, however, Yao's special ability is to use his brain and skill to win, Physical style of game is not his natural game, but Smith, who is too eager to revamp the team does not realize that. In Smith's system, Yao is use excessively in ISO with the opponent's center. Yao likes to play the offense where the whole team is moving around and involving. This kind of offense is a problem because if Yao is to faced Strong physical center such as Shaq and David Robinson, Smith abandons what Yao does best, it's obvious the system does not work as Yao is being kick around really badly. As Yao can not be a constant offense contributor as before, his playing time is being shorten a lot. Kato will not fill the void when Yao's being benched. In this season's last 10 games, if Yao do not rebound and become his old self, Rockets can not get into the playoff, and it's like when last season they don't have Yao. .... It's time for Yao to say something. Even though he's a rookie, the Rockets view him as the corner stone for the franchise, his words naturally carries weight. At the same time because he is usually the humble chinese player, his words are more accepted by Smith. Certainly the talk should not be known to the media, he can do it over a dinner with Larry Smith. Just private conversation between 2 people, it will benefits the team. Yao needs to tell Smith what he hopes he can do to help the team, and Smith can tell him what he expected of Yao. Two guys can work together both on strategy, and psyche of the team. For the sake of playoff, Yao should speak up.
rvpals, everything you said was so right. Wow! Fights in the lockerroom. Yao has been a little injured...and tired. But yes. Yao is too shy. He really needs to speak up. For everybody in the world. I be everyone is China can't stand watching us play. Yao needs to say something to coach. Nobody else will. Even on TV, everyone says that. How come they don't change?
Yes,Yao met two most challenges in his NBA life.First is he should adjust to NBA new envirment,second he has to do with new coach comand in short and unexpected time.Believe him because he is smart and cabable in basket court.Afterall,this is first season he came to NBA.Next year,he and Rockets will definetly success.
I agree Ming has not recovered from Laker's game. I think he was kind of helpless in that game. All the other teams double teamed Shaq. Why Ming played Shaq one on one? Shaq indeed had a super game. Even worse, Ming lost his confidence by the results. If Rockets can rest him for a week or so, I think he will be OK. Anyway he's done enough for the Rockets as a rookie. He doesn't have to carry the whole team. Be humble.
Are you guys all a bunch of Jokers? Yao was playing his 6th and 7th games in his 9th and 10th nights, respectively. Aside from this, we;re playing slightly more uptempo basketball, more intense, and Yao may very be TIRED AS HELL. Is that a bad thing? No way. He's just not physcially fit to bring it every night, on back-to-backs, and after long road trips. To me, the guy has been pretty damn consistent considering the circumstances, and if CHINA doesn't want to see these performances, maybe they should lay off him and let the HOUSTON ROCKETS put him in good shape for the NBA. There is one positive to draw from all this though. We have 2 games rest before each of the next 5 games, so NOW we can tell what Yao Ming is made of, whenw e REALLY REALLY need him. We need to win 3 of the next 4.
