I was watching the Denver game when Bill Worrel said something along the lines of "remember the 93-94 championship game with the Knicks, that was more of a wrestling match". Add that to the quote of recent Mo's quote of "big men has always been oficiated differently" and you have the reason why Yao's not a lot of calls... he's a Center and a very very good one. In the past few years, the physical play under the rim have decreased greatly as the quality of centers in the league have pretty much been non existent, no point being physical with centers that don't post up. We all seem to forget how the game was played in the past. Now that Yao has emerged as a top center in the league, teams are force to play Yao the way most teams have in the past, very very physical. I think it's not that neccessary the refs have any serious biased against us (though Rox do seem to get less calls) but that it's been a while since we've seen a good low post center besides Shaq (who does actually get fouled quite a bit without calls but doesn't affect him as much). Teams are gonna be physical with a center who scores well in the low post and refs always has and always will let a lot of it slide. Watching the games, I see a lot of plays where it could have been whistle fouls but am not surprised that it wasn't called. I think a big reason is the way Yao reacts to being fouled. Take the play around 10 min left if the 4th qt, where Yao was tripled teamed, bumped and eventually hit the ground. No call. It could've been a foul, but it could've also been just good physical defense, but I think the way Yao reacts to the contact is why he gets less calls. After he was bumped, Yao didn't jump, bounce backwards, yell, or flail him arms. Instead Yao leaned into the defender (instead of backwards as you might expect from the contact) and slowly (took 2 seconds) fall to the ground. From the ref point of view, it could've been a foul, but it also could've been seen as just Yao loosing his balance. I think what Yao needs to do is show more reaction to get some calls, otherwise it not gonna look like he was fouled since the refs can't see him being affected. Yes that means bounce backwards, yell, or flail him arms, in short show the refs that he's affected by the play. Even Shaq does this (flop, flail arms, yell) to show that he's been fouled. While it might go against Yao's honest, noble, humble (great Chinese qualities) nature to do this, he got to look inside and bring out the Shanghainese in him to use some clever means to achieve desired results.
screw that. a foul is a foul. i dont want yao to be a flopper. he shouldnt be discriminated against because of his size and forced to flop. if he touch fouls someone on the defensive end, i want the same call on the other end where he is grabbed, pushed, dislodged, hacked. its not a question that being physical is a good tactic against yao. but there is a difference between being physical and fouling. how many times this season have we seen quotes similar to Jerome James' comments that in summary said "all we did was hack him all night, and he fell hard" or other comments by a player "hes 7"6', ive got to do ANYTHING i can to stop him"
Yao should just play the game his way instead of trying to adjust. IMHO, he should make the officiating adjust to him..if they want to foul him out in Q2, let them. It won't be long before Stern and Ronnie Nunn send out e-mails clarifying and emphasizing some of the ticky-tack crap Yao is subjected to currently. I'm not saying they need to bend the rules...just call it by the book even when the defender guarding Yao is 10" shorter and 70#'s lighter...two forearms in the back is illegal. From the NBA.com rules: B. Personal Foul Section I--Types a. A player shall not hold, push, charge into, impede the progress of an opponent by extending a hand, forearm, leg or knee or by bending the body into a posi-tion that is not normal. Contact that results in the re-routing of an opponent is a foul which must be called immediately. b. Contact initiated by the defensive player guarding a player with the ball is not legal. This contact includes, but is not limited to, forearm, hands, or body check. EXCEPTIONS: (1) A defender may apply contact with a forearm to an offensive player with the ball who has his back to the basket below the free throw line extend-ed outside the Lower Defensive Box. (2) A defender may apply contact with a forearm and/or one hand with a bent elbow to an offensive player in a post-up position with the ball in the Lower Defensive Box. (3) A defender may apply contact with a forearm to an offensive player with the ball at any time in the Lower Defensive Box. The forearm in the above exceptions is solely for the purpose of maintaining a defensive position. (4) A defender may position his leg between the legs of an offensive player in a post-up position in the Lower Defensive Box for the purpose of main-taining defensive position. If his foot leaves the floor in an attempt to dis-lodge his opponent, it is a foul immediately. (5) Incidental contact with the hand against an offensive player shall be ignored if it does not affect the player's speed, quickness, balance and/or rhythm. c. Any player whose actions against an opponent cause illegal contact with yet another opponent has committed the personal foul. d. A personal foul committed by the offensive team during a throw-in shall be an offensive foul, regardless of whether the ball has been released. e. Contact which occurs on the hand of the offensive player, while that hand is in contact with the ball, is legal.
Yeah but the big men's game has and always will be officiated differently. It's not gonna change for Yao or any new dominant center. Hakeem in his book said that when he was younger and ppl tap his elbow when he shoots, the refs wouldn't call a foul, when he complained, the ref told him he's strong enough to finish. He doesn't have to be a flopper, but I think he should make it more apparent that last "physical play" affected him.
JVG and Pat Riley are the same types of coaches that referees do not like. Last season, Pat Riely complained a lot about referees. Now it is JVG's turn. Why? Because Rox plays a style that referees do not like.
wizkid83, I think he main issue is how well a partlicaur players "adjusts to the refs" during a game. As we know, the refs can be inconsistent sometimes. The best/smarest players figure them out the fastest. That's why you see a lot of players (Duncan/Dirk/Kobe) using their best politician skills (on the sidelines talking to them, not yelling). They are "softening up" the refs in order to gain "favor." Or at least figure out "how" the refs are refereeing that particular game.
Agreed, that's what I'm trying to say. Yao has to see underneath the surface. He's from Shanghai, he should know that the world isn't always fair or complete, but how you approach the rules can make a big difference.
