Sorry Guys! But I have seen Yao Ming open and ready to receive the ball but be ignored by Francis. So many times in so many Games. Yet I realy hope that this Game is a signal that things are working themselves out.
Stamina continues to appear to be a big weakness in Yao's game. In the second half when Shaq was pushing him out of his comfort zone you could see he just didn't have the energy to dirve for position like he did in the first or his 4th foul, falling over Fisher, seemed like a sign of exhaustion. Even though the Rox played well without him in the 4th its pretty obvious to me they wouldn't have won the game without his offense in the first half. JVG has to figure out a good rotation schedule to keep Yao fresh for as long as possible.
I don't think Steve's ignoring them..he just doesn't see them! He has to have some time to think about what he's gonna do..I thought he played pretty well yesterday. He almost had a triple double. And he showed leadership and emotion and desire and determination and will and all those characters..don't blame him. Everyone made some mistakes..
2 Things: A) As Francis said, Yao needs to learn to demand the ball more. B) Yao may be 7'6 but he plays 6'7. He isn't relaible in the post and until he becomes more aggressive, he cannot become the hib of our offense. All things considered, I'm a lot more comfortable with Francis shooting the ball than Yao.
that wasnt even a foul. it was the usual acting job that fisher does every game. i cant stand people whos sole job is to flop all over the place all the time. and thats all fisher does on the court
It was a flop job but if Yao had been a little sharper getting his position Fisher wouldn't have been able to even convince the refs of his flop. OTOH watching the foul called on Yao when Kobe ran into him I was thinking Yao could take some lessens from great flop masters. It appeared to me the only reason that call was made was because Yao staggered after Kobe hit him making it look like he didn't establish position. If Yao had taken an all out flop the refs might've called offensive foul on Kobe instead because in the replay it looks like he has position and then takes a step to regain his balance after Kobe hits him.
Thats all fine and dandy,but if the guy gets good position with his man on his back, it should be automatic. He shouldn't have to ask or wait long if he has his man 8ft from the hoop. Francis played a little more under control and picked his spots, but I still wish he would stop making the game so hard on himself.
If we finally learn (ahem, paying attention, JVG?) to get Yao to set high screen pick and rolls, and to play offense both in thr high post and the low post, we will have much more success. And I think Steve and Yao will play much better together. I still think we need to get bigger at the 3. But just getting more production out of The Great Wall of Yao goes a long way in helping us win. It was fun to watch. I still wish Yao would quit batting around (and losing) the rebound. He should be getting twelve a game.
Steve Francis knew he was mic-ed up so maybe he planned what he said. But you know what I'm not a conspiracy theorist so I give him the benefit of the doubt. I was in fact VERY VERY impressed with his play on national TV. He show a lot of LEADERSHIP out there. That's what I've always wanted to so. He played great team ball. I really hope he can consistently play like this. I was so so happy with Francis's play last night.
Steve was on National TV what else would you expect him to say! Actions speak louder than words. Against Denver where were the special plays to set up Yao Ming. I understand...its wasn't on National TV.
"Yao, ask for the ball more." - Francis I'm sorry, but I don't get this statement. Isn't Francis the PG? Doesn't the PG call the plays, run the offense, & decide who the ball goes to? Why does a 7'5" 300+lb. man, with a soft shooting touch & exceptional passing skills have to "ask for the ball more."? Can't Francis see him?!? Hey Steve, he's the real tall one. In fact, he's the tallest player on the floor on any given night. Do you need glasses? Maybe you should try elevating your line of sight. A PG is like a Quarterback in football. When was the last time you saw a QB tell a WR or RB to ask for the ball more? Maybe Steve needs to take a class on Chinese culture. My experience has been that the Chinese people are very hard workers, very respectful of others, & don't make a lot of noise (ie...chest thumping, high fiving, loud screaming, or staring down an opponent). In fact, if you've watched Yao's reaction when his teammates do these things with him, he seems almost embarrassed & extremely shy. What Francis needs to do, is force feed Yao the ball. Just keep passing it into him & let him decide to take the shot or pass it to an open teammate. If I remember correctly, wasn't that one of the strengths of Yao that was talked about when we first drafted him? Since he's 7'5" tall, can see the entire floor, & has exceptional passing skills, wasn't there discussions about using him as the pivot man, much the same way we were going to use Webber (had we gotten him)? Steve, stop focusing on the cameras, microphones, & highlight reels & start focusing on doing what it takes to win games. You don't have to be on ESPN every night to get a max contract. Wait......., that's right, you already have a max contract. So, how about focusing on winning ball games as a team?
