Well, I've gone through a bunch of stats over many top players who didn't do too well in their first two season but finally have a breakout year on their third season. Why we might ask the reason for this? First year is getting use to the new team. Everything is new. The second year would be to test out how if you can compete and try to lead the team. So with teh first two years of adjustment, will we finally see Yao stepping up? I do hope so and I know he should have a great year. Well it all depend on WHO the players going to be around him. It's pretty pathetic since Yao only average around a little over 2 more shots per game then he did in his rookie season. But think about it, he's scoring pretty well under a defensive style game coach.
Don't forget Yao is a foreign player. No foreign player had his breakout year in first couple seasons. Look at Peja, Dirk. I think he'll do very well next season.
Those players you naamed are Europeans, Yao Ming didnt even have the samy caliber of competition. If we are going to assume his performance based onwhat his counterparts did, well Wang Zhi ZHi's 3rd year was one of his worst...
I think that the 4th season will be Yao's Breakout season. That will be the first season he will actually get a break from b-ball and come to the Rockets fresh, if I recall correctly.
I think Yao will come in next season with another 15 lbs. of muscle on his upperbody, and well rested due to the Del Harris coaching the Chinese NT team. I think Del Harris will do wonders to Yao's game if only from a fatigue standpoint since he won't be enduring 8 hour long sessions of non-beneficial practices. I also expect him to have better footwork coming into next season which should also help his game tremendously. So as long as he adds some more muscle next season and has fresh legs to endure for possibly 100 games next season (82 Reg. Season and 28 Post-season games if necessary ), I think he could very well have a breakout year. The team will only go as far as he carries it.
I hope so. I would love to see him come out as the Big man we need in him. He has shown signs of greatness, he just needs to harness it and keep a handle on it and not let it escape like it did last season (late in the season).
Yao will gradually improve. He's not going to 'all of the sudden' bust out with 25/12 or something all his haters expect him to be. I think next year Yao will average 20/10 and will be even better the year after that.
I think Yao will average 19.9/9.9 next season, and it will annoy the hell out of my brains when people say he's not a 20/10 player. Seriously, the only thing Yao needs to improve in order to be 20/10 is hi sstamina. If he improves his game as well, we're looking at slightly better than 20/10, maybe something like 22/11. On a per minute basis, Yao performed as well as Tim Duncan in his second year. But what's the point if he can't play as many minutes right? I really hope Yao rests up and later on also works on his stamina. I think the improvement in his game will come at training camp and from games, there's no real competition for him to improve agianst really.
Excellant points! Especially on Yao's summer and Del Harris. I totally agree. This was the first year where Yao really learned how to be 'aggressive.' He did it in spurts. I feel that we will start to see more 'consistancy' from him next year and that will translate into better numbers and more wins. Additionally if the Rockets team personnel is changed to better suit Yao's game we will see an even bigger incline in his play.
If Francis gets traded then yes it will be his breakout year, if not, than no, Francis still dominates the ball too much to allow Yao to breakout. DD
One day it won't be a big deal when Yao takes the initiative game in and game out. In fact I can't wait until we start taking Yao for granted in a few years. He's still in that new and exciting phase. Francis had that too.
I'm with SRF. Phil Jackson is quoted as saying that he expects Yao to gradually improve each year, but not "break out," per se. This makes sense to me, and I would be fine with gradual improvement. If Yao reaches 20/10 next year, and the Rockets advance to the second round after a ~50 win season, I'll be quite pleased.
Yao is gonna come back with a leader attiutde after being the leader of the china team for the olympics. then we'll see what he's capable of leading the rox, esp. if SF is gone.
Yao will keep improving, but I am not sure next year will be a breakout. 20-10 should be his stat goal for the next year. If we have a good roster move, I hope rox will clime to No. 5 in west next year.
DaDa, other players don't hold great players back. Can you think of another example where this has happened? Coaches and players want to win games - therefore they won't ignore greatness if it's on their own team. Greatness commands attention from opponents and from teammates. If Yao Ming becomes good enough to lead a championship team, it will be done with or without Francis.
