Yao is just not ready to be the main focus of the offense, he is slow, clumsy, and plays so passively that he gets pushed around by lesser players. He brings the ball down on offense far too often and allows defenders to slap it away easily. Also, he fumbles the ball constantly, and plays with no energy at all. I am beginning to believe that Yao will NEVER be a superstar, but will be a Rik Smits or Zrydunus Ilgalksus type player. Decent but never great. I just don't think Yao has it in him..... Would anyone in their right mind not trade him for 18 year old Lebron? Didn't think so.... DD
Yao is almost ready, just needs experience and strength. He has super skills, the whole package to be a dominant player. All he needs is one or two more year to gain experience and strength. And maybe a better ball distributor as his teammate.
I can not recall a player that turned it on at 25, if you don't dominate or show the ability to dominate at 22 & 23, I don't think you ever will. Hakeem came into the NBA at 21, and he immediatly averaged 20ppg and 10+ rebounds. I just don't think Yao is athletic enough, he is too darned slow...and that is something that can not be fixed. DD
DaDakota, I agree with you that Yao is still green, but I honestly would not trade him for an 18 year our LeBron... reason being that a talented Center is a rare commodity, let alone, a 7 foot 6 center. Even though LeBron is putting up great numbers to date, he's in a class of guards where there will is a greater pool of available talent - whether they be veteran talent or up and coming young talent. Centers just simply appear in rarified circles. Yet most every team covets a marquee center b/c the center position is such a difficult position to fill. I think one of the things that is r****ding Yao's progress is how quickly teams have been adjusting to Yao's offensive prowess. The double teams when Yao is on offense and penetrating guards who like to draw fouls on Yao on defense are new to this season. Last season, no one knew too much about Yao. This year, there is more vid-tape for teams to prepare with. Thus, Yao really needs to step up his game in order to rise above this new level of competition. To date, I'm not so sure LeBron is commanding the same kind of attention. Yes, from a media point of view LeBron is popular, but on the floor, most teams are still defending him mono-e-mono. Yao has to just go with one patented move (e.g. hook shot) and just keep using it like it's money. For Yao to develop into a Duncan like player, he needs that money shot. Duncan's banker was money for his rookie season. Yao needs to get something like that going first. Yao also needs to quit the Asian games and just spend one full SUMMER CAMP here in the states. Else, I honestly think his time overseas makes his skills REGRESS in time b/c he's not exactly playing against tougher, or smarter competition. theSAGE
keep in mind - yao is in his second year out of china. - yao is still adjusting physically and mentally to the style of basketball played over here in america - yao will not be the savior of this franchise overnight
Francis doesn't have IT. Mobley doesn't have IT. But Yao has IT. This team looks pathetic when Yao is not playing well, and looks championship-like when Yao plays well. Sure Yao is struggling lately, but it has more to do with playing style, hating refs, fatigure, and poor conditioning than not having IT. Go back watch tapes from Yao-Shaq I and Yao-Shaq III, or Duncan-Yao I, or last year's Asian Basketball Championship finals. BTW, Nuggets are blowing Lakers 111-90 with 1 minute left, if that is any comforting to you...
He's too much of a cash cow to be traded. Unlike Lebron the guy still has some physical development to go through on his body. As many pounds of muscle he added on in the offseason, he still doesn't have an NBA body. I agree he has a lot of work to do before he's a true superstar, but it's obvious he's very capable. As bad as this team played tonight, the one thing they lack the most is good team chemistry. We don't have the right team for run and gun, or be a good halfcourt team. We're kind of a bad mix of both. Francis isn't a halfcourt guy, and that's why he struggles. Yao's not an uptempo player, and that's why he struggles. Having two of our star players with opposite games just won't mesh well. And while Yao has been dissapointing this season, Francis has been dissapointing for what appears to be going on 5 seasons. He's the first star of the two out the door.
My point is that Yao has not made that significant of an improvement over last year and is still making dumb mistakes out there. He is constantly in the wrong position, never boxes out, and gets the ball stripped from him all the darned time. I just think he is too soft of mind, and too slow of foot to ever dominate. DD
How many other 25 year olds are less two years removed from playing normal competition against untalented midgets
Smeg, Fair enough, and good points, but it seems that he is making the same mistakes and is not learning from them very well. Not to mention, he is softer than Jon Koncak. DD
r****ded. yeah you. YAO-the great wall? the dynasty? bull**** the clumzinator. the slothy noodle. the butter-fingered hand model. native american name? posts far from goal give him time? you dont just become an unclutz.
I don't see it, I think his comfort has improved, and he gets more minutes, but I think he has regressed defensively. DD
