I have to say he is not ready yet. PERIOD. Rudy is more disappointing. He didn't tell us the truth. In the past two months, I, and many Chinese fans, have read a lot of Rudy's interviews. Here are some qutoes from him: "Yao Ming can play NBA right now." "Yao Ming will be our starting center." "NBA will be much easier for Yao Ming than WBC." "Yao Ming will be very happy to play with our guards." If he just said that "Yao Ming will be a good player" or "Yao Ming will be a great center", I will not blame him. But why did he say Yao Ming will start and play 30 minutes from the beginning? Clutch was very surprised when he found Rudy didn't run plays for Yao Ming at the trainning camp before Yao Ming arrived. Rudy's explaination was because Yao Ming can fit any plays. In fact, Rudy knew Yao Ming wasn't ready for starting and didn't want to design any plays for him. As a famous coach, he had followed Yao Ming for months and he knew he would not start Ming. Rudy should tell Ming that what's his weakness. He should tell Ming that he will not start Ming. Ming is a smart and hardworking guy. If he knew this truth two months ago, he could prepare his NBA career in advance, at least in psychic preparation. Now the fact is there is a great gap between Yao Ming's expection about his first year and the disappointed reality. It will make it more difficult for Ming's adjusting to NBA and will bring him more pressure. I would rather to know this truth two months ago than to be frustrated by Ming's 10+ being schooled minutes every night.
Wind, Please give Yao time....no one comes into a new country, and a new culture and dominates a game at the age of 22. Yao Ming will be a great player, but right now, his head is spinning. Ming will settle down, and get used to the speed of the NBA game and begin to contribute real soon. I would guess it will take until around late January before we see the real Ming. Also, I think Rudy wants to start Ming, but the truth is that Ming has not had enough time to learn the offense and defense and Rudy is NOTORIOUS for bringing rookies along slowly. Patience my man....patience. Oh and it wouldn't hurt if Ming got a little NASTY and played a little meaner. YAO MEAN !! I like it. DaDakota
winandsea, It's unfair to blame Rudy this one. It's no one's fault. Contrary to what you think, MOST fans are not dissapointed with Ming. There's only one way to prepare for the NBA: Be in the NBA. Ming would've struggled through this if he had known it 1 year ago. Nothing is like NBA basketball, and you have to experience it yourself to adjust. Give him more time. He's been playing non-stop for 2 years. No NBA player could do that, much less a rookie. Now, to clear up those quotes: "Yao Ming can play NBA right now." Jay Williams, they said, could play right now but he's not doing very good either. As a matter of fact, there maybe 1 or 2 rookies out of this class that are doing ANYTHING productive right now. Gooden is one. Who's the second? "Yao Ming will be our starting center." This one people may have misunderstood. he said Ming will be the starter, but I'm sure he didn't mean immediately. The Rockets are a playoff team, and Cato was doing and is doing great. There's no way we could plug Ming into the line up. "NBA will be much easier for Yao Ming than WBC." Again, this quote was translated inappropriately by the media. What Rudy meant was that the NBA has more rules to protect players from rough play, so the nbA will be less aggressive than the WBC. Believe me, it is. "Yao Ming will be very happy to play with our guards." Have you been watching the games? He is happy with our guards. But like everyone else, Ming has to earn trust from his teammates. Once the team sees that he's not fatigued and is comfortable in the offense, he'll get shots. The reason no plays were designed for him is because he got here very late. It would be unfair to install new plays when the previous players were learning the other plays. Besides, Ming, so far, hasn't adjusted, so it's not even time to run plays for him.(Although i think they did a few times). Again, give him time. A lot of what you hear is the media twisting things. Ming still has to go up, then hit what we call the Rookie wall. Its a journey. it's going to need patience.
Vlade Radmanovic is 21, and he was 20 last year when he threw up 29 against the Spurs in the playoffs. Yao is going to be a major letdown for Houston, and NBA fans this year. Hes just too slow and awkward. Timmy D is licking his chops, thats a guarantee!
SonicBlood.... The PLAYOFFS? That is 6 months away...Ming will be a LOT better in 6 months then he is now. DaDakota
Dakota/Windandsea:- I also want Yao Ming to become mean and agressive. Because he is playing so timid, trying to avoid fouls, he is not getting into the Game, its gone on for 4 Games now. It looks to me that he isn't getting any coaching otherwise I am sure he would correct same. He must develop a presence, it doesnt matter if he fouls out, other Centers must learn that when Yao Ming is in the Game you don't make any baskets, only freethrows, if you can. Its going to take Yao Ming about ONE fullseason plus a Summer, plus an offseason and preseason, to gain the feel of the NBA,enough strength and confidence to apply his tallents as a quality Center with the Rockets. I hope he won't get discouraged by the behavior of our Guards.
Radomanovic sucked for most of last year and barely played until the second half of the season. It's early.
Yao Ming was 22 when he got voted onto the World Championsip Basketball First team. Is there I can find a game log for last year on Radomanovich?
Windandsea, I'm also a Chinese fan but I'm not disappointed with Yao Ming.I even used him as an example to encourage my students.There are ups and downs in life.What matters is not the result but the process.Don't compare yourself with others.You can only compare yourself with yourselves.As long as Yao Ming is trying his best I'll always surport him no matter how he does on the court.
I personally NEVER expected Yao Ming to come in and dominate right away...or even put up over 10ppg and 8 rebounds a game. Just wait and be patient. HE WILL COME AROUND.
In 6 months, Ming will know the offesnse completely, will have earned his teammates' trust, and will be WELL over his rookie wall. Late season, he'll be inspirational. Playoffs? We'll see. because when you go to the playoffs for the first time, you're a rookie all over again.
I think it is painfully obvious that Yao is not ready for the NBA. He plays timid, is a step and ahalf slow, and everyone just seems to shoot right over the top of him. But he does have some good basketball awareness. He just needs to get adjusted. The sooner the better, i don't know if i can watch him let another player like Jerome James look like a top 5 center.
No need to make windandsea think he's being unreasonable. No one expected Yao to come in and dominate, but we certainly expected better thant this. I, personally, think that he is better than this right now, but he just hasn't found any sort of rythm out there at all. Who's fault is this? No one persons, of course, but you have to think that Yao, right now, is a good enough offense player to get more than the 3 shots a game he currently has the fortune of taking. He is confused, and he is being outmuscled, and he is getting the rookie treatment from the refs, and he does have a big sign on his back, but, I think, he is better than this, right now. Rudy has difficulties dealing with young players on a young team. I think that's the jist of it. Yao needs less encouragement and more of the ability to actually show what he can bring.
SO WHAT! THIS IS THE ROXS' BOARD we don't GIVE a CRAP about the SHLONICS here!!! U have a good solid team, probabaly will go 2 the playoffs.............but just 2 fizzzle out. AGAIN!!!! So, go back and throw ur dribble nonsense there!! Yao Ming will do just fine!!!! And by the way, when was the last time Ur team won an NBA title!!! Oh well, made ya think!!
Everybody knows I am the biggest Yao Ming's fan at this BBS. (at least one of the biggest). I am not disappointed about Ming himself. I am disappointed about the people surrounded him. I am disappointed about Rudy, NBA, business men, Les, reporters, CBA and anybody else who just wants to make money from Ming. When I found that the weight of Ming is 249 pounds today from a latest report, I know that, as a fan, I was cheated by that huge business machine. So was Ming, as a player.
I am dissapointed in Ming. I know he's tired, new team, new country, blah, blah, blah. I understand that. And I have confidence that one day he will be an excellent player in the NBA. But right now, he's playing like a little girl. He has no aggression out there, he doesnt rebound at all, and his defense is atrouscious. He doesnt raise his arms when he is defending someone, which for the life of me I cant figure out. He will come around, but he is not ready to play 30 min a game for us this season, thats for sure.
What has Rudy done??? Seriously, all these people that are surrounding him isn't going to stop, it is something he just has to learn to deal with. Yao has been somewhat disappointing, but the way he played against Toronto was encouraging and you just have to give the guy some time. Patience people, patience.
