I get the feeling that most Chinese fans don't really care about how the Rockets do. They only care about how Ming does. Forget about basketball being a team sport. Hell, Ming just arrived less than a month ago. So, let's make him the center of the offense and dump it into him. Forget about how he is not playing all that well and doesn't know the offense or defense well at all. Let him start now, give him more minutes, and give him the ball. Do all this at the expense of the team. Who cares if the team loses as long as Ming plays more minutes, scores more points, and grabs more rebounds? Also, start Ming now even though he knows little about our offense. Quite frankly...if I'm a Chinese or big Ming fan, then that's what I'm saying as well. I would be disappointed in all aspects of everything Ming in these first games. I want Ming to average 30 to 40 minutes a game, be the focal point of the offense, and learn by trial and error at the team's benefit....or expense. But, first and foremost, I am a Rockets fan and I root for the entire team. While I would like to see Ming play well, I am a reasonable person in that I know he could be a year or two away from being the impact player we all want(and hope) him to become. I don't want his current novice/rookie skills to hamper the team game and cost us wins. I want him to get playing time to see what he can do and, if he isn't doing too well, then I feel we must bench him and put in someone like Cato who has been there - done that. So, while I understand that China or die-hard Ming fans may be in a slight uproar festered in disappointment at Ming's playing time and Ming not getting the ball enough, I think it approaches a point of being unreasonable based on Ming's rookie status, inexperience, and what he is actually doing while he is on the court. And that is all I have to say about that... Surf
You bring up another good point. Yao gets up and down the court well for his size. But I dont think hes as quick as alot of people thought. Quickness is a hard skill to obtain.
Look I think Ming will be a good player - but his playing style will determine if he will be a good or GREAT player. He has the potential to be a great player. But he has to show it. He needs to remember he is not playing in the CBA where he can do everything with half an effort. Not like here in the USA we go HARD at everything we do. I mean Ming has the touch to make his shots. But he needs to look at that basket and say "I am GONNA SLAM that BALL in THEIR FACES! They AINT TAKING this BALL away from me. and blah blah blah.. He NEEDS to show em that he is the BIG man! Don't worry about fouls! Just show he will GO HARD and get the HELL out of the WAY! Ming has only been here for 3 weeks now, he has only played 6 games so far. So I think if we give him time, he will start to come around and realize what he has to do! But this will also require the help from his team - to RIDE his back and tell him that he has to play some SMASH MOUTH BASKETBALL!
Yao is exactly what the Rockets needed. The Rockets were the second to last team in attendance last year if not the worst. Yao will sell tickets. Yao brings in 1 billion new fans. Isn't that the bottom line? $$$$ On the court, well, he's been nothing short of a disappointment.
windandsea, You are the biggest Yao Ming fan. I may be the second:^) I understand your frustration. But I don't agree with your perception. We need to put things in perspective by ourselves with regard to Yao Ming and the Rockets. Is Yao Ming NBA ready? Yes in a rebuilding team. Not in a team that wants to win now. Honestly, The Rockets was not an immediate fit for Yao Ming. At least not in their mind before hitting the lottery jackpot. But Yao Ming will be a perfect fit for the Rockets in their drive to another Championship. Rox wants to win and must go to the playoffs this season due to tremendous external pressure. And Rudy T is watching his job right now. So don't expect Rudy to give a green light to Yao Ming anytime soon. He will second guess Yao in any game this season. And I don't blame him. Steve and Cat are the 1-2 punch this season. Game is for them to win or lose this season no matter how much you don't like it. Under the current circumstance, Yao Ming will be used similar to how Wang was used in his first season with Dallas. Yao Ming is not a known commodity in the NBA as we speaking. It's just a reality. And it's nobody's fault. As far as Yao Ming's performance is concerned, he will not get enough minutes, will not have many set plays for him and will not be trusted with the ball in this season. When a game is on the line, odds are Rudy will bench him. So tell me how he can build his confidence under the current scenario. Just be patient. As to others' comments on being Yao fan not Rockets fan. It's just the other extreme end of the arguement. I started watching the televised Rockets games since 94. I loved those two Champ drives. I still think the Dream is the best center since KAJ. I can say I am a Rockets fan, but not a homer. The current Rockets team will be a frustrating situation for Yao Ming. And it will last for a while. As an armchair general, this is what I want from Rudy. At 5, play cato in 1st and 3rd Qs, play Yao 2nd and 4th Qs, in every game, no matter what. Don't have to fabricate plays for Yao now. Just let him follow the flow of the game. My reasons are: (1) Without Yao's positive contribution, The Rockets will be on the brink of the playoffs and going nowhere in the brutle West. (2) Given Yao's curtural background and external pressure, second guessing will destroy his confidence as fast as you can possibly imagine. Rudy once said he would play Yao in a position/situation that Yao would just feel comfortable. The reality is just the opposite. No PnR. No high post play. Just static post up down low. That's not Yao's comfort zone. Not yet. windandsea, reality is excruciatingly painful for all Yao's fans. But future is bright. Yao Ming and the Rockets is a perfect fit in a basketball sense. It's all up to Rudy how he wants to make it or not. It's a very long season. Let's just wish the Rockets and Yao do better and better as the season goes on.
Rudy is trying very hard to find time for Ming to play. But everytime Ming is on the court, the Rockets is losing. He changes the momentum to the opposite direction. If Ming doesn't improve quickly, his playing time will be reduced sharply. Right now, Ming is getting more playing time than he really deserves. It is unfair to other players. Ming needs to earn the playing time instead of being given the opportunity just because he is the No. 1 pick and has a huge market behind him.
windandsea, For someone who gets highly praised like you do, you sure do get discouraged easily. Relax and give it time. It has only been 4 games. I am not going to get worried about Yao until after the all-star break. In the meantime, I could care less about what the "hatas" have to say about Yao (i.e. ESPN) because I know there are so many people out there that wants to see Yao Ming fail for some insane reason.
I'm not Chinese, which seems to be really relevant in this thread, but I am fairly certain that the presence of gay reporters is not affecting Yao's play.
He just needs time. He is lost out there right now. The speed of the NBA is killing him right now. He has to get quicker, and more fundamentally sound (box outs, not bringing the ball low, attacking the basket). That will take playing time and practice. I think the bright lights have zapped him too. He's too mild mannered. Somebody needs to piss him off...
Way too early to be discouraged. I thought Chinese culture thought in hundred year plans. Well, it won't take that long, but give it till mid-season for him to be "in" the flow, and about two years for "excellence." I really like him, and I am convinced he will do well. I will continue to cheer him on. Also, WINDANDSEA, you are one of my favorite posters. BE ENCOURAGED!
W&S, glad to see you've gotten over the loss and have the patience for Yao. Yao Ming hasn't looked on offense, and that's a big part of the reason the Rockets aren't running a lot of plays for him. Everyone wants to see what he can do, and he'll get a chance to prove it... but he just hasn't been able to do much with the ball. Out of 4 games, he's had one encouraging offensive game. The rest of the time, he's been slow on his post moves and he's getting his shot blocked, the ball stripped, etc... after offensive rebounds, he's rushed his shots. A lot of this is a lack of comfort and confidence on offense. He isn't showing us what he can do yet, and he won't until he gets 25 min+ consistently on the court. But the *main* reason the Rockets can't play him 25+ min is that he's a total liability on defense. He seems like he's picking up the defensive schemes and playing his man well, but one-on-one he's getting beat. He's just not handling the athleticism of the players he's guarding. Jerome James just ate him *alive* last night. They were getting the ball to James every time down, a very bland center 90% of NBA fans couldn't even name, and James was able to back Yao Ming down and make easy shots. Yao Ming needs to, in chronological order: 1) rebound. 2) play solid defense. He's making fewer obvious fouls, but now he needs to get his aggression back and block some shots. And then, FINALLY, after the above are done... he needs more playing time, and he needs to touch the ball on offense.
Look people, it's not Yao's fault that we are down on his performance. The BBS just like all the media out there has hyped Yao Ming so much, that we started thinking he's a 7'6" Center that could walk on water. I remember a quote from Yao going something like "I have not even played one NBA game yet" and he's asked us to be patient and realistic since before he even came here. Yao needs time, that's all. So if we want to blame our dissappointment on somebody, blame it on ourselves.
