Yao has been playing with more energy and with greater purpose. Is his girlfriend still in town, if she isn't then we know why Yao has his energy back
Yao is playing stronger. He doesn't get nearly as many rebounds slapped out of his hands as before. His offensive aggression and concentration right now are very good. Tell you what: If Yao brings more aggression & polish to his game next year AND the Rockets get another good passer on the team (besides T-Mac) that can sense when & where to feed Yao the ball, Yao will average 24 points a game in just 33 minutes. Hopefully next year is when Yao will figure out nobody can stop him. But we must get another good passer to get him the ball. Sura is not a good passer and Mike James is a ball hog. We need another quarterback!
You guys really MUST go and watch that Yao movie, it will tell you alot about ALL the adjustments he had to make coming here and living here and playing here. You will get a better appreciation for how QUICKLY (yes fast, not slow) Yao has adjusted to life/culture here in the USA. Believe me, with all the things Yao went through (on AND off the court), how well he is playing right now is rather impressive. As I have said before, Yao has 2 more seasons in front of him to absolutely dominate. Next year he will be much better as a player. Two seasons from now, Yao will be absolutely dominant, and THEN (and only then) will the Rockets be a serious championship contender every single season.
damn it tiger, can't you just let me be a pessimist for once? Does the sun always have to shine on my rain?
I've been thinking the same thing. Great thread, Rileydog. Yao has been playing like he suddenly lost ten pounds... much quicker, great timing on his blocks, did I say much quicker?? I've noticed as well, the last few games, that he hasn't gotten as many stupid fouls, and I think it's because the refs are gearing up for the playoffs. Perhaps that's had an impact on his play. (or maybe the better calls from the refs are my imagination!)
I sure hope that's not the case. He plays limited minutes as it is. He needs to play more minutes in the future, not less. I agree with the main topic, though. I think we're seeing a lot more flashes of what he can be than in the past, especially defensively.
