Oh yeah, did anybody else notice the part where Yao talks about learning until April and then going home? Doesn't sound like he's expecting playoff success.
dude honestly I am worried isnt there 9 teams all with in 1-2 games of each other for the 2nd to 8th seed?
Yeah, you're absolutely right. I was thinking first round and out, like every other year. But missing the playoffs completely is a definite possibility. Yao sounds like he's as sick of it as the fans are. Not a good sign.
Out of all the teams trying to make the playoffs in the West we are probably hands down the weakest team mentally.
Injury kept this team from coming together and building an identity. Now everyone is back. But regardless of what has held it back, I dont think this core is going to come together. This is looking closer to Phoenix Suns becoming further unraveled than championship contender.
trade Yao while he still has value. We could get so back in return it's not even funny. That whole interview sounds like a case of "player not liking his team". Ship it!
Yao should reduce those jump hooks. He was playing the way Shaq used to play, but Yao doesn't have that strength.
I've been saying that for weeks. Just look at how this team competes (or fails to). Get TSlack of the floor and we have a chance.
In the other thread, listening to him in English, he sounds really down also of course; but putting that together with the interview posted in THIS thread....yeah, he's down on the team, but you can see his frustration about losing his way since Tmac came back. They aren't shipping Yao. Tmac showed he can still play, but I think Tmac can be Win Kryptonite: he does just enough for awhile, gets the lead, goes to the locker room mentally. What was it, 0-for-4 for Tmac in the fourth? Bye bye Tmac.
I don't even look at his numbers ... TSlacks defense is what cost us early again. He singlehandedly was responsible for 10 76ers points in the first quarter (maybe 12). The guy is so LAZY on defense, it is remarkable he still has a job.
Funny how you turned this into a Tmac thread and while I've been disappointed with Tmac this year, you kind of have to look at the whole team. I mean how many rediculous turnovers did we have this game? I mean Yao had 5 or 6 alone which may have lead to 10 or 12 pts there. I also like the ones where Rafer drove in and passed it directly to a Sixers player. I think as Rockets fans we need to stop singling out people because of your utter dislike for the player and look at the team rationally as a whole. I mean seriously Tmac had a decent game with a tough luck shot at the end but I'm also not going to exclude him from some of the disappointments I have with this team. Some people need to stop looking at the team through the eyes of a hater.
Now trade Yao to lakers for Gasol Gasol maybe a suitable piece for RA's system. And lakers will accept this offer I think.
I might have been the one who turned the Yao thread to a Tmac thread. It did come round again, but I was trying to say, Tmac's return has put a major crimp in Yao's game. These two just don't really play well together. We can say they haven't had time to mesh, but the frustration level with Yao is something else. The blame I throw on Tmac is that he always, ALWAYS acts as if the game is over at the end of the 3rd. Spectacularly talented. And spectacularly apathetic. Since Yao isn't going anywhere, we need to get back to what was working WITH Yao.
Wah? Yao missed the first two games. This was his first game back with Tracy, and there's no way you can blame all his bonehead turnovers and lack of concentration on Tracy McGrady. Yao was playing great for a stretch of 3-4 games. I thought he really turned a corner. Everything went out the window in this game. I'm frustrated about it, and apparently he is too. BTW, these were our possessions with McGrady on the floor in the 4th quarter: This was Tracy in the fourth quarter: 1. First, he only reentered the game with 6:46 left on the clock. Our lead had dwindled from +5 to +1 while he was sitting out the quarter. 2. Next two possessions are two Rocket scores. One for Yao (his first in the quarter, after losing the ball twice and getting his shot blocked while McGrady was out), and the next was a make for Rafer. 3. Third possession with McGrady back, Yao turns it over again. Tracy's fault? 4. 4th possession, Rafer hits a 3, McGrady assist. 5. 5th possession, McGrady gets his layup blocked. Not a lazy jump shot, he was at the basket, and it was blocked. 6. 6th possession, McGrady misses a short midrange jump shot. 7th possession, Rafer misses a driving layup. 8th possession, Ron misses a midrange jumper. 9th possession, Rafer misses a 3-pointer. How much of that do you want to blame on McGrady? 7. 10th possession, McGrady misses a long jumper, but Yao gets the rebound on puts it back in. 8. 11th possession, Yao drops in a hook shot and gets fouled, assist McGrady. He misses the free throw. 9. 12th (and final) possession, McGrady misses contested jump shot.
Yao was forced to shoot jump hooks. The defense was all over him before he even got the ball, especially the little guys. The only way to keep the little guys from double and triple teaming him is for the guards to hit consistent outside shots.
This team needs more discipline. Sometimes I have to wonder, is Adelman the right coach for this team?
