At times in the Philly game Yao looked like he just fell asleep in defensive rebounding opportunities. I'll reserve judgement until he gets some more practice and games under his belt.
Jlaw I agree more here with you than Yetti, but let me get my rant out of the way: Dream was not a finesse center, ever. He went inside his entire career, and though he wasn't as big or strong as some, but he was as fierce. I can't believe the guys in this forum that spout that bs. It seems like Shaq-itis has infected a lot of people's memories, or is it that Dream was so skilled and athletic that his balls are all but forgotten? I wish the 22 year-old version of Akeem could visit you in your sleep and sit on your heads. Rant over. Now to the Yao is never going to be a traditional center crap. You have it as screwed up as much as the national media. He won't be a traditional NBA center this year, but how many traditional centers are there in the NBA right now? Yao sounds like a center to me, and a hell of a lot more interested in the tradition than most guys 6'11" or better coming into the league. News flash: Chamberlain could shoot, handle the ball and was often was as poetic as Jabbar and Hakeem were. And he was bigger than and stronger than anyone else at that time. Shaq has clearly confused people's perceptions and it's not his fault their aren't guys around to play him. Yao's situation is unique. He lacks the good coaching he would have gotten if he had been a high-schooler at a known prep. school, much less what he would have gotten from a major NCAA program. Instead he got his teen years honed in a highly disciplined institutionalized, relatively clueless environment. He has skills that are more developed than most 22 year-olds and deficiencies that will assault Rocket fans all season. But he doesn't look slow to me in terms of athleticism, and every quote I've heard from him is that he wants to be the best center in the world. Now Jabbar was a finesse center, Yao doesn't sound anything like Jabbar did. He's going to be a non-traditional NBA center? Well he does seem to be a polite guy, I doubt he'd sit on your head. I wouldn't either, but I hope the current Dream doesn't read this forum, he still might.
I'd have to go with the assesment that Yetti only started watching Hakeem 3 years ago. Not physical? 13 boards and 3.5 blocks doesn't sound "finesse" to me. It's not Rugby, but it sure isn't figure skating, that's for sure. Luckily for us, we have Keith Jones, who is probably the #1 coach in the league for teaching rebounding to big men. When Yao adds a tiny bit of strength to his body, and learns the basics, he will be great. When he's through with this season working out with the coaches, his body will be much more NBA-ready. He will be more toned, he'll add to his vertical and explosiveness. I'm not the slightest bit worried. Yao will definitely have to develop a MEAN side at some point, like Gasol did. Because once you're known as a finesse C, then you're a target. Then they respect you less. Gasol decided he's just going to use ALL of the little strength he had, and he wasn't going to be nice about it. Yao should do the same.
