Evolution of the big fella
After a recent stretch of less than inspired play from Yao Ming, head coach Jeff Van Gundy announced that he wanted his 7-foot-6-inch center to start playing with more aggression.
"The next time Yao gets double-teamed, I want him to elbow somebody in the face," Van Gundy said.
David Stern probably wasn't thrilled to hear the comment, but Van Gundy's message was clear. To use the common NBA vernacular, defenses were "punking" his second-year player. Teams were double-teaming Yao regularly, and defenders were physically pounding him in an effort to take him out of his game. It was time for the big fella to fight back.
Yao responded well to his coach's comments. Showing more aggression, he scored more than 20 points and grabbed 10 or more boards in three successive games heading into Monday's tilt at Memphis.
Against the Grizzlies, Yao reverted to his previous form, looking somewhat passive in the face of Memphis' athletic, mobile defense. Stromile Swift, Pau Gasol and Lorenzen Wright took turns fronting him every chance they got and cut off nearly all feeds to the post.
In transition, the Grizzlies tried to wear out Yao by making him run the floor. Memphis' big men used their speed to beat him down the court. By the end of the game Yao was winded and frustrated, and Houston walked away with a disappointing loss.
Yao's inconsistent play this season has been somewhat overlooked – thanks to the arrival of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. Yao's flashes of brilliance have been mingled with tough stretches, as should be expected from a second-year player who is not only dealing with the difficulty of facing NBA talent nightly but also a new culture and a new language.
Imagine the challenge this young man faces. Yao has been somewhat reluctant to dunk during his career because he was taught as a young player in China that dunking was disrespectful to one's opponent (obviously the And One Streetball videos hadn't made it to the Far East yet).
He must adapt to life in a strange country while learning a difficult language and playing basketball at the highest level in the world. Fans should consider these factors before judging him too harshly.
The fact is Yao is a wonderfully talented, well-adjusted young man who already is one of the best centers in the league. But like all big men in the NBA, he has to learn how to deal with the amazing speed the athletes around him possess.
His opponents will try to expose his size by making him run hard in transition and forcing him to cover on the perimeter. It's the same strategy used by every team in the NBA against Shaquille O'Neal.
Remember all the point guards who have torched the Lakers in the playoffs the past few years – Tony Parker, Mike Bibby, Troy Hudson, among others. Those performances came as a result of Shaq's difficulty defending in transition and in screen situations. It's simply impossible for a man that size to challenge smaller players away from the basket. That's what Yao is facing now.
The difference is that Shaq dominates the game on the offensive end with his power and size. That more than offsets any of his perimeter or transition defense deficiencies.
Eventually Yao must be able to punish smaller defenders and control the lane the way Shaq does. He must continue to improve his strength and conditioning. That should happen as his body matures. If he does so, he'll parade to the foul line, where he's a 78-percent shooter, and he'll force even more help from the perimeter.
It's no coincidence that the Rockets are the third-best three-point shooting team in the league this season. Yao's teammates are left open on the perimeter, and they take advantage of it.
Because of his height, opponents always will cause problems for Yao. But it's only a matter of time and experience before he's causing much more difficulty for them. Who knows, maybe by that time he'll be swinging elbows, listening to 50 Cent on his iPod, talking trash to his opponents in perfect English and wearing a championship ring.
Then Van Gundy would be happy.