Chron: Rockets urging Yao to demand the ball more

Rockets urging Yao to demand the ball more
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

Jeff Van Gundy has a dream. His is a modest fantasy, one most coaches take for granted and one he likely never thought would need to exist in his imagination.

Others might dream of someday coaching a player like Yao Ming. Van Gundy imagines Yao becoming like other players.

"We'll have made great strides when he comes over and tells me, very emphatically, `Give me the ball,' and not nicely," Van Gundy said. "When (Patrick) Ewing said it, it was never kind. I always knew where he was coming from. Then the pressure is on him. If you're going to ask for it, then you have the responsibility. I hope Yao, when he becomes more and more comfortable, will do that."

Hakeem Olajuwon never hesitated to make that demand. "That's just basketball," he often said. Moses Malone yearned to teach Yao how to command the ball and the responsibility.

Ewing said that sometimes Yao must say, "Give me the ... ball."

And when Ewing said it while sitting on the Rockets bench before a game, there was enough emphasis and salty language that three ballboys and four players warming up nearby might have felt a reflex to pass him the ball.

Yao, however, has been long trained in the virtues of humility and selflessness.

NBA scouts and coaches have watched in amazement as the Chinese National team, until last summer's Olympic qualifying tournament, treated its greatest athletic treasure as just another interchangeable part.

Yao's humility quickly endeared him to teammates last season, when he was the center of so much attention. But Van Gundy has made it clear that the Rockets' blueprint is to build around Yao and Steve Francis. He will surround them with players suited to complement their talents. Yao and Francis have to move from talented to dominating players.

"He has this demeanor of humility and team first," Van Gundy said of Yao. "And yet you don't want him trying so hard to fit in that he can't stand out."

Yao has shown signs of taking those steps. He has worked harder to establish low-post position. He has looked for his shot off the dribble.

His impact is also clear. Even against the Nets on Tuesday night, when he took just 10 shots, Yao fought for position enough to command double teams, opening outside shots for teammates -- especially Jim Jackson and Cuttino Mobley -- and wearing out scrambling defenders.

On one Mobley baseline drive, Nets center Jason Collins did not move to cut him off because Yao moved toward the basket and Collins was unwilling to leave the Rockets' center unguarded.

When defended by Alonzo Mourning without double-team help in Tuesday's Rockets victory, Yao spun past for a slam.

Van Gundy has insisted that the Rockets had no reluctance to get the ball to Yao last season and that looking for Yao inside has not been a shortcoming this season. He has gotten Yao to fight more for position inside, but Yao has not yet used his array of moves to set up the next move, and he never looks to score against a double-team.

Olajuwon's hard drives to his left could set up a jump hook to the right. Ewing could use the threat of a drive to set up a step-back jumper. While Yao is developing a similar repertoire, the Rockets now are trying to get him to look to take over a game, rather than merely run his share of the plays called.

"His disposition to become a dominant player in this league has to improve for him to become that type of player," Van Gundy said.

"I've said it many times: There is more separation in this league in attitude than there is in talent. Certainly, Yao is a very talented player. He's also got a great demeanor about him. He has to be one that has that disposition to feel like he can be the dominant player on the court every night.

"You're always working with that," the coach continued. "When he gets in his spot and has single coverage and has it every time, he should be thinking score every time, until they bring that second defender. His nature, I would say, would be, `If I score three or four times, what is everyone else thinking?' As a coach, I'm thinking, `Score again. Yeah.' "

Yao has made 22 of 38 shots this season and averages 15 points. But the Rockets would like to have him attempt more than 9.5 shots per game, particularly while he is shooting 58 percent.

"There's no physical basketball skill he doesn't have," Van Gundy said. "But that disposition to dominate every night ... he's a very kind man, which is great, and yet you have to develop that disposition to, if you get 10 early, to try to get 12, 14, 16. That disposition is what stars have."

None of this will come as news to Yao. He said it's frustrating to have the values he has been so determined to develop found wanting. But he also said he was flattered that Van Gundy wants him to take over games.

"That comment gives me a lot of confidence," Yao said. "I was used to that more when I was playing in China. On this team, I'm not quite used to it yet. How should I say it? If you give me a little time, I can get more used to it."

There have been signs at the start of games that he is adjusting to the role without really changing. In this case, Van Gundy said Yao could be selfless and demanding at the same time.

"I think he can learn from the stars that had come before him in this league. They had a disposition to be a dominant player on each possession," Van Gundy said. "Patrick Ewing was a lot like that. I think a lot of guys are like that. You had one here for a long time. I think Olajuwon could be a nice, gentle guy until he was on the court and was dropping 50 on you."

With that "Dream" in mind, Van Gundy couldn't help but think of Yao and have a dream of his own.


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Rockets summary
Road success
When the Rockets left Houston on Sunday, they were carrying the frustration of an ugly home loss to the Grizzlies and a recent history of failure on the road.

They returned after winning on consecutive nights at Chicago and New Jersey, even overcoming the demands of playing back-to-back with a 3:30 a.m. arrival in New Jersey.

"I think we took another step by coming in here and winning and winning in Chicago," Rockets forward Jim Jackson said after Tuesday's win.

"I don't care what Chicago's record is and what people say. It's a road win. We want to establish a precedent for how we're going to play on the road, no matter who we play. We're not in a position to take anyone lightly. A win is a win to us, whether it's in Chicago or New Jersey."

The Rockets vastly improved their ragged play after losing to Memphis. The wins on the road, they said, might have made up for it.

"Coming in here (to the Meadowlands and) winning against this team is a hard thing to do," Rockets forward Maurice Taylor said. "We took the mindset that every one we lose at home, we want to get two on the road. This road trip was a chance to get two. We played pretty well in Chicago, but we knew this game (with the Nets) would be a sign what kind of road team we could be."

Coach Jeff Van Gundy said he would reserve judgment.

"I'm a very positive person by nature," he said, knowing his audience in New Jersey would pick up on his sarcasm. "Everything is fine for the last 48 hours. If you caught me 48 hours earlier, it was not so good. The NBA, it can change from good to bad, and bad to good, quickly.

"The NBA, once you start thinking you're there, you're not. Hopefully, we can build. We'll see."

Reserve strength
With a big lift from Maurice Taylor in New Jersey and from Bostjan Nachbar in Chicago, the Rockets' bench contributed to wins on the two-game road trip. They have yet to get consistent scoring from any of their reserves, but the solid play from a variety of sources helped key the rout in Chicago and the comeback in New Jersey.

Rockets reserves have made 32 of 62 shots in the three wins this season; the subs were 3-of-16 in the lone loss.

"We did a lot of substituting," guard Steve Francis said after Tuesday's win. "Scott Padgett, Torraye Braggs, Moochie Norris, Maurice Taylor, those guys came off the bench and gave us a spark. By the third and fourth quarters, that took us over the hump."

Taylor's play on Tuesday was especially encouraging as he comes back from a preseason lost to a dislocated left shoulder. Taylor made seven of 10 shots, pairing 14 points with seven rebounds in 28 minutes.

"I felt better. I got some easy layups to start me off, a couple offensive rebounds to get me going," Taylor said. "I think that's what I needed -- some easy buckets to kind of get my rhythm. In the second half, I started to hit a couple jumpers. My teammates got me some easy baskets. That really got me going."

Numbers game
After sweeping a two-game road trip for the first time since the end of the 2000-2001 season, the Rockets have the second-best points per game differential in the NBA, outscoring opponents by an average of 13.

Seattle, which has played just two games against the Clippers, has outscored its opponent by a league-leading 14 points per game.

The Rockets lead the NBA is scoring defense, allowing 76.3 points per game. They are second in field goal percentage (47.7 percent) and opponents' field goal percentage (34.5)

.-- JONATHAN FEIGEN

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/rox/2204560

 

GIVE ME THE DAMN BALL!

When Yao yells in JVG/Cat/Steve's face, that would make my day!