[Blazer's Edge] Rockets Overview

I've always thought that how Yao is viewed on defense by the national media is, to a large degree, kinda like Battier is viewed when you just look at the stats (although Battier frequently gets, ironically, more credit for his D in the press). Does he get the big block numbers one might expect from a 7'5"+ center? Does he jump out of the gym? Is he anything like as quick in the low block grabbing rebounds as we'd like him to be? No, but he is incredibly intimidating. If a stat could accurately measure the number of shots he alters, the drives to the basket he prevents simply because he's there and that huge, the rebounds he gets because he's so damn tall that when he's in the post they frequently come right to him, then folks that don't see him as often as we do might better appreciate what he does on defense. There's no question that the rest of the fans around the country largely know what he can do on offense, but he's huge on the other end, no pun intended. Opposing coaches get it, you can be sure.