YaoMingMania.com

Yao and fellow rookie Caron Butler of the Miami Heat get tangled up Friday night in Houston. The Rockets lost to another sub-.500 team, 94-82.

---

The Rockets choked again against a bad team. The Rockets choked again against a bad team. For some reason, Yao didn't get the ball enough. For some reason, Yao didn't get the ball enough. It may be time for Rudy T. to hang it up. It may be time for Rudy T. to hang it up. Oops. Sorry. Let me move the needle on this phonograph because we have a 'broken record' on our hands after watching the Rockets lose once again to a bad team. In reality, I think this Rocket team is going to be breaking some records this season, but they aren't good ones. More on that later. In the meantime, it's ridiculous this pattern continues to perpetuate itself. Forget the 30-point blowout victory against Utah Tuesday night. The Rockets lost again to one of the worst teams in the league, at home, this time against the Miami Heat, 94-82. Even worse, the Heat (now 18-33) were without leading scorer Eddie Jones because of a groin injury. This makes 14 losses against teams the Rockets should have beat this season. Instead of having close to 40 wins already, the Rockets are 27-24 and are fading fast out of the last playoff spot. They are also only 12-10 against teams with a sub-.500 record. It may be time now to shut Compaq Center down a couple of months early and call it a season. I think we would have more fun if we just set up a hoop in Yao's driveway and just watch him practice by himself (and with the Rocket players of his choice) while this team rebuilds around him. This team may have athletes, but they don't seem to own the 'grey matter' that can make them a consistent basketball team. This is embarrassing, folks. New NBA fans around the world are watching and pulling for Yao, and they WANT to become Rocket fans along with their cheering for Yao. But who could become a fan of this team when they have to endure such mediocrity? Although Yao towered over his Miami defender, Brian Grant, and was pushing him around like a broom, the Houston coaching staff and players were content on Yao just taking 8 shots (he made four). There's no excuse on a night when the Rockets needed every point they could get, and on a night where they only shot 33% from the field, 26-of-40 from the free throw line, and 4-for-21 from 3-point land. It also doesn't help Yao's chances of becoming Rookie of the Year when other rookies like Caron Butler score 24 points in the same game, or 20-year old rookie Amare Stoudemire with Phoenix is entrusted with more of his team's scoring burden so that he consistently scores over 20 points a game. If a younger rookie right out of high school like Stoudemire can be given more touches, and still take their team to a decent playoff seed, then the Rockets should certainly do more with Yao. If you've listened to the Rockets coaches and front office over the past few years, you would think the Rockets have built a Dream Team. Norris, Taylor, Griffin, Rice, Mobley, Morris, and Cato have all been touted as great players at one time or another the Rockets were fortunate to get. But if they are so great, yet still underachieve, there's one main reason why that's happening: ineffective coaching. Speaking of bad coaching, if it hadn't been for Kelvin Cato's excused one-week absence earlier in the season that forced the Rockets to give Yao the minutes needed to prove himself, Yao would still be riding the bench and would not be an NBA All-Star. That's inexcusable. Predictions for the future So what's going to happen next? We said it earlier in the season: we still would not be surprised to see a dramatic trade take place. We're talking about a blockbluster deal to get some players who have the mental fortitude to take-care-of-business and beat the bad teams. The Rockets have never settled for mediocrity without trying to do something to fix it. Here are two examples. In 1995, after winning the NBA championship the previous year, the Rockets were struggling and decided to make the now-famous Valentine's Day trade of Otis Thorpe, a cornerstone of the 1994 title run, for Clyde Drexler (with Tracy Murray thrown in). It was risky, but the Rockets were willing to take the chance. Of course, it all worked out as the Rockets won their second championship despite being the 6th seed in the Western Conference. Back in 1996, just one year after winning their second NBA championship, the Rockets got swept by the Seattle SuperSonics in the playoffs. That was the last time I felt like I do now about this Rockets team: there's a lot of talent on the team, but they just didn't have the mental fortitude to overcome old demons that haunted them. In this case, it was beating their long-time rival Seattle in a playoff series. It was a wake-up call to the Rockets front office that they needed to get a third player on the team who had fire, competitiveness, and a refuse-to-lose attitude (in addition to the superstar talent they had with Olajuwon and Drexler). What did they do? The Rockets decided to take the risk and trade away talented players who had just helped them win championships. Those players were Sam Cassell and Robert Horry, along with respectable players Mark Bryant and Chucky Brown. Their time had come and gone. All four of these players were traded to Phoenix for ONE player: Mr. Charles Barkley. Although they never won a championship with Sir Charles, he brought more mental toughness to the team, and he did help them finally beat their arch-rival Sonics that year in the playoffs. I think the conditions are similar here. The Rockets probably won't make the playoffs if they stick with what they have, and a draft lottery pick may need to be surrendered to another team anyway because of a previous trade. Assuming the salary cap issues can be worked out, we're not sure who the Rockets would try to acquire, but that player would probably be a very big name on an underachieving team. If a trade doesn't occur, then Rudy's job is in danger, no matter what the Houston media thinks. There's a part of me that wishes Rudy would just take a front-office job with the Rockets. We don't dispute Rudy's eye for talent, but as far as motivation, discipline and x's-and-o's go, it doesn't appear he can take this athletically-gifted team and turn them into the playoff team they deserve to be. Chime in on what you think by visiting our Discussion Forum and vote on the continuing question "Should Rudy T. be replaced as the Rockets head coach if Houston doesn't make the playoffs this season?" (requires free registration to vote) Making history? Before signing off, I wasn't sure if you have seen this stat. It doesn't apply to Friday's Miami game because they lost the game by more than 3 points, but the Rockets have a chance of being one of the worst teams in NBA history who have a winning record but can't win close games. On top of losing too many games to bad teams, this is what we're talking about when we bring up the issue of lacking mental fortitude. Worst all-time records Games decided by 3-points or less by a team with a winning record

Team	Season	Record
Cleveland	1993-94	1-10
Milwaukee	1988-89	1-7
Houston	This year	2-7
Portland	1984-85	2-7

Next up is the Lakers next Tuesday night. It's Shaq vs. Yao II. Of course, Kobe will light up Cuttino and anyone else guarding him, and it could be ugly if you're a Rockets fan. But knowing these guys, they might look good in front of the national TV cameras in LA, but then stink it up the next night when they play Phoenix. At least we know one thing: Yao will play well and play smart in both LA and Phoenix, and he will make those people who follow him proud, even in a losing effort.

---

Detailed Yao Analysis
vs. Miami Heat 2/14/03

1st quarter - Yao starts the game.
8:37		From his favorite spot on the left side just outside the paint, Yao gets the ball offensively for the first time in the game. Guarded by the much shorter Brian Grant, Yao turns and shoots a 13-foot fadeaway jumper and SWISH! Yao gets off to a good start with his first basket of the evening. Rockets trail 4-6.
5:00		James Posey passes the ball to Terence Morris, who is cutting into the lane from the right side. However, Morris fumbles the pass but manages to tip the ball to Yao, who is standing on the other side of the lane. Yao brings in the tipped pass with one hand, has the awareness to sense he has Heat around him, pump fakes, then lays it in off the glass! Morris redeemed himself by tipping the ball to Yao. Yao is 2-for-4 from the field with 4 points. The Rockets trail 8-14. Miami television analyst Mike Fratello comments, "There you see the great hands that Yao has. He was able to catch that ball with the left hand; it was on its way out of bounds, he saved it, caught it, secured it, and finished the play."
:38.4		Yao checks out of the game for Cato. Yao has four points on 2-of-2 shooting.
2nd quarter - The Rockets trail 18-26.
5:29		Yao checks back into the game for Cato. The Rockets trail amazingly 29-45.
2:17		Yao is replaced by Kelvin Cato. WHY?? The Rockets are down by 18 points!! Yao is not in foul trouble, and he has only shot the ball four times! What in the world is going on here? Yao usually doesn't check out of the game until later in the second quarter. There doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency despite the big deficit!
Halftime - The Rockets trail 41-56. Yao has 4 points.
3rd quarter - Yao starts the quarter.
9:34	Free Throws	Yao gets the ball in his favorite spot on the right side guarded by Brian Grant. Yao spins baseline and puts up a shot next to the hole, but he is fouled. There's no way Grant can guard Yao because he's so much smaller than Yao. It reminds me of how other players are when they play against Shaq. Yao makes both free throws, and the Rockets trail 48-58.
5:05		James Posey launches a three-pointer from the left sideline, but it misses. Eddie Griffin grabs the rebound in the middle of the lane and puts up a shot, but it misses. BUT THE ALWAYS-HUSTLING YAO IS THERE TO GRAB THE REBOUND UNDER THE BUCKET, AND HE LAYS IT IN! The Rockets trail 57-66.
1:08		Yao checks out of the game for Cato.
4th quarter - The Rockets trail 61-70.
6:09		Yao checks into the game for Cato. The Rockets trail 68-77.
3:39		With the Rockets trailing 72-83, Yao finally gets the ball. From the left edge of the paint, Yao dribbles once toward the middle of the lane, then goes up for a sweeping jump hook, and COUNT IT! The Rockets trail 74-83, and they need more points like this, and quick! Why they haven't given the ball more to Yao confuses me! Yao has 10 points and 7 rebounds.
2:43	Bad call!	Travis Best drives the lane and Yao is standing in the paint with great position. Yao has both feet out of the semicircle underneath the basket, and Best plows into Yao, BUT YAO IS CALLED FOR THE FOUL! Even Yao's parents are seen disgusted with that call! The Rockets go on to lose to another bad team, 94-82. Yao finishes only with 10 points (4-of-8 from the field) and 7 rebounds.