Yao calls out team for having no energy
Monday, December 10th, 2007
by John
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has some interesting quotes from Yao in this story about how the Rockets fell apart yesterday in Toronto, a game that I also wrote as being pathetic.
“I feel this is the worst game I ever had in my career,” Yao said. “When we played on the court, no intensity, no patience, no (adherence to the) game plan, don’t know our game, don’t know their game, no trust (of) each other, no defense.
“I hate this game. I hated it. It’s all on us. Us. I’m one of us.”
Yao also commented about his thoughts when he and his teammates were getting ready for the fourth quarter. Yao was yelling out, “Let’s go. Wake up! Let’s go!”
“I knew something was wrong. When we were waiting to step on the court, I was walking to the middle line and saw the people; I was trying to wake everybody up, myself too. Everybody was like they had the same as my ear.”
I think these statements are significant steps for something to change, and I’m not just talking about an attitude adjustment, which rarely works. When your franchise player voices his displeasure about his teammates’ effort (and his own), then you’ve got something there.
The Rockets have finished a quarter of the season, are a measly 11-10, and have lost 9 of their last 14 games. They always say you can tell how good (or bad) a team is after the first 20 games. Well, we’re there, and it sucks.
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has some interesting quotes from Yao in this story about how the Rockets fell apart yesterday in Toronto, a game that I also wrote as being pathetic.
“I feel this is the worst game I ever had in my career,” Yao said. “When we played on the court, no intensity, no patience, no (adherence to the) game plan, don’t know our game, don’t know their game, no trust (of) each other, no defense.
“I hate this game. I hated it. It’s all on us. Us. I’m one of us.”
Yao also commented about his thoughts when he and his teammates were getting ready for the fourth quarter. Yao was yelling out, “Let’s go. Wake up! Let’s go!”
“I knew something was wrong. When we were waiting to step on the court, I was walking to the middle line and saw the people; I was trying to wake everybody up, myself too. Everybody was like they had the same as my ear.”
I think these statements are significant steps for something to change, and I’m not just talking about an attitude adjustment, which rarely works. When your franchise player voices his displeasure about his teammates’ effort (and his own), then you’ve got something there.
The Rockets have finished a quarter of the season, are a measly 11-10, and have lost 9 of their last 14 games. They always say you can tell how good (or bad) a team is after the first 20 games. Well, we’re there, and it sucks.
