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The Warriors wish they had him, don't they?

Summary of 8/22 Oakland game

...As for the game itself, Yao was the main attraction, not the USA All-Stars, and you could certainly feel it. Every time Yao touched the ball, the crowd buzzed. After every shot, they sat on the edge of their seats. And after every block and dunk, it roared. I’ve been to hundreds of NBA games in my life, and the decibel levels of this crowd rivaled those who have been wowed by Jordan or Shaq. After all, Yao was this crowd’s man. And I can almost guarantee you Rocket fans will respond in the same way. The difference between a Compaq Center crowd from last year to this year’s will be amazing. This guy will bring an excitement and anticipation to games like very few have done in their first season. He will bring new fans into the arena who never have felt like they had anyone they could cheer for that represented themselves. Their presence will definitely be felt, and he will change the game on that influence alone. And tonight, he gave just enough to not disappoint.

Competitively speaking, this was a terrible basketball game. Midway through the first quarter, it was over. I have to admit the garbage-time nature of the game had a bearing on how I perceived how well anyone was doing in this game, including Yao. So quickly realizing I wouldn’t be seeing any plays of clutch nature, it truly became an exhibition of everyone’s skills.

One of my main impressions is that Yao does not try to hog the ball, nor demand it. He also doesn’t force dumb shots and try to do too much. He plays under control. Although he’s their best player, you can tell he lives by the team concept. I must admit that disappointed me since I flew out to Oakland to see a highlight reel of a game, but the logical part of me understands that approach ultimately wins championships. And that nature will come in handy when playing with Stevie Franchise and Cat Mobley. But the Houston fans will want more, like I did tonight.

One of the plays you probably didn’t see on the news was a sweet head fake he gave on a jump shot near the free throw line, resulting in Ben Wallace flying into him, with both crashing to the floor. The crowd responded loudly to the arms and legs that flailed before hitting the floor with a thud. That kind of Larry Bird-like savvy will put Yao on the free throw line many times this year. And he’ll make those free throws. His form on those shots, and most of his jump shots, are a thing of beauty. Almost perfect rotation with nice swishes. It’s unusual to see such form from a big man, especially after witnessing too many Cato bricks over the past few years.

Defensively, he owned the paint. He altered more shots than I thought he would, especially against top talent. Forget what you have read about his short arms. It doesn’t matter. He had a defensive presence reminiscent of Dikembe Mutombo and Mark Eaton. He also is quick when an opponent drives the lane to test his mettle. The largest roars he got from the crowd were on his swats. And he dwarfed 7-footer Raef Lafrenz. Not only was he taller, but thicker. Everything I had read about his legs being solid is true. They’re tree trunks.

On the down side, he was susceptible to getting stripped several times when he put the ball on the floor. I think the quickness of the USA team probably surprised him. He also missed a dunk, which the crowd responded to. But the thing I liked about Yao that I didn’t expect was the expression after missing that dunk. He realized he goofed, and smiled. No big deal. “I can laugh at myself,” he seemed to be saying. Earlier in the game, he hit a tough jump shot and showed a Tiger-esque fist pump. He also gave his teammates high-fives on almost every great play. This is no faceless giant, no prima donna. I predict he will quickly show a personality that will endear him with team members, fans and the media.

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