Going into this season, most people had Yao pegged as the best center in the league. As of right now, that is not the case. His stats -- 16.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.1 APG, 45 percent shooting -- are all down, and his Player Efficiency Rating (17.4) has dipped below 20 for the first time in his career. Even more troubling has been Yao's inability to get the ball over the rim. He's missed dunks. He's had dunks stuffed by opponents and the rim. He even airballed a dunk against the Clippers. The man is 7'6". How is that even possible?!
Here are the curent numbers on Yao, from the Yahoo box scores and 82games.com:
Shots (of Yao's) blocked: 14
Shots (of Yao's) blocked per game: 2.0.
Effective field goal percentage on dunks: 60%
Percentage of dunks blocked: 20%
Percentage of inside shots blocked: 19%
Percentage of close shots blocked: 21%
Percentage of jump shots blocked: 9%
Percentage of all shots blocked: 15%
In "clutch time" -- the fourth quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left,
neither team ahead by more than 5 points -- Yao has yet to hit anything other than a jump shot...and 20 percent of those are getting blocked.
For the sake of comparison, Nate Robinson, who's 5'9", is getting only three percent of his shots blocked on the season. Which reminds me...
Anyway, I'll be keeping track of Yao's vertically challenged exploits as the season progresses.
Labels: he is freaking huge so why can't he jump, Yao Ming, Yao Watch
34 Comments:
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And I saw that hilarious no-call on Pachulia . Maybe the refs have elevated Pachulia to all-star status in their books by giving him that...? Yeah, I don't think that's what happened.
Still, none of the above is that big of an excuse for Yao being such a stiff.
What should we call an Asian guy who can't dunk? Yellow fever?
I don't know what they can do with Yao, he was very good the past few years. Shelfing him for a few weeks maybe good or give him the days off during back to backs, the team is good enough to tread water w/out him.
But his is Made in China...
1. Yao has never been known for his athleticism. And while I am admittedly unsure of its effects, I do believe that two or three season-ending foot injuries will sap your jumping ability, especially if you're not fully healed.
2. Although Basketbawful says Yao is "9 feet tall", Yao's standing reach isn't very impressive.
- 7 Ft. Andrew Bogut has a reach of 9'2", which is about average.
- 7 Ft. or so Greg Oden has a reach of 9'4", which has been called 'impressive'.
- 7'1" to 7'2" Shaq has a standing reach of supposedly 9'8" (!). I read this some place that I can't recall, but just look how ridiculously long his arms are in some pictures.
Yao has a reach of only 9'5" or 9'6". So while he can see over other centers, he can only reach over most by a couple of inches. Along with his limited athleticism and quickness, and combined with the high number of shots he takes, it's all a matter or probability telling us that he will get his shot blocked on some occasions. Granted, the players blocking him aren't all centers, but they are ridiculous athletes nevertheless.
Anthony, the airball dunk was in the Clippers game last week. He had inside position after boxing Kaman out and went up to dunk it and just sent the ball flying over the rim instead. This prompted the Clipper announcers to spend the next several minutes talking about how it was the worst play they'd ever seen (which is saying something since they watch every Clipper game, and the airball dunk was almost a signature move during the Benoit Benjamin era).
kevin -- I still don't get how Zaza got away with that. He might as well have gone around the back and pulled a Pistol Pete move. Why not? The refs obviously weren't watching.
ak dave -- True dat.
kevin garnett -- You're certified! You're certified!
Yams -- Hm. I was thinking more late-career Rik Smits...
sun devil -- Seriously?? Link?
zonker -- I think it has more to do with the fact that he's slow and physically weak for his size.
anthony -- Sadly, no video is currently available. As far as I know.
baguete -- Yeah. It's basically two large cinder blocks tied to his feet.
drake -- Good points. And yeah, basically, he doesn't have explosive athleticism. His moves are slow and plodding.
benshon -- He plays about 6'5".
anonymous #1 -- This is the first time I've given this solo attention, and it's because I plan to give the situation special attention as the season progresses. And geez, I post daily almost every game. How much material do you want for free?
"dunk shot"; on the other hand, why was Yao attempting a set shot from point-blank range?
Yeah, man, his face looks like it was shrunk/photoshopped. Maybe it's just a bad picture, but damn- whoever that is, he looks more alien than Sam Cassell!
Also a WotN nomination for Boston Celtics announcers. These guys make me want to puke, the homerism is through the roof. We're into the 4th quarter and Boston has yet to commit a foul if you asked these two clowns.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2008/11/all_together_now_its_travis_ou.html
This gets more hilarious every time I watch it (yao related)
just heard the trillion mentioned by the commentators of the magic @ thunder game. in reference to a semi-pro look-alike guy on the thunder who just scored a basket:
- nice to get your name in the scorebox
- yeah, no trillions tonight
now here's a new challenge for you: get a commentator to mention the mario. :D
but of course he still couldnt hit over 50% of his foul shots...
epic fail.
Same thing with Shaq and free throws...Not that hard to score a free throw, yet will all now the story. It is as much mental as technique based thing.
And yes basketbawful, he is physically limited and never has been know as a dominant dunker
cp3 went for 13 FG and 13 assists... out of 34 hornets FGs. So the rest of the team only made 8 FG without him having a direct hand in it.
Oh and David West, thanks for spoiling cp3s comeback in the 4th by turning it over 2-3 times in the last two minutes with the hornets within 4. Appreciate it.
oh, and does anybody know what yao's vertical leap is? i'm guessing it's around 2-3 inches...
On the bright side, he was able to dunk twice and retributed with two blocks on Amare Stoudemire.
Then again, he's still moving like wearing concrete shoes. Is Yao really 8 years younger, 15 pounds lighter then Shaq? They looked the same even in the box score.
"Antoine Walker is the Stephon Marbury of the South."
Indeed.
My guess is because he's so tall, he never had to jump to get anything. Perhaps he'll surprise us all next game do that Michael Jordan-Space Jam-dunk type of thing.
"Just cause you are hang like horse and you do porn, doesn't mean you are any good in bed."
Classic :)
Had they all forgotten the Dwight Howard exists? Seriously, how could you figure that Yao was going to be better than a young, huge, high-flying center who outplayed Yao last year, and has nowhere to go but up?