The word in China: Adelman will make Yao Ming better

[ducks]

The word in China: Adelman will make Yao Ming better

By STEPHEN WADE, AP Sports Writer
May 23, 2007

BEIJING (AP) -- Rick Adelman will make Yao Ming better.

That's the word in China where fans intensely follow every pivot, every move the 7-foot-6 center makes for the Houston Rockets.

ADVERTISEMENT


Knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by the Utah Jazz, the Rockets fired coach Jeff Van Gundy last week and replaced him with Adelman -- a shakeup reported in nearly every newspaper in China.

"Yao's Home Fans Welcome New Coach," said a headline in Wednesday's China Daily newspaper.

In a poll cited by the paper, 53 percent said Adelman would be a better coach for the Rockets, with only 37 percent unhappy to see Van Gundy leave.

Yao averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds this season, but committed critical turnovers against Utah in the first-round playoff ouster. To sharpen his skills, he has worked out since the playoffs with Hakeem Olajuwon, the center who led the Rockets to NBA titles in 1994 and '95.

"The new coach will be better for Yao Ming because he thinks more about offense," said Ni Aiqi, 27, who heads a Beijing-based Yao Ming fan club -- appropriately called the "Giant Club."

"Yao Ming's agility got worse under the old coach," Ni added. "But Adelman will improve this and help his decision making."

Ni said 30-to-40 club members meet every weekend to play basketball and watch Rockets games.

Basketball is widely followed in China, where about 300 million are estimated to play the game. NBA ratings are on the rise and should go higher with China's latest star, 7-foot forward Yi Jianlian, expected to go in the first round of next month's NBA draft.

He would be the fourth Chinese to make the NBA, following Wang Zhizhi, Mengek Bateer and Yao.

Adelman sat out this season after the Sacramento Kings decided not to renew his contract following the 2005-06 season. He has a 752-481 record in 16 seasons and his teams have made the playoffs 14 times. His teams made it out of the first round seven of those 14 times, and he is 70-68 in the playoffs.

He also coached Golden State and Portland.

[TheSanityAnnex]

Yao is a great passer, so yes, Adelman will help him.

[Fillmoe]

did you just call yao a great passer?

[Roxsfan]

did you just call yao a great passer?


Yep, and he can hit at the 3 with an effortless stroke...he does that all the time in practice, #7 @ 20sec. :elephant

on his passing, under Rudy T he did this kind of stuff all the time

#3 play @ 1:56
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8STO24L_NY&mode=related&search=

[TDMVPDPOY]

his going to turn him to softy like aka bmiller

[johngateswhiteley]

:lol

[BacktoBasics]

T Mac and Yao don't work. They never will. Something will have to change with this team to get them over the hump.....and I don't mean a coaching change. Hell its not like Adelman has ever done anything in the post season anyway.

[TDMVPDPOY]

T Mac and Yao don't work. They never will. Something will have to change with this team to get them over the hump.....and I don't mean a coaching change. Hell its not like Adelman has ever done anything in the post season anyway.

besides them 2, the rest of the players are a joke including battier...wtf was he in the series against utah? i thought he can create himself or a very smart player on the offensive end.

[BacktoBasics]

I really don't think Battier as the third or forth option is all that bad. He plays decent defense can grab a few boards for you and has good range.

I think T Mac is a good player I think Yao is a good player I just don't think it works together. T Mac would be more effective with a Ben Wallace type dude rather than a Yao.

They could benefit from a distributing PG too. I think Blake is a free agent.

[Roxsfan]

T Mac and Yao don't work. They never will. Something will have to change with this team to get them over the hump.....and I don't mean a coaching change. Hell its not like Adelman has ever done anything in the post season anyway.

the problem is not with tmac and yao.......sure they have off nights like tim duncan had in game 3..no doubt.......but its the talent or lack thereof around them that hurts the roxs. For you to say they never will work is pure ignorance.

[mardigan]

T Mac and Yao don't work. They never will. Something will have to change with this team to get them over the hump.....and I don't mean a coaching change. Hell its not like Adelman has ever done anything in the post season anyway.
They work fine, its the rest of the team that doesnt do shit

[BacktoBasics]

I simply don't agree with that. There are some decent role players on Houston. I think they need a distributing PG that doesn't care about stats but above and beyond that I don't think any different combination of supporting cast will make a significant impact.

T Mac puts the ball up a ton. Then Yao. What other 3rd option can make a massive impact on 6-8 shoots.

[mardigan]

I simply don't agree with that. There are some decent role players on Houston. I think they need a distributing PG that doesn't care about stats but above and beyond that I don't think any different combination of supporting cast will make a significant impact.

T Mac puts the ball up a ton. Then Yao. What other 3rd option can make a massive impact on 6-8 shoots.
T-Mac only shot the ball 21 times a game. Yao, 17 times a game. 38 shots a game between your two best players isnt that much. When a teams 3rd option is Rafer Alston, they probably arent going to do that well. Without better teamates, the Rockets wont ever make it out of the 1st or second round. And your 6-8 shots a game is totally wrong, hell, Alston averaged more than 12 shots a game this season by himself

[monosylab1k]

I think Houston is just fine. A couple lucky bounces in game 7 (and maybe not letting the entire clock run out without even trying to slow the game with fouls), and they're the ones in the WCF right now.

I think the problem is that people overrate T-Mac so much it's ridiculous. The dude is not on Kobe and Lebron's level. He's going to be a great #2 man once Yao emerges as the leader. Houston will only be getting better.

[BacktoBasics]

T-Mac only shot the ball 21 times a game. Yao, 17 times a game. 38 shots a game between your two best players isnt that much. When a teams 3rd option is Rafer Alston, they probably arent going to do that well. Without better teamates, the Rockets wont ever make it out of the 1st or second round. And your 6-8 shots a game is totally wrong, hell, Alston averaged more than 12 shots a game this season by himselfAlston got 12 shots game because Alston jacks. A solid reliable 3rd option would be a player who could take 6-8 shots a game and have some decent range and defend the perimeter. Ala Bruce Bowen....James Posey. Even more importantly isn't that what Battier brings to the table.

I do think Yao taking the 21 shots and T Mac taking the 17 would be better. I don't see Yao ever emerging as the leader of the team because he's simply not vocal enough.

I would even think two guys that could average 13-16 a game between them would be a better way to divey up 25-28 shots vs T Mac leading the team in scoring and some scub cleaning up garbage baskets. Plus it would balance the team better and stretch the defense.

Now would be an ideal time to move Tracy for a second or third option on another team and a top 10 draft pick. Don't tell me thats unreasonable because most teams drafting 3rd-10th would be all over that. You'd get a proven solid compliment player and high draft pic prospect to work around Yao.

I wouldn't call Tracy overrated but he's not going to put this team over the top. Plus with him on the team it enables Yao to never have to step up and force himself to be the leader.....much like Duncan didn't until David retired.