The Lottery Picks: Contextualizing

Great observations.

There are quite a few things to be frustrated about with this team, but Yao Ming's production or minutes are not among them -- as much as I'd like to see more of the big guy.

Wondering if we can infer that the lousy records for these teams is a consequence of the high minutes for the rookies? Or is it more the lack of playoff urgency that gives those teams the luxury of playing them more? On second thought, dumb question -- looking at the teams on the list, it's obviously the latter. But then the salient question becomes, would giving Yao more minutes really jeopardize our playoff drive?

This also emphasizes just how underserved Yao's persecution by the media (ESPN, et al.) really is.

 

Thanks for the breakdown rimbaud. Amen hamachi. What really is disturbing to me is that the Yao-bashing that's going on now hasn't abated somewhat, and instead seems to be intensifying. Yao said he thought he'd need 10 games before he was comfortable, and I admit I wasn't sure what he meant by that. It will be interesting to ask Yao 3 years from now, when he first "felt comfortable" in the NBA. But I do know this, he looked very capable of playing against NBA competition in the WBCs (and the exhibition against the U.S.). His early struggles in the first five games were more a result of lack of familiarity with the Rockets than his ability right now.

With all the so-called "excuses" for Yao's play in the first 6 games I don't see how anyone who watched him in the WBCs doesn't expect a certain amount of improvement in the next two weeks. Exhaustion aside, this guy can play now. No he's not close to where he'll be even a year from now. But Hardaway's "flashes of greatness" quote should have perked up an ear or two. Even as the much-maligned Penny should have been crowing about a near triple-double in a victory and falling over himself laughing about Marbury's cross-over, he comes out with an I don't know what you guys are looking at, maybe you should talk to Amare quote.

I think Steve should wait a few weeks and then come out swinging in terms of the National media, particularly Sportscenter and point out that many ESPN writers are already singing a different tune. Of course, he'd better explain how cosmically unimportant all of this is, but "I got your back everywhere".
How about a "Sportscenter Sucks" scream after every slam for him and Yao? I'm open to ideas, and Steve should do do whatever fits his personality best. But someone needs to get a little aggressive, and it would be appropriate if it were Steve (although props to Brown, Walton and many others). Again there will come a time shortly where our guys in general need to start some "in your face" fun for those responsible for the abuse. Yao's play will speak for itself, but the media's going to need some help cleaning up their own mess.

By the way I'm one of those guys who's really expecting help from the honorable Sir Charles on this one, and one who thinks he's got everyone properly set up, as usual.

If Hakeem were on this team now he would have already scolded the offenders in his clipped proper British boarding school accent, as one who experienced the kind of cultural bias Yao's getting trashed by. To those of you to young to remember, Dream's game was as criticized as it was praised.

If Barkley were injured and on the roster he'd be tearing everybody up and making sure the entire world knew how stupid this cruelty is, and who was profiting from it.

I'm not usually a reactionary, I don't like the trash-talking NBA culture (sometimes it is funny) and yes I am biased toward the Rockets. But this has just been too offensive, both as unabashed prejudice and also as denial from sources who are not ignorant about the NBA and have no excuse for not acknowledging the struggles of most of the great foreign players in the NBA. Apparently Euro's which many of them still bash are different than Asians. I don't accept this is different simply because Yao's the first #1 pick to not play college ball in the states. I remember Dream too well as a freshman @ UofH and a rookie on the Rockets. After the Rockets started 7-0 Akeem's rookie year, Bill Fitch was quoted as saying "he's my bird dog, I just tell him to go up and get the ball and he does it". That's how Olajuwon was accessed by his coach, and Fitch, in a way thought he was praising him and defending him. I've always wondered what Olajuwon must of thought when he heard that. Even though Olajuwon was a firey guy on the court, he even then had a lot of humility. But I've always believed that if he'd been born in the U.S. and had shown the world what he did while at Uof H and a pretty good showing even early his rookie season, he would have publically stated that his coach obviously didn't respect his game or his intelligence. The truth is Fitch didn't when he said it, and he never would have said it if Hakeem was from Houston and went to Sterling High even though he was a rookie. I hate the political-correctness of the world now, I think everyone should be able to express bias, but when it occurs I believe it should be called bias. Sports Center should be called out for thinking the Chinese in general can't play ball, and ignoring the fact that an overall #1 pick is, as we speak, doing it. And very soon they need to get called out, if it's Stern that ends up doing it, I'm going to be sick. The offenders will plead Yao-hype and NBA greed as a rationale for their on the court comments. Somebody with Rocket-red blood just needs to say he's one of us and you're obviously a basketball idiot. In a few weeks it will be easy to say.

 

Good post and research. Still early in the season. But not too early to ask for Moochie's head.

 

Sensational post Rimmy, make sure you redo your numbers in another month.

interresting to see who's minutes and stats change over the course of the season.

of the three playing bug minutes, two are the 4 year products and Gooden played a couple of years at college, which is hardly unsurprising.



btw what does this have to do with whether Jason Terry is a PG or NOT

 

The top 13 picks were top 13 picks because their teams had similarly bad records last season already - without these lottery picks. Therefore I am not entirely sure how telling the fact is that a previous lottery team is losing with a rookie getting a lot of minutes - they were losing before already. Plus, we know that there were other factors contributing to the Rockets' bad record last season, which is why I don't necessarily buy the implied argument that having limited Ming's minutes might have been a factor in the Rockets having a winning record so far.

 

I read this post because it said "Contextualizing."

It turned out to have some good info.

 

Sir, I think hamachi has already asked and answered that question.