Tall Drink of Water

I haven't watched very much basketball this year, NBA or NCAA. But I did notice one thing as I was perusing the box scores that I haven't seen in the papers yet.

And that is that after the All-Star break, Yao Ming has been playing some damn good basketball. There have been several articles already, this year and last, about how Yao doesn't play with enough authority, or about how he doesn't have enough stamina to play a good full court game.

But over the past 7 games (after the break), Yao has averaged 26 points and 14.3 rebounds a game. His efficiency is excellent as well, as he is shooting well over 50% from the field. His free throw shooting has been almost impeccable, at nearly 90%. Those are stats that would be comparable to Shaq two years ago, or even Hakeem in his prime.

Yao has also stayed out of foul trouble, racking up 4 fouls only once during the past 7 games.

While the Rockets’ playoff chances may be in jeopardy, especially with Tracy McGrady’s ailing back, this polish and level of play from Yao is encouraging for the Rockets’ future. If he keeps this up, he might actually live up to all the hype, which would be damn impressive, as I have not ever heard one person say that he wasn't at least somewhat overhyped.