NBA-Season's just been launched, and here come Yao Ming, Rockets
(Chicago Sun Times, US)
Updated: 2003-11-04 11:38

Yao Ming and his new-look Houston Rockets (1-1) are making their annual regular-season trip to the United Center tonight (7:30, Fox Sports Net, 1000-AM), hoping to add to the misery of the Bulls (1-2), who have been routed in two of their first three games.

This is the second year of the Rockets' ''Ming dynasty.'' Many pundits predict the 7-6 Chinese center, who last year became the first foreign player ever to be drafted No. 1 overall, will be improved enough this season to lead the Rockets into the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

Last season, Yao played every game and averaged 13.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots to help the Rockets to a 43-39 record, missing the playoffs by one victory. After playing a foul-restricted 20 minutes and contributing 19 points, three blocked shots and three rebounds to the Rockets' 102-85 season-opening victory Thursday against the Denver Nuggets, Yao voiced a feeling of personal improvement. His pro debut last season was a scoreless, two-rebound performance in a 91-82 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

''I have a better feel for the game, and I can get into the rhythm of the game,'' he said. ''Overall, it wasn't bad. But I had too many fouls and not enough rebounds. But I'm always happy to win.''

The Rockets' new look comes from having a new coach in Jeff Van Gundy, a new assistant coaching staff that includes retired superstar center Patrick Ewing, whom Van Gundy coached for 51/2 seasons with the New York Knicks, and three new free-agent forwards in Jimmy Jackson, Scott Padgett and John Amaechi.

Ewing was brought in especially to work with Yao and to help expedite his development into as productive a star center as was predecessor Hakeem Olajuwon, who played 17 seasons for the Rockets and led them to consecutive championships.

''I hope I can have the same kind of success,'' Yao said. ''I'm jealous of his success, and I hope I can get it, too.''

Yao already is playing numerical catchup. Olajuwon averaged 20.6 points and 11.9 rebounds in his rookie season. But the three years Olajuwon spent playing for the University of Houston provided competition vastly superior to that of the Chinese Basketball Association, Yao's finishing school.

The consensus, however, is that Yao might have more upside than Olajuwon because of his advantage in size and his shooting range, which extends to three-point territory.

''Time on the court is going to make [Yao] a better player,'' San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ''Just getting used to the physical nature of the NBA [and] finding out where he is most effective [will improve him]. I know they want to post him more, so he's trying to get a feel for that. Over time, he'll just get better.''

But he'll need a meaner demeanor and a more muscular upper body to hold his own in the paint consistently against stars such as Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and second-year Phoenix Suns forward Amare Stoudemire, who averaged 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds and edged out Yao for Rookie of the Year last season after leading the Suns into the playoffs. Like all big centers, Yao also must learn to pass the ball back out when sagging defenses deny him an open shot and the best post position. He totaled two assists in his first two games.

The biggest challenge is for Van Gundy to get star point guard Steve Francis and other teammates to use Yao as the first option on offense. There still is a tendency for Francis and Cuttino Mobley to fire too often from the perimeter because they love to run and gun, rather than slow the tempo to deliberately work the ball low to Yao.

Yao is averaging a team-high 19 points, 6.5 rebounds and three blocked shots in the Rockets' first two games.

From a marketing standpoint, Yao, who signed a four-year, $17.8 million contract with the Rockets last season, already is a growing financial success for himself and for the league because he is a natural inlet to China's 1.4 billion citizens. That's why companies have scrambled to sign him to multimillion-dollar endorsement contracts.

Like Ewing, Yao might never get an NBA ring -- especially as long as O'Neal, Duncan and Jason Kidd have better supporting casts. But he should reap just about every other honor for a meaningful career
.