NBA: Yao Ming at his peak returns to his rookie season

During the warm-up, Yao Ming scanned his teammates using a control panel.

Francis A, Kenny Thomas B+, Eddie Griffin C+, Jason Koller C

This was followed by a series of personal data.

Simply put, apart from Francis, none of them are any good fighters.

The Rockets' trade of Francis and Mobley for McGrady was definitely a profitable move, given McGrady's star power.

However, it's mostly based on Yao Ming's development.

At least with Tomjanovich and Dawson still around, the Rockets are focused on Yao Ming's development and willing to give him time, rather than just focusing on selling tickets.

Francis's athleticism is too high, and at this stage, he is not very suitable for Yao Ming during his rookie years.

It would disrupt Yao Ming's rhythm, causing him to constantly chase Francis.

Of course, that was Yao Ming when he was still a rookie and inexperienced.

For Yao Ming, who was in his prime and had been inducted into the Hall of Fame, Steve Francis, an All-Star player at the time, was simply a step down.

The Rockets' roster remains shockingly bad.

Aside from Yao Ming himself, only Cato, Francis, and Mobley have a combat power of B or higher.

"Don't be afraid, Cato. You're taller than him, don't be nervous!"

Francis lifted his right foot from behind and moved his body slightly.

He still thought Yao Ming was the same Yao Ming from the previous games.

But unbeknownst to many, Yao Ming's core players have been replaced by one of the best centers in the league.

Even now, in an era where Shaq and Duncan are still at their peak.

On the sidelines, the Rockets' athletic coaches and shooting coaches were sharpening their knives, because to them, Yao Ming was just a newcomer whose only strengths were his height, passing ability, and shooting.

It has many drawbacks.

But the NBA is never afraid of weaknesses; it is the weaknesses that allow us to see a player's growth and value more directly.

The draft has always been about selecting talent.

Skills can be developed through practice, but talent cannot.

It was 2 p.m.

Coach Tom called for both teams' players to come onto the field.

Play the whole game.

Each half lasts 10 minutes.

As the whistle blew, Yao Ming easily got the jump ball over the head of the somewhat dazed Cato.

Uncontrollable gasps of surprise echoed from all around.

Yao Ming has good jumping speed, but his explosiveness and height when jumping from a standing position are insufficient, and his timing is not as good as Cato's.

This was the first time he had actually beaten Cato!

Cato never expected Yao Ming to deliver such a sudden and ruthless blow.

For everyone involved, it was an unexpected event; for Yao Ming, it was just part of the game.

Francis received the ball that Yao Ming had slapped to him, and he felt like he had never received such a comfortable ball before.

When Francis received the ball in a comfortable position during this period, even his old partner Mobley couldn't stop him.

Francis changed speed twice in the crowd and jumped to dunk!

With Francis's roar upon landing, the training match began!

Actually... this should be considered a noob-stomping match.

Give Yao Ming a Francis and let him play against Posey, Cato and Morris, and he can beat them all with ease.

Although his young body had the problem of insufficient weight, in reality, there were probably no five players in the league who could overpower Yao Ming based on sheer size.

Gaining weight for those five people is completely pointless.

It can only be said that the Rockets are taking themselves too seriously, and they really intend to use Yao Ming as if he were Shaquille O'Neal.

Back to the game.

Francis is feeling great right now. This is how big men should play. Yao Ming just blocked Morris's shot again.

They slapped that clown so hard he couldn't even muster a shred of anger.

Possession returned to them.

All I can say is that playing like this feels amazing.

Yao Ming seems to have suddenly unlocked his full potential, and his positioning ability has improved by several levels. Compared to his somewhat amateurish movement positioning before, Yao Ming now seems to be able to set screens and provide support at any time.

Having such an inside player is crucial for the movement of guards.

This means that opponents need to pay more attention to positioning during defensive time and cannot double-team indiscriminately.

Yao Ming ran to the free throw line.

Cato's defensive position remained unchanged, two steps to the side.

Honestly, when Yao Ming was at his peak, no one dared to extend his reach to that high post when he received the ball. Although he rarely received the ball at that high post, his terrifying 71% shooting percentage would make any defender's scalp tingle.

Francis is undoubtedly a top-class point guard.

The moment Yao Ming asked for the ball, Francis raised his hand and passed it to him.

As soon as Yao Ming received the ball, Cato immediately came up to defend him. As the Rockets' highest-paid player, Cato is still a star player, so his basic reaction time is quite fast.

He immediately came up from behind to try and block Yao Ming.

But... it's too slow.

For Yao Ming, who now possesses a youthful physique, Cato is as slow as Shaquille O'Neal's grandmother.

There's no need for any footwork at all; with Yao Ming's 226cm height and wingspan, he can just shoot directly.

Cato, in a fit of impotent rage, jumped up and slapped his hand.

Morris was still waiting for the rebound under the basket, and he was still thinking of two trash talk words to mock Yao Ming... when he saw the basketball go through the net cleanly.

Absolutely accurate!

The arena fell silent at that moment, except for the sound of Yao Ming and Steve Francis high-fiving each other.

Basketball moves don't need to be flashy.

The body will age.

The more elaborate the move, the lower the margin for error.

Yao Ming's offensive instincts on the court have almost reached a state of perfection. He can easily dominate 90% of the league's interior players simply by using his height and footwork, without even considering his weight.

When Yao Ming retreated on defense, the Rockets players on his side cheered for him for the first time.

Francis excitedly pumped his fist: "That's how you should play!"

Francis was thrilled, but Morris looked terrible.

Cato also looked terrible.

Although Cato was injured, he was still a well-known center in the league. For Yao Ming to score against him like that was a real humiliation and a blow to his pride.

The team organizes an attack.

This time it was Mobley who got the ball.

"Kid, that was a pretty good shot!" Cato moved forward this time, blocking Yao Ming behind him.

He was ready to call for the ball and then planned to teach Yao a lesson with a skillful back-to-the-basket move.

Francis is still pestering Mobley.

The old cat, who was over 30 years old, didn't have that strong fighting spirit.

Cato asked for the ball, so he threw it to him.

Cato's entire demeanor changed after receiving the ball. Although Cato's playing style leans towards defense, his back-to-the-basket ability is among the best in the center circle.

These days, centers who don't know a few back-to-the-basket moves wouldn't dare go out.

They always sit at the table with the children when they eat.

The edge of the field was quiet, and several coaches were watching the ball.

And Yao Ming was also waiting for this ball.

He needs to prove himself.

The Rockets have been very dissatisfied with themselves over the past six games, and they are somewhat afraid to give Yao Ming continued high playing time.

So Yao Ming needs to give them some confidence.

Cato weighed almost 20 pounds more than Yao Ming now. With his powerful back-to-the-basket moves, Yao Ming seemed unable to keep up and took a step back, only to be met with Cato's strong and powerful turn.

"This is the NBA, kid!"

Cato didn't actually hold any grudge against Yao Ming.

However, the Rockets drafted Yao Ming as the cornerstone of their future team, so his starting center position is unlikely to last long. He doesn't think Yao Ming is there to support him.

So this goal can be considered his outburst and venting.

He didn't want to be pushed aside by a newcomer so quickly.

Just as Cato dunked, Tomjanovich felt a pang of sympathy for him.

The authorities are fascinated.

A legendary coach like Tomjanovich, who has coached historically great centers, has an insight that is absolutely unmatched by ordinary people. Yao Ming was just "bumped" back, and his rhythm was obviously off.

Cato was too hasty; he should have opted for the hook shot.

Of course, if Coach Tomjanovich knew how much experience Yao Ming has now, he would know that all those skills are useless now.

The moment Cato chose to attack, he was finished.

While the Katos was still in the air, a huge hand flew straight over!

*Smack!*