Dikembe to Yao: Stop taking charges and block more shots
Yao is blocking 1.8 shots per game…Who would have guessed that the first signs of a rift in the Houston Rockets locker room wouldn’t involve Ron Artest or Rafer Alston, but in fact mild-mannered Yao Ming and Officer Friendly Dikembe Mutombo?
A day after we learned of Yao’s (alleged) desire to see Tracy McGrady shipped out, today’s Houston Chronicle has an item from Mutombo regarding Yao’s defensive shortcomings:
Don’t count Dikembe Mutombo among those who are applauding Yao Ming’s recent penchant for stepping in front of driving opponents to draw a charge.
“I’m very critical,” Mutombo said. “Those are bull. I told him that. He’s too tall to be taking charges. He needs to learn to play defense without using his chest. You don’t block a shot with your chest.
Maybe Yao is listening to Shane (Battier). Maybe he wants to be a guard or something. Maybe he’s planning to lead the league in charges. So I have to stop him. I have to teach him to lead the league in blocked shots, not charges.”
Without the availability of a sound clip or video of the interview, I’d have to go off what I know about Dikembe, and there’s a strong chance he said what he did more in a playful, ribbing manner than a harshly critical one. But depending on how he approached Yao, this could cause some tension amongst a team that, at 24-16 and in seventh place in the West, already isn’t living up to their preseason expectations. Yao is averaging 1.8 blocks per game — good for 12th in the League — but if he can be humble, he’ll be able to handle some tough love from maybe the greatest shot-blocker the game has ever known.
Source: Houston Chronicle
January 15th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
KAKE JELLY says:
Mutombo is deff rigth about that. How can the tallest player in the league not be close to the top in blocks?
January 15th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
E. Marcel says:
Deke is making a valid point. I don’t think Dikembe is being disrespetful, he’s just speaking the truth. If he told Yao this before going to the media, then its all good.
January 15th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
GEE...You can't see what I can see says:
Yea I heard about this. Deke could show Yao a lot of about being tough and playing D.
In exchange Yao could teach Deke some offensive moves. Never to late to learn even if you 58.
As far as that poll. Tracy is going to help his team the Most when he gets back. Watch what I say!
January 15th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
umps says:
the tallest player in the league can’t lead the league in blocks if he’s also the slowest player in the league.
January 15th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Ric Hardwood says:
Deke is right, and he might’ve told Yao already but maybe Yao didn’t understand what the hell Mutombo was saying… lol
seriously tho’ who better to learn shot blocking from than Deke “Mt. Mutombo”. Start blocking some shots and maybe Yao will earn the nickname “The Great Wall”…
January 15th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Ross says:
At least Deke isn’t telling McGrady what to do.
January 15th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
control says:
Yao def has to stop taking charges. It’s just completely retarded seeing some 6′1 170lb guy running into a 7′6 350lb guy and seeing him fall to the ground like he got shot. Yao takes about 30 seconds to fall to the ground anyways. The guy def should be blocking 1-2 more a game, easy.
January 15th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
dmitry of jersey says:
1.8 blocks is ok considering Yao only plays about 33 minutes.
what he really needs to do is the big balls dance after he makes a big one.
January 15th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
SK says:
Mutombo should also tell Yao to use his elbows as personal weapons.
January 15th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
E$ says:
Love a Vet like Deke! no pu$$y footin’
January 15th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
rean the block man says:
serves you right yao! but i must agree, deke might have said it in a playful manner.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
dapro says:
This isn’t a big deal Dime
If you know the history of these two players Yao admires Deke and charity work in addition to his work ethic on the court
Yao’s probably working on his timing right now
January 15th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
method526 says:
DEKE IS RIGHT! YAO IS TOO SOFT. THAT’S WHY CHINA CANT BEAT USA!!!
January 15th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Jei says:
WHO WANTS TO SEX MUTOMBOOOOOO????!!
January 15th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
ADAM IVY says:
SUCK IT DAVID ALDRIGE
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6213580.html
January 15th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
George W Kush Sr says:
If Deke was Yao’s size and age, exactly.
Yao should be blocking more than 1.8 shots, just because of the 1. He should be minimum 2.5-3 blocks, its not like Houston’s defense is one of the best, there’s still penatration and passes are still getting inside to the big men, Yao has opportunities to get more blocks. If his mindset is now to get charges, then for sure he’s not focused on blocking and therefor is being less of a defensive presence than he should be.
I agree with Mount Mutombo
January 15th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Tony says:
Since no one will say it, I will. Who actually understood Dikembe and recorded it down? I would imagine translating the interview would take 5 people a whole day.
January 15th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Ross says:
Agreed Tony. Dikembe talks like Cookie Monster.
January 15th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
LAballer says:
yao is softer than baby butt..im just sayin…
January 15th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
bakedbeing says:
Deke’s right. Get the eff up off the ground.
January 15th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
E$ says:
Don’t leave your babies around LAballer…..
January 15th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Bob says:
how tall this guy is!If he want to date,maybe they only can find tall girls from some searching sites,as far as i know __TALLLOVING.c om__cute, hot , talented… whatever u can come up with…LOL
January 15th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Jay says:
Valid point and I don’t see how this counts as a “sign of a rift” within the team. It’s coming from one of the best defensive players of all time, I’m sure Yao would be all ears to listen to what Deke has to say about being a defensive player. Yao doesn’t seem like a big-ego type of guy, so I’m sure he would take constructive criticism well, especially from a guy as experienced as Mutombo.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
the cynic says:
I wonder if the journalist could even understand the words coming out of Deke, he probably just came up with a bunch of ish
January 16th, 2009 at 1:45 am
fLaVa says:
i agree with Deke that Yao needs to block more shots but to be a better defensively its important to occationally try to take a charge, to give the offensive a little something different, something they’re not use to so i do think a mix of a little both taking charges and blocking shots in needed. But as big as Yao is.. he should attempt to block more shots than take charges
January 16th, 2009 at 2:37 am
doc says:
I dont see how this would cause a rift.Deke told the truth.Get your tall ass down there and man up.
January 16th, 2009 at 3:06 am
Doog says:
Notwithstanding the posturing, it seems to me that a case could be made that charges likely are more valuable than blocked shots. When Yao draws a charge, his team automatically gets the ball (contrast this with the league high defensive rebound rate of ~70% for Bosh) and a player on the opposing team is assigned a foul.
January 16th, 2009 at 4:22 am
wwill says:
This is some actually productive criticism. All that other crap about being soft or what not, is bull. This right here about blocking shots is legit. Dude is 7′6. Should be swatting more than 1.8/gm.
January 16th, 2009 at 4:47 am
Bron42 aka Haters drink my bath water says:
yao only blocks 1.8 a game not cuz his minutes, but because all the other attempts he goes after are guys dunking all on his gumby blockhead shaped skull..the guy isn’t a defensive figure, hes like one of those ben wallace blowup dolls they cell to train against…just there to got to the rack on
January 16th, 2009 at 9:30 am
jjankechu says:
I’m with deke on this one, but you can lay this shit at the feet of JVG + Ewing
http://hoopshype.com/columns/yao_hans.htm
January 16th, 2009 at 9:52 am
karizmatic says:
Dikembe is right. I also think that if Yao could step up his shot blocking he could really add to the toughness factor if the Rockets team and in his personal game. As it is everyone tries to dunk on Yao because they know he isn’t really looking for the shot block like he should. Not that 1.8 isn’t bad but you would think he could do better than that. He needs to be more aggressive on D in general in my opinion and blocking a shot is a more aggressive move than looking for a charge.
January 16th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Tha Boddy says:
Yao needs to listen to Dikembe hell Mutombo has to have at least 5 decades of basketball knowledge and that’s b4 he even entered the league
January 17th, 2009 at 5:19 am
lamoni says:
about time Yao is 7′6 and yet he isnt even in the top 10 for REBOUNDING & BLOCKs? i think he is the most overated/overhyped Centers to ever play the game
he was a waist of a draft pick & he is always being voted as a starter in the ASG, due to his Royal like popularity in china( from where most his votes come from) he just sucks
Dikembe is the best shot blocker ever he nearly blocked 3x as much shots as Yao did, Dikembe once recorded 4.6 BPG HOW CRAZY IS THAT!