Yao named Player of the Month

[compucomp]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=A ... &type=lgns

NEW YORK (TICKER) -- Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Houston Rockets center Yao Ming were named the NBA's Players of the Month for January on Friday.

James led the league in scoring for the month to earn the Eastern Conference honor. He averaged 32.8 points and added 7.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists, helping the Cavaliers post an 11-3 mark in January.

James became the first player in NBA history to post at least 31 points, 19 rebounds, eight assists, four blocks and three steals in a game when he accomplished the feat against Charlotte on January 11.

At Memphis on January 15, James scored a season-high 51 points and added eight rebounds and nine assists to make him the first player since Rick Barry in 1978 to post 50 or more points, eight or more rebounds and nine or more assists in a game.

Yao earned the Western Conference honor by leading the Rockets to a 10-4 month, averaging 22.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

In a 111-107 win over Golden State on Tuesday, Yao tied his season high with 36 points and 19 rebounds. He is the only player in the Western Conference to be averaging at least 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks this season.

Other nominees for monthly honors were Charlotte's Gerald Wallace, Denver's Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto's Chris Bosh, Utah's Deron Williams and Washington's Caron Butler.

[TMACFORMVP]

Very well deserved, he beasted this month. I'd be much happier if not the Lakers pulled of highway robbery and got away with it.

But nonetheless, nice job Yao! Is this his first? I can't seem to remember.

[King Roosk]

The article didn't post the correct January numbers for Yao, instead they posted his season averages. In January Yao averaged:

25 ppg
12 rpg
2 bpg
2 apg

Congratulations to Yao, he deserves it.

[Iggyemu]

Good stuff. But very a hollow feeling after the Laker news. I just don't see this team ever competing for a title with this roster we have right now. It makes you question why you even bother being a fan knowing nothing will come of it.

[nyk_buc]

well deserved. it was b/t him or paul.

now the team needs to go on a long winning streak

[MaxRider]

hell yeah
no one well deserved than Yao
he had to carry this team without T-Mac other than 4 games (i believe)
who care about the Lakers got Gasol for trash
Bynum or Gasol can't stop Yao either

[CuttingEdge]

There's nothing Pau Gasol can do against Yao nor even Bynum. The best man to play Yao defensively is Kwame Brown. Honestly I think Pau is great but not a good fit with the Lakers.

[nyk_buc]

There's nothing Pau Gasol can do against Yao nor even Bynum. The best man to play Yao defensively is Kwame Brown. Honestly I think Pau is great but not a good fit with the Lakers.

seems like the grizz bought out kwame and the lakers will pick him up. it's straight up robbery

[A.J.]

:clap:

Very well deserved, he beasted this month. I'd be much happier if not the Lakers pulled of highway robbery and got away with it.

But nonetheless, nice job Yao! Is this his first? I can't seem to remember.

[CuttingEdge]

Who cares, bring it on. Some people *cough* Compcu or whatever think Yao's worst off this yr. That's BS, Yao takes it to the rack and plays much more physical and he's learned the nuances such as hesitations when they jump to block him and he scores. Yao's better this year because he's developed a power game and though it seems to affect his mid-range shot, it's a good trade-off for this closer to the rim Yao than past yrs passive Yao.

[BaYBaller]

I've said the whole season that while Yao appears to be having a down year he has actually improved other parts of the game so he effects the game more. In particular his offensive rebounding and playmaking have improved. He's expanding his game which is always a good thing.

[CuttingEdge]

^^^ Hell yeah. I notice he takes the bump and still scores. Yao is strong, but it's hard to really know because he doesn't have the room to jump at 7'6 and make that emphatic dunk. Ask the strongest post up guys in the league and I think unanimously they would voucher that Yao is toughest and most physical at this point. The man has to be and he owns everybody with Shaq on his way out of this league. I like this ever more aggressive and top notch post up Yao. Sure he loses the ball to lose hands because of the poor entry past at times but if there was a
Bibby,Kidd,Nash to get the ball to Yao every night, look out! OMG please land a guard like that Houston. That's all we need with Yao's skills period.

[Play_Smart!]

No wonder Yao didn't play well today. Every time he wins POM or POW, he plays poorly the very next game.

[dunleavyjr]

No wonder Yao didn't play well today. Every time he wins POM or POW, he plays poorly the very next game.

I was gonna point this one out. You were ahead of me.

[coolguy569]

what i dont get is why did they put the ugliest picture of yao on the rockets main page.

[tha_rock220]

why does he only shoot 7.7 fts game??? ewven this month he only shot 9 a game. he needs to be more agressive. but still its good that hes playing weell again.

[moofs]

seems like the grizz bought out kwame and the lakers will pick him up. it's straight up robbery

Not that I think Kwame would be a great pickup, but geez. 2 1sts from a mid/upper-record team and a blase backup point throw-in for an all star pf/c? Is there any chance, even before they possibly re-sign Kwame, that this isn't a top-5-ever trade?

[MaxRider]

-= original quote snipped =-



Not that I think Kwame would be a great pickup, but geez. 2 1sts from a mid/upper-record team and a blase backup point throw-in for an all star pf/c? Is there any chance, even before they possibly re-sign Kwame, that this isn't a top-5-ever trade?

for a rebuilding team
it's best to get picks
because they can draft the one with the most potential
one of them will become a really good player

[moofs]

for a rebuilding team
it's best to get picks
because they can draft the one with the most potential
one of them will become a really good player

Yes, I understand the general theory, but the Lakers aren't going to produce high picks. They traded a 27 year old allstar pf for 2 13-30 pick drafts. The fact that the Grizz need draft picks aside, that's pretty shallow return. Two dice rolls for a proven commodity? They almost have to have gone with this because Gasol had demanded a trade and they were really under the gun from Pau somehow. It's still robbery though, even if that IS in the direction of what they wanted to get back. The Lakers talking seriously with Chicago for Wallace was a nice bluff on their part. At worst, you trade Kwame "Perpetually On Vacation" Brown for Old Big Ben, it wouldn't be a great move, but it's do-able enough to force your hand if you don't have any other options.

[King Roosk]

-= original quote snipped =-



Yes, I understand the general theory, but the Lakers aren't going to produce high picks. They traded a 27 year old allstar pf for 2 13-30 pick drafts. The fact that the Grizz need draft picks aside, that's pretty shallow return. Two dice rolls for a proven commodity? They almost have to have gone with this because Gasol had demanded a trade and they were really under the gun from Pau somehow. It's still robbery though, even if that IS in the direction of what they wanted to get back. The Lakers talking seriously with Chicago for Wallace was a nice bluff on their part. At worst, you trade Kwame "Perpetually On Vacation" Brown for Old Big Ben, it wouldn't be a great move, but it's do-able enough to force your hand if you don't have any other options.

I agree. If they didn't want any quality players in return for Pau, I'm sure they could've gotten better (and maybe several more) picks from a team like Chicago or Cleveland. Oh well though, it's happened and that's that. We just have to make some moves to keep up with the rest of the league, and continue our winning ways.