Why can t Howard always defend against Yao Ming? He is 2.26 meters tall and can also jump backwards

On May 13, in the long history of the NBA, the showdown between Yao Ming and Dwight Howard has always been a topic for fans to talk about. As one of the most dominant centers in the early 21st century, Howard is known for his outstanding physical fitness and defensive ability, but when facing Yao Ming, he was repeatedly in trouble. Why is this three-time best defensive player always difficult to limit Yao Ming's performance? Behind this is both the natural gap in physical conditions and the restrained relationship of technical style, which reflects the collision of two different basketball concepts.

**1. Absolute suppression of physical conditions: a natural barrier of 2.26**

Yao Ming's height of 2.26 and a wingspan of 2.25 have formed an absolute suppression of Howard in terms of static talent. Howard is officially 2.11 meters tall (actually shorter) and has an arm span of 2.23 meters. Even with a historical level of bounce (vertical bounce is about 91 cm), it is difficult to make up for the gap in standing height. Data shows that Yao Ming's standing height reached 2.92 meters, while Howard is only 2.83 meters, which means Yao Ming can complete the shot above Howard's head without taking off. In the 2007 Rockets' game against the Magic, Yao Ming scored 24 points in a single game, including many hooks that raised high and hit high in front of Howard. This "ignoring defense" offensive method left Howard, who is known for blocking, helpless.

More importantly, Yao Ming weighed 141 kg, nearly 20 kg heavier than Howard (about 120 kg at his peak). In the low-level confrontation, Howard's core strength advantage relies on to become famous has disappeared. In the first round of the 2009 playoffs, Yao Ming averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds per game before being injured, of which Howard's success rate was as high as 58%. The NBA scout report once pointed out: "Howard is used to using explosive power to defend, but Yao Ming's lower limbs make him feel like he is pushing a cement wall. "This tonnage gap makes Howard unable to push Yao Ming out of his comfort zone and is forced to defend in an unfavorable position.

**2. Perfect restraint of technical style: Rear jump shot cracks the defensive system**

Howard's defensive philosophy is based on athletic ability, and is good at interfering with shooting through quick horizontal movement and bounce blocks. However, Yao Ming's technical characteristics hit the weak point of this system - he has the rare ability to fall back jump shot in the center. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Yao Ming hit a signature backward in the face of Howard's hit. Basketball commentator Su Qun interpreted at the time: "This technology allows defenders to fail to interfere effectively even if they predict it well. "

Yao Ming's shooting feel is soft, and his career free throw shooting percentage is 83.3%, far exceeding Howard's 56.7%. This shooting ability allows him to attack from any position, and Howard's defense is mainly concentrated in the penalty area. According to statistics, Yao Ming's shooting percentage in the 10-16-foot area reached 47%, far exceeding the average level of the league center. Former Rockets coach Van Gundy once analyzed: "Dwight (Howard) has a defensive deterrence radius of about 1.2 meters, while Yao Ming's shooting point exceeds 2.6 meters, which is like using anti-aircraft guns to hit mosquitoes. "

In addition, Yao Ming's basketball IQ further amplifies the technical advantages. He is well aware of using fake moves to create space. He flew Howard three times in the first quarter of the 2009 Western Conference semi-finals, causing two fouls in a single quarter. In contrast, Howard's defense relies more on instinctive reactions. ESPN tactical analysts once pointed out: "Each move of Yao Ming contains triple threats (pass, shot, breakthrough), and Howard's defensive decisions often start on the second beat. "

**3. Deep influence of the background of the times: The game between traditional and modern centers**

The showdown between the two is essentially a collision of two basketball concepts. Yao Ming represents the peak of the traditional center's technical flow - solid back-to-back steps, accurate mid-range, and excellent response (average of 1.6 assists in his career, and rose to 2.0 in the playoffs). Howard is a representative of athletic centers in the new era, relying on explosive power and defense switching capabilities to build a defensive system. When the NBA had not yet fully entered the space era in the mid-2000s, Yao Ming, a giant who could independently create opportunities at low positions, was still the ultimate answer to cracking defense.

Interestingly, with the evolution of NBA rules, Howard's defensive value was more reflected in the later small ball era, and Yao Ming's technical characteristics became the template for modern centers. Modern top centers such as Jokic and Embiid have developed face frame projection capabilities similar to Yao Ming, which confirms Yao Ming's technology is forward-looking. Basketball historian Bill Simmons once commented: "If Yao Ming had been born ten years later, his technical characteristics would be more adaptable to this era, and Dwight would face more opponents like Yao Ming. "

**4. The rise and fall of the psychological level**

The failure of multiple confrontations gave Howard a clear psychological shadow. After the 2009 playoffs, Howard publicly admitted: "Every time he defended Yao Ming, he seemed to solve an unsolved math problem. "This sense of frustration directly affected the defensive enthusiasm - data shows that in the 19 matches between the two in their careers, Howard had 11 fouls more than 4 times, far higher than his average 3.1 foul frequency. In contrast, Yao Ming once wrote in his autobiography: "Watching Howard is like playing chess. The higher he jumps, the more I am calm. "

This psychological game reached its peak in the regular season in November 2007. Yao Ming scored 37 points against Howard. After the game, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said helplessly: "We have tried all defensive strategies, even double-teaming, but Yao is unstoppable tonight. "This dominance further strengthened the narrative of "Howard cannot defend against Yao Ming" and formed a vicious cycle.

**Conclusion: The mutual achievements of great opponents**

Although the data shows that Howard really has difficulty limiting Yao Ming (career PER value Yao Ming 28.3 vs Howard 16.7), it is this restraint relationship that makes the showdown between the two a classic. Yao Ming used his skills to make up for his lack of athletic ability, while Howard continued to improve his defensive skills in his failure. Looking back at these duels, they are not only a contest of personal abilities, but also an important footnote in the history of basketball development, reminding us: in the NBA with many giants, true dominance has never been limited to talent, but also how to transform talent into skills that cannot be defended. Just as Howard paid tribute when Yao Ming retired: "He made me understand that defense not only jumped up and blocked shots, but also played with his brain. "