[Chron] Yao missteps after smooth reunion with Rockets

For Yao, not all is business as usual
Frustrated when double-teamed by Suns, center eyes more offense against Clippers

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

For a night, Yao Ming was dominant again. He was moving through the lane as if in one of his marathon workouts. He was scoring easily and reliably, as he had before fracturing his leg in December.

A night later, Yao was surrounded and suffocated. He could barely touch the ball, and when he did, he seemed rushed. He took nine shots, made one and was not much more of a factor than when he had been sidelined.

With Yao's dominant performance against Orlando on Sunday, the Rockets were reminded of what was and what could be again. Monday, they learned getting him and the offense back to that standard might not be so easy.

A night after Yao had 37 points against the Magic, Phoenix surrounded him in double and triple teams, knocking him off his game enough that Kurt Thomas shut him down after that. Yao said he left the court "frustrated" and "angry" after his 10-point performance.

Despite the Suns' defensive success, Yao did not concede they had uncovered the method to defending him.

"I think for our team and myself, we have enough experience against every kind of defense," he said. "It's like if they're behind you and try to push you out, or in front of you or in front and back, whatever they do, we have a plan. When this happens, we know where we should go. We should just live with the plan. Don't fail to follow the plan."

Starts the plan

The Rockets' plan begins with Yao and getting him the ball as deep in the paint as possible. Against the Magic, he got his touches earlier in the shot clock, sometimes before the Rockets ran half-court plays to free him.

"I think you want to get him the ball deep, whenever it is, early or late, without other guys deferring to him," coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "I think the depth (of the catch) is more important than anything else."

Against the Suns, the Rockets could not get Yao the ball near the position he caught it against the Magic, with the exception of the lefthanded drive for his one field goal.

They said they don't need to surrender their most consistent offensive player to an opposing defensive game plan. But after the Rockets had their third consecutive 100-point game and before they were shut down by the Suns, they expressed some doubt about being able to involve Yao when teams are obsessed with stopping him.

"We're blessed with a post presence now and a guy that's real dominant down there, and it's our job to search him out, whether it's a set play or pick-and-roll or coming down in transition," guard Tracy McGrady said. "He's a big target. He's always going to be open — unless you have two or three guys hanging off him."

The Suns devoted that many to defending Yao, taking their chances with everything else they left open. The Rockets knew where to turn. Chuck Hayes had 13 points. Juwan Howard made all seven of his attempts and is 12-of-12 in the past two games. But aside from the power forwards, the Rockets made just 20 of 62 shots.

Need to make shots

In some ways, the solution to having a more effective offense — regardless of the defensive strategy on Yao — might not be much more complicated than making more shots.

"Everybody is going to double the big fella," Hayes said. "Some will double when he gets the ball. Some will double before he gets the ball. They did a lot when my man would sag and tag. That's when it falls to me to get myself open in my strength areas and try to make them pay for it."

As much as the Rockets hit the extremes of bringing back Yao in their back-to-back experiences against the Magic and Suns, when they face the Clippers tonight, they can find other reminders of how irreplaceable he can be. In the first meeting with the Clippers, Yao had 32 points. He fractured his leg in the next meeting, the Rockets lost, and Yao missed the next 32 games. As they face the Clippers again, the Rockets have seen what Yao can do. They would like to give him the chance to do it, no matter what defense is brought to stop him.

"When he's open, we have to hit him," forward Shane Battier said. "When we play inside-out, that's when we're at our best."

ROCKETS NOTES
Rebounds tell tale if Rockets will win

For the Rockets, the league's top defensive rebounding team, perhaps nothing more clearly indicates how well they will play as their work on the boards.

In their 12 games since the All-Star break, they have won four of six when outrebounding opponents, and have lost five of six when they were outrebounded, with Phoenix outrebounding them 50-36 on Monday.

"We were outrebounding our opponents," Rockets forward Shane Battier said. "That's really a barometer for a lot of things we're trying to do. When we don't have a commanding lead on the boards, it leads to a lot of problems for our team. We're trying to compensate for the lack of rebounds in a lot of areas."

Wells might play this week

Rockets guard Bonzi Wells, who has missed the past seven games with a sore right foot, was able to go through a variety of drills Tuesday after several days of running and could be ready to play tonight against the Clippers or Friday in Toronto.

Game time changed

The Rockets' game at the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets on March 25 was moved to a 7 p.m. start. It had been scheduled for a 2:30 tip, but it was dropped by ABC. It will be televised locally on FSNH.

Clippers update

The Clippers face the Rockets for the second half of a back-to-back after playing at San Antonio on Monday, with an 8-21 road record going into Tuesday's game. ... Cuttino Mobley moved back to the starting lineup for Tuesday's 93-84 loss to San Antonio. ... Point guard Shaun Livingston had reconstructive surgery Tuesday .

Rockets update

Much about the Rockets' season can be told in their meetings with the Clippers. In the first, Yao Ming was unstoppable, keying the Rockets' 108-103 win in Los Angeles. In the second game, he broke his leg as the Rockets lost 98-93.

Check out

Watch the Rockets' defense. The Clippers are 27th in scoring, but they have averaged 100.5 points vs. the Rockets.

Statistically speaking

The Clippers have tried 22 different starting lineups, with recently signed Jason Hart starting while Sam Cassell has battled a variety of injuries.

jonathan.feigen@chron.com

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/4627941.html

 

Think it might have more to do with the Hornets, think ABC expected them to do better this year