I give you an another view. Yao Ming is a good boy, obedient and willing ; he does not want to bring anything bad upon himself his team or his country. He tries to do what the coach asks of him and tries to play within the Game plan. Ever since he became a Rocket the game has NOT truly gone through him as a game plan, a lot of talk about this but little action. Yao is the sort of person who need direction, he needs plays and a game plan which is not the way of Coach 'A's method.If the Coach really understood Yao Ming he would be doing all this before Tracy McGrady gets back on the sceen. ( Tracy also need direcction to become a Role Player) The Coach needs to give a lot of direction especially to the Point Guards, Ron Artest, Louis Scola and Yao Ming. Yao can continue and muddle on with 20/10 per game. Instead he needs to be told you are the leader of the Rockets Team. You must be much more determined about scoring and less concerned about how well others are doing, you should play in tandem with your Power Forward and Point Guard, you are expected to attempt 20 shots a game. Then Yao will know where he stands and revert back to the player we all expected.
In respect to Wafer, you must remember that he is mainly an offensive player, also that Adelman does not run many plays for his team and lesser player like Wafer and the two Point Guards are forcerd to get theres where they can. If Coach 'A' would only run more plays and give better direction to his players a lot of our errors on both ends might be resolved.
This isnt on Adelman. JVG worked tirelessly to make sure Yao got the ball every single play. There were numerous plays and tricks using McGrady to get Yao re-established. It worked well, but then JVG got fired, and McGrady was ostracised after no playoff success. Someday people need to realize, it doesn't matter what coach, or star you pair with Yao. His inability to establish position is a serious hindrance to the team. I am not saying to trade him or whatever but the Yao-ism on this board is seriously mind boggling. The offense runs around for 20 seconds working and waiting for Yao to get open or in a good spot so he can get the ball, sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. But when it doesn't, Brooks or Artest or McGrady have to jack up a shot, or salvage the play to avoid a 24sec violation. Its ugly and all the hate from this board tries to blame them or the coach, but it isn't thier fault. Bottom line is, this is what you asked for. Everyone wanted McGrady gone and the offense centered around Yao and here it is. This is what happens when you are a one trick pony. We are the most predictable team in the league now and defenses know this. Jackson, Sloan, Rivers, Pop all know what play we were going to run 90% of the time and they are ready for it. They clog up the lane, either making it impossible to get an entry pass, or send a weak side defender once Yao starts dribbling. We have very few other plays and when we play good teams our offense looks like a train wreck. Without someone to draw double teams or put pressure on the offense, ala McGrady, this is what you will see in the playoffs against good teams. Everyone clamored for ball movement and the Adelman system, well here it is. What is the excuse now? If not McGrady, if not Artest, then WHO NEEDS TO BE ON THIS ROSTER to make it work.
Wrong, the ball movement isn't here and the offense isn't here. The Rockets are still struggling to execute the offense and it shows.
You saw Yao in the high post and everyone hated it and demanded Yao be in the low post. You cant have it both ways. In Adelman's motion offense, Yao will be in the high post.
I think it's more mental than physical exhausted. Yao is not that kind of guy who wants the attention for every possession. He's definitely not someone who wants 20 shots a game, otherwise he wouldn't pass out that often. However, he's a better offensive player than defensive one, although he's been improving defensively this season. Remember those double OT games, remember those games he pounded non-stop with opposing big guys like Celtics players? Near the end of the game, he was tired, but his energy level was still high. He still managed to get rebounds and make shots or draw fouls? Why? He was involved in the whole game, not every possession, but constantly involved. There was no stretches for 5 mins straight he wasn't part of the offense, but running back and forth. Just like fighting, swing and miss tire you out very quickly, but constant pounding can still keep you going. I have noticed for long time, when Yao was running empty trips behind all those plays, his energy level dropped very fast. He ran full speed towards the post area of opposing court, but a quick 3 already hit the rim from our guards. Before he could react, a long rebound was already in the hands of opposing team. Then he ran full speed again back to try to defend, a fast break was already done. He only managed to make the inbound pass. 3 or 4 round trips like that will totally kill his energy level. Coach should call time out, either set the guards straight, or sit Yao for a breathe. Ideally, I would like to see Yao get around 15 shots a game, not the absolute number is that important, but rather how often keep him involved. If we give him 12 shots in the first half, then 3 shots in the second, there is no way he will be effective in the 4th. We don't have to go to him every trip, and we can't. But we can't ignore him for 6, 7 trips in a row. To keep energy level high, defensive specialists like Bruce Bowen, Big Ben or even Hayes, get a few plays called for them, or PG look for them. If you want Yao put in extra effort in defense, and be more effective in offense, you have to make deliberate effort to involve him. It's not easy, that's exactly why it's important. Only because you are good, the other teams are trying hard to deny you before you even get it. Then again, no matter how we slice it, those 8 shots games for Yao are just not acceptable. That's a total waste of 15 million dollars. Heck, Wafter doesn't have any problem to get 8 shots for 15 minutes. Yao wouldn't throw up wild 3s to get his own shots, not because he can't have the ball there, but because he wants the team to win, and he wants to get high percentage shots, whoever it might be. Of course, that is now interpreted as not aggressive or no leadership.
exactly. people have said we don't build around yao. coaches fired, players traded, players signed... have all been for yao. and yet the same problems persist. people said tmac being gone this year would solve everything offensively (ball movement, player motion, offensive fluidity...) and yet problems persist. yao has just got to find ways to establish better and stronger positions where guys can't easily go around him, or easily front him, or easily move him from his spot... until yao can do that, we'll have trouble getting him the ball. the reason under JVG our offense was so BORING and predictable was because we try relentlessly to get yao the ball.
The TMac trade was for Yao? Or just because TMac was a better player than SF3? BTW, Yao loves SF3, and he didn't know the trade until it's made. Rudy T was fired because of Yao or JVG was fired because of Yao? Please explain. Was Rafer traded because of Yao? JVG's offense was boring because we try relentlessly to get Yao the ball, or because our other options outside of Yao and Tmac, was Hayes, Bowen, Bogans, Howard and other great players? Man, I expect better from you!
Agreed, This is the most Yao centered team ever created in the history of the NBA. Mostly comprised of good, solid role players and practically no stars to hog the ball and yet for some reason Yao still can't seem to get enough shots. It's time fans realize that Yao is a big part of the problem in his inability to get enough shots and stop blaming our DEAR COACH. Constant force feeding the ball to Yao doesn't work as JVG has tried. Yao may get his stats (which most Yao fans care about) but the team doesn't go anywhere and the offense gets stagnant.
If they can score without involving Yao Ming, they would. In reality, most of the times they can't do squat without Yao. Complain about the shot clock or whatever, it's not like Yao Ming demanded the ball goes through him, it's the team needs the ball to go through him.
LOL. The most Yao centered team with 2 sub 40% shooters jacking up shots at will. It's like claiming that scoring 75 in IQ test is the best you could do, but that doesn't mean it's good. Sure, there is no STARS to hog the ball now, but ROLE PLAYERS to hog the ball, not one, but 3! Yeah, that's the fault of Yao's fans. Trade Yao, and ban fans from China, Rockets becomes a world beater instantly.
you've claimed that - 1, yao is a big part of the problem in his inability to get enough shots; and 2, this is the most yao centered team ever created in the history of the nba. if it's your opinion, then i have not much to say. but if you try to establish them as facts, then you have a lot of proof to do.
If you are going to build around Yao, you need to build a team that can take advantage of the 3pt shots he creates, but you also need to build it with quickness on the perimeter to cover his shortcomings. The Rockets have several players that are a good fit for Yao. Scola Brooks Wafer Lowry Landry Barry Then they have some that are ALMOST a fit with Yao, but not quite. Artest Battier Hayes Deke The problem is that we really need a wing that fits with him...TMac did but he seems to be toast....so we need to get a replacement for his style of play, we need a penetrating/closing player at that postion, who also has quickness. It is why I have wanted more minutes for Wafer and less for Artest and Battier.....not because he is all that, but because he really has the quickness and attacking finishing ability that Artest and Battier lack.... DD
That further proves that Yao is a major part of the problem. Imagine if Tmac busted a Paul Pierce and came back all of a sudden after being in a wheel chair. Do you think he would average way more shots than all of those role players?
ab is definitely not a good for yao. they can co-exist, but they are not good fit to each other - kinda like sam cassell and akeem.
They don't win 2 rings without cassell. I agree partly with what DD said about the fits. Have you noticed the volume of shots brooks and wafer get when teams don't double Yao? That's why you need guys that can attack the rim and beat people off the dribble when the single yao. Normally scola struggles when teams single yao because he really feeds off the off coverage when yao is on the floor.
agreed. the thing is though, wafer and ab can pass by their defender alright, but when they actually get under the hoop, their decision-making and finishing ability is nowhere near where it needs to be. that's a big reason why we are not elite. oh, and wafer's release on his j is half a second too slow. this team needs some upgrades now that mcgrady is basically done.
