The league has figured Yao out, or Rick is a bad coach

Its simple...front yao...game over. We've seen it time and time again.

Rockets have been unable to remedy it. Sucks...we need an answer!

 

Chuck's wife, is that you?

 

HAHA!


But I thought.....

 

I feel like Yao needs practice and repetition to beat defenses. He learned how to stand his ground in the post and has learned how to deal with doubles, both of which the Rockets are well equipped to use against Yao in practice. Deke is still a good low post defender and Battier, Scola, Artest, ect. throw a great double team. Hayes provides a great quicker shorter defender that constantly swipes and takes charges, something that gave him trouble early in his career. So Yao can consistently train against this. However we aren't that great at fronting ourselves. Scola tried it on Aldridge a couple times in the first game but stopped in the second game. Deke is too slow to properly front and if he does the Rockets wouldn't have anyone in the paint to keep other players honest, so the scenario doesn't quite work. Portland can front and still have Oden or Aldridge in the post, so the Rockets can't recreate this in practice unless we gave Hayes a broom. Hayes, Artest, Landry are all too short to properly front, so I think it is a matter of Yao not getting to really getting to go against it and practice unless he plays a team that fronts. I think this series will be good because Yao is a very cerebral player, he won't out quick you but he can out think you.

Over a series Yao will start to figure things out. Look at the bench during timeouts now, Yao is very vocal. I feel like some might blow him off because he is still limited in his articulation. I am not saying his English is bad, it is not, but think of when you played sports and in the heat of battle when you try to communicate it comes out- "huuuh, huh, huh, DAMN IT...run it.... got to run it left..., that Joel can't go left... come on guys...pass it left... damn I was open....huhhhh" and it is broken and simple and if you don't blow it off it makes sense. However, with Yao, it would be more like- "huuuuuhhhuuhhhhuhhhhuuuuhhhhhuuuuhhh, I just.... catch breath.... Pryzmaniya huhhhhuhhh... left.... Pryzmaniya left." I feel the tendency with Yao is to assume he needs advise, so when he says something that is hard to understand they might blow it off and go "Yeah, Yao, they left Joel out there on you... fight hard big guy, you have to go strong and we will swing the ball around to Artest and let him create."
Communication after the game and during these off days will be crucial. Hopefully Yao AND the team adapts.

-V

 

You is one SICK minded joker!

Good one though

 

As long as the league allow this to happen, might as well put them in WWE ring and let them at it. Basketball

 

it's really sad that we should bring this up after every loss and it becomes old. I don't think the Rockets/Yao can figure out a way to beat fronting yao overnight if they have not been able to do that for the whole season. Anyway, all I can do is just to pray.

 

I think that's exactly what the Blazers did when they won they other day. Yes, I think they'll let someone else beat them if they can take out the most efficient player on the court. My guess is they'll gamble that the rest of the team won't shoot 50% again.

 

if he were a threat to dribble and get by you, that would be great. but it doesn't do a lot of good to play face up when putting the ball on the floor and stepping forward = turnover.