transitional phase: yao ming starting versus coming off the bench

Great points, particularly the one about Ming playing on the second until with Hawkins and Taylor. It seemed on the second unit they would look for him to be "the main guy" on that unit and get him the ball. But when he starts pehaps he is relegated to 2nd or 3rd option. I agree with you, he has to get the ball EARLY and often. He should EASILY get over 10 shots a game, no excuses.

Chris

 

Dr. Donk will accuse you as Yao lover.

 

Well, face it, by now almost all Yao haters have been converted into Yao lover anyway.

Great analysis verse! I can see the light in the end of tunnel.

How many games Rox continue to lose will be depended on such transition, depended on how soon players and coach to realize this fact.

 

The conversition of Yao after Marv game truly reflected Yao's thought and fact about his statue in the team. This may be one of the main reason that Yao didn't look aggresive, esp. in the first half. Clearly it seems yao still have much space to promote. Until now, it seems Rudy still haven't decide the team is Yao-oritented or guards-oritented, which reflecting in the court is a mess. Hopely this transision end soon.

 

Whether to start or not is not the point. If Yao was started and then benched for the rest of the game, what's the difference. As long as Yao got adequate minutes and was involved offensively, we'll see big numbers from him night in and night out. No doubt about that.

 

The difference is off the bench he is the focus. Starting he is not the focus and players are unsure who is!

 

verse,

do you have game tape. I've got some segments to show you have how completely lost Griffin is sometimes. He is not helpful in motion, just doesn't seem motivated.

He's out there for one thing...his defense and potential. I no longer consider him a piece to use to get some flow going in games right now. All Xs and Os with thought about Griffin are just dreaming. His timing is off, bumps into people, pushing guys, and his always floating to a poor low post position that he is no good at scoring from. It's like he doesn't even know what kind of player he wants to be.

just clueless with psychophrenic offensive identity

 

good read verse. Thanks for the intelligent criitique. My question to you though is this: If you make Yao the focus of the offense now and somewhat take the ball out of stevies hands,1- do you think the team will transition quickly enough to make the playoffs(they still look like they will stumble their way in if they don't) 2-do you destroy the team because we have selfish players that want stats

In my opinion, it really doesn't make a difference because we have to move the offense through yao and the sooner you do it the sooner he learns and we become an elite team.

 

The question is, will the transition period takes forever?

I just don't see how SF would give up the rock. It's NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. Selfish or not, SF needs to have the ball to be effective. You want SF play the role of Kobe in LA? It's hard. Very hard.

 

I'm not sure how much I agree with this.

I do agree he's out there for his defense and potential at this point. He's not doing much on the other side right now but his presence defensively provides a LOT. Teams must show caution any time he, or Yao, is in the game, but they go straight to the basket when Mo/KT are there. They're just not dangerous shot blockers.

He's calling for the ball in that "poor low post position", but from what I see he's got his man sealed off decently enough, and I wouldn't say he's not good from scoring right there. That's where he uses what I hoped, and hopefully still will become his pet move, that little turnaround. I saw him call for the ball more than from that spot with 6-5 Bonzi Wells on his back, only to be waved off. By my count, Griffin actually the ball with his back to the basket only 1 time the entire game. IMO, he wants to get the ball inside, but he's only getting the ball when he goes outside. I wish I had the tape, but I recall specifically Eddie with position calling for the ball, only to be waved off and go to the 3 point line to set a pick for Steve.

I think right now he is having an identity crisis-the player that he wants to become vs. the player Rudy wants him to become vs. the player Steve/Moochie want him to become.

hp-do you think part of the offensive problems right now as a whole is adjusting to the right roles? KT's getting minutes at the 3 and the 4, Griffin gets minutes at the 4, the 5, and a pseudo 3, and Taylor gets minutes at the 4 and the 5, plus the thin backcourt

 

Why was ming feeding Thomas in the post when he had a guy 5 inches taller than him playing defense. Ming is the biggest mismatch we have, yet we have him curling off picks to set up rice or thomas in the post.

 

verse,

cool. keep that tape. let's break it down. I'd love to revive the Dallas game thread this weekend and discuss with you. how 'bout it. That was our best motion to date.

btw: how about that dejaun wagner??

NIKE,

do you have tape? which games? let's discuss.

 

verse, I agree with your take on the alpha male syndrome. I think that up and down the roster with the exception of Hawkins and Collier, we have extremely confident players who think they can take over a game and I , more than anyone else wants them to be right. That in mind, I stilll like to play devil's advocate and say don't we need more role players around our stars?(given that our stars are just recently becoming apparent)
sub topic-given: Eddie Griffin, Yao Ming, Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Bostjan Nachbar become top tier players, can they do it together?