As much of a Read-and-React, Princeton style offense the rockets would like to run, when you have a guy like yao you have to forget that stuff sometimes and go back to basics. Post up on the low block, and high post pick and roll. Right now I'd like to focus on how the rockets run the Pick and Roll. Think back to how devastating the Tmac-Yao Pick & Roll was. Mostly because Yao would actually ROLL. It was a great way to get Yao some easy buckets, especially against the dreaded fronting defense. Recently you may have noticed that Yao NEVER rolls after setting a screen at the top of the key. So I started thinking (I thought I smelled something burning)... why has he stopped rolling? The guard drives around Yao, the defense collapses, the guard kicks it back to Yao. Yao doesn't want to take that shot unless the clock is winding down. The defense knows it and leaves him open to pass to someone on the wing. What a lame play this has become. Here's my take on why this is happening and what the Rockets should do to fix it: Tmac was known for settling for the jump shot far too often, but IMO this is exactly what made the Pick & Roll so effective. He would come off the screen looking to pull up. This would force Yao's defender to switch on Tmac rather than just hedge out. This allowed Yao to slip to the basket. Pulling up for the mid range jumper after a screen is a great way to score. Think of how Josh Howard, Deron Wiliams and Brandon Roy get most of their points. I can't tell you how many times they pull up in front of Yao after a screen, because yao was slow coming out of the lane. When Yao comes out, his man rolls to the basket and makes him pay. No one on the current Rockets roster seems to want to pull up for the mid range shot after yao sets a screen for them. They all try to drive past Yao's defender instead of pulling up right in front of him. I say, pull up once in a while to make the big guy close out on the guard then Yao can roll for an easy layup on the switch. I know this seems like I'm stating the obvious. It seems that way because it is obvious (to me at least), but I don't see the rockets doing it.
was there even a Yao and TMac pick and roll to begin with?? seems like they only ran it once or twice per game. and it was not deadly either consider that Yao can never finish the play strong like Amare or Malone
Yeah. That Dallas series. They had no answer. Once deemed as the most lethal play in the league. Avery Johnson on that play " You know what they are going to run down the stretch" followed by hysteric laugh, "tmac and yao" Doug Collins called it Houston's bread&butter play. Oh, well, it's more like peanut butter and jelly with Artest and Brooks doing the play with Yao.
when the fit hit the shan, that was the go to play. we didn't get to see it a lot because, well lets face it, they didn't play together a lot since the tmac trade. when used it was very successful. tmac would routinely hit the pull up, or hit yao on the roll. tmac was great at hitting yao on the roll.
First everyone wanted the team to attack the basket and now fans are complaining about our guards not pulling up for jumpers enough. The way I see it, just win the game. The rockets are playing well defensively and they're rebounding. The offense needs work, but I'm not going to worry so long as we continue to win games against tough opponents.
Not very often, but we have ran the PnR with Yao and Brooks. Because AB can hit the midrange J, it works best with him. But when Yao gets the ball back and doesn't roll, it's not always a lame play. Just ask the Spurs. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PZ4KLsY84AE&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PZ4KLsY84AE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
No. People just recall the 2 pnr's that worked against Dallas in 1 playoff game like it worked on a regular basis. Yao has never been a good roller IMO, but he rolled 99% of the time under JVG. I actually want to see Yao popping off screens more and it's happening a bit more recently, but he needs to take the shots more.
I know this is a lame answer, but maybe because Nobody on our team can roll around a pick like Tmac? When Tmac was healthy, he had multiple ways of destroying the defense rolling around the pick. 1a) Pull up jumper. Assuming he's healthy, and assuming he's open enough, we will gladly accept an open midrange from Tmac. 1b) Pull up jumper, until the last split second where, with his vision and passing, he finds Yao or Landry deep in the paint. 2a) Tmac to the rack. Assuming his athleticism is still here, if they go over the pick, he slashes the lane, gets elevation, gets a close shot, or at least gets fouled. 2b) Tmac to the rack, until the last split second where he finds landry or Battier in the corner. Our current guards don't have Tmac's vision, passing, or athleticism. Only thing they can do comparably is shoot over the top, if they're open. They can't threaten to shoot, suck the defense, then find the open guy. Until they become Tony Parker in the paint, they're not a real threat penetrating the lane, so defenses won't be likely to leave Battier in the corner to help defend our guard in the lane.
I agree. But from my observation of the recent games, he doesn't seem to be that bad a passer as he was labeled as. I hope and believe that he can develop his passing skills, which can only be done by getting more playing time in games(when you are a borderline bench player and have only very limited minutes, you don't look for passes when you finally get on the court).
Yao/(healthy)Mac PnR was so effective they literally had to change the rules mid playoffs during the Mavericks series to stop it.
Not only was there a Yao and T-mac pick and roll...In fact, I'd say it was our go-to play (we ran it constantly at the end of quarters, in crunch time, and when we needed to get buckets in general). The only play that may have been more of a "go-to" play was the elbow play with Tracy. You are right that Yao didn't finish often on the play--his role was primarily to get T-mac open. If tracy didn't shoot, you often saw the PF getting the shot (Juwon Howard/scola jumper or a Hayes layup) as his man helped on a plunging Yao, or a kick out for a corner three (all those shots battier got) if a wing helped on tracy. I do agree that Yao has started popping more on picks and that might not be a good thing. However, given the difficulty he has catching and finishing on the run, that may not be the end of the world. Still, i'd like to see him dive and then scola or landry come to the elbow for the open jumper. Or, alternatively, use primarily Scola on the pick and roll, as he's probably our best PnR player.
the only time this play was actually dangerous was in 04-05 when t-mac was still a dangerous offensive player. this was when his midrange J was automatic, no matter who guarded him. also more times than not, he would penetrate to the basket after the pick, and yao would follow, and t-mac would be tall enough to pass it to yao right underneath the basket. the biggest reason this play was our bread and butter was because t-mac's J was reliable back then. why else do you think we stopped running it after that mavs series? (because t-mac went downhill).
the highlighted sentence is a response i knew would come up. this was my actual quote form the original post: you can't ONLY do one or the other. you need to have balance. switch things up in order to keep the defense guessing. the rockets have gone from one extreme to the other. i want to find a balance.
