I think people have said that Shaq gets away with a lot of offensive fouls yet also gets hacked a lot with no calls. I think Yao is falling into the same category. While he does get a lot of no calls when people hacks him, I think every pick he sets he was moving. Some of those are pretty nasty ones that straight up lay the people out (which I love). I think when you are a big men of that size and all your moves are magnified, it's hard for the ref to really officiated. For example, when Yao spins he lets that forearm go up, a lot of players do it but when it's Yao and his elbow is at people the face it became very easy to see, the refs will call it. But a big guy like that, it's hard not to make contact with them, so the ref lets him get away with the picks but also let go with the hacks. Lastly, in his book, Hakeem said that he gets hit on the arms a lot on his turn arounds and the refs told him they are not going to give him the foul because he's strong enough to finish the play. At the same time, the ref gives him the benefit of the doubt on his dream shakes and not traveling. It's a game officiated by humans so it's hard to judge the borderline plays, I think Yao is starting to and will figure this out and use the way refs officiate to his best advantage.
The refs eventually called him on one of them. Besides today's game, I haven't noticed Yao doing too many illegal picks.
As much I'm concerned, he shoot keep setting them. I love the one where he knocked the guy down on the floor and T - Mac gets a easy lay up. The ref will call a few a la offensive fouls of Shaq, but if he does it with consistency they will let a lot go. And it can be an intimidation on the other hand. They need to know if they hack him, there will be payback.
I was at the game and noticed the illegal picks also. At least for once, he had calls for him from the refs instead of the reverse.
Dream shake is not traveling, I actually slow down the video of dream shake and counted the steps. It's hard to see if Yao's pick is moving screen though, and I don't care that much as long as the refs don't whistle it and our guy come out of a screen wide open. Sometimes it is moving pick, I say about 70% of Yao's pick are just good pick that lay people out.
He does set those illegal picks (he is still moving into position) the majority of the time. But he rarely gets called for them. There have been a few times where a ref has called them for fouls, IIRC it happend to him twice against the Kings.
I don't know if I would call his picks illegal, yeah, they are borderline but a lot of times he sets the pick and moves down to the paint. It's not like he's shuffling around moving laterally getting into position to set the pick. It's like when the guard is bringing the ball up the court and follows the big man up the court while the defender is trying to get around him. YAO is just moving to get into position.
I think Yao gets away with some. He also gets away with 3 seconds a lot too. But he also gets other calls that go against him. It goes both ways I think.
Yao doesn't get away with any more moving picks that anyone else. The moving pick is the ballhandlers fault anyway. The ballhandler should dribble to the pick, not around it. When he dribbles around the pick, the defender has the time & space to slide between them. When the pick sees this the natural reaction is to inch a little further out, hence a moving pick.
I agree. Yao should not run to the 3 point line and set picks for our guards. He's too slow and cannot get there quick enough and set a stand still pick. Beside, once he set a pick around the arc, he will have no time to return under the basket for the rebound cause often guards will use the pick to setup their shoots (slash or pop and shoot) immediately. And setting picks that far away from the basket will never result a roll because Yao's not gonna take a 3 in JVG's system. Maybe in Nellie's but not in JVG's. If Yao stops to run round all the way to the 3 point line and set a pick, his rebound will go up; he will not risk for an illegal pick; his play time will go up; he will have better chance to receive passes from the guards. And on the defensive end, Yao should not do help defense all the way to the 3 point line. He should only help defense at the middle range area. By doing help defense around the perimeter, he often lost his man, lost his position and commit fouls when he's helping or getting back under the basket. He's too slow for that kind of help defense. Overall, he still does not learn how to play a controlled game. He tried to do everything, be its a guard's job, a forward's job or a center's job. Maybe because he started his NBA career with Francis who give it all on the floor and do everything. Francis is a bad PG because he trys to do too much things that do not belong to a PG. These is a reason that not much PG in the league has Francis' rebound number and it's a good reason. This's not a blame at Francis. Yao just have to learn to play using his brain. Need to learn from a more verbal veteran center. Shaq is good at finding the right balance. I don't know what the hell JVG is coaching. But using Yao that way around the permiter is stupid, very stupid! He should yell "Yao, Get your ass back under the basket!" everytime Yao is trying to do something stupid around the perimeter.
I actually love the pick and roll for Yao (especially with T-mac) for the following reasons: 1. He's so big, that players can't run around his pick (thus, its an effective pick). 2. It is another way to get around the fronting defense. 3. By keeping him moving, the defense can't really close in on him with hard doubles, that often leads to turnovers. 4. When T-mac turns the corner, and Yao is running with him, there's really NOTHING on earth that can stop that possesion from leading to a very good shot (whether it be a T-mac layup, Yao dunk, or somebody wide open on the three point line... because you know the defense is converging on our stars, somebody is open, and T-mac can find them). In the end, our team offense has thrived the most with this constant movement. Sure, many of the fans who want to see Yao's points go way up don't like him setting picks... but honestly, our offense becomes too stagnant when all we try to do is force it into the post (too many teams are way too good at defending that). Also, KG and TD (players who are not "power" guys like Yao) have made great livings off of the pick and rolls with their guards.
We are talking about MOVING picks here. Most, if not all, of Yao's moving picks are set around the 3 point line. Doing that just hurt our offense when your center who do not shoot 3s run out to the arc for a pick. He actually runs from the post to the 3 point line for setting up picks. That's nonsense.
I think it's you that's full of nonsense. In the past dozen games or so, Yao has gotten a ton of easy buckets and scoring opportunities off of the pick and roll. Just because he sets them up near the 3 point line doesn't mean that he can't go towards the basket and get a layup or an open jumpshot. And there's nothing wrong with setting a screen for somebody so that they can get an open jumper. Yao is a big man, it's part of his job to set screens and help perimeter players get open. Playing offense isn't about what's good for Yao and how to make Yao look good. It's about getting the best shot that the team can get. And sometimes that means dumping it into the post, and sometimes it means getting open shots for the perimeter players. And regarding Yao coming out on defense, do you have any concept of team defense and rotations. If Yao didn't come out on defense and "show" on pick and rolls, we would be giving up open 3s all the time. But if you notice, when Yao comes out to defend on the p/r, another defender will shade over to Yao's man and rotate over until Yao can get back. It takes the entire team to do their assignments in order to defend well.
Just like Monon stated, usually when a moving pick happens it is the fault of the ball handler not the big man. It takes patience - the ball handler must wait for the pick to fully develop and dribble "through" (i.e. use the pick properly) the pick rather than drible going away from the pick.
A large number of picks(besides Yao) set in the NBA are of the moving variety. It's just like traveling: ie rarely called. Teams are always looking for a slight advantage wherever they can get it, and having your big man release early on screens is one of the ways teams try to gain a competitive advantage. It's similar to the way that infielders don't necessarily have to touch 2B on a double play in baseball or all the offensive line holding that isn't called in the NFL.
No, I am not talking about how to use pick'n roll or how to defense a pick'n roll with a rotation on help defense. I'm talking about how to use one of your best mis-match on the floor. A center of Yao's size should play around the basket. Yao can setup pick'n roll anywhere inside the 3 point line, he can help defense under the basket. However, he has no business out there around the perimeter on both sides of the court unless his assignment on defense is a center with 3 point range. You know all the game on paper but you applied your knowledge on Yao in a wrong way.
You know, where Hakeem really got jobbed by the ref's was on illegal defense. Teams would zone to fill the lane against him when it was against the rules. I remember games against Seattle where Karl would have them illegal on every single set defensive play, and we'd only get 3-4 calls / game on it... I have always wondered whether the ultimate demise of the illegal defense rule was a reaction to dream and the virtual impossibility of defending Dream/Shaq without a zone.
Yao does move a little when he sets picks, he doesn't really plant his feet just gets in the way and then rolls to the basket. When he does plant his feet though, he sets one brutal pick.
