Imagine: Yao on the Kings team

These are the stat on Turnovers PER GAME from ESPN. TD-2.9, KG-2.3, Shaq-2.9, and YM-2.6. To be fair, Yao didnt score or had as many touches as the others. Except Shaq, both KG and TD play alot outside the paint too. We all know that it is much easier to turnover the ball inside the paint simpily because there are more traffic there. If comparing YM to Shaq alone, the point scored per game to TO ratio will be 6.15 and 7.06 respectively. The higher the number the better. So Shaq does have a slight edge, not much at all though.
As far as beating the double team, it has to do with as much the skill of the guy being double-teamed as what response the rest of the teammates to the double-team.
In response to the 5 TOs during the Nugget game, I reviewed my tape and here are the summaries. Since I had nothing else to do today.

Ist quarter, 6:30: Yao was playing 1 on 1 against Camby. Yao pump-faked once and drove to the basket. Camby was able to knock the ball away from behind.

2nd quarter, 6:25: Yao got double-teamed and SHIELDED off from the rest of the team except Cat near the left low post area. Rather running toward the baseline so Yao could make a dish out, it looked like Cat tried to fake toward the key and hestitated for a split second. That threw Yao off and he ended up passing the ball a little too far to the right.

2nd quarter, 1:50: Yao got double-teamed in the left post area again. Cato walked, and I do mean walk, toward the baseline, and JJ coming from behind toward the key. This gave Nene with his long arms enough times to knock the ball out from behind as Yao tried to dish it out to JJ.

3rd quarter, 8:51: Yao was called for a 3 seconds violation.

4th quarter, 7:38: With 3 Nuggets on him and Yao was only 7 feet away, Mo, not Yao, held on to the ball too long and ran out the clock. Of course this is not Yao's TO, it was just so stupid that I couldn't resist to mention it here.

Sorry, I just couldn't find Yao's 5th turnover on the tape. May be you could.
Based on what happened, I think most of the turnovers above have to do with the execution of the whole team, rather than the SLOW THINKING of Yao. Of course, the 1st TO during the 1st quarter has to do with neither.

As a matter of fact, the MAJORITY of the time when Yao was double-teamed, as long as his teammates move around and get open, he will find them.

I still can't believe you truely believe the main reason why teams double-team Yao is simpily because they think Yao is a SLOW thinker. The idea to double team is to neutralize their dominant player and CREATE turnovers. Be it TD, KG or Shaq, turnovers happen all the times to the big men inside the paint.

I do agree Yao doesn't deserve double-team unless he is 5 feet away from the basket. You just need to put your body on him and force him to make those off balance turnaround jumpers. If the rest of his team could execute better and gets open, it is stupid to double-team Yao when he is 8-10 feet away from the basket because he will find the open man most of the times. Believe or not, Yao would be a much more effective contributor if he spends half of his times in the high post, setting pick, making the necessary passes and hitting those open 15 foot jumpers. Just look at the Lakers game, that was pretty much what he did during the 1st half.

 

Yao would be Mr. triple double if he was on the kings.

 

What the hell does that have to do with anything?

Imagine this: Mark David Chapman taking you out and leaving John Lennon to write great music. Now THAT would be beautiful.