[National Press] Expert: Simple game plan — give Yao the dang ball

The Cavaliers should trade Lebron and build their offense around Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Like Yao, he's a slow-footed, 7-footer with a good shooting touch.

Yes, Yao is better than Big Z. Better, but not by leaps and bounds. Z is a pretty solid center in hiw own right with a very similar body and skill set. Imagine the Cavs expecting him to carry their offense and worrying about getting him touches.

*Most people here will become obsessed with the Yao-Z comparison and completely miss the point. Anyhow...

Too many people around here just don't want to believe how flawed it is to build an offense around an immobile 7-footer, especially in today's NBA.

No, Yao is not the problem and no, we shouldn't trade him but expecting to run your offense through him is failure waiting to happen.

Adelman knows this. No, our other players are not good enough to execute a more optimal offense. Brooks sucks. Artest is not a SG. Our backcourt is awful compared to other playoff teams.

Still, forcing the ball to Yao is not the solution. Every good team in the league initiates their offense from the perimeter, especially late in games (Cavs, Lakers, Spurs, Jazz, Magic, Hawks, Mavs, Nuggets, etc...).

Sure, none of those teams have Yao. If they did, they would probably use him more correctly than we have over the past few years. Yao can not be the #1 option, offensively. It needs to start from the perimeter in today's game. Until we get that top-flight perimeter threat to replace what McGrady was supposed to give us, we will be fighting an uphill battle expecting Yao to be the cornerstone of our offense.

 

Yao will prove himself tonight!

 

Yeah, this is Yao's team--------------a team with a 20million hole

 

To chat with you is as easy as giving yao the dang ball every dang time.

 

You will be surprised tonight! The rockets' guards will throw the ball to Yao tonight. This is the biggest game, and it's on Yao. Success or Failure!

 

So, like rockets' guards, you would like to give up?!

 

That won't suprise me at all. For the past x number of years, getting the ball to Yao has been the focus of our offense, esp. since McGrady went down. I think we can win tonight. I just don't think we will become a legit contender until we get our own version of Roy, Kobe, Wade, Pierce, Lebron, etc... on the perimeter and make that player our #1 option instead of Yao.

 

We are not in a competition pal, just think what you want, i bet you have win a lot of NBA Live games.

Just look around, go watch the Spurs, they fon´t run the offense directly to Duncan, other players are involved, and they win or loose when the other players score, just see the Mavs series, Duncan got his, Parker got his, but failing to involve the role players is what killed them.

 

Check out this excellent post from durvasa. Look at the type of player that does the most damage in the 4th quarter. The top 10 are ALL perimeter players. Not one is a big. Spare me the Yao is different argument. Yes, he's different but he can't initiate the offense on his own. Before he can even do anything, you have to get him the ball. Even the best PG in the league would struggle trying to do that late in games. You need a dominant perimeter player that can bring the ball up the court or get the ball on the perimeter and make things happen. The evidence for this argument is overwhelming.

 

The spurs' role players are PURE role players. They need a leader, and their leader (Manu) was out. So, the spurs failed! But, they are the best fit for the team if Manu was healthy.

The rockets' role players have more confidence than them! The current problem is that they are overconfident!

 

Yao is way better than big Z, there is no way u use him as an example. If a guy who attached double and triple team every single game and still look a lot better than big Z, why not build the team around him.

Also, as you said, Yao has his limits, but every player has his weakness, teamates are bought here helping him to cover his shortage. But dont u think our starting PG is doing a good job that make Yao looks better?

 

ok, simply answer me a question, who's the leader of spurs? Tony Park or Tim duncan? A player who close up a game doesn't have to be the franchise player, right?

 

Again, the focus isn't on the Z vs Yao comparison. The underlying point is that elite teams run their offense through elite perimeter players more than ever in today's game. Yao is a terrific C and makes us a better basketball team but we need a dominant perimeter scorer more than anything else, in my opinion.

If you replaced Brooks with any PG of your choosing, we would improve but still struggle on offense with a lack of a dominant SG/SF. On the other hand, if you replaced Artest with a dominant SG (Wade, Kobe, Pierce, Lebron, Roy, etc...), it would be more beneficial than upgrading the PG position. We could be an elite team with a mediocore or even subpar PG if we had a dominant wing scorer (there are plenty of examples of championship teams with average PGs but few examples of championship teams without a dominant wing scorer). There are a few possible exceptions if your PG is an elite scorer, esp. in crunch time. If we had Tony Parker or Deron Williams and redesigned our offense, we may get over the hump that way, too, but for the most part, you need that approx. 6'6 guy on the wing that can make things happen in crunch time (once again, Kobe, Pierce, Lebron, Roy, etc...).

 

if only it were that easy...

 

Umm, right.

What's the point of defining who the "franchise player" is?

I'm talking about what type of player we need to get over the hump.

Is this just about defining Yao or defining what this team needs to be a contender?

Yes, Yao is our franchise player, whatever the heck that means. No, Yao can not be the focal point of an offense in crunch time. The evidence is overwhelming to this end.

 

overwhelming to what end? Yao cannot be the leader of the team? Rox cannot build a team around him? Your evidence is not enough to prove that

 

jesus christ, THANK YOU.

Give him the ball when he calls for it! PERIOD.

Im sick of all these ROX players trying to decide whether or not Yao is REALLY open, while Yao is holding his hand up screaming for the rock...

Again folks, thats ADELMANS job to enforce...and kick anyones butt who isn't playing by the plan (i.e.) let them ride that bench for a few minutes.

 

This article could've been written by myself.

Maybe I did. Maybe Ira read my mind.

But yes the plan is straightforward. It starts with Yao and it ends with him.

 

The fact that the top 10 4th quarter scorers are all perimeter players doesn't mean much to you?

The fact that every single other playoff team runs most of their offense from the perimeter means nothing either?

Who do you consider to be the best 2 or 3 teams in the league and how many of those teams have a number 1 option, offensively, that is a perimeter player?

When the Celts won last year, Pierce was the key to their offense, not even a relatively mobile big like KG. Even when Shaq won his last title, Wade made things happen late in games. Kobe did the same to a large extent with those 3-peat Lakers. I'm not saying Shaq isn't important or that Yao isn't important, just that a dominant perimeter player is what makes things happen late in games, which so happens to be our biggest weakness right now. Not hard to figure it out.

 

You still didnt get me, i agree that a good team need an elite SG. But come on, thats not the point i argued, the only thing i disagree is why u said Rox cant build a team around Yao. As u said, those champion teams have their elite SG, but a dominant perimeter also a must. that why i said your statement about most SG closing up the game is not enough to convince me.