Agree with the thread. Even when they've been on him with just Oden or just Pryzbilla they've been knocking him around like crazy and keeping him from establishing position....last night the refs established early that wasn't going to happen...and it changed the tone of the entire game with respect to Yao. And Yao was awesome last night. Just amazing passing out of the post and being efficient.
I think that he just decided to let them foul him. In the first 3 games, he assumed that the fouls wouldnt be called so he fought for position too much. This time he just decided that if he's not gonna be a factor then he might as well not fight for it. It worked perfectly and Adelman planned this to perfection. Great move Rockets.
It was TOTALLY because the refs set the tone early, and the Blazers had to adjust. And just like the bizzaro Joey Crawford game 2 reffing, it can all change just with a different crew. The best thing the Rockets can do is MILK that situation for all its worth. Several times they tried to stick Aldrich on Yao, and we could have either scored or drew more fouls on him... and we decided to spread it around still (mainly in that disaster 3rd quarter). I'm already expecting the next game to have very little go our way, referee-wise, UNLESS we are the aggressors early. They cannot reward Portland for basically being a jump-shooting team (which they were in Houston, except for Roy). If Artest decides simply to take it to the hole (no fadeaway 3's), if they can hit Yao when he initially gets his man sealed (which happens, but the entry passer often misses it), and if Wafer can continue to ignite the offense off the bench... this series won't be coming back to Houston.
Roy's shot 34 free throws to Yao's 22. And that's including Game 1, which by all accounts really shouldn't be included since it was such a throw away game not played like the last three. In the last three, the disparity is 33 to 16. Roy's been to the line twice as much. But what's even more ridiculous about your statement isn't just that the facts in terms of number of free throws prove you wrong, but the type of calls that lead to the free throws, in my objective opinion, are ridiculous. At best, a Blazers fan can complain about some of the foul calls Yao is getting, when they are random, in the middle of the play, and generally not leading to any points. And these really are fouls anyway, but I can see a fan being upset about them. Pryzbilla may be upset about getting called for a jersey grab on one possession because he didn't on the prior possesion, but that doesn't mean it isn't a foul. On the other hand, Roy has been the recipient of more than a few true "superstar" calls. Frankly, I firmly believe if not for the phantom foul call on Shane in Game 2, this series would already be over - the one in the 4th quarter, on Roy's baseline shot where he just falls down. He's gotten a few more like that as well. The point: Yes, you're right, it does go both ways...EXCEPT, Yao is a big man. And this is NBA 2009, son. Big men do NOT get the benefit of the doubt, guards and wings players ALWAYS DO. That's the way the NBA wants it called. --------------------------------- As for the thread topic. I think there are three reasons Yao was more effective last night. #1 - Mobility - Yao said it, the commentators said it, and we saw it. Yao needs to use less energy fighting for position, and more energy being mobile. Don't try and push Pryzbilla out of the way, run around him, beat him down the court, make him move to box you out, etc. #2 - Referees - As already noted in this thread. 3# - Angles - Entry passing is all about angles. JVG brought it up in Game 3. The Rockets finally recognized what they needed to do in Game 4. And I might be mistaken, but I think we actually saw a new play last night...one that seems to work, also. PG at the top of the key, Shane on a corner, Yao fighting for post position, Artest and Scola on the other side of the floor, with Artest on the baseline. PG passes to Shane, who looks to get Yao the ball in the post. As expected, Pryzbilla or Oden are fronting Yao. So Yao turns and sets a pick for Artest, who is sneaking along the baseline running towards the corner three position. Artest gets the ball with the help of the pick, turns and now has a good angle to Yao, who is holding off his defender who is now away from the basket. I really love this play. It takes a Blazers advantage and turns it into a disadvantage. It is very similar to an out of bounds play they used to run in the JVG era with Yao and Tracy, where they had the ball under their own basket for an inbound pass and Yao would set that baseline screen for Tracy as he ran to the corner, Tracy would get the inbounds pass and fire to Yao, who typically had great post position. Alternatively, the guy in the corner may actually be open for an uncontested shot. I can't re-iterate enough how smart of a play this is.
Yao was a lot more active and moved his feet to gain position in this game. In the previous 2 games when his arms were held and he was bear hugged, he just stood there. This time when he was held he was more active and hence fouls were called. As long as he keeps being active we should have a good shot at winning the next game.
Don't know exactly where you were going with this, so not sure how to respond. I definitely agree with you, only in the sense that they can call a foul everytime down the court if they wanted to...because they ARE fouls. But that aside, isn't your initial comment the essence of competition? When called appropriately, there's nothing Portland can do to keep Yao off the low blocks...Yao's the better player in that matchup. It's like asking what you can do to keep Kobe from dominating games...play as good defense as you can and hope he's having an off night. If the refs let you play a little physical and that takes Kobe off his game a bit, then great, if not, then fingers crossed, right? Yao is no Kobe, so can actually be neutralized a bit, but not one on one, and not without giving the Rockets advantages elsewhere.
There are 3 primary reasons why Yao was more effective: 1. He moved more. He got himself open. He pinned his man. That was all on Yao. 2. Team mates looked for him more. If Yao got himself available, more times times that not, the ball would end up in his hands. 3. Fouls were called fouls. Sure, not all of them, but more than usual. The bear hugs weren't allowed. Yao was also putting his arms up to display the foul a bit more.
I heard somewhere that Joey Crawford is against Yao because Yao said something bad to him during a FIBA game. I am not sure if Crawford was the ref for that game though.
Maybe all those videos Morey has been sending in to the NBA office finally got through. I'm so sick of the way Yao is officiated. I watch alot of great post players and all of them are allowed to post up. If the defender grabs or pulls, he is called for a foul immediately. For some reason the refs call the game differently when Yao is the post player. Defenders are allowed to do whatever they want to him on the block and the foul is rarely called. I'm okay with that so long as the refs consistantly allow physical play throughout the course of the game. The thing that bothers me the most though is that the second yao retaliates by being physical himself, an offensive foul is whistled. That is unfair. Hopfully last nights officiating is a sign that things are finally going to change in regards to how Yao is officiated. I won't hold my breath.
The other reason, which was also very importent, is that AB didnt shot the ball so often as always, but passed the ball. So that yao could get the ball.
I really want to look at all that contact and be 100% confident in telling myself, "Yes, those are fouls." But I really can't tell, because I'm so used it not being called in the NBA. They've always allowed these "wrestling matches" in the low post, to varying degrees, and it's hard for me to know at which point it goes from legal contact to being a real foul. The rules are just too ambiguous on this. That's why Rockets fans and the opponents fans will never see eye to eye on it.
The problem with the officiating on Yao is the calls are never equal. If you let the defenders bang and bump on Yao, you gotta allow Yao to bang and bump back. This is never the case however.
I've seen smaller guys be allowed to wrestle Yao... but Yao has never had to wrestle guys close to his own size (which there aren't much of in this league). Pryzbilla and Oden are bonafied 7 footers with huge frames. They do far more damage to Yao when they are allowed to push, grab, claw, hack, and bearhug Yao... as opposed to guys like Lamarcus Aldridge or the skinny guy on the Mavs (who normally are allowed to play more aggressive against Yao, and they don't really hurt him that much... they just tire him out when they deny him the ball). That's why Yao has usually always played wll against the "traditional" center. Oden and Pryzbilla have resorted to tactics that are foul worthy... they're too big to be dishing out cheap shots and illegaly placing two hands on a guy trying to get post position.
