I have a question that has been bugging me for a while now watching this bunch of Rockets. Why is it that when we bring the ball up the floor we inevitably dribble or pass the ball down the side of the floor that is the opposite side of where Yao has posted? Then Yao has to come running over to the other side and try to reestablish post position. About the time, he gets the post position, whomever guard has the ball on that side (it really doesn't matter which one, they all do the same thing) decides it's time to swing the ball back to the other side that Yao has vacated. About 1 time out of 10, they manage to somehow find Yao in there and get him the ball after they wait for him to come running back to where he started the set. And that is only if the guard that now has the ball on the weak side insists on holding or dribbling the ball long enough for Yao to get back over there. I do not understand the reason for starting the offense on the opposite side of where Yao is. It just makes it ten times harder to get the ball into him. Why don't they look and see which side Yao is on when they are bringing the ball up the floor and then take the ball to that side, the strong side? Can any of you basketball X and Oers explain for me? I just don't get it.
Seems like you're just itching to rant on JVG's offense...let's drop the passive aggressiveness here....
The guard could control the ball longer, and let Yao had more chance to practice how to get his position.
You got a point there. I see no reason why Yao should be posting up on both sides of the court. Hakeem never did it. He focused his efforts on the side he was most comfortable with. That's not to say Yao is close to Hakeem in his post up. The guards should either get the ball to Yao with at least 15 seconds left on the shot clock. If the guards can't do it, they should immediately go into create mode. Big men should then go out and set picks. It's just plain stupid to see Yao try to get position on one side of the court, have the guards pass the ball to the other side of the court, and then have Yao reposition himself on the other side again. How much time is left on the clock at that point? Is this Van Gundy's plan of attack?
Hey, JVG is a major league coach. If that is done by his design, then there has to be a reason for it. I would like to know what it is. I'd also like to know that it is by his design. Otherwise, if the players are doing that on their own............then it doesn't take to long to figure that one out, they're either stupid or else they are intentionally not trying to set Yao up but are looking for excuses to take their jumpers or dribble drive from the weak side. I just don't believe the players are doing it on their own with as much attention to detail that JVG gives. I have to feel that it is by design. So I am asking why? So that Yao can learn to establish post position? He can learn the exact same thing if they brought the ball down to the side he was on. He would still have to bang around his defender and establish the post. But we wouldn't be wasting an extra 5 seconds with him crossing over the lane to establish position and then watch helplessly as the ball is swung back around to the side he was on. I understand they are making Yao play down low because they want him to learn to dominate there and he needs to learn and isn't there yet. But, handicapping him by making him run over to the opposite block every time the ball is brought down the floor........i don't understand it. Yao is the big man. It just makes sense to me that they should play off Yao, not force Yao to play off them.
That's a good question and not being anywhere near a basketball genius, if I was I would hope I would be making some more money, I have no idea. IMO it seems like if they are doing it to force Yao to learn the post its self-defeating. Like you said it complicates Yao's game when we should be simplifying it but it also tires him out more. As another poster noted this isn't pre-season where you do things like that. Right now the Rox should know where to get the ball to Yao where's he most comfortable and try to get it to him.
Yao moves over to the other side when his side is clogged with defenders, or his man is fronting. By moving over quickly, his man is behind him, and if the guards swing the ball quick enough, Yao can get the ball before the defense repositions to their liking. I haven't really noticed that the guards bring the ball up on the other side, I'll have to pay attention to that in the next few games. If that is the case, it must be to start the other team's defense on one side of the court, and then Yao can make his move to the other side, to have the defense out of position. If Yao is camped out in one place, be it the first or second post, for any length of time, he will be doubled too easily.
Because its a decoy play...they're doing it on purpose so that the defense alters towards the side they're bringing the ball up on...then they'll set a cross screen for Yao to re-post on the ball side...if you just bring it up to Yao's side, it makes it too easy for the defense to jam the middle...
JVG loves to eat the clock in hopes of further holding the opponent to a low score. The backfire here is when it all boils down to one shot, you either make it or get the offensice board, then make a follow-up or you get what we've had the last two games... a pathetic display. The offensice anemia IMO is due to the forced "extra pass" that occurs right from the start of the set-up. Remember when Dream was on a role? The first pass was to Dream, and amny times never left his hand except to go through the hoop to the floor. The difference is that Yao is not quite that "money" shooter, "workhorse" down low, "true grit" power dunker. That said, I think Yao would get into a better rythym early, or at least see what the opponent was doing to front him, etc. if he got it early and often. Then at least he could switch out to the high post if indications were that the low wouldn't bear fruit. I really think this flaw is attributed to JVG's fear of the oppponent having the ball, almost like time of possession in football. But if you pride yourself on defense, and the ability to get back, doesn't that free up your offense to go nuts? Works on paper. But then so does communism.
Very good catch. This is a recent occurence though. IMO, we are actually mediocre team players on the offensive end. We do not naturally play with one another. 1) Yao seems to be out-of sync with the outside players. He gets in his low post, regardless of where the ball is. This is a mistake, many times, he gets good position but his teammates are nowhere near the position to feed him the ball. He wastes his energy for nothing and has to re-establish posting on the other side. We had this timing problem since we gave up the double screen up top with Yao and the PF. We got very little out of that play but we also lost the timing it gave us. 2) On the other hand, lots of time, Steve can't see the floor to judge where his teammates are, where they are moving to. He does not know where the opponents are, what they are playing and where the play will develop. He is busy skipping up court and dribbles between his leg. I am really not kidding. He can't think about the play until he himself gets into position somewhere near the top of the FT circle.
Jim Jackson said it right on the money in today's chronicle. The Rockets lack mental toughness. Our top 3 stars go south in statement games. Another thing I would like to say is you can't have up tempo offense if your pt guard doesn't know how to run a fast break.
Decoy????? How do you decoy 7'6"? On top of that, our team is the worst screeners in the whole NBA. If you watch Yao switching to the other block, you'll see that he has to run through the defensive screens that the defenders are setting and then he has to post up. The defense is jamming up the middle already. He has to go around them to get to the other side. By the way, we want the double team. If they are doubling Yao before he posts up, then obviously thumbuddy is open. All that cross screening business, it just clogs up the middle. We have to face facts. When you have a 7'6" dude on the low block, the middle is gonna be clogged the whole game.
Don't read into the basketball IQ too much guys. It was just simply our guards and our forwards have always been going toward opposite directions, regardless. That is why we are such a bunch of under-achievers or I am better than you attitude. Haha.
No the PLAY is a decoy, not yao...think about it: the whole idea of an offense is to get the best possible shot and put the defense at a disadvantage...cross-screening likely means mismatches because a lot of teams switch...which means if JJ cross-screens, then a SF is stuck on Yao...You want Yao to utilize as little energy as possible, so by bringing the ball up on Yao's opposite side, that erases 5-8 seconds...then he'll cross to ball side, and position himself...meanwhile, the defense is working, getting thru all the cross screens and trying to focus on Yao...this opens up opportunities for backdoor cuts and spot-up jumpers because defenders leave their man in rush to get to Yao...
Ooooookay, I'll take your word for it. Although I have never one time seen a SF get rubbed off on single coverage on Yao when he comes over.
I'm assuming you did not start this thread to bash JVG so here's your answer. I tape every game and watched the first 6 possessions of the last Spurs debacle and did not see one instance where the ball was brought up to the opposite side of the paint from Yao. So, I am not sure what you are observing. This is what you should be observing... In in attempt to get a better angle for a low post entry pass, the Rockets start the ball on the same side as Yao and reverse the ball back to the weakside. As the ball moves across the arc, Yao tries to gain an advantage of "sealing" the defender on his hip. Overall, the Rockets (excluding JJ and maybe Mo T) are not very good post entry passer and often miss the short window of opportunity to get Yao the ball quickly. In addition, JVG wants Yao to be primarily a back to the basket post player and there are faults in Yao's low post postioning as well. For example, Yao is not as aggressive as he could be and he gets moved off of the low block too easily for somemone of his size. And for reasons I can't explain, Yao's footwork seems slower this season meaning the pass needs to be nearly perfect as he is not able to move quickly. I am assuming you did not having bashing intentions in this thread and appeal to you to watch more closely or give a specific quarter and time because I am just not seeing it as you are. And I replay every game at least once.
I did not see the last Spurs game. If you will go back and look at tape of previous games, you will see what I am talking about. By the way Gater, care to give your thoughts on the Rockets making a trade now that we are in trade season?
You have eloquently asked why we allow an east style coach to totally fubar a team assembled to play west offense. JVG is clueless. Look at SA, they have an excellent coach who is smart enough to know he needs help so he hires another head coach to develop the system. JVG hires a bunch of east style yes men. Get rid of JVG's offense and things get much better...
jopatmc - I made a response in your trade poll thread basically saying I felt the Rox would not do anything at the Feb trade deadline. Rather than rehash the past (good wins vs NO and DET and bad losses vs SAS), let's agree to closely observe the TWolves game. The TWolves are playing well, but Kandi-man was recently placed on the IL. IMO, this game is a good test of who the Rockets really are...they are struggling and they have not been a good road team and I assume an advantage at C and close to break even at PG & SG. Jot down specific points in the game and we'll dissect them! Cool?
