I had given up on the Rox, but my wonderful wife got me tix for the T'wolves game for my birthday, so I went expecting a close game. Here's what I saw. 1. Yao in the high post. This is a fairly new phenomenon and appears to be working well for several reasons. Yao is a good spot up shooter and hit fairly long range shots today. Yao can also see over the entire defense and can pass to a cutting or posting Taylor. That happened several times today and lead to high percentage shots from Taylor, who looked very mobile and active today. Yao can also work with Francis, Mobley and Jackson to hand off and set a pick. Yao having the ball in the high post makes our offense much less predictable and based on more motion. 2. Yao in the low post. Instead of trying to fight for low post position by pushing his man back, Yao was able to cut to his spot, receive the ball, turn and fire. Yao appears much more comfortable receiving the ball when he "dives" down from the high post. He is not put the position of using the weakest part of his game, brute force, to get inside scoring. 3. The Rockets defense was superb over all, but our on the ball pressure was particularly good. Our perimeter defenders generally forced passers to lean back, dribble backward and throw passes from difficult body angles. That led to the Wolves failing to feed the post and to hit cutters. 4. JJ is clearly the glue to the offense. He is able to do everything from feeding the post, screen roll, spot up shoot, you name it. His role in orchestrating the offense appears to be increasing with yao in the high post. I noticed today that Yao would frequently receive the ball at the high post, pass to Jackson on the wing, and Yao would dive to the low post. Jackson would then have several choices: dish to a diving Yao, dribble right to do a screen roll with Taylor or Cato, or take the three pointer. His decisionmaking was superb. 5. Francis had a good game, but continued to show boneheadedness that could have cost us in close games. When Cassell would score on him, Francis would push the ball down the court with his head down, intent on scoring on Cassell. This happened several times throughout the course of the game and led to either bad shots or turnovers, giving the Wolves the opportunity for transition baskets. Francis still engages in too much of this nonsense for someone that is supposed to the the team's leader. I continue to have serious doubts as to whether Francis will ever grow beyond a phenomenal streetball player. 6. Boki still tries to do everything too fast because he is clearly still antsy on offense. That said, he clearly has skills. He has a good first step and high quality ball handling skills for a SF. In time, he will be a starter in this league. Boki is consistently competent on defense and is less prone to stupid fouls. He also does a fairly good job of boxing out. In this blowout, the Rockets showed signs of progress that have been missing for some time. It appears that the coaching staff has decided to play to Yao's current strengths, shooting touch and passing, instead of forcing him to be a traditional center. I think the staff realizes that they need Yao to be more productive in order for this team to gain a playoff seed. Today, Yao played well in the low post because he received the ball while moving, which meant that he didn't have a defender leaning and shoving him. With space to move, he is far more effective. It takes away some of the physicality that he has been forced into, and gets him back to his comfort zone of CBA'ish type of play. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. It appears that the coaching staff has recognized its insanity and is getting different results. Yao will become a dominant low post player later in his career. For now, we just can't force him down that road. He'll get there in his own time.
Thanks for your courtside report. Please give up on Rox more often! Rox always show up when the fans have lost faith in them.
Good post. I like how JVG is starting to mix it up for Yao, starting him off at the high post sometimes instead of just forcing him to fight for positiion in the low post. But I hope he doesn't give up too much on making Yao a traditional low-post scorer, cause it did sound like he needed to work on that part of his game.
And I didn't see the game, but from your post, Jim Jackson sounds like he was utilized like a point-forward.
Yes..and according to Doc Rivers...Cato is our new pointpowerforward/center! What happened to Cato? Did he get injured in the 3rd or 4th quarter? I agree about Jackson..he is like the glue. Great pickup...fantastic Yao..good that he is being utilized! Yep..Francis still makes the same mistakes and carries and travels and double dribbles 24/7...but is improving.
Great read, and I am convinced that JVG reads this BBS. We have been screaming for him to play to Yao's strenghts and put him in the high post. I guess Steve and Cat aren't the only Rockets that need to GET IT !! DD
Yeah, Doc pointed out how Cato was setting a lot of handoff/screens. It seemed like the next four plays were exactly that. Also, Cato probably still has tenderness from his injury, Mo was playing well, and we had a huge lead, so why play him?
Good post. I hope cato didnt reaggrevate his injury. Everyone played well. I like the way Cato was used today!!
Very right Dada. Good to see JVG has made the switch. Too bad they already had released EG. I get goosebumps just thinking about how much further this team could go with such a talent. What a stupid move. Gawd!
Today was a fantastic win..I wish the Rox played every game on National TV It'd be ludicrous if Yao doesnt get player of the week honors. The Rockets played a great game versus one of the top teams in the west...Everyone forgets that they're still missing Szerbiak, Hudson, and Olowankandi...yikes. Anyway, I loved the energy that the Rockets brought. I don't know if Taylor is just hot or if this is what to expect, but hes been playing great ball. Francis has had some good all around games lately. I hear Yao has been playing better ever since the fall in Washington..I didn't see it..Can someone explain it to me??? Anyway, the Rockets are playing like a top 5 team in the West.
Szerbiak, Hudson, and Olowankandi are three scrubs. On the Minny board, they were trashing this lost to the injured players. what a bunch of baloney! Olowankandi is the only starter of the three and he's useless against Ming. Earving started last time when we played him and he might never be healty. Wally and Troy are now officially bench warmers behind Cassell and Spreewell. So big deal. Maybe Hudson would of hurt us since Francis hates to chase little guys who can shoot! So still a great win
I'm also very happy to see the coaching staff finally stop running Yao into the ground with the exclusive-low post game plan. One thing I noticed at the game - the high screen and rolls aren't executed as well as they should be. Whether Yao is not coming out enough to set the pick or the guards aren't using the pick well (close enough to screen the defender), I couldn't decide. -->Wally is also a starter. Troy Hudson's the only one off the bench of the three you mentioned, and as far as I'm concerned, Kandi is the only joke among them. Wally's selfish and can hurt the team, but he's one of the best shooters in the game. Evan
Maybe, maybe no.... It sure looks like it. Or one of his assistants. Good analysis. They are using Yao much more effectively and the Cato/MoT tandem is really doing the combined job at PF.
The Rockets played a good game, but I was not impressed. I think their D is a little overrated. I would have been more impressed if Minnesota would have showed up. You can take a team like Dallas and they would pick that D apart.
Excellant over all post. But I was most relieved by this statement since I had the same impression of SF despite the big win. He always allows opposing point guards to get into his head with trash talking regardless of the situation at hand. Thus causing offensive fouls or silly turnovers at crucial moments of the game.
Excellent analysis, thanks for taking the time to post it. Your take on Francis in my long-standing opinion based on hundreds of game observations. I have often thought his play was a "wash," as many bad costly errors as team contributions. His game was certainly above-average against the wolves, but, overall, an incredible street baller (why so many idolize him), but consistently bogs down the offense when he has the ball. I am still hoping for a trade. Ming is the future of the Rockets. The new Jackson may give us a preview of what a "real" point guard can do with Ming.
