Before i start please note that my intention of this thread is not to bash or turn it into a steve vs yao thread, I'm simply analyzing each individual's game and how they compliment each other. Steve- when steve gets it going and decides to penetrate and cut into the lane he is damn near impossible to guard and becomes a mismatch to whoever is guarding him and also creating opportunities with his team mates in drawing defenders and drawing fouls of the opposing team's big men, and a good free throw shooter to boot Yao- just being 7'6 is an automatic mismatch when he can and will shoot over anyone guarding him and can make them consistently at 50%+. He like steve also creates opportunities for his team mates drawing multiple defenders leaving someone open and has above average passing skills and can find the open man, yao is also drawing fouls and is a good free throw shooter. The problem i see with this is, that they are both so alike that...they do not compliment each other, in otherwords when steve is wanting to penetrate at the same time yao is trying to get position and post up he is clogging the driving lane for francis and not allowing him to penetrate as easily, which is probably his best asset. And when francis is driving yao's abilities are now useless because he will most likely not get the ball. Now I am not saying they are not compatible together. So i am asking you guys what they could do to better compliment each other. IMO I think they just need to adjust to each other a little better, maybe steve needs to cut more while yao is posting and yao can find him for an easy layup. This was done numerous times last year and you would often see francis beat his man to the lane and get an easy bucket. Yao at the high-post can also help compliment steve's game as he penetrates and dishes it to yao who can hit the jumper with consistency or use his passing skills. What do you guys think?
This is part of the major task facing JVG and its not fair to either Francis or Yao Ming. Will Steve be happy with reduced stats and not having his Team known as the Steve Francis Team. Will he adapt to the fact that the majority of fans going to see the Ropckets play are coming to see the Yao Ming Rockets rather than him? Will Yao Ming be happy to plod along with a group of players loyal to another player [ Moochie,Cat, Mo T etc.]Will he realise that perhaps he isnt getting the best developmental coaching from Patrick Ewing? The game is still being split up into Yao Time and Guards time, it doesn't appear like the Team has Gelled yet? JVG should be happy when they play the Team Game for four quarters and no player becomes more important than the Team Game.
I was just studying you in management. You're one of those people who gives credit to intrinsic factors when there is success, and credit extrinsic factors for failure. I.E. If Yao Ming plays well, it's because Yao Ming demanded to do well. If Yao Ming plays bad, it's because Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley waived him off. or If Yao Ming goes to the line a lot, it's because he's aggressive. If not, it's because of the referees. See what I'm saying here?
I'm glad you said it, Sane. I've thought that for quite some time. Any blame for a player's failure or success should be on the player. I guarantee that Michael Jordan didn't need Scottie Pippen or Phil Jackson to thrive in the NBA. Does that mean they didn't help? Hell no. But, great players will find a way to win. I don't think their skills are necessarily uncomplimentary. Drexler and Olajuwon had very similar games. They both liked to post up and ISO their man. Barkley and Olajuwon even played on the same side of the lane in posting up. There are dozens of examples of players who have similar games playing on the same team and succeeding throughout the history of the game. In fact, I actually think Steve and Yao compliment each other because Francis does drive to the basket. It gives Yao more room to operate (he can dive to the basket, post up, play the high post, run the pick and roll) AND because Yao is so large, Francis can (and has on quite a few occassions already) use Yao as a massive screen even in the lane. It also helps that Steve has been a pretty good shooter. That will automatically clear more room for Yao to work. Most importantly, their skills mean that teams are forced to change their defensive scheme to guard two different players making defensive adjustments difficult.
I think Steve knows there is no way in heck the Christmas day game with the Lakers would have happened if Yao wasn't on the team. He's encouraging Yao, and it looks like Steve is being way more team-oriented the last few games. That first quarter against the Lakers with Steve and Yao on the pick and roll was one of the best quarters I've seen in recent memory against a great team. I still think this is Steve's team, and Yao knows it is Steve's team too. However, Steve should recognize that Yao needs to be successful in order for some of these games to even be televised worldwide on ABC. If Yao starts tanking, ABC isn't going to televise many Rocket games. Al Michaels said the Christmas day game was televised in 120+ countries. That is some massive publicity that someone like Steve has got to love. He wants one of those Reebok lifetime contracts like Allen Iverson has.
I've seen plays where Yao sets a pick to free up Steve's guy. However, both Steve and Yao then go towards the basket. There was one play against the Lakers in which Mobley and Yao went to the basket at the same time. Shaq didn't do anything because he still had to guard Yao. It was an easy layup for Mobley. A defender can't just leave Yao especially if Steve or Mobley can pass it to Yao for an easy short-range jumper. I think there are more opportunities to make use of Yao in plays along with Steve or Cuttino.
Here's one small thing I've been thinking about: You guys know how we sometimes complain that the play is started on the side opposite to where Yao is posting up his man? Well, here's what I've been thinking: These plays are designed to open up the lane for Francis to drive. Since Francis is the PG, if he brings the ball up, and we want to dump it inside, that closes the lane for Francis to be a threat, and opens it up for Mobley. However, it remains to be seen if Mobley can draw as much contact as Steve when going to the basket. No doubt, Mobley is also a superb penetrator, and this situation has reflected positively on his season/numbers. Only recently the Rocekts have begun letting JJ bring the ball up the court, meaning Francis can be a constant and immediate threat to rip through the defense if teams overcommit to Yao. Also, if you've noticed, JJ ALWAYS goes towards Yao FIRST, unlike what we were doing wit hFrancis bringing up the ball. This puts Cuttino Mobley in a position to catch n shoot, score off kick-offs, etc... This whole situation makes me wonder how much more effective we'd be if we could make JJ take Mobley's place and transform (or trade) Mobley for a solid PG who's good at hitting the 3. IMO, that would be the ideal situation, especially if that PG could guard 2's, making Francis even more effective. Right now (3 or 4 games), we're running the perfect offense, but don't have the BEST personnel for it. However, it's the offense that best utilizes Steve and Yao most efficiently. If you look at the last few games, you'll see how Steve's numbers are up, Mobley's are slightly down, JJ's are more efficient, Yao's game is much more efficient and his presence is actually benefiting our team. Anyone else agree with this assesment? I'm definitely happy with what Mobley has been trying to do. But now that we've found the right system to compliment Steve and Yao (PRIORITY), and Mobley is not the best player for it despite his superb efforts, you think it would be wise to make a change?
I think trading Cat will not get us a good enough PG. If it's Francis for J. Kidd I will do it. But what can us fan do anyway? Nothing. So just sit back and let the mess sort itself out. I think I will get heart attack watching this team go so high and then clash so low. We're not running a perfect offense by any stretch of imagination. I would say we're only using about 70% of every one's capability. I don't see a set offensive system although our defense is really impressive. Take the Lakers game, Cat and Yao and JJ does not seem as involved as Franchise. If you watch the Kings, you will see they use as much as 90% of their personnel's strength.
