If it is the style of play, I believe it's one specific change that's made the biggest difference. Under JVG, Yao would constantly have to fight back and forth from one side of the lane to the other. If Yao was on the left block and the ball got swung to the other side, Yao would have to fight through his man try to post up on the right block. This year, he rarely has to fight for position from side to side. If the ball gets swung to the other side, Yao will usually wait on the weakside until the ball gets reversed back to him. And I noticed that even when Yao goes from block to block, a teammate will usually give him a cross-screen so that the defender can't body him up the whole way. Also add in the fact that he'll have about a dozen touches from the high post and that makes a big difference to the amount of energy exerted. That being said, I'm not completely convinced that Yao can sustain this level of minutes. He's currently sitting at 38-39 mpg. I'd like that to come down to about 36 mpg to keep him fresh for the playoffs. We need the rox to start putting teams away early so he can sit more in the fourth.
I concur. What I've also seen is that when the team gets Yao the ball as soon as he gets set in the low post, Yao will shoot the fadeaway or the hook quickly, thus saving some energy. The problem is when Yao fights for position, gets position, but is waiting for the ball for 2-4 seconds on the shot clock. That seems to quickly sap Yao's energy.
yeah, more ball movement means there is gonna be more shooters and players open. more screens/picks means other defenders get bodyed up or pushed out of way, before Yao even gets the ball. On most nights, he won't have to carry the scoring load or even be among the top 2 or 3 scorers. he doesn't have to chase guards around on the wing. good rebounders (Scola, Wells, Hayes, T-Mac, Battier, Mutombo) allows him not to fight for rebounds as much....even though he has lower scoring average than other C/PFs, is because the Rockets are great rebounding squad, especially since they crash the boards. better off-season conditioning, probably worked out like a mad-man, plus he didn't have to go out and play for Team China....so he had time to rest to. Remember, this was really the first off-season in while where he didn't have to deal with injuries or playing for national team.
Quote: Originally Posted by tiger0330 Definitely the style of play. I got tired just watching him fighting for post position, reposting and chasing those guards playing defense under JVG. Yao is definitely playing more efficiently and conserving energy under Adelman. Yes this has been one of the most pleasant results of the coaching change. Adelman's use of Yao on pick and rolls and Adelman's use of movement to get Yao position in the post. Yao is still posting up but Adelman has so many ways to set Yao up in the paint without banging and pushing his way in every time. I loved the way Adelman used the triangle and Mac the other night against the Bucks and had Yao slide to the basket after setting a pick for Mac. Rick is clearly experimenting with Yao early in the season with his substitution pattern. I never would have believed that Yao could go 40 mins a night and still be effective. Yao is fresh now at the end of games and he's blocking more shots, rebounding better, and scoring in the clutch.
honestly, i hope adelman starts to slowly cut down his minutes to closer to 35-36 minutes. yao is playing a bit too much and it's not good for his energy levels down the road.
He is still banging in the post, just not as much, and today he got involved in the pick-and-roll which had been missing the last few games. One thing that really changed though is that Yao NEVER shows on a screen now. Sure we give up a few midrange jumpers a game but if the PG fights through the screen the shot will be contested, and I'd rather give the opponents those attempts. Yao's blocks are up too. Who was the guy that said Yao should play 25-30 mpg and show hard/trap on all screens? That guy has major egg on his face right now since Yao has been very effective in the new scheme.
Obviously more than after the Dallas game, but still not convinced. I'm willing now to put up with whatever he does until say midseason rather than call for his head after a bad loss. That was shortsighted.
Speaking of creative ways of getting Yao the ball, my favorite entry play this year was this one: Yao sets a downscreen for Battier. Yao then immediately posts up in the lane, gets the entry pass, turn-around jumper, nothing but net. I don't know if it was a designed play or not, but it was very much in the flow of the offense and cleverly disguised.
the things u mentioned have given yao a new sense of energy throughout the game. as our offense gets better, yao and tmac will see a dip in minutes to save them for the playoffs. yes, our offense right now is not efficient. but the way he has used yao is PERFECT. u can't deny having yao in the high post for a lil bit and not coming out on screens don't help him and his energy level. yao is basically an energy player. if he's fatigued, he's not that effective.
JVG could win 52 games playing Yao 34 mins a game, with all the new additions there's no reason why RA cant win the same amount of games while playing Yao less mins. If he cant, he's a worse coach than JVG.
tmac and yao are playing around 38 mpg. but that's b/c the offense is not where adelman wants it. jon feign said adelman is highly displeased w/ how the offense is going and it's not improving the way he thought it would be. so i think for this first month where it's our toughest month, tmac and yao will play A LOT to save our arse. then when the offense gets better and it's more balance, their minutes will dip.
