The Yao vs. Steve stuff is ridiculous. Be patient. We are watching a work in progress 1. Yao is struggling with the fronting defenses with weakside help. 2. Steve struggles making the low post entry pass to Yao. Yao fights constantly on the offensive end for position. But the fronting defense takes advantage of his lack of quickness. So it will take some time for him to learn how to hold his man for position and how to get the pass over the top of the defender. Steve has not got the entry pass down yet, you will notice that to get it in to Yao Steve will pass to JJ to make the entry pass. The Rockets even run a play (alot) to pick JJ's defender so that he can get position to make that pass to the low post. I believe that Jeff Van Gundy sees this and is going to work with Yao and Steve to get the low post offense going through Yao. However JVG will not force this at the expense of losing games. We must be patient with this. Give Yao some more time and experience. Pray that Steve and Cuttino do not revert back. I believe its all up to Van Gundy. Watch which way he takes this. If we keep winning with this struggle. I don't believe he will expect the changes from Steve and Cuttino unless Yao really has some better games handling the low post without any turnovers. Right now we are still a work in progress. But I know Van Gundy has only one goal- Championship I expect the Rockets to be much more oriented to getting the ball into the low post quicker in the shot clock by playoff time. This team is already coming together ahead of schedule. New coach, new defense, new offense, Yao 2nd yr. etc.
Exactly. In the one game I watched (Magic's game) I was extremely impressed by this. Not only has Steve shown that he's willing to give up the ball, but he doesn't even want the chance to have an assist, he'll let another player give Yao the ball.
Sorry but you are neglecting that Steve is a poor passer into the post. He will of course improve or play Shooting Guard.
Or a desperate Heat team, at 0-23, trades us Lamar Odom. That man could drop an entry pass into the post.
JVG has got them believing in defense, the offense will follow. So we cant't get the pass to Yao because he is fronted and double teamed. We are the best 3 point shooting team in the freakin' NBA without Pike. We are winning. Credit Yao = biggest threat and decoy on the team...
I just like to keep Mobes on these lists. He is also a WIP to be appreciated and cherished. When I am thinking of Wink as a WIP, I am not thinking about entry pass, I am thinking about him continuing to find ways to beat the defense both by himself and his teammates. The entry pass is just one.
I was at the Heat vs. Cavaliers game yesterday, and my impression from this one game is that no team with Lamar Odom having a significant role on it will ever win anything. This guy is talented, but he makes a lot of very bad decisions on the court.
I'm not an expert or anything, but some of the bricks that Odom threw up on his free throws made Shaq look look like Calvin Murphy up there
I cannot believe you guys are using "Steve doesn't throw a good entry pass into the post" argument. First, if you know ANYTHING about low post offenses, you'd realize that the point guard isn't normally the guy throwing those passes in there. Ask Robert Horry. Second, if that were seriously the problem, guys like Jim Jackson and Boki Nachbar and Scott Padgett would be getting the ball to Yao every time down the floor which they, of course, are not. Steve has his problems without question. But, getting the ball into the low post isn't just a matter of bringing the ball up and heaving it towards the low block.
Plus it's hard to get Yao the ball when he's being suffocated by 4 defenders. You take what the defense gives you. If they sag on Yao all night, the perimeter players have to step up. So far, they have, so what's the problem?
Jeff, have to disagree a little bit. A tall point guard has a good look. (Magic Johnson/ Kareem, Penny Hardeway/ Shaq) Also there have been some point guards who made that pass: Kenny Smith did fine feeding Hakeem (although at that time Hakeem was setting up farther from the basket) Even Avery Johnson was making that pass to David Robinson before Duncan came to SA. During their championships Derek Fisher had know problem making that pass into Shaq (Kobe wouldn't do it as much as Fisher) It is also normal for the SF to make that pass- because of the extra height. But many point guards have made their living feeding the entry pass to the low post. John Lucas for another. Stockton and Malone were the best at the pick and roll, but earlier in their careers Stockton fed Malone on the blocks also. My point is not to criticize Steve or Yao. Just to say that getting the entry pass into Yao earlier in the shot clock will take some more improvement from both Yao and Steve. Everyone needs to be patient because Yao is being troubled by the fronting defense. And Steve is not comfortable thowing into the post yet without turning the ball over. I have no problem where we are at, but I think this is still a key area that will determine our improvement during the season. Steve can do it, but Yao will have to earn those touches with more consistancy with his catch. Red Arbauch once said a pass isn't a pass unless it's a catch.
My point is that you are COMPLETELY ignoring the defensive component. Everyone you mentioned played when zone was illegal. This is a different era and cannot be adequately compared to Kenny Smith feeding Dream, although, if you go back and watch, Smith RARELY was the primary entry passer. He spotted up at the top of the key after someone like Horry or Elie got Olajuwon the ball. The point is that your argument would be fine if there was no defense on the floor or if zone defense wasn't allowed. During the last few games, I've re-watched specific parts to check out the low post scheme. In all of the games and on numerous occassions against Miami in particular, there were literally three defenders within one step of Yao when he set up in the post. One was fronting, one was weak side behind him and there was another at or just below the freethrow line. That doesn't even count the defender on the man trying to make the entry post. When you have 3 or 4 guys surrounding the ball, making an entry pass is virtually impossible and, even if you manage to get the ball in there, the probability of a turnover or bad shot is extremely high. So often, people forget that offenses in the NBA are similar to passing plays in the NFL. A quarterback has multiple options beginning with his hot route and continuing on down to his safety valve. In the case of the Rockets, Yao is the hot route, but, if he is covered, you move down the list to your next read just like a quarterback would with his receivers. I agree that there can and should be improvement from Yao and Steve when it comes to this part of their games. However, they don't do this in a vacuum. They have to do this facing swarming defenders in a style of defense unseen in the league before the zone was implemented.
