Jan. 17, 2004, 2:12AM Yao adding some wow to game By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle For all the hours that coaches have tried to come up with something better, no one has. The best offensive strategy in basketball remains having players shoot well. And if a team decides to double- or triple-team someone, nothing tops the basics. Find the open man. Make the shot. The Rockets won two championships this way. But in recent years, they have found that as simple as it is to understand, the "find the open man, make the shot" part often isn't as easy as it looks, especially in the age of zone defenses. And unless it works just right, letting the opposing team choose whom it will and won't allow to shoot doesn't feel right. Using Yao Ming as a magnet for defenders has opened up other things. But at 7-6 with obvious offensive skills, he seems capable of more. So during a back-to-back in Washington and Boston earlier this week, the Rockets and Yao finally did more. But today's game against the Timberwolves -- a team that for all its offensive weapons, is third in field-goal percentage defense -- offers an even tougher test. Minnesota's always happy to wrap a defense in any configuration around a big man inside. "We've been trying to feed him the ball inside," Rockets guard Steve Francis said about Yao. "It's hard against teams with two guys in front of him and one in back. We've been basically trying to force-feed him the ball. We're just doing it better." The Wizards and Celtics sent the usual swarms of defenders around Yao. Though the Wizards are often traffic cones defensively, and the Celtics bring all the brute force of a runway model, the extra attention they sent often was enough to reduce Yao to little more than a spectator. But with a 14-point third quarter in Washington and a 19-point first half in Boston, Yao made defenses pay for the obsession to take away the Rockets' first option. Instead, he moved through the lane. Passes came quickly. Yao finished reliably. And the Rockets had a force inside to go with all those open shooters still circling in his orbit. If there was any goal for the two-game trip, other than to come home with two wins, it was to break free of the defensive clamps on Yao. "We've got to do a better job team-wise of combating teams' play," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said Tuesday afternoon in Washington. "Whether it's doubling or fronting the post, whatever it may be, we have to do a better job in that way, so he can still get the ball inside even when teams have the intent of keeping it from him. "A lot of it would be shot-making. Obviously, we're playing four on three, or three on two on the weakside. Some of it is the ability to pass high to low, which we need to improve on. Some of it is the timing of the pass. You may have created an angle one time, and you might have one count to get it in, and if you don't take advantage of that one count, you lose that ability. "Passing on time is critical. He might hold his seal, and the ball might be able to be entered at that split second. If you don't do it, you might not get it in the rest of the possession." In Yao's case, that has often lasted the rest of the game. But he returns home to face a Timberwolves defense that held him to 10 points and four rebounds on Dec. 16 in Minnesota. Yao is off his first back-to-back 20-point games since Nov. 19 and 21 against the Warriors and Trail Blazers, and consecutive 20-point, 10-rebound performances for just the second time in his career. But in his previous four games from Jan. 5-11, he had averaged 8.8 points. "I can do more of everything," he said, "except turnovers. "I have to score more. I have to get more rebounds. I have to get better on defense." Yao also can improve in the battles for low-post position. But getting open inside has become more difficult for almost every low-post player since zone defenses became legal in 2001. "At times, you want to show the passer your number so you're passing to a big target not where there is a drape over the top," Van Gundy said. "He can do that better. But what should not be lost is changing the rules gives the advantage to post defense far more than post offense because you can double team before the ball comes in. That has really changed the whole dynamic of the post game. "Now you can basically, if you are so committed and depending on how much you want to give to other people, you can keep the ball out of the post." Van Gundy has scaled back his call to arms a bit. Rather than advocate that Yao throw a few well-placed elbows, he has suggested that Yao play assertively. Rather than pin Yao's development on his unclear determination to be great, Van Gundy has spoken with the understanding of a preschool teacher about Yao growing at his own pace. "If he continues to work, play with confidence, his assertiveness will continue to grow and improve," Van Gundy said. "He'll do that at his own pace. We'll try to help that along. "Some is basketball technique, (some is) assertiveness, confidence. I don't know how to put a percentage on it." The Rockets' chances to make their sudden offensive revival last might rest with their ability to get Yao involved. "It opens up everything," Francis said. "We need him to be that dominant, whether it's shooting his jump shot, setting picks or dunking the ball. But by him scoring, it definitely opens up everything." Rockets summary Hard at work Mark Jackson, after his first practice since signing with the Rockets on Thursday, said he would have to put in extra work to get in NBA condition. But he was already confident he could adjust quickly to the Rockets' schemes. "It's a different game from the playgrounds of Santa Monica (Calif.) pick-up ball, but it's really great being back," he said. "I feel fine. Obviously, you're never in the shape you should be in when you're away from the game. But I'm a guy who works extremely hard. I'm going to be ready when I'm called upon. "I'm going to work my tail off to be ready when I'm called on. I don't know (when). All I can do is work hard when I'm ready." Jackson said he would quickly become acclimated to his new teammates and role. "I believe I'm a student of the game," he said. "Playing against these guys for years, I understand what they're trying to do, what they're great at. That comes easy for me. That's the last thing I'm worried about." Jackson is already accustomed to playing with one member of the Rockets' staff, but his days setting up Patrick Ewing in the low post ended with Thursday's workout. "We played a little two-man, pick and roll, and running through the offense," Jackson said. "Just by force of habit, I was dumping it down to the big fella and making plays for him. He doesn't finish with the same authority as 15 years ago, but he's still Patrick Ewing." Time will tell The Rockets reacted to the addition of Mark Jackson pretty much as expected, but Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said he did not know when he would begin using Jackson as the backup point guard. "He'll be all right in time," Van Gundy said. "I think when he gets in shape and familiar, he'll bring a high basketball IQ, and (he is) one of the best passers that ever played the game. "It will be different for him coming off the bench. I'll be interested in seeing how he adapts to short minutes, shorter minutes. But I have no doubt he'll play well." With Jackson a veteran of 16 seasons and second in all-time assists, it was not difficult for the Rockets to hit upon the usual themes. "As a team, everybody respects him as a veteran, the teams that he's been with and some of the things that he's done," Rockets guard Steve Francis said. "And he pretty much knows (Van Gundy) "It was a decision coach and (management) decided to make as far as adding a veteran to our team. He's been around for years. They have a lot of history together. Hopefully, he can help our team, a lot of our younger guys. Hopefully, it will be good." Said forward Jim Jackson: "Look at what he's done as far as assists-wise in this league, He'll be a great addition coming in, giving quality minutes (in relief of) Steve and for the rest of the team. He's a Jeff kind of point guard running the team, organizing, smart. Professional, smart player, knows how to get guys the ball. In think Yao (Ming) will benefit a lot from him. I know I will." Cato returns Rockets forward/center Kelvin Cato returned to practice Friday after missing Wednesday's game with a sprained left foot. The Rockets, however will need him back to the offensive form of his game in Washington, when he made six of seven shots and had a career-high six assists. In the Rockets' loss in Minnesota last month, Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett ignored Cato to roam defensively. "We'll be facing the same dilemma that we face a lot with Kelvin at the four," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "They're going to sag and front, and we have to either have answers with him in or make some lineup changes." -- JONATHAN FEIGEN
Looks like they have now found a new way to get Yao the ball. It'll be interesting to see if that will work in the T-Wolves game with Cato back. As you may recall, O'Brien the Celtics coach said that he was like "Darn it!" when he found out that Cato was injured, because Padgett has shooting range and they had to respect basically all 5 Rockets starters' outside shot. With the minimal range that Cato has, will the Wolves defense have an extra man to swarm the hell out of Yao again? Is Cato the big problem for the Rockets in keeping opposing defenses honest?
I think this comment is significant. I think JVG was forcing Yao too much early on. Getting TOO down on him not being the physical guy RIGHT NOW. I think JVG was being a bit impatient and thus Yao's play was very sporadic. He is now seeing it will take Yao more time to develop into that guy and that if Yao gets "more confidence" through good play early (usually via the high post and those jump shots) that that confidence will help him when he goes down the the low post and bang. This is something I have been saying for a while now. It is the balance of the low post play and high post play. Bottom line. The more confidence Yao develops the better he plays on all areas of the court. Yao will NOT be confident in the low post initially, it is too new to him. He needs to START with some high post play where he is comfortable and hit some shots and gain confidence. And in the mean time the lane is opened up for our guards to penetrate and get their game going, especially Francis' game. THEN when Francis and Yao both have confidence doing what they do best, you switch it up and have Yao go into the low post and his confidence will carry over into his play in the post. He will be more assertive and play better. Ditto with Francis and his jumpshot from the perimeter. This is about JVG playing to the teams strengths. Allow them to gain confidence to play well and about asjustments and not being too stubborn. I look forward to seeing this in the coming games.
This article's more promising because it sounds like JVG has shown he's willing to adapt to his players instead of his players adapting to his system. There should be compromise between the two and atleast judging from last game, it seems he found compromise in what Yao is capable of doing instead of keeping him one dimensional strictly in the low post. Knocking down a couple 20 foot jumpers, and setting him up to slash in the lane will keep defenses more honest when they do post him up. It's all about variety and keeping your defenders on their toes and not knowing what to expect. And with his variety of offensive skills there's no real good reason to keep him locked up in the post. It doesn't make him any weaker or less of a post up player . It makes him more of a threat, and most importantly it helps the team.
I hope that this is the case, and not just our optimism at work. I agree, this needs to happen (compromise).
Interesting article. Sounds like the coach and the players are starting to understand each other. I remember how KG stayed in zone and didn't bother to cover Cato when he was out high. I hope we find a way to keep that from happening again. Let Yao stay out high and Cato in the post. yao can hit those long shots.
Yes. Cato makes our starting five weaker. He's great defensively, but nearly empty on offense. He's a non-threat. Pagette should start for now. Until we get a real PF (Sheed?).
I hope that JVG allows Yao to adapt to more a 'Duncan' type player than a 'SHAQ'. Duncan can burn you in so many ways.
