#1 Nausiating Excuse This Season: JVG Not Utilizing Yao Properly

I see the point you're trying to make, Panda, and I agree to some extent. But let's not forget that this is the NBA, not the Chinese pro league. What worked there probably won't work against this caliber of competition. The players here are bigger, faster and stronger than what Yao is accustomed to seeing. Something tells me that he wouldn't be all that effective playing his old finesse game, either. The answer might lie somewhere in between.

 

Anybody who thinks Yao Ming, in the NBA, can face up to the basket and drive like Tim Duncan with any degree of consistency has redistributed their brain cells to an overgenerous extent. I suggest you report to your local re-education center.

 

Based on my observations from the past three years on Yao, I think a big problem for him is his stamina. It's hard to be aggressive when you're tired. Last night, I really thought that he was gonna pass out because of the pace of the game. However, I do notice that for some reason his teamates really don't look for him that much even when he has good position, could be due to a lack of respect.

 

well im not a person who sees this as anything strange, but alot of asian people on this board seem to only want yao to do well and get all the minutes and hype simply because hes asian like them. although i dont see a problem with cheering for him because hes asian like many on this board, it is not right to cheer for him solely like many of you do...perfect example was last nights game against the suns, yao plays horrible and inaggressive in the first half and all i read is yao should be in the game and yao has to play all the minutes and get all the touches. people need to get over it this guy has talent to be great but his mentality will always keep him from being great so lets just build this team around the player who deserves it....T-Mac

 

Actually Tmac is not known for his mental toughness.

 

Orlando had a lot of success with that plan.

 

dont be worried about it, Tmac is the rockets leader now! let yao be a role player, they'll both be fine!

 

...and.....DUMP IT IN AGAIN!!! and...AGAIN!!! and.....DUMP IT IN AGAIN!!!

 

I think you are downplaying the refing problem. Yao gets foul called even when he wasn't doing aggressive stuff. He gets tick tack fouls all the time it's ridiculous. It's beyond playing aggressive. The refs are nit-picking on him. They are biased against him.

This is the type of mindset that leads to Yao's Shaqnization. Yao's strength is his versaitility at his height. The combination of his shooting touch and his passing at his height is what makes Yao unique. Yao doesn't have a single strength that's on the hall of fame level in the low post. He doesn't have Shaq's strength and Dream's footwork. He doesn't have Jabbar's sky hook. His best move is his turnaround jumper, which is not unstoppable as Dream's, yet. He's 7'6" 320 lbs but light on the top. He lacks the upper body strength to consistently dominate in the low post. That's why he has problems against Eric Dampier, a guy with strong upper body. You want him to be Shaq, well he simply isn't Shaq.

Nobody is double teaming Tim Duncan and Rasheed Wallace on the perimeter. They took a fair amount of shots from outside and they've won rings. Tony Parker often set Tim up off dribble penetration for an outside jumper. KG gets a lot of points off face up jumpers. Versatility is important for today's big men. Nobody can dominate in the inside every game, including Tim Duncan. Plus, the makeup of this current team is suited for an up tempo game.

Yao can play down low and should play down low but he shouldn't only play down low. Mix it up and maximize his impact is exactly my point. No matter how dominant Yao can get in the low post, I don't see how we can dump it in for 40 times in a game, so what should Yao do in the rest of dozens of possessions. Simple, utilize his face up game! We have a player who can shoot and pass yet we use him as a dummy on screens and garbage man on misses. That's not fair to Yao.

Shaq is the typical player who doesn't have a face up game at all. The most he does that resembles a face up game is to go coast to coast on some fast breaks. Hakeem at least can hit some open jumpers, and Yao seems to be losing his jumpers now. All the guys you mentioned dominated in an era without the zone defense. Now with the new rules the impact of classical low post players is reduced. All the guys you mentioned all have a hall of fame level specialty or physique. Shaq for his strength, Hakeem for his body and footwork, Jabbar for his skyhook etc.. tell me what is Yao's strength in the low post that's on the hall of fame level? His height? Funny, I don't see how being a few inch taller makes one a hall of fame low post player. If that's the case Minute Bol, Mark Eaton and Rik Smits should all be in the hall of fame.

Why can't Yao just be Yao? Why does Yao have to be someone else? When can Yao be free? Yao can't be a great player playing only inside, or only outside. Yao have strengths that's both in the low post and perimeter. That versatility, IMO, is his biggest asset.

 

Nobody said Yao drives as well as Tim Duncan. I said yao can drive in a way that Tim and KG does. Diagonally, sideways... anyway you like to put it.

 

i love yao....but he needs to get aggressive because when he is aggressive he either gets an excellent shot whenever he wants or he is getting doubled and one of our shooters is getting an open look. right now he turns the ball over way too much and when he does so it leads to our players losing trust in his ability to score the basketball or getting something positive out of a posession, which leads to his somewhat "dimished" role now instead of being our go to player. T-mac is the best player on this team right now even van grumpy said the other day on 610 that he will never become an aggressive player or a mean player like many of us would like because its not in his nature.

 

1. That¡¯s biased too. Some of those fouls yao gets is due to his teammates lost their men whom yao has to stop.

2. I agree. but low post play should not be the only offence tool. Yao should develope various offence strategies.

3. agree

4. The entry pass not only depends on yao¡¯s ability to receive, but also his teammates¡¯ability to pass. Dump it down 40 times!? I know it's a metaphor but with current defense, I have no idea who can do it night in and night out.

5. Yao can be Yao, though he is not fast, he is not that slow. I don¡¯t see current Webber faster than yao, he can also gets pass from BB and makes perimeter shots. There¡¯s no need to dribble, just catch and shoot. Yao can do it! And don't forget yao used to be a good passer, he can handle the ball if he doesn't have a good change to shoot.


Btw, English is not my first language; I'm embarrassed when I wanna to explain my thought. Fortunately Panda has said exactly what I wanna say, props to him!

 

To do something like what you suggested is risking losing some games before possibly seeing some results. That will require the permission from the coach first, which goes back to the thread title: JVG not utilizing Yao properly. It's his job to tell Yao what to do, not the other way around.

Plus, the refs don't need to foul out Yao. Two early fouls in the first quarter is enough to disrupt one's game.

The refs aren't punishing Yao because he's not aggressive at times. Yao is aggressive than people give him credit for. There's tons of player who are soft but don't get all the BS calls that Yao does. It's a mental thing on the refs part. To alleviate the bias communication is important. JVG needs to work the refs, and teach Yao to work the refs.

Yao's upper body strength, although improved, is still suspect when he goes up against strong players. Also, don't equate bulk as strength. His 315 lbs are spread thin on that 7'6" frame, and his huge frame takes up a significant portion of that 315lbs. He has power in the legs but still thin on the top. That's not very ideal for low post play.

I also don't agree that Yao can't dribble drive at all. I've seen him done it before. For example, in the last Dallas game. He head faked Dampier, then drove in for a foul. He won't drive past people, but he can drive near the basket for a shot. He doesn't drive often 'cuz he has no chance to develop a running jump hook. Actually, since Yao has a good low post game. He has already incorporated dribble drive into the low post game. His baseline spin move is a way to drive to the basket. In the last Suns game, he posted up Amare, span and drove in for a dunk.

Vlade Divac can't dribble drive, that doesn't lessen his effectiveness in the outside. The old Sabonis couldn't drive, he makes it up with his shooting and passing. Camby draws out Yao to the perimeter and he can't drive either. Passing and shooting is enough for a big man to play outside. Tim Duncan has a 45 degrees bank shot, facing the basket. Bill Walton won a ring passing and shooting. The important thing is, Yao's inside game and outside game isn't mutually exclusive. A balance between the two will lead to the maximization of his impact.

I don't see how anyone can post up 40 times under today's rules. Shaq and Duncan doesn't post up 40 times a game. So I don't see how should Yao be blamed for not posting up 40 times.

The question is still remain unanswered: even if Yao somehow became Popeye and posts up 40 times a game, what's his role in the rest of dozens of plays? Inside and outside isn't mutually exclusive is for Yao, a balance between the two is the strength for Yao.

Yao playing outside clears the lane for the slashers on this team. Sura is a bad outside shooter and a better slasher. T-Mac needs the lane to drive. Yao's vision and passing at his height is unique in the NBA and shouldn't be wasted. Keep in mind, the inside and outside game isn't mutually exclusive, Yao is a unique player, his versatility is his strength. He will still draw doubles in the inside, and when he doesn't post up, he will help the team with his face up game.

A happier Yao will lead to a more confident Yao and a better Yao. Yao needs the freedom to become a super star. He needs to be given the green light like T-Mac. He should be allowed to fire up any type of shot whenever and whereever he feels like it. He needs to have freedom and the lack of it shows in his regression in skills and current mechanical way playing the games - which was unseen in his rookie year. A rookie year Yao hit his first three pointer, smiled, and raised his arms to his teammates. That was a man proud of his outside shooting touch. Today's Yao sees the defenders back off of him and dare him to shoot, but he dares not because his jumpers are sacrificed for the Shaq dream, because JVG is on his back. I've never seen a man's game is so crippled because he's a few inches tallker. It literally disgusts me.

Freedom is what Yao lacks because people is like JVG, wanting players to adapt to them instead of adapting to players. If Yao doesn't have freedom he will never become a superstar. Let Yao be Yao, he doesn't have eyes on his back head.

 

I just dont know why Yao is not taking those 20~22 foot jumpers. What the hell is JVG thinking? =\