I think that is only about coach's plan. It has nothing to do with Yao. Since the coach is such a stubborn person, you know...
During the TNT broadcast, Fratello mentioned Okur's interview where Okur said Yao's moves are PREDICTABLE! When Yao catches the ball on the ride side of the court, he'll spin right (sometimes dribble to the middle) and shoot . When he catches the ball on the left side, he'd dribble to the middle (sometimes spin left) and shoot. Occasionally, he'd spin baseline drive or turn around and shoot. If the defender knows Yao's offensive game and anticipates his moves, it's not difficult to defend him well and block his shots because he's slow. Yao needs to mix his inside game with some mid range face up jumpers. JVG should have someone set a screen for Yao to free him for a catch-and-shoot face up mid-range shot like what the Jazz are doing with Boozer.
Yao's moves have always been predictable... and even if they're not predictable, he's not the quickest of offensive players in that the defender has no hope in recovering. They can, and often do... its his pure physical stature that still allows him to get the shot off. Turning Yao into a guy that needs to run off screens to get shots isn't my idea of "freeing him up." That's what Reggie Miller needed. Yao simply needs great position, and DECISIVE moves. A lot of times, you can tell when Yao is unsure of a move... just as you can tell when he makes a move with authority (like the bank shot late in the 4th quarter last night). Its a confidence thing... as well as a stamina thing. Nobody complained about Yao when they "couldn't ****ing stop him".
I would remember when dream would set up in the low block. Curled around a screen for a wide open J at the fowl line/top of the key. That was a classic Rudy play. Is Yao too slow to come off a screen? I know he has the shooting touch to make the shot.
You need the separation to do straight-up jump shots, and Okur didn't give him any. The guy obviously done some homework, because he has kept his body on Yao all the time, and had his hands/arms around Yao's arm, so Yao had no choice but to shoot fadeaways, or hooks. When Yao did put the ball on the ball, the Jazz would send some helper over. Yao is not quick enough for the defender to give him the space, the only counter is to catch the ball deeper, and he did a few times last game, and was rather successful.
Don't compare Yao and Hakeem. Hakeem had ridiculous quickness, which allowed him to shoot more face up. Yao's most effective moves are in the post, not running off of screens. If anything Yao needs to use the jump hook more often.
Okur himself is predictable. I like Yao's post up game..and I like how the Jazz can execute so well. I like that our offense works out really well when...it does, but it'd be nice to have more creativity and dynamic offense. Jon Barry Whatever
I have also asked myself that. On the other hand, perhaps he's not doing that b/c he keeps getting the ball knocked away from the Jazz's quick hands? I have no idea, just throwing it out there. I also believe Yao is BOUND to have a good game coming up. He simply is too efficient of a scorer to go this long playing at the level he is right now.
Okur has blocked yao's pull up J at least 3 or 4 times this series...hes best attacking the rim..even tho refs dont call any of the fouls
Even if Yao is fouled while attacking the Jazz will know that they can't push him further out away from the basket. Yao only needs to shoot when he has a good chance of making an outside shot. Mixing it up from the inside/outside is essential.
Look, I don't want Yao to become a mid-range jumpshooter. The move I'm talking about has NEVER been eliminated from Yao's arsenal. Watch our first game against Dallas this year (When we trashed the Mavs at home and Yao made Dampier his b*tch) to see what I'm talking about. JVG has never told Yao *not* to take that shot. In fact, I remember in one of the games, Gundy was overheard screaming from the sidelines "Yao!!! Don't dribble! Face up and shoot!!" Fact is, Memo himself said that he's completely familiar with Yao's post moves - or at least the ones Yao is capable of executing at this point of the season, given his injury and all. Instead of wasting the shotclock and bulling his way in the paint to get stripped, blocked, or an offensive foul, Yao should mix it up a bit, to open things up for himself, so that he can bull his way into the paint with ease, later on. In fact, he used to do this all the time, but in this series, Yao's lost confidence in his face-up J, which makes it tremendously more difficult for him to get his baby-hooks going. So to re-cap: Yao's face-up jumper from the edge of the paint =/= Yao the pick-and-pop jumpshooter.
It's true, at least in this series, that Yao always spins towards the middle rather than the baseline. Kind of baffles me since he was pretty effective along the baseline during the season. I've said this several times now, I think he needs to catch and immediately shoot or immediately start his dribble to back his man down. Holding the ball for 3 seconds gives Okur a chance to grind on Yao like they're at a nightclub.
Jebus! Im not saying take away his post up game, but for goodness sakes if the man is open let him SHOOT IT!!! Theres a good chance that the balls going in. I see several other players jack up jumpers with no shot of anyone offensive rebounding. Whats the big deal w Yao taking one. Everyone argues that Yao is not Dream, and probably never will be, yet they dont care when he is confined to try to play like him. I know Im not the only one that misses that HUGE Rainbow jumpshot that always seemed to find its way in the basket.
Yao is a robot now, and very predictable. He needs to use more counter moves instead of just backing down one way and getting called for an offense foul, or just backing down and turning one way for a jumper which gets blocked. I remember during his first two years he had a lot of pump fakes and post moves. That was before he put on all the muscle and Ewing got to him. I hope he can bring some of that back because if he does there isn't a center in the league that can hold him.
