I think Yao needs to learn how to initiate contact. If they are going to call fouls and walks on him anyway, he may as well punish the other team physically.
Rigid coaching issues...agreed. Someone said in another thread a game or two ago that Yao has been "overcoached." The more I thought about it, the more I agree with that statement. Basketball is about fundamentals...but it is also about individual creativity and flow. And I think in the desire to drill low-post fundamentals into Yao, his NBA coaches have ironed out some of that creativity and flow in his game. Yes, he is 7'6" and slow, but he DID have some creativity and flow in his game...the spin move, the behind-the-back dribble on the break (!!), the over the shoulder blind pass to the cutter, the touch pass, the up and under...these are all moves I remember seeing from Yao. Now, the majority of moves are a turnaround jumper or a turnover.
Yao, if you are viewing this thread, use you ass like you know how to use it. Ass bumps are never offensive fouls unlike shoulder bumps or elbow bumps. Learn from you greatest hater, Charles Barkley. When he was with the Rockets he was too slow to actually go around anyone so he just used his ass to move closer and closer to the rim. You can use this same move to clear some space between you and Okur. There's nothing wrong with a little bump and grind, Okur won't know what hit him. You can even use it on the defensive end. When Boozer is about to set that pick bump him with you ass to get him of position.
didn't you read my next two statements? what I was saying was he needed new variations on his existing moves.. like his hook.. what can he change about it to avoid being blocked by a leaper like kirilenko.. he can fake him or lean to him to draw the foul.. or his face up jumpers.. its being blocked by okur.. he needs to jump atleast to a point that it does not get blocked.. etc..
I don't know whether Yao's # of blocks says much. I don't know if there's anyone out there that tracks this stat, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Jazz were one of the "least blocked" teams in the league. The Jazz make use of so many pick/rolls and cuts to the basket, the defense never gets to look at them face on. It's always uncontested layups or wide-open jumpers, very rarely athletic drives through the middle (ala Baron Davis). One suggestion here... Yao isn't passing to the cutters when he's in the deep post. He never does that hand-off to the point guard after the entry pass any more. I think that's a key move... make Okur or Milsap think about the guard when he's going past, too.
He had difficult to adjust in playoff env, period. Utah hit him hard and this is the key to defeat rockets. In this series, do you see any easy shot by Yao? very few if nonexists. He is cracked, Okur even boasted he mastered Yao's move, but you don't see any response from Yao's performance which I guess he acknowledged! We all admire Yao's work ethic and gentlemanship, but his game don't fit in current NBA.
He and McGrady need to step it up...I am tired of their sissy play and complete lack of a killer instinct. When times get tough, they fold. They're phenomenal talents, but sadly have so far proven that they can't be called "great" just yet, not when they continually fail to rise up to the challenge. Hakeem was great, not just a talented freak. I am running out of patience with this 'dynamic' duo. I picked the Rockets to win this series, so don't make me and countless other fans end up looking as bad as we did two years ago in Dallas. This time you have the home court, It's time to put up or shut up guys.
I mentioned this on another thread about a week back, Yao can't be dominant in Utah because of elevation/altitude. Honestly I am surprised no one talked about this much, particularly in a franchise operating at hundreds of million dollar per year. Now, everyone knows about the mile-high city of Denver, where visiting teams have to adjust to make sure they can handle the altitude. Mile-high is 5,200 ft. Salt Lake City is not quite a mile high, but close, it is at 4,500 ft. Remember, you can go skiing just 1/2 hour outside of SLC city center. From your high school physics, you know that oxygen (atmosphere in general) gets thinner gradually as we move to higher altitude. People who live on higher altitude adjust by growing more red blood cells, since red blood cells are the ones carrying oxygen to where it is needed. To get to an optimum level of red blood cell count for an altitude, it takes a week or two, although a couple of days will help significantly already. Now, what did JVG do to prepare for this altitude? Nada. He still had his team practice on Wed in Houston, and flew in afterwards. Why? Why didn't he practice on Tue after the game, and flew in immediately so the team can adjust a bit? I'd do it even further, have them sleep in oxygen deprived tent to simulate higher elevation. This stuff is cheap relative to the budget of an NBA team. You can see the result. All 3 games in SLC, Rox were hanging on until 3rd quarter or 4th quarter, and then they collapsed. Mind over body, you say. Easier said than done. Try it yourself. Before you go skiing next time, try running as far as you can in Houston. Then when you get up half the slope (say around 4,500 ft), try running as far as you can. See if you can get close to your distance in Houston (practically sea level).
I agree, a breakthrough game by Yao is definitely what we need in game 7. Hopefully the refs swallow the whistle again because it seemed like they had designated a ref just for Yao in game 6 (how many offensive fouls/3 second violations did he have?) I think that we will win with the homecourt, but what a brutal series it has been.
Except that basketball has been played in Denver and SLC for decades. Having been to both cities and skied at over 10,000 feet yes you get tired faster but with proper conditioning and getting some extra O2 supplements you can deal with it. The altitude didn't stop the Spurs from taking two in Denver and with the equipment and training staff on hand of an NBA team it shouldn't be an excuse. If that is the case then we can just kiss our @ss goodbye to ever winning in Denver or SLC but that isn't the case.
Yao will come through Saturday. I just hate that JVG wants to make Yao into a Shaq power game. Yao should face the basket some of the time like Duncan. Yao can make those shots, instead of always posting up which will tire him out since the Jazz defenders are allowed to rough up Yao. He needs new schemes to get him going like some one setting a pick for him to get the ball closer down low instead of always having to back someone down.
Yao needs to STOP shooting fade away jump shots!!! Has no one tought him how to shoot a hook shot? if not well then someone should, fast! I mean he is 7' 6" and trying to play like his is 7'. All he needs to do when he has Okur, or anyone else for that matter, on him is take one big drop set and shot a hook. and I guarantee he will have at least a 40pt game.
Though I wish Yao to come out strong, I don't expect it. The offence strategy of Rockets has changed from Yao-pivot oriented in early regular season to TMac oriented later due to Yao's injury. Right now, at most 1/4 or 1/3 offence went through Yao comparing to more than 1/2 for pre-injured Yao. Right now, Yao is used as a finisher instead of play-maker, the latter of which is the role of TMac. I wish JVG gives Yao a little more room to utilize his overall skills more freely. Well, that might be too late to ask for it but I do think some adjustments are necessary to win the game tomorrow.
Yao is seriously making me mad. He does the same move over and over again I mean cmon change your game up. He backs down holds the ball instead of making the move quickly and does that turn around jumpshot that if someone gets underneath him he never makes. After all the years in the NBA you would think he would add some more weapons to his offensive game. And on defense he is seriously getting burned buy LOOZER. Stop going for his pump fake and make him shoot over the top of you. Once he blows by Yao all thats left to challege him is Chuck Hayes. I love Chuck he is a great on the ball defender but not a weak side help man because of his height. If Yao does not step up his game we are going to have a hard time with any team
Before Yao came to the US, he played the game at the high post with the Shanghai Sharks. Now ask yourself whos fault is it that Yao plays a boring brand of basketball?
Yao has also become a defensive liability along with Juwan. Against Boozer, he has absolutely NO chance. When Boozer puts it on the floor, he just can't stay with him. Also, he's giving us no defensive presense. No rebounding, no shotblocking, and thats why the Jazz get so many of their backdoor layups and easy baskets. For the most part, I like many others have piled on Tmac, but if we lose, both our star players had a very underwhelming series
The only issue I have with Yao(and it cant be fixed in a day) is rebounding. The great rebounders get the edge because they can anticipate where the ball is going to go and they always blocked out their guy. Yao needs to study angles and other such intricacies of rebounding to be in better position to get the rebounds. It seems most of his boards are right near the rim or long ones that bounce right to him. You never see him moving into position to get the medium/long rebounds. Some of this is speed, but when the ball is going one way, and he goes another, thats not a speed issue.
