Jack Sikma's Outlook of Rockets' New Season

pryuen · Jul 12, 2007

Sohu Sports' Zhang Yi had this interview with Jack Sikma in Las Vegas, in which Jack Sikma talked extensively about his plan on how to make Yao Ming better and his feeling about working for Rick Adelman and the Rockets.

http://sports.sohu.com/20070711/n251007336.shtml

SOHU SPORTS: Jack, can you describe to us about your new job?

SIKMA: I feel extremely excited about joining to work for the Rockets. This is a very strong team and we have the determination to obtain great results. My primary mission is to coach the interior players. Definitely we have some extremely good big guys, and therefore my job is going to be exciting and fantastic.

SOHU SPORTS: Have you met Yao Ming yet?

SIKMA: Yeah. We have been practicing together for a while before he went back to China.

SOHU SPORTS: How are you to make Yao Ming better?

SIKMA: Firstly, we must defer to the strategies and tactics of our head coach Rick Adelman, which will be designed revolving around Yao Ming. We definitely need to continue playing Yao Ming efficiently under the low post, the way that he was so dominant as before. Simultaneously, we shall let him attack further away from the basket as he is an extremely outstanding scorer. He will have to enhance on some aspects of his game and skills; he will need to improve on his footwork and passing. If he can improve in these aspects, he definitely will get more space and open looks for scoring.

SOHU SPORTS: Why do you have to let Yao Ming attack further away from the rim? His height superiority should fully manifest and be deployed under the low post.

SIKMA: We have nothing to lose by such tactics. Sure he has the height superiority and he is amongst the best dominating low post players in the entire NBA. (But as a consequence) the opposing teams are all targeting him in every game by double-teaming him, and he needs to muscle and fight under the low post day in and day out, and it makes life so difficult for him. Therefore we must now find a lot more effective ways to let him play more efficiently. This is particularly true if we view it from a longer term perspective. This perhaps will have a more positive effect, particularly when the team plays in the playoff. Yao Ming will then be able to help the team better, by scoring continuously and become the spearhead in offense.

SOHU SPORTS: What is your first time feeling about Yao Ming?

SIKMA: He is a guy of great sense of humor. He did not know me as much as I knew him. While we were together in Houston, it was just we tried to familiarize with each other first, and then gradually established trust between each another. Within the Rockets, Yao Ming is having great rapport with everybody; he is also an extremely hardworking player. He is willing to do anything to win for this team.

SOHU SPORTS: Let’s chat about the Rockets Head Coach, Rick Adelman.

SIKMA: In Rick’s offensive systems, it puts a lot of emphasis in creating space; players need to pass the ball more to create space and as a consequence more open looks for much easier scoring, and hence easier scoring through offense efficiency and space. I also think that I will be able to learn a lot of things from Rick. Personally I feel very very excited to be able to become Rick’s assistant coach and to be involved; as far as I’m concerned, it is great situation and opportunity for me.

SOHU SPORTS: So the Rockets have a complete change in its coaching staff, and added a couple much better role players for Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. So what do you think about the chance to contend for the championship in the new season?

SIKMA: Actually this team has already proven a point in the previous season; as long as the team stays healthy, they can surely obtain good results in the regular season and therefore higher position for the playoff. As long as this team continues to fight and try hard, there will always be the opportunity to contend for the championship. Of course, we still have a lot of things to work on, and still it is a long road, but regardless, there is only one final goal and destination, and that is the championship. We must talk about this word (i.e. Championship) and cast it in our mind as soon as the new season starts, but after that, we still have to work on a lot of things.
Click to expand...

Aemon · Jul 12, 2007

It's good to hear that he thinks championship

Pocket Rockets · Jul 12, 2007

Aemon said:

It's good to hear that he thinks championship
Click to expand...

what did you expect him to say?

pryuen · Jul 12, 2007

LOL......

Could it be

Zhang Yi translated Billy Ingham's article and faked it as his own exclusive interview?

Billy Ingham copied Zhang Yi's article?

Both of them were there at the same time interviewing Jack Sikma?

Last Updated: Jul 11th, 2007 - 23:18:21

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Vegas: Rockets Go Old School for Yao Ming--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Bill Ingram
for H@@PSWORLD.com
Jul 11, 2007, 23:16

When the Houston Rockets drafted Yao Ming they knew they needed to put him next to some experience and veteran guidance. Hakeem Olajuwon would have been the obvious choice, but his schedule keeps him in Africa most of the time. The second choice was easy for Jeff Van Gundy, who had worked with Patrick Ewing when he was head coach of Ewing's Knicks. Ewing had a positive influence on Yao, but the Rockets organization thought there was room to grow beyond what Ewing was teaching. To get Yao to the next level the Rockets went old school.

"It's an honor to be a part of a franchise that's been strong and done well," said Jack Sikma, the one piece of Adelman's staff that wasn't with him in Sacramento. "The opportunity to work with an exciting player like Yao (Ming) is exciting and I'm looking forward to it."

Yao isn't that familiar with Sikma yet, but he soon will be. Sikma's brilliant NBA career spanned 14 seasons - nine with the Seattle Sonics and five with the Milwaukee Bucks. Over his career he became known for being unconventional, developing a shot that couldn't be reached, much less blocked, and dominating the paint in a way that was uncommon at the time. Yao's NBA history lesson will soon kick into high gear.

"I had a chance to meet with Yao briefly before he headed to China," says Sikma. "He has a great sense of humor. He doesn't know much about me; I know more about Yao than he knows about me, so it's a case of just getting to know each other to the point where we can build up some trust. He's well liked within the organization, he works hard, he's willing to do whatever's necessary to win. You can't ask for more than that."

What you can ask for, however, is improvement in specific areas. Yao has been the best big man in basketball for two seasons, but he hasn't gotten the Rockets past the first round of the playoffs. A great coach knows how to demand more from a terrific player. Phil Jackson did it with Michael Jordan. Rudy Tomjanovich did it with Olajuwon. Rick Adelman is going to do it with Yao Ming, as Sikma explains.

"First of all we have to start with what Rick Adelman does with his offense. We're going to need Yao to be effective in the low post, as he's been in the past. We're also going to move him away from the basket a little bit because he's such a good shooter. He'll have to improve some skills, like passing and reads and that kind of thing, and if he does that he's going to have some better looks at the basket, we think. It won't take such a toll on him. He's a big man, and one of the best in the low box, but teams just gear up on him and put multiple people on him. It's just tough to do that night in and night out. If we can find some ways for him to be effective without taking that toll, it will be a positive - especially as the year goes on and you get to the point where if your team's in the playoffs you can make a run."

The Rockets are in a position to make a run. They have two All-Stars in their primes and a decent supporting cast (thought the power forward position is highly unresolved). They need Yao to be ready to take over in the playoffs, and Adelman believes the key to Yao's next evolution lies in the teaching of Jack Sikma.
Click to expand...

Bob · Jul 12, 2007

I think Jack will be a great addition to the coaching staff.

When we first acquired Yao I thought he should get a tape of Sikma and copy some of his moves. They have similar talents.

both are solid midrange shooters
play more horizontal than vertical
neither are muscle/power low post players like Shaq or Moses

Forums

Jack Sikma's Outlook of Rockets' New Season

pryuen Member

Aemon Member

Pocket Rockets Member

pryuen Member

Bob Member

Share This Page

About ClutchFans

Rockets Content

Support ClutchFans!