Early in his career and during the times he was dominant, Yao would post up on the left block, back down and bang against his defender and fade to his left shoulder for a jumper that was usually money. That was the move he made on Kaman in that Youtube Video before you could lip read him saying "you can't fk'n Stop Me!!!" If the defender tried to push hard against him (as Kaman did) Yao would back him down hard and bang against the defender before fading and it usually resulted in an And 1 or a sure bucket. I've watched the early games in the season and haven't seen him using that move though I haven't seen the more recent games.
players always change moves, incorporate new ones, use others fewer. for instance, it was either 05-06 or 06-07 when tmac did that absolutely sick turn around jumper, you know...the one that was just so fluid and smooth, it made me want to cry, i have tried to do that move so many times, but can't get it down without traveling, his foot work and fake on that play was so amazing, but he hasn't done it since then.
Unfortunately I don't know how to post youtube videos. If someone could post that youtube Video where Yao says "you can't f'n stop me"... That was one of his bread and butter moves and he looked so confident in that video. You can clearly see Kaman pushing on his back with two hands and still Yao scores because he bangs against him before fading away. After watching that Lakers game, Yao just seemed a lot more tentative against Bynum on the left block. It seemed that he lost that bread and butter move on the left block and was relegated a lot more to spinning baseline. I hope Yao regains his confidence as in the Video.
My question is, Why can't Yao shoot from the outside more, instead of banging all the time inside. That would take the other teams opposing center out and help his fatigue factor. Thats just one of my many thoughts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jss1xEzh5b4 This is the video I was referring to. In that Lakers game, while Bynum was guarding him on the left block and using a double arm bar against him. I was waiting for Yao to bang, turn and fade as used to be his bread and butter. Instead of doing his trademark move, Yao did some pump fake and got called for travelling. And he became very predictable later on because he kept spinning baseline.
He has been using that move, just not as frequent because defenders have caught on and been blocking it. In the Portland game, he used that move to hit the clutch shot.
I think the Shanghai shake is more about faking on one side and turning on the opposite side. Like a dream shake. The trademark move I was talking about is more about banging against the defender using the double arm bar and Yao uses the momentum ( from the defender's push) to fade. the combination of bang, turn and fade used to make this shot unstoppable.
In the Portland game, the move was a turnaround going to his right shoulder. The trademark move I am referring to is more about banging into the defender rather than fading away from the contact. Yao usually gets blocked when he fades away from the contact but what made his trademark move unique is that he banged into the defender first before fading away to his left shoulder. Thus the double arm bar actually worked to his advantage as it kinda gave him more separation and kept the defender busy pushing against him and therefore less time to raise the arm to block the shot.
I think the easiest answer to this is that it's alot easier to bang Kaman backwards than it is to back down Bynum, Perkins, and Shaq, so when he tries to do that, he doesn't get nearly as much seperation. Plus, I think it's part of Yao's development as a player that he learned to go up strong with the jump hook when he turns to the middle, rather than fading. He still uses the turnaround fadeaway when turning baseline sometimes, but goes up stronger into the defender when he goes middle.
I didn't get to watch the clippers game but I watched the Lakers game this season. In that game, Yao just seemed more predictable when he was posting on the left block because he was tentative going to the middle and kept spinning baseline. During their previous meeting before this season I think Yao pretty much owned Bynum but I can't recall if he used this particular move. It was kinda like a trademark move because not many centers in fact I don't recall any who could execute it. the jump hook is a strong move Yao developed later but the problem is he needs to get close or at a certain distance near the hoop to be effective with it. And sometimes when defenders are pushing or using the double arm bar it is easy to get off balance while shooting the jump hook from a considerable distance. Yao seems to be having trouble getting his shot off when defenders are pushing with both hands. Its just that early in his career , centers were using that double arm bar all the time. His bread and butter move helped him negate that. Like in the Dallas game, he used an assortment of jumpers and hooks which made him more effective. the beauty of his early move was that he can execute out further out. But I agree with you that his jump hook to the middle if made at the proper range is also a strong and unstoppable move.
I think another of Yao's trademark moves that he has been shunning is that quick little set shot that he uses on the right block after he catches the ball in the post. He used to do this ALOT the last two years, and it was always money. I haven't seen him do this even once this year.
I remember that too. O'Neal was one of the leading shotblockers at that time. O'Neal was pushing so hard that Yao actually fell down after the fade away but was called for the foul and it resulted in an And one situation.
I asked this same question last week...He seems to get in good position, and instead of turning left for the shot, he turns right, INTO the man. Is he trying to get fouled???
