http://blogs.chron.com/jeromesolomon/2009/01/post_58.html I mentioned it earlier, so it would be wrong to let it go after watching the tape of the Rockets-Denver game. To become a big winner in the NBA — something he is not — Yao Ming needs to learn to be a better closer. For the Rockets ever to be a champion, Yao has to be a better closer. He is a smart player. He is tough. He is an excellent free throw shooter. These things typically add up to a player, especially a center, being a great closer. Tracy McGrady is sometimes one heck of a closer. But he is also one heck of a folder at times. (That's one reason he has never made it out of the first round of the playoffs.) Locally, Hakeem Olajuwon and Moses Malone were great closers. Relentless and difficult to guard, each shot a measurably higher percentage from the foul line with the game on the line than they did overall. Both knew how to force helpless defenders to foul or be schooled — either way, victory was often at hand. Yao should be a closer in the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar mold. You don't have to be nasty to be a great closer. You simply must to know, your teammates must know and the opponent has to believe that there is nothing that can be done to stop you in the final few minutes of a game. Ballgame. Yao can't continue to have days (and yes, Denver stood out a bit because the plays were in succession) where he turns the ball over twice and misses an easy shot when the team is trying to put away an opponent. And often there are games that the Rockets are ahead or tied with a few minutes left and Yao doesn't get off another shot. That can't happen. He has to demand to be the one that wins those games. All the great ones did and do, and Yao won't be a great player until he does it.
Good article. I agree w/ everything it states. Yao has got to be willing to take the last shots in the closing min. of a game. That is what being a super star is all all about.
Yao doesn't need to learn to be a great closer, we just need to have someone be a closer in tight games. Typically perimeter players are closers. Artest can do it, Tmac can do it, Yao can do it, Brooks shows flashes. I dont think its something that only Yao needs to do. Besides, yao has closed out several games this year. He's not great at it, but I think its something he has proven he can do if needed.
i agree with you here 100% only when artest is back. i'm still not too sure on tmac yet. when artest comes back, i'm happy with him just carrying the large load. it's mostly because i have alot of confidence in the artest's toughness.
he does chokejobs but especially right now with no ron or tmac he has to do a lotta work before crunch time. at the end of the game he needs help. but even with that sometimes he doesnt deliver. he shouldnt be used in clutch that often until he can show he can make those shots. when tmac and ron get back id rather go to them.
Until then, Yao has to put the coffee down. Spoiler <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/81PK0ev5uHg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/81PK0ev5uHg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Ill put it this way. If Yao is taking the last shot every time, that eliminates any chance of arguably your best offensive rebound to get it back and put it in. I'd rather have a perimeter guy driving to the hole or taking a jumper with Yao underneath battling for a put back.
man I hate these people asking Yao to be a closer.. in this day and age.. when does the big man (especially one as big as Yao) NEED to be the "closer"?? Let's face it.. this is a WING's league. the Kobe's and D.Wade's and Lebron's. And if not them, then the PGs.. the CP3's, the Nash's and the Parker's. Basically the ones who can penetrate and create a shot for themselves with 2 seconds left on the clock. And if they don't take it themselves, they dish to the open man. If anything that gimp TMAC should be called out.. Do you ever see any full fledged centers - D.Howard, Shaq, David Lee, Greg Oden, Andris Biedrins - taking the final shot? Do you see them DESIGNING a set play to feed them in the low post with 3 left on the clock??
I thought the same thing. When the game is on the line, you need to go to the hoop strong. Yao's problem is he was settling for jump shots, or worse, not even getting a shot off. He should make a strong move, lower his shoulder, and go at the rim. The refs will not call an offensive foul in the final seconds of the game. Its amazing the shots Yao got when he got pissed off and was aggressive for a few minutes. That's the same mentality he needs to have when the game is on the line.
"Locally, Hakeem Olajuwon and Moses Malone were great closers." Yao would be a great closer if "illegal defense" exists.
Duncan is the only post player i can think of that gets the ball in those situations, but more often than not, pop will go to tony or gino to be the playmakers at the end of games.
I agree. Yao has to learn how to close the game in some big times. If you ever see this message from me (Mich), please remember to use your smart brain to find out a way that fits you to be a real "Closer". It is so strange that the brain(脑子） is the most powerful weapon for the big time, not the "strength"， not the “toughness” either, at least I believed.
no need to make excuses for yao. he is not surrounded by 3 people before he gets the ball late in games. he's swarmed afterwards. all he has to do is be decisive and aggressive in his move, strong with the ball, and forceful with his desire to get the ball. the reason you don't see other teams doing it is because there are so few dominant post players now. and the ones that are cannot hit free throws, thus rendering them a liability. in any age - any age - the high % shot is the preferred shot. the big man that can hit his FTs is option #1, perimeter players #2. he's right. for yao to become mvp level elite, he needs to consistently impose his will at the end of games.
Yao has big shots in the closing minutes of many games over the last few years.. He may not be Hakeem, but he has come through at times.
Yao is not closer material because he's too slow. The Nuggets game showed us that Yao can be having the best game of his career but once the defense starts to tighten and the double teams starts to come faster, HE CHOKES. Sometimes it would take most of the 24 sec clock to even get Yao the ball because he can't establish post position at all and the offense gets stagnant just from watching him.
Not exactly a big basketball guru myself, but isn't it just logically difficult for a big man to "close" at the end of games? Setting up the post is fairly time consuming and generally varies a great deal(the need for repost and whatnot) in terms of timing. While iso plays with perimeter players are much less fussy when it comes to timing and complexity. I think if you're going for a last shot, or even a 2 for 1 situation, it's much easier to set up plays for a perimeter player than a big man. So in that sense, assuming T-Mac and/or Artest is on the court and relatively healthy, isn't it more logical for the play to run through them? And I agree with the idea that penetration also allows Yao to go for the board and put-back, which has happened quite a bit in the past.
Yao gets doubled/tripled/fronted at the end of the game. It's very hard for Yao to get the ball at the end of the game. When a center closes a game, it's usually a put-back or an ally-oop. Yao does not excel in both areas. So, Yao will never be a good game closer, but he is still a GREAT player.
