What's the difference between "building team around Yao" and just "building team"?

It's just one of those things people spew out of habits.

"Build around Steve and Mobley" -> "Build around Steve and Yao" -> "Build around Yao and T-Mac" -> "Build around Yao". And if the Rockets get Bosh, it will change to "Build around Bosh and Martin" and kick Yao to the curb.

It's just mindless BS that people spew out of habit. To some, there's no such thing as "building a team". It's "build around <insert best player or best 2 players>". There's no difference, just the perception.

 

Whats better than having Yao Ming? 2 Yao Mings. With the conventional approach to basketball, that just wouldnt work.

You can maybe have 2 Amares, 2 Chris Bosh types. Yao has specific identifiable attributes and FLAWS. So you're best served looking for specific attributes to compensate for them.

In baseball if a pitcher induces a lot ground balls, then putting some good defensive infielders behind him maximizes his effectiveness.

I think "build team around __ " its just a way to have identity to the team. So you can take account of all attributes like team defense, player's attitudes, who's a black hole on offense, etc. USA Basketball Team pre-"Redeem Team", nuff said. Once they made an identity to what they were doing, things went smoother.

Also "build team around __" semi keeps the players roles defined. So there's not a lot of loosy goosy 1 on 1 impulsive jacking up shots. Have to have SOME kind of design whether its an offensive/defensive concept or concept around a player.

How they say football is a game of inches, its like that for basketball. The right variation of player attributes adding a point on offense or subtracting a point on defense can be the difference in losing in the 1st round of playoffs or advancing.

 

I would say it is not just a perception, but not that a big of a difference and it does change as players change. I would also say that it shouldn't be just limited to building around Yao...it is building around the Rockets' rotation players. I like to look at Lowry as a guy that the Rockets would value more because of Yao even if Lowry plays better with the reserves. While trading for Lowry was the right move regardless of building around Yao or just building, there will be no team willing to offer Lowry a deal that the Rockets won't match.

The moves for Martin and Lowry were good for the Rockets regardless of building for Yao or not. However, it probably isn't a coincidence that the last two major additions are both high FTA players and Morey has said Yao is the best player when the team is in the penalty. My guess is that Morey seeks out deals that mesh with the existing players and Yao is still a big part of that group. If the right deal came along, I think Morey would try to trade Yao if the incoming players fit better with the Rockets than Yao.

 

I just hope the refs take notice this upcoming season how more then often Yao gets fouled after sitting out this past season and start giving him the calls he deserves because in reality he is a match up problem for every team. If he gets respect from the refs from now on were gona be a nightmare for every team In the league

 

Kevin Martin is a scorer that can do so without dominating the ball, which translates into more post time for Yao. IF Yao stays healthy, he WILL command double teams and that's when KMart and CBud come in shootin 3s from perimeter, and so on. The players DM acquired this year were definitely taylored for a team around Yao (I would not mind at all if we traded Yao to get LeBron or DWade though, but then the Rockets would become a heavily perimeter shooting team, like this season). And well, you know how perimeter shooting goes.

So yeah there IS a difference Carl.

 

The League don't like big men dude. From Wilt Chamberlane to Shaq to Yao, they rarely got any calls just cuz of their sheer size so yeah that's a pipedream you're hoping there.

 

there's a huge difference.

if you're building around a particular player, that guy is basically untouchable and you're bringing in other players who "complement" that player's style of play.

for instance, with yao ming, you're not goin to bring in a guy like allen iverson in his prime. if you're building around chris bosh, you're not going to bring in a guy like michael beasley. either one player is clashing with your franchise player's style of play or it's a redundant player.

building around a team means you often get the best player you can get. say if yao ming is not going to play next season. if there is a rudy gay or battier out there, you get rudy gay. if there is a tyreke evans v. kmart, you take tyreke.