I've said this in like 4 threads today. Battier is the best entry passer to Yao. Before, we used to have T-Mac/Rafer/Battier and posting/re-posting Yao was simple. We took it for granted. All three of those guys were amazing at it. Now, all we have is Battier, and it's causing problems that our other players don't know how and when to get Yao the ball.
That is sonething I always thought was obvious. He is the best post entry passer on the team, as well as the best inbounder on the team. This is yet another "intangible" that doesn't show up in the box score. This is yet another one of those ways Shane's +/- is off the charts but many on the board dont see that because he isn't popping the nets or throwing down monster dunks. Yao is more effective when Shane is on the floor. An effective Yao makes the rest of the team effective. And it all starts with Shane dumping it down in the post and just haning out in the corner. Yao gets doubled, ball gets reversed, we score on the opposite side of the floor. Doesn't show up in Shane's box score, but he starts it off. Reminds me of when we had Horry and he was our best player at getting dream the ball. Effective post entry passes are difficult, and can't be made consistently by the average NBA player. Especially to someone 7-6. This is another reason i am against taking Shane out of the starting lineup. Take him out, you might as well take Yao out too.
Is it just me or is Battier good for at least one bad perimeter pass a game? He's decent on the post entry pass, but sometimes he seems to force the issue and thus gets a TO in the process. Or he's looking for the post pass, it's not available, and he swings it to the wing which gets stolen. Maybe it's just selective memory, or the bad sticking out more than the good...
That's why I'm really hoping Kevin Martin can get used to making that entry pass. If the Rockets can get him to consistently throw in the pass to Yao, it would be extremely hard for the defense to stop it. You want to front him? Fine, Kevin Martin will take a quick step by your SG towards the lane where your Center isn't at anymore, and either draw the foul, hit the inside jumper, or make the layup. You want to sit behind Yao? Fine, Kevin Martin will throw it in there. You want to double off of Martin? Fine, he'll hit the open 3-pointer all day long. You want to double off of someone else? Fine, that will give Yao more time to make a move before the double gets there.
well he's averaging a turnover a game, so if that's his only mistake passing in 30 mins of playing time, the team will take it.
Shane? I mean Rv6. Its bad passing skills. He has te Intangerineables. The bestest ever since Kobe minus all of the skills and winning. :grin:
McGrady was a great passer with great court vision....if we ever had him and Yao healthy playing together consistently for 4-5 years with Scola Brooks and Battier imagine the chemistry that could have developed. Yao Scola Battier McGrady Brooks Playing together for a few years injuries free would be a championship team no doubt.
this is why battier pisses me off. People can't admit their mistakes. Your defense has declined and you cover it with this.We brought you here for "lockdown defense". Its like Brian cook saying the rockets brought me here to warm the benches. Then you have rick adelman that tells you we been lacking Intensity but is actually been bad rotations/substitutions and ish starting and cleary outplaying kyle and Ab gets no credit.
Shane does a lot of things that people take for granted, and this is one of them. Too many times you'll see one of our players throw a lazy pass into Yao, taking him out of his solid position that he had on the low block, and forcing him about 1-2 feet out of where he was. Shane get's him the ball exactly where Yao wants it, and doesn't waste time when Yao kicks it back out to him to re post. Another thing he does is swing the ball on the perimeter. I know, doesn't sound like much, but it can be when teams are doubling Yao, or over playing a screen. Same thing with Ish, (no this isn't bashing AB, I have always been a huge AB fan), but the way Ish/Batman catch the ball and quickly swing it, rather than taking even just a second to look around or think about doing something one on one. This was one reason Martin had so many good looks, along with Battier's looks in the corner last night. It's also the reason that Yao got such good position, and got the ball quickly, rather than having to sit in the post for 5 seconds before receiving his entry pass. A lot of things that Battier does (and what Ish did last night) goes un noticed.
Wow. Do you guys never learn? One choice quote picked out of a conversation, with no context, and you'll analyze it like it's a passage out of the old testament or something If you watch the video of the Battier interview, you'll see it's a half-joke. He laughs while he says it.
What's a lot more interesting is his comments on AB (which he tries to cover-up halfway through when he realizes what it sounds like he's saying) which, not surprisingly, were not reported in the recap article.
