It's been mentioned before numerous times on this board, but why isn't Yao coming off the bench. Usually when players are coming back from serious injuries, they are slowly brought along by giving them minutes in the flow of the game. I think the first adjustment to the starting lineup should be starting either Jordan Hill or Dampier, once he joins the team. At this point, I feel either of those two are better suited to protect the paint for the Rockets. Scola isn't athletic enough and Yao isn't all the way back. Also, by Yao coming off the bench Scola can get a breather without losing both of our threats in the post.
Stop Stop Stop everybody knows that there is no way hill should be starting over scola as for the yao thing maybe would put him in during the bonus if the rocket are in the bonus late in the game.
Yao comming off the bench is something that he has already said he is open to. It can be useful from a rotation aspect. It provides for more freedom with his minutes and allows him to be used in spots and to create match up problems. It could work....by the though of YAO MING coming off the bench is something that you have to look at and be concerned about...#1 picks ARE NOT BENCH PLAYERS...THEY ARE DIFFERENCE MAKERS It will be hard for us as fans and for the "NBA" to swallow
It wouldn't be a permanent thing, but if he is only able to play 24 minutes then it might be best to find the best ways to fully utilize those 24 minutes. I actually think the worse thing the Rockets have done in Yao's return is making his minute limit public. I think a team knowing that they only have to slow him down for 24 minutes is an advantage for them.
This is a typical yao fan thread. You want to make sure yao gets shots first and foremost without considerings whats best for the rockets. Yao being the focal point = stagnation and to's due to fatigue. Did you not watch the 4th qt when he was grabbing his shorts the whole time despite sitting out half the 3rd and half the 4th. How can that lineup you proposed score when no one can create a shot? When teams see that lineup starting they will sag in yao lap with lowry's man. Not only that, martin running off screens when the baseline will be clogged.
other teams have yet to throw a hard double team at Yao. They're willing to let Yao get his for 24 minutes and live with the results covering him one on one.
Don't be mistaken, my Fan-Hood is for this team not for specific players on it. If Yao needs some "pine" time for this team to be great then so be it. Historically, all of the great "super-BIGS" came off the bench later in their career, so it would not really be anything new. In regards to my proposed llineup,unlike RA seems to be, I think bringing Yao off the bench with Hill is just as effective as a starting line up of: Damp, Scola, Lee, Martin, Lowry or Yao, Hill, Bud/Battier, Lee/Bud, Brooks It will end up the same way. Hill is not a 5, Brooks needs to come off the bench, Lee & Bud must play more minutes, Battier & Chuck are matchup/injury necessary players ONLY. Either way you split the limited playmakers between both groups and create balance.
I disagree with the lineup thing, you think putting Yao with Lowry, Lee would benefit Yao, No.... Yao should be playing with veteran who knows how to adapt to him, not with those young legs who likes to run..... Rotation certainly has to be shorter and we're seeing progress there. Chemistry will come eventually Coaching and roster management is good, no problem... I don't know how much you know about roster management and coaching. But I believe a coach who has worked in this league for more than 15 years and a GM who has worked for more than 6 years should have better ideas than you.
Thats because he has not proven to be a major problem to defend. He's not as effective as he used to be on either end of the floor but he did do well last game with his limited minutes. I agree that his 24 minute cap should have never made it to the media. HUGE MISTAKE. I also think that his cap should be 30 min not 24 and that he still need to get in basketball shape even for his limited minutes.
Adapt to him?...really give him the ball, cut through, and spot up...not much adapting in that. Even if we went with the "veteran" approach with this current roster, what veteran guards do we have that DONT run ??? If you really believe that we need veteran guard play around Yao for him to be effective, and we currently don’t have any such type of guard...how is that not a roster management problem? If you never push the ball, you will never get easy baskets, if you never get easy baskets, you will slow the game down to the point where scoring will be extremely difficult because teams have an opportunity to set up their D making it harder for Yao to score. Not necessarily...This is the exact type of thinking and stubbornness that stunts growth, success and an organization as a hole...I really hope you are not in a LEADERSHIP or MANAGEMENT position. Listening to suggestions and ideas of others is the foundation to LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT & COACHING. "C'MON MAN"
i've thought about that too....we unfortunately dont have a lot of leadership on the team and benching scola, with battier almost on his way as well, i think it'll hurt us more than anything. I think we're correct in wanting efficiency on the perimeter, as those guys usually shoot farther shoots so they're more difficult, need good shooters...up front you dont need as much offense because they'll be doing a lot of cleaning up, putting back rebounds, cutting to the rim etc. High percentage shots for any big not named Jared Jeffries, so we dont need scola and yao's scoring. We need to replace one with a defensive stud and i'm guessing yao isnt going anywhere, so Scola would be the one to go. I think you pretty much just need one post player and the other big should clean up and roam around on offense, while helping defend and rebound on defense.
I think it'd be hard to convince Tom Thibodeau to give up his current gig at the Bulls. But, Adelman's teams have historically been good defensive teams. I don't think the problem on defense is tactical--I think it's more of a personnel problem. Too many one sided players...Ever since Martin came over late last season, the Rox have been getting lit up. That's why I agree with your line-up of having Lowry in there. Martin has enough trouble keeping up w/ his man--having AB in there just puts too much pressure on the defense. I'm guessing Lowry will take AB's starting job at some point this season, unless AB gets traded. I like the Hill idea in the starting lineup because we just don't have good pick-n-roll defense, which requires athleticism. Yao is too slow. So when he gets beaten on the PnR, it's important to have a weakside shotblocker who can move quickly into position. Yao, even in his glacial speed right now is a good guy to have in the paint. He just clogs the lane with his presence. Having Hill roam around is a good thing to have. Scola would be a great go-to guy on the second unit and his defense wouldn't get exposed as much there. Plus, he wouldn't complain. I can imagine AB moaning about moving to the second unit, but not Scola.
ding ding I've been saying for a week that if Yao is only going to play 24, those 24 should be in the bonus. Start Lowry with Scola and Martin to get us in the bonus ASAP. Then bring in Yao and Brooks to finish out quarters in the bonus against the opponent's back ups. If you start Lowry, you obviously need more of a shooter at the other perimeter spot, so, Battier has to go to the bench in favor of Lee. And if Scola is in there in the low post offense, you need a secondary big who plays D and can stay out of his way. This would seem to predicate Hill. I was thinking Brad should start but his D is simply atrocious. Lowry Martin Lee Hill Scola come in with Yao in the bonus. Situationally substitute the rest of the guys.
I agree. But I also think during crunch time combination of Hayes, Scola, Battier, Lee n Lowry should be used when playing defense and on offense Hayes, Scola, Martin, Brooks n Lowry. Hayes and scola imo are better offensive rebounders. Lowry n Martin can create fouls and Brooks can shoot from outside during clutch situations. Yao has been playing very clumsy with rebounds and horrible with catching passes and gets no love from the refs. I dont understand why Hayes get no love? Hes a better defender and rebounder than Yao n Hill.
the problem is we need that combo for most of the game.....damp/scola i think would work better than any other combo we have, but that's not a good thing considering dampier is a one year back up. Yao/hill would be great if Hill was further along in his career and Yao wasnt limited. The way they are now it just wouldnt work out for very long. I think we need a proven defensive big, not a near rookie or one that's almost ready to retire.
I don't really think there's a problem with the starting lineup...it's not like those guys are getting killed. Where we are failing is in the 4th, when starting lineup means nothing. Moving Hill from backup C to starting PF is just crazy at this point in the season. Hill is not readly for that. No doubt that he should be getting solid minutes, and might need to be in the lineup at the end of the game, but start is too drastic of a change.
