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Chron: JVG to Yao - Well-placed elbow would make space against double team

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Doctor Robert, Jan 3, 2004.

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Doctor Robert Member

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Well-placed elbow would make space against double team
Just once Jeff Van Gundy would like to see Yao Ming punish an opponent for double teaming him. He doesn't need for Yao to be violent, but it would send a message if one of Yao's elbows inadvertently landed in a defender's face.

He wants Yao to stop being so hospitable. Stop stepping aside to make room for two defenders. And stop handing them the ball when he can't find his open teammate.

"He needs to elbow somebody in the face when they come down to double team him the first time," Van Gundy said. "That would be a good start. Get them off of him. He's very kind when people come down there.

"I just know that he needs to get people off of him -- without fouling them. I mean (elbow somebody) in the way of just getting people off of him so he has room to pass. They are coming right up body to body on the double team, so he needs to get people off of him."

This year, the 7-6 center is seeing more double teams than he did during his rookie campaign, and he has yet to make teams pay. Even Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, who has always loathed double teaming opponents, threw two defenders on Yao in their last meeting.

Greg Ostertag matched up with Yao, but whenever the ball looked to be headed Yao's way, Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko dropped down to help out Ostertag. The tactic worked to throw Yao off, and the Jazz will likely do it again when they face the Rockets tonight at Toyota Center.

"Kirilenko was really good from the weakside," Van Gundy said. "He's hurt us and hurt Yao's rhythm. Plus, they have a really long, very good one-on-one defender in Ostertag, supported by a great, great help defender. So it's given us problems."

After a number of ineffective outings against double teams, the Rockets are trying to help Yao stop folding under the pressure of two defenders. Assistant coach Patrick Ewing, who fought off double teams in the NBA for years, stayed after practice Tuesday to give Yao some pointers.

"I just tried to basically show him some things to make him more comfortable with the double team," Ewing said. "Because if he doesn't get better at it, teams are going to do it the whole year. Just basically telling him to either split the double team or try to get the ball to the open man a little earlier and more accurate. But basically, just to use his 7-6 frame to his advantage."

In Monday's 87-86 loss to Seattle, Yao had five turnovers -- most of which were forced by double teams.

"Two were offensive fouls, but at least three were from trying to pass out of a double team," Ewing said. "He has to do a better job than that.

"But I think Yao will do a fantastic job. He's a very skilled player, so he should pick it up very quickly. "

Yao said he knows how important it is for him to make quicker decisions in the lane.

"If they are coming to double team, that means they are leaving someone open on the outside, and if we can take advantage of that, we'll have a lot of open shots," Yao said.

When Ewing first entered the league, he had to go through a similar adjustment period. He admitted it took him about two years to adjust to double teams.

For Yao, it will also take time. And even though Ewing can help speed up the process by offering his personal experience and advice, the Rockets know that much of Yao's education will take place during the games.

"Not too many teams are going to play him straight up, and we're going to need him to handle the ball a lot better, especially getting out of the double teams and making clean passes," Maurice Taylor said. "You can work with him to a certain extent, but in game situations, it's totally different. He's going to have to be able to make decisions on the fly to get the ball out a lot quicker."

#1 Doctor Robert, Jan 3, 2004

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Van Gundy should make these comments in private. He might as well get fined for them.

#2 AroundTheWorld, Jan 3, 2004
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Why?

#3 franchise403, Jan 3, 2004
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I'm not surprised that JVG complemented Kirilenko. He is the type of player that JVG loves. He would be the ideal player in JVG's system.

#4 montelwilliams, Jan 3, 2004
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Originally posted by franchise403
Why?
Click to expand...

JVG shouldn't get fined but that was not a smart thing to say in public. What if Jerry Sloan decided to retaliate and have one of this scrubs do a flagrant 2 on Francis the next time he drives to the basket?

#5 bigballerj, Jan 3, 2004
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Originally posted by Sir Jackie Chiles
Van Gundy should make these comments in private. He might as well get fined for them.
Click to expand...

Haha. That was just erroneous reporting. What JVG said to Yao was, "I just know that he needs to get people off of him -- without fouling them. I mean (elbow somebody) in the way of just getting people off of him so he has room to pass."

The elbow must inadvertently land on Greg Ostertag and Andrei Kirilenko. Unfortunately, the way I saw it before Yao always got called for ticky tack fouls while the other teams kicked him without getting called, when he was down on the floow.

Good luck, Yao.

#6 acrophobia98, Jan 3, 2004
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Originally posted by bigballerj
JVG shouldn't get fined but that was not a smart thing to say in public. What if Jerry Sloan decided to retaliate and have one of this scrubs do a flagrant 2 on Francis the next time he drives to the basket?
Click to expand...

and Jerry Sloan is the type to do that. Fight fire with fire.

#7 Life2Def, Jan 3, 2004

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Yao urged to send message
Well-placed elbow would make space against double team
By MEGAN MANFULL
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

What a name.......

Raven

#8 Raven, Jan 3, 2004
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Megan Manfull

#9 AroundTheWorld, Jan 3, 2004
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The one on the right, that is.

#10 AroundTheWorld, Jan 3, 2004
bigballerj Member

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Are you sure that is not a 'dude'?

#11 bigballerj, Jan 3, 2004
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She looks cute from that angle, even though her face is slightly obscured. She prolly heard a ton of the manfull jokes in junior high...

#12 Woofer, Jan 3, 2004
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Originally posted by Sir Jackie Chiles
Van Gundy should make these comments in private. He might as well get fined for them.
Click to expand...

no, no, no... this is good. Now Yao has an excuse for elbowing someone. He's just going to blame it on JVG. Best of all, they stop doubling him so closely. It works.

#13 ttstk123, Jan 3, 2004

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Originally posted by Woofer
She looks cute from that angle, even though her face is slightly obscured. She prolly heard a ton of the manfull jokes in junior high...
Click to expand...

she looks like that tennis star, think her name is Justine Hardenne

#14 ttstk123, Jan 3, 2004
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Great article. Yao needs to get more agressive in the block. Hopefully we will see that against the Jazz tonite.

#15 Deuce, Jan 3, 2004
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This is another way JVG says Yao play like a sissy. JVG plays "hospitable" to Yao.

#16 rocketjf, Jan 3, 2004
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She doesn't look so bad. I always pictured the female sports writers to not being good looking. Kind of like the stereotype of radio DJ's....or is it not a stereotype? Guess I was wrong.

Anyways, I hope that Yao begins to toughen up. I want to see him split the double teams. I want him to beable to move around them so that they are futile against him.

#17 Uprising, Jan 3, 2004
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Originally posted by Woofer
She prolly heard a ton of the manfull jokes in junior high...
Click to expand...

And she's still hearing them from the jr. high folks on this board it seems. Let's get back on topic guys.

#18 Dr of Dunk, Jan 3, 2004

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You don’t want Yao retaliating and getting fouled out of a game. What we need is an enforcer. In the old days of the NBA teams would have an enforcer. Someone that would make sure that the other team was not disrespecting their teammates. Bill Walton who was not known as a tough guy had Maurice Lucas. If Lucas saw someone getting physical with Walton, Lucas would be all over that guy.

I thought that Cato would be a good enforcer but, it seems that he would rather spend his angry energy yelling at the refs after every call.

#19 mbiker, Jan 3, 2004
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Yao needs to take a few lessons from Karl Malone.....
I'd like to see him split a few double teams and split a few skulls in the process. They smack the crap out of him in the low block and the only way to stop them from doing that is to put fear in them that a smack is heading there way if they continue. You rarely see anybody double team the Mailman do you? Done in the flow of the game it is a very effective tool. Yao should also be watching film of the Chuckster to learn how to use that big posterior of his to create some room when he posts up. If a 6'-4" Barkely can be effective at the PF spot, then a 7'-6" Yao Ming should be a breeze at the center position. This is very similar to the way Hakeem used to be brutalized down low; double teams, triple teams, fouls, elbows, smacks.....you name it.

Give him some time folks, he is young but very smart. I get the sense he is one of those guys who critiques himself after every game and yearns to get better. Yao will find his way...
I know we have beat this into the ground but it needs to be said again......the NBA is a totally different style of play then the rest of the world; more physical ( a lot more ), less finess, less fundamentals, more street ball metality. Its not as easy as you might think to just change your style of play. Everything has to be fluid and reaction based, you can't think about it because if you do by the time you decide what to do it, it is already to late.

#20 OddsOn, Jan 3, 2004

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