Does anyone have a resolution to the opposition fronting Yao?

That's a tough one. You can't throw it over the top because the weakside guy comes charging over and then disrupts Yao time and time again. It's the perfect defense for Yao and it almost negates have a talented big man on the court. Especially against small teams that like to run. Movement seems to work best when they swing around the ball and it makes it harder to settle in on Yao but if the other players or not much of a threat than the other team doesn't have to moveto cover Rafer and Battier. The pick nroll has worked some. I think the key is to mix it up constantly and if they are going to front and double Yao you have to get it to the weak side for an open shot and hope some day we shoot better. Afterall if the Rockets can't an open shot we are doomed anyway.

On a side note I am not sure Yao and Tmac or a good match together. I am not favoring one or the other but I always felt that even on a team with multiple superstars one player needed to be the leader and the offense was built around him. The other player could get his shots and at times take over but still the 1 leader principle was what you fell back on in the clutch. Think about it, Mchale and Bird, Magic and Kareem, MJ and Scottie, Hakeem and Clyde, Duncan and Parker. You knew who the leader was on those teams. This Rockets team doesn't have that. I mean Tmac says it's his team but that is not a fact. Nor can anyone truly say Yao is the leader. I don't know how you resolve this. Tmac is not ready to take a back seat and IMO the team should be built around Yao but this fronting stuff can sometimes negate him so what's a coach to do. I don't want to be one of the panic people wanting to trade the whole team but I always felt you built a team around 1 player. This Rocket team does not have a real identity.

 

I have a solution for it.

But in order to communicate my solution, I will need to create diagrams (or preferably, flash animations) and I just don't have time to do that right now.

 

This team doesn't move or cut enough for the defense to worry about fronting Yao.

Beyond Tmac you don't have any guys who can drive to the hole sans Francis who sits on the bench, nor do defenses have to worry about a quick pg either.

It's a shame this team isn't too far off from last year. They realy need to trade for some athleticism and start moving around, get someone who can get to the bucket, shoot i'd trade Shane and Rafer for Maggette in a second.

Only then will teams have to make a decision about fronting Yao. As of right now, they don't have too much more to worry about because we're as bad if not worse than the Bulls with the jumpshooting.

 

You cannot compare these two guys with those others. Yao is not as dominant as the other post players were, and Tmac can be as dominant on offense but the problem is, he's the only person really that can do anything.

We have a useless pg, a SF who can only chuck spot up 3's created by Tmac,and a PF who has no offense, except what Tmac gives them.

You should never ever rely on one player so much.

 

It's pretty simple, the role players have to make their shots. Right now, other teams are DARING them to shoot. If any of our role players are hitting consistently, then the opposing team can't afford to double Yao PRIOR to the catch. Even though Yao is 7'5, he is constantly playing against 13' every night (2 players added together). Obviously as an opposing coach, I would rather give the shot to someone hitting 20-35% than to someone hitting 50% with the ability to foul out my whole front line. And regardless of how aggressive Yao is, it's a moot point when his teammates (including McGrady) are even more timid (not going to the hole). The "SOFTNESS" of the perimeter is affecting Yao indirectly.

 

The Rockets need a point guard that can shoot to play pick & roll with Yao, similar to what Deron Williams and Boozer run.

 

Championships are one with stars. Jordan, Bird, Magic, Shaq, Hakeem, Duncan. Yes those teams had other strong contributors but those teams were built around there star. And for the most part the rest of the team had it's role and knew it well. Under Van Gundy this team was built more for Tmac but that never got us past the first round. Tmac is very talented but he is not A bird Magic or Jordan type player that you can build a team around to win a championship with.

So now you rebuild a team who's emphasis was on D and try to build for Yao? I don't know if that's the answer. Perhaps Yao will never be ready for that role, perhaps the league has changed too much to allow for a big man to be successful, but the one thing for sure is Yao creates open shots for others.

SO a team built around Yao must have shooters. People have to be able to consistenly hit the open shot. Right now we don't have anyone on the team that can do that.

So if you are going to build this team around Yao than you need to bring a Michael Redd are Ray Allen type shooter. You absolutely must surround Yao with shooters to punish the team for doubling him. I thought Mike James would help. I thought Battier would improve. I never thought Rafer would be so horrible. I counted at least 3 losses that Rafer almost single handedly lost. I am not talking about him missing shots I am blaming him cause he took shots that he never should have taken. When he shoots it's like a TO.

Anyway I regress and I am not trying to bash your man Tmac he is clearly a talent but I just don't think he should be the focus and yet maybe Yao shouldn't be either. Or at least this current team with Yao is not the answer. I don't understand why players can't hit open shots but until they can we are doomed. Iwould just close with whatever direction the team goes there should be a decision to built the team around one or the other. Because going back and forth and not being sure who should be your goto man in the 4th is a real problem for this team.

 

The answer to this question is easy. Adelman must talk to Les Alexander about beginning a policy that requires players other than Yao and Tracy to shoot for two to three hours after the game. They don't comply...fine them an amount that is proportional to their daily prortated salary and the % increase the player would need to shoot 100% from the field.

I know this is absurd, but my point is that the answer to the Rockets' offensive woes when Yao is being heavily fronted and TMac constantly doubled is make 'em pay. Sending three players to defend one in basketball is historicaly unconventional to put it modestly. Leaving two players open is not how you keep a team from putting points on the board....but it is against the Rockets. Why????? Because other players don't shoot well enough to "make'em pay" and discourage this defensive tactic. That's why teams are going to it so much. It is working....as long as Rafer, Head, Bonzi, Battier, MJ, and anyone else not name TMac or Yao shoot so terribly. It really isn't hard.

Some say the reason the Rockets offense is struggling at times is because they haven't fully learned the Adelman system. While some truth in this can be found, it's is extremely hard to ignore the fact that so many open shots are consistenly missed. When a player spits the cliche response that the team needs consistency, I think it is safe to say that he is not referring to this kind. But they consistently shoot the ball bad as a team (excluding the superstars). How many layups have you seen Chucky miss this year. What about MJ, Head....how about wide open threes.

Yao will continue to see this until his teammates start hitting shots.

Hell it may subside if we can get even one other guy to make shots on a regular basis.

 

fronting works with yao because he's not good at pushing his defender for position and catching tough passes. guys like shaq and duncan beat fronting by having excellent positioning and great hands. they also can pass out of the double team in an instant. yao will always struggle with fronting nothing will change that.

 

Fronting Yao works because no one else on the court except McGrady can put the ball on the floor and challenge the defense with a drive and strong finish. Long distance standstill spotup shooters only works against 2nd tier teams who don't play a nickels worth of defense or have taller/quicker players rotating to the perimeter spotups...Head, Battier, Alston, etc.

Van Gundy's and Morey's 2006-07 standstill shooters creamed the 2nd tier teams with the strategy. But didn't have any better WC record than the Lakers, Nuggets or Golden State. It's was no accident Utah shut down the perimeter in the playoffs.

 

Gater, you and I have been talking about this for a few years now, when will management get it?

Play V-Span !!!



DD

 

The problem:

If our PG tries to pass in to Yao, the fronting player intercepts the pass. BAD


If our PG tries to float the ball over the fronting player, the pass is too slow and other players converge on Yao before he can catch and shoot.


So... what should we do?

The solution

Begin the play in this position:


T-mac gets a pick from our PG:


The defense is now at a disadvantage and must make a decision. They (basically) have three choices.

If T-Mac's defender tries to go around the pick, he will not arrive in time to block T-Mac's open jumper.


If T-Mac's defender switches assignments with our PG's defender, T-Mac now has a smaller defender on him and must shoot over the smaller defender.


In either of the above situations, the player fronting Yao is compelled to leave Yao and help cover T-Mac. If this happens, T-Mac must pass to an open Yao. If other defenders have converged on Yao, those defenders will have left our other Rocket players open. T-Mac must then pass to the open man, and that open man must catch and shoot quickly.


THIS PLAY IS CONTINGENT ON THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:

1. Our PG's pick for T-Mac must be clean and effective.
2. T-Mac MUST consistently make an open jumper from the corner.
3. T-Mac MUST be able to pass to Yao if the fronting defender leaves him.
4. The pass in to Yao must be fast and in the right place.
5. Yao must be able to catch, shoot, and make it.
6. If other players converge on Yao, T-Mac must be able to get pass off to them.
7. Other players who receive pass MUST make open jumper.
8. All of the above must be done with lightning speed.

If we accomplish this play over and over again, we will burn the opponent and make them pay for their choice to front Yao. They will eventually be forced to change defensive strategy and stop fronting Yao.

HOWEVER.... If we fail at anything listed above, defenders will be successful at shutting down Yao by fronting him. They will force us to beat them with the rest of the team. If the rest of our team doesn't move fast, move smart, and make their open shots, we will fail. If we're sharp enough, we will prevail.

 

Not bad, but you have the defenders guarding Rafer, Battier and Hayes, and they just aren't they are all sagging at the edges of the lane, BEFORE the play even develops.

DD

 

We need to surround Yao and Tmac for that matter, with players that other teams respect. It seems to be becoming easier and easier for other teams to shut out Alston, Battier and Hayes. When that happens, they can front Yao all day.

 

The Rockets did pretty good in the Suns game to beat the fronting by moving Yao around. But the basics are Yao needs his teammates to knock down shoots and penetrate when they are open. Otherwise, nothing will work.

 

We now have James, Francis, and even Synder. These guys can put the ball on the floor. I dont think that's it. The problem is we often dont swing the ball quick enough, and help defense on Yao is pretty good at recovering. I thought JVG somewhat solved the fronting problem last year, did he not? Multiple screens + quick post up. This year should've been easier to solve that problem adding James, Francis, Scola. One thing for sure, other players cannot just stand still watching Yao, they have to move. If Yao isnt effective, I wouldnt be shy to sit him if I were Adelman either to save Yao's energy. The other thing, half of the time Yao wasnt even fronted at low post, he was just standing between low and high. Even if they lobbed to him, there is still a distance from him to the basket which requires one at least one dribble.

 

Tmac takes jumper. Yeah way to go. Tmac can get his shot off in any situation. That's hardly a solution.

I say try getting the ball at elbow to Luis. Starts right there.

 

Or invert the offense with Yao at the top, and Scola or Tmac on the block and when the double team comes hit the crashing Yao for a dunk.

DD

 

We have a winner! Last year, one of the benefits of having Yao bang down low on a continual basis was that he *had* time to set multiple screens, cross the lane, seal off his defender who would lag behind due to all the switch offs, and post-up. However, in RA's offense, Yao;s operating at the elbow so much that he does'nt have the opportunity to set picks and then cross the lane to post-up. He can only attempt to post-up once, which only works if his defender wasn't planning on fronting him anyways.

However, since Yao isn't crossing the lane w/ his defender on his tail, and rather, attempting to post-up on the same side he set his screen - if he even bothered to set one, the defender is already in prime position to front and deny Yao the ball.

Basically, Yao at the high-post doesn't work if we want any kind of meaningful production from him.