Does anyone have a resolution to the opposition fronting Yao?

No doubt. What I showed it just X's and O's. The overall point, however, is that we must force the fronter to either leave Yao to help his team's defense, or stay on Yao and give our player an open shot.

We MUST force that decision on the fronter. We must make them pay for choosing to front Yao. We should build plays similar to the one I listed above and execute them consistently. Only then will defenders decide to stop fronting him.

 

OMR, I usually agree with your posts, and don't let the screen name think anything. I'm a fan of McGrady, but I don't think he's the best ever, and heck no he's not on Magic. Bird, MJ's level, and I don't disagree with you now, but whether or not either guy should be the focus is not the question coming from me.

I'm speaking of this particular team. This team once it traded Francis for Tmac, has always needed slashers as well as shooters.

Thing about our shooters are, they aren't very good, and once the shots don't fall they can't do much else to compensate. Look at Luther Head, the guy is worthless without hitting a wide open 3.

I would love it if the team could build around Yao, but he has some severe limitations in mobility, getting the ball, foul trouble...etc.

You never saw Kareem getting owned in the paint like you saw happened to Yao in the playoffs. The Rockets make it too predictable in getting him the ball in his spots.

Tmac does have closing issues but he never learned those things. He never had a real vet to help him or show him things when he was young, heck until now he still doesn't. I think he should've went to college myself.

That said, its unfair to throw everything on the two stars when CD didn't put any athletes around these guys to help them be successes.

Since he came here, the Rockets have ALWAYS relied on McGrady to do everything, and no team will ever win like that. That's why i think Tmac is overrated. I don't know why teams think they can put average talent around him and make him play the most minutes of anyone in the league, then expect him to work miracles.


I just think our role players, and 3/5 of our starters are hardly intimidating, and don't have enough to win.

 

Gee, with all this information available for free, shouldn't someone send an email to Adelman pronto? Who knew it would be so easy?

Hey Clutch, is there a way to send an invite to Adelman?

 

The solution is easy, but requires better awareness, reaction time, and discipline than this roster currently displays. Really honed post-focused squads like the Spurs and our champ Rockets knew what to do and did it without pause.

When Yao is fronted (with a lurking weakside player edging over to steal the ball from his blindside) and the entry pass is difficult/risky, Yao needs to move to a different post sharply and the ball needs to be swung around just as quickly. This assumes that Yao isn't being fronted within a double team (another defender on his back). Still works but becomes trickier.

There are 2 smart places for him to go, a short but quick move into the middle and the opposite post.

If he gos to the middle he can very easily seal the (previously fronting) defender and be in prime scoring position with a quick pivot after receiving the pass. The trick is, he probably has to be in the lane and so the pass and the following move have to come rapidly.

If he goes to the far post and the ball is swung and delivered with good speed, the defender does not have time to front again - the defender HAS to cover more ground than Yao after Yao has already moved away. Not many people can do this. The trick here is that the opposition may have a decent 4-5 combo where they could switch off. Also, the perimeter ball movement is crucial - and this roster is honestly very slow in that regard. The NBA in general has become very sluggish and poor with ball movement.

There's a bunch of other things to do, but they need to happen before the defender comes in to front Yao. One obvious one is to have Yao post late and gain position through a cross screen or a P&R dive from the high post. The pass to Yao needs to come quickly so the defenders don't have time to swarm. Also, Yao needs to be able to establish his position immediately, something he doesn't always do well.

Evan

 

The premise is that Yao is already fronted, by a boxer like Harrington.

I just dont like the idea Yao gets the ball high. His effectiveness at least reduce by 3 folds there. He doesnt command a double team there.

To me, if half of the defense is focused on Yao, other Rockets must make them pay. The offense should've been so much easier. Getting the ball to Luis at high opens up a lot of options. It's like boxing match, we have to quickly exploit what oppenents gives you.

 

You hit it right there.

 

I posted this before, but let me say it one more time. Yao can catch the ball if the other team players are not focusing on him. Thus, Rockets players should swing the ball player around to take the attention away from Yao.

Yao can
1. Move the guy that's fronting farther away from the basket, giving Yao and the passer more room.

2. Set some back picks for T-mac to flash to basket for an alley hoop jam.

3. Grab more offensive rebounds, like he did against the Kings

 

Hey dude... If you're being sarcastic...

My post wasn't a bash on Adelman. I have no doubt that his playbooks have more and better ways of playing against a fronting defense than my Micky Mouse amateur play description.

I was responding to the original poster who didn't know how a team can play against a fronting defense.

chill out, and quit being so sensitive.

 

Maybe Adelman is just less expereienced than JVG in using prime centers. Who did Adelman have and what did he run for them? Yeah, turn Yao into a Vlade. Maybe we should just rehire JVG if Adelman cant figure it out.

 

The real reason why Yao can't get the ball.

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Another thought, have a 7 footer entry pass to Yao, at least the ball wont go projectile that much as compared with 6'6 guy.

 

The guards exercise shotting air ball and Yao pick up and dunk!

 

This is a good solution and we've been doing it with Scola. Other teams do not front Yao when Luis is in the game. When they do, they pay.

We have also tried this with Tmac down low and Yao high. It's worked pretty well too.

It's not that Adelman does not know what to do. The problem he faces is the personnels he has. When Chuck is in the game, you do not have any choice.

When Yao is doubled in the low block, all Chuck can do is move up to the elbow and set a pick for the guy who is trying to feed Yao. Hardly an effective play, yet Chuck can not do anything else.

We need Chuck for his rebound and defense, we have to put up with his deficiency on offense. What we've seen some and will see more of is that Scola with take more of Chuck's time on the court.

 

But wasn't Bonzi, James & SF3 supposed to be the answer to that strategy this season? So far: Bonzi has been less than horrible (no real surprise as his career is on the downswing) , ditto for James (he looks to be the same MJ) and SF3 showed up out of shape, couldn't contribute and is now hurt. Now add that to the fact that McGrady is mostly a jump shooter now and you have the reason for what you're seeing out on the court.

 

Yao is who he is, an unatheletic 7'6 giant. If you can get the ball to Yao at where he is most effective, he is unstopable, better than anybody in the league. Nobody could remotely guard him, nobody, not Duncan, not Ben Wallace, not Shaq, nobody. It starts with Yao though, he needs to use his head to play the game. He has become too mechanic. He needs to recognize his problem and have counter move to it. Fronted and stand far away from basket like a tree wanting the ball is not going to work. If Yao's smart and his teammates are smart, we can destroy anybody, especially jokes like Warriors and Kings.

 

1. 
   
   The problem is they won't leave Yao if Tmac is not driving to the hoop. Tmac then becomes a jumpshooter which is currently what he is now. He so far has been inconsistent late in games as a jumpshooter. Now if you have him driving to the basket Yao's man will most likely leave him to cover Tmac and then Tmac can pass it back to an open Yao which is a better option than Tmac taking a guarded jumper.

 

nice, with rafer alston this should be heck of an easy task for him

 

I have a solution.....although an unrealistic and slightly innuendo one.....

Ok......whenever someone tries to front Yao, he (Yao) should just bone/dry hump that defender from behind.....deterring any more "frontin' "

Ok sorry that was inappropriate .......

 

There are multiple solutions. The simplest requires getting the ball to Yao on the move, by someone who can shoot, preferablely Tmac. e.g. That one play as diagramed. Tmac should try to pass the ball on the move to Yao, shoot the ball if it's not there, and let Yao try to get the offensive rebound where he has an advantage when defense is fronting him.

 

Also, I have no idea why Yao isn't able to spin off his fronter and away from the weak side helper to catch the ball on the move, at least occasionally.