I have noticed a lot when Yao is positioning in the post and Oden/Crapzilla front him, he would just let them do it. It seems like he doesn't have the physical strength to try to get in front of them. Has anyone else noticed this? Yao needs a personal trainer to bulk up his upper body to physically move these bums who front.
Yao made an effort to lose weight to take the stress off his feet. From what I have seen over the years the Rockets strength training seems to be focused on adding bulk which I am not sure is always ideal for everyone. I do agree though, Yao was more forceful when he was heavier.
He's plenty big and strong enough but to bang with 2 guys all night long isn't easy, you have to conserve your energy. I've heard Pryzbilla and Nene of the Nuggets say they're exhausted after banging with Yao all game. I think it makes more sense for Yao not to fight the fronts but to use more motion to slip the fronts, move side to side, use cross screens, go to the high post, mix it up.
It seems easier to get foul calls when he doesn't struggle with them as much.. however, it's harder to get him the ball.
they weren't running the plays through Yao.. AB needs to realize that the offense starts with Yao. He is the only rockets that demands a double so if he doesn't touch the ball then the offense will become stagnent.
Yao needs to learn the secret trade of Deke's elbow. throw some elbows around and let see if the average joel and oden would even dare to approach him. This is why Yao short coming. we are know the refs are given this Game 5 away to Portlands, why not used this opportunity to draw some fould or frag 1 by throwing some elbows around? Kick some butts, make your statement. we are losing anyway, use this opportunity to set up the tone for game 6.
... adelman mentioned that he wanted yao to stop fighting so hard for position so it was easier for refs to tell that portland was commiting a foul.
That's not going to happen at this stage. It's not so much about strength, his defender is always quicker than him.
If that's the case, he needs to have Scola/Landry/Hayes come from the other side, screen off Oden/Crapzilla and post up Aldridge or whoever is playing PF. There needs to be a solution for this crap...
Why doesn't make Yao use pull the chair tactic on these fools who are fronting him. Yao needs to make them pay in some way for fronting him.
Three reasons: 1. Yao has been exhausted in this series. AD needs to be smart to control his time. But it is difficult since we lose Deke. 2. Sometimes the ball was not passed to Yao, even though he has got a good position. I remember VGD used to say that Yao needs to touch and shoot in the beginning of the game. Then he can do good in the whole game. He is not kind of the plug-and-play player. If the ball does not rotates around him, he will lose efficiency quickly. 3. AD try to use Yao as a bait in the current offense system. Because this team can not pass the ball to him based on the passing ability of our current players. BTW: So many times we saw that rocket stopped to let the hot-handed player to shoot the ball, like Yao, like Scola. This is just AD's offense style. He wants team attack. But this is playoff and we are not a very gifted team. At least, the team need to be more clear who can finish the game at the 4th quarter.
Yao doesn't know how to seal his man...bottom line. He goes RIGHT INTO his man instead of walking up the middle of the court, get to a spot right left or right of the free throw line and quickly spin around to face the entry pass. Olajuwon did it ALL THE TIME and he is 40 lbs lighter. So did Ewing. So did Robinson. So does Howard now.
to me it seemed like there were many plays where he was fronted and he would want battier to get a pass in the far corner. yao then had either center sealed off in front where he had a clear cut to the rim. that much was clear, but either brooks or ron didn't pass battier the ball and went to the weak side.
In fair-call conditions, Yao at present day doesn't have problem knocking off any other center in the league. The problem is the grabbing and pushing right under the noses of the refs. If Yao pushes back, he gets an offensive foul.
I think RA's approach is IF Yao is fronted, so be it and we'll attack other ways. It's a problem he can't solve and prefers to not solve and use our #2,3 options. I think Steve Smith made a point that why not use the triangle to get Yao the ball? If he is fronted, just pass to the corner and Yao has a wide open lane to the hoop.
adelman wants him to take it easy and not go into a wrestling match, remember? it's better to catch the ball in the move. that, plus the potential offensive calls.
what i dont get is when yao is fronted. he keeps his position being fronted while holding up one arm just calling for the ball. our players aren't going to pass to yao being fronted 95% of the time. i dont know if yao understands that. once he is fronted, he needs to get out of the lane because its useless trying to get him the ball.
