Too bad all complaints about Yao's touches are not put with as good of an understanding of basketball as this one. As far as trying to find ways to get Yao the ball when he is fronted and doubled, The Warriors were infamous for doing this the last couple seasons. Yao still got some touches, but until this year (and to a lesser extent last year with Scola)we didnt have the pieces around him to make them pay. And he had to work very hard to get those touches.
you just ain't gonna give it up, are you? yes, if tinman wasn't being sarcastic, then he was displaying a loser's mentality imo. others? i know for certain they are mcgrady fans (i used to be one too, mind you), based on my knowledge of their posting history. some may be not. but in any case, i don't generalize them as "mcgrady-only fans". any more questions on mcgrady and his loser's mentality on display?
I honestly think there are some people on this board that believe if Yao scores 20+ points, we will win the game no matter what. These people, which I named "Yao only fans" go on to say things like, "Yao should leave the Rockets" and "Fire Adelman, all you have to do is get Yao the ball, how hard is that" If this isnt you, then you are not one of the people who bother me.
I'm good lol thanks for the clarification. My question was more for you judging his "fans". As for me, I think what Tmac said was pretty stupid also but I just don't think it's a big deal given what he has said in the past. Chalk it up to Tmac being Tmac.
I agree with that, but I could say also that the "other ways" shouldn't exclude looking for ways to get Artest the ball in spots he's comfortable, or Aaron, or Luis. We need to make as many players on the floor a threat as possible when the defense over commits on a particular player. That way we keep them off balance, force them to adjust again, and it will eventually open up more opportunities for Yao. Not necessarily just in the post, but on dump off passes from PnRs and offense rebounds as well. I'm not trying to generalize, but I do get the impression that some people judge the offense almost strictly by how many touches Yao got in the post and how many shots he got off. A good offense needs to be fluid, and can't be judged just on the numbers one individual put up. It's frustrating when your key player gets taken out of games, but the way to counter that is to make other players a threat as well.
again, i've always thought you're a reasonable member here and i wish there were many more like you. and you probably said it better than if i were to say it myself in your last post. my point was, the tolerance of yao-only fans on this board is too low. me personally don't think being a player x-only fan is something wrong, whether that player being yao, mcgrady or anyone else. after all, it's common in sports. and admit it or not, we're all biased in one or another when it comes to sports. and it bothers a little more when sometimes a member has a valid point that happens to have something to do with yao and he's automatically labeled "yao-only fan", while in fact he may be not.
IBM, with 37plus thousand members here the large majority of what you call Yao fans(wont call them only since they cheer on the Rockets as well) are a welcome addition. But again, its that vocal minority of yao fans that dont think about whats best for the team and instigate the issue with the folks here who value whats written on front of the jersey over whats written on the back of it. Many of us longtime Rocket fans tire of the same moans every time Yao appears to them to not be a part of the offense.
Though the Rockets spoke often about the need to attack with other scorers if the Trail Blazers devote multiple defenders to stopping Yao Ming, coach Rick Adelman said it does not mean they cannot still get the ball to Yao inside. “We’re still going to get him the ball," Adelman said. “He’s going to have to understand we may not go to him initially, but if he has patience, they can’t keep fronting him forever. “If he doesn’t get it for four or five possessions, just relax and let us play the game and eventually get him the ball. “I think we can do other things. If they’re going to take him away, we should be able to attack and get good enough things." Said Yao: “I will not be surprised if they front me (today). Now we need to move the ball well, switch the ball from side to side, attack for the other side.” hope i see all the right things happen for us in game 2.
ibm, I pretty much agree with what durvasa said. The best offenses have balance. I mean it would be one thing if yao could drop 35 on teams when they single him, but he's not. He's a good player that can play great for stretches and its nothing wrong with that. This team is better when its flowing like it did the other day. When every problem has a answer fluidly, that's great. Also you brought up the appreciation threads for brooks and deke. Once again, this goes back to children and "what about me ?" syndrome. You're a rockets fan and im sure you remember the 95 finals vs orlando. People were actualling saying Horry was the mvp because of the stat stuffing he was doing. Dream was averaging 32ppg, yet horry is in discussion. When you're a star or superstar, people expect u to play well. When you're a 1st yr pg and u drop 27 and 7 with a high fg%, its unexpected. When you 44 and u have 9rebs and 2 blks in 20mins, that's unepected. All I know is whether yao is here for 5yrs or 5 mins, I will continue to support the squad. I did so when the 2-time mvp was traded, when dream was traded and when they fired or releived rudy t of his duty.
portland is going to front him like crazy now. i was shocked they didn't do that in game 1. but we should still beat this team if yao doesn't get it going. we played just as well when yao was on the bench. the depth and balance on this team is CRAZY. continue to go to scola if yao is fronted. dude is NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE. and AB, do yo thing homie. keep proving me wrong. show rondo and derrick rose, it's the introduction of brooks in this playoffs too baby. keep that balance scoring going and we should be fine v. portland.
Isn't that what happened the other night? They counter punched before the punch. Yao was still looked at, but the team kept playing and yao opened the floor for battier to drive easily to the basket.
Yep. Battier of all people started going to the basket and then Brooks went off. There is a reason teams are reluctant to go to fronting. It can be attacked and exploited and it also can get teams in foul trouble. I remember a game against Golden State in December where Yao busted off 19 points in the 4th quarter after all their bigs fouled out. If the Blazers want to run Oden and Pryzbilla at Yao, good. That will slow down their team on offense. If the Blazers want to put Aldridge, or Channing Frye on him to front Yao then he can clean up on the offensive glass. The key is for the Rockets to be patient and keep on attacking and putting the pressure on the Blazers.
i just hope they let yao move around to try to gain position w/o calling an offensive foul everytime he moves his elbows around...
yeah... kinda of. i think you're a little too much impressed by battier's 2 drives (once in a life time kinda thing, i know). to me yao wasn't on the floor long enough for me to comfortably say we are now good at beating the fronting defense. to borrow a legal term, the evidence is not conclusive. after all, we still had some 24-sec violations and some stagnant possessions. and after yao got off the floor, it's our jumpers that went off (mainly from ron, scola and brook's 3's); and jumpers can be streaky. i certainly hope they've found good ways to counter and defeat this fronting crap, or at least become a lot better at it. but i have my doubts. the mavs game is not that far away. i just need to see more evidence of it, hopefully starting from game 2.
I think what makes Battier's drives so impressive isnt just that he did it. Its that there was NOBODY near him other than his man because they were all over on the other side with Yao. The space created by the defense tunnelvisioning Yao. Thats what was so impressive with it. Ya know what, they sure took Yao out of the play. They were so vulnerable in doing it that a guy who usually sits in the corner shooting 3s and throwing the ball into Yao burned his man and got all the way to the rim for 4 points on 2 plays. Also, the stagnating offense and turnovers happened after Yao went to the bench. I dont have a problem with a guy that shoots 50% from the field taking very easy and makeable 16 foot jumpers off a pick n pop from the point guard. Brooks got at least 3 dimes from that situation alone in the 2nd half.
Yes, sir! How difficult is that to understand, I wonder? That's what the Rockets' coaches and players meant when they have been saying all season that we've to take what the other team gives us. It's just common sense to take the route of lowest resistance. And that includes going to Yao when they're playing him one-on-one. But when they're double- or triple-teaming him, we've other options instead of banging our heads against the wall. And that was why Alston was traded although I've to admit that I was just as surprised as everyone else when that was done mid-season. We can talk all day about Rafer's and Aaron's relative strenghts and weaknesses, but what we really needed were Brooks' and Lowry's offensive abilities on the floor. We already have one offensive non-factor in the team - we can't afford to have two.
Totally agree. The rest of the team has to step it up and attack the basket if Yao is fronted and force the Blazers from sagging back on Yao. Artest needs to take it to the hoop instead of settling for jump shots especially to free up the middle. Yao also needs to look for the offensive rebound a lot especially if he has a smaller player behind him. If the Rockets can't get the entry pass to Yao because of fronting the best way to get him touches might just be having him get put backs. I'm also wondering if we're going to see Adelman slide Yao out to the high post like he did in the last Spurs game to add another wrinkle to the offense. I can see if Oden starts asserting himself defensively pulling Yao out to the high post might make Oden irrelevant on defense while Yao is still a decent enough passer and outside shooter to still contribute.
