okay, 2nd thread i've started. tried to get some sleep but couldn't... Heading to Portland, here is the key to the Rockets' fate http://blogs.chron.com/nba/2009/04/heading_to_portland_here_is_th.html this is the blog by feigen after tonight's game. obviously a flash point for us. i know there have been old threads discussing the fronting defense on yao, but i will try to be a bit more blazers-specific here. (and i'm lazy to dig out the old threads.) out of the blazers bigs, i don't think they have enough bodies to front yao. neither of their 2 centers can front yao, so it will be less of an issue. only aldridge can front yao. but if they do that, it will likely reduce his offensive output and aldridge is one of their main weapons. and frankly, i've never understood why we've had so many problems in countering the fronting defense. to me there are a number of things we can do. some examples, depending on the situations on the court - 1, a good lob. it has to be thrown high. a lob pass isn't hard (but maybe a little different when throwing at a 7'6 man? idk). yao can catch the lob. i've seen the rockets have increased numbers of tries lately. if they double quickly after yao catches it, then yao can make a pass to an open man or split the double and shoot the ball himself. 2, the passer either shoots the ball or drives the lane for a layup (or draw a foul), and yao will have a better chance at offensive rebounding. ab, lowry, wafer, even ron and shane can all do this. 3, move the ball swiftly to the middle and play a hi-low. the rockets have had some success in that lately as well. let yao catch the ball in the middle (one of jvg's favorite plays). 4, swing the ball to the other side and do it quickly. either let scola or landry attack or let yao move to the weak side at the same time the ball is swung so that he has the defender at his back. 5, pick-and-roll, our pg with either yao or our pf. (yao is a decent player in a pnr on the offensive side, his midrange j seems to be back a little bit. a pick-and-pop for yao wasn't too shabby in the dallas game.) etc. the key is to have enough patience and trust each other, especially when we're down or portland is making a run. i don't believe our players are selfish (have a little doubt on artest sometimes, i have to admit); it's a patience and trust issue imo. take 50% of the time in the next 3 days in practice and repeat 100 times for each play, and the rockets should do fine. ron, i know you sometimes read this board. you're welcomed to take notes here. will be a plus if you drag ab to take a look, too.
1. Yao cannot catch a lob, not quick enough and will result in several turn overs. The fronting of Yao should be the #1 strategy of any team trying to win a series against the Rockets. The best way I have seen Adelman handle it is by using Yao more on a high pick and roll. And any of the Portland bigs can front Yao. Basically if they use alot of fronting Yao with weakside help Portland wins the series if they don't Houston wins the series it is that simple.
In my opinion , the most important part about attacking the fronting defense is the spacing on the floor. Instead of CROWDING the area where Yao is being fronted with another player at the corner, the rockets should spread the floor out and ensure that the rim is being exposed. The most frustrating thing about this is that the coaching staff had a season to figure this out. Now they will have to try experimenting in a playoff series. There is a proper lob pass, throw it high enough for only yao to catch and the right velocity. At the right Height and Velocity , it will be effective. And for me the best pass or most versatile and flexible passing position is the OVERHEAD PASS.
Just take advantage of all the attention Yao is getting and get some of our other players a good shot, and when they miss...tell the big fella that he is 7 foot FRICKEN 6 inches and should get the offensive rebound sense he is being fronted. The simplist way to beat the fronting defense is with offensive rebounding. DD
The lob seems like the most practical solution, but do you really see Yao getting any help from the refs when the weakside help comes over and competes for the lob against Yao. I don't.
He does need to go after the offensive rebound but it's not that simple.The execution needs to be a lot better. Right now,it becomes totally stagnant. No one even knows what to do when the fronting starts. It's really THAT bad.
Exactly. They waste at least 5 to 10 seconds to figure out if they are even actually going to try to get the ball to Yao, and then it's ring-around-the-perimeter with the ball, . . . and then chuck.
Oh I know....that is because they are too busy trying to remember how to get Yao the danged ball. Screw that.....do something else...let Yao get the ball off the glass. DD
Nice post. There are a number of things that can be done ... maybe that's the problem. Too many options. It's the coach's job to simplify things, if that's what is necessary for this bunch.
if your team is going into the playoffs petrified about a gimmick defense . . . what kind of team do you have? worse still, if your team is going into the playoffs unable to defeat a stupid gimmick defense you've seen at least 80 times this season, what does that say about your chances for success? pathetic.
Yep yep...82 games in...and they still panic against a junk defense that has more holes than Swiss cheese. DD
This series is going to be yet another referendum on Yao Ming. The fronting problem has now stymied two coaches. If the Rockets can't win this series, then it becomes all too clear that they simply can't win with Yao Ming. His strengths are great but his weaknesses may be greater. A franchise player who can't get the ball is not a franchise player. Either way, we're almost certainly married to Yao at this point. Les Alexander is heavily invested in Chinese interests now due to Yao. He's not going to give up his moneymaker. But another superstar is not coming to Houston through free agency or trade, and Ron Artest is not the clutch answer that we'd hoped for. My fear is that fronting will prove to be a foolproof solution to Yao Ming and the Rockets are doomed to be a regular season fantasy until the day that he retires. Even then, the team will have to rebuild...
The best way I have seen them handle a good fronting defense on Yao is to quickly insert Scola and Landry and let Yao take a breather on the bench. Really is a problem because any lob is very risky because Yao lacks quick feet to move to beat the weakside help. When Yao is fronted they have tried to set a pick for him to get to the other side of the post and seal off the defender, but again Yao's lack of quickness has hurt them because it often doesn't get him off the defender and it eats up the shot clock. I think when Yao is fronted in this playoff series we need a very different offensive strategy- go away from Yao, bring him high away from the basket, run plays for artest, scola, landry, brooks or vw Maybe in the playoffs the refs will let Yao use his arms more to seal off his man, they often let it get more physical in the playoffs....
Can't get many rebounds if no one can put up a decent shot before the 24 sec clock expires. I'm not implying that Yao shouldn't try to get the ball off the glass when he can.
the solution to the fronting is clear. No team fronts on a regular basis over the course of the regular season because it screws up everything about the way you defend and rebound. it opens up the rim for any penetrating guard, and opens up a ton of offensive rebounding opportunities. however, the rockets seem all too happy to use it as an excuse to jack up stupid shots and waste time trying to make difficult passes, instead of actually PREPARING to face a fronting defense and abusing the crap out of the team using it. its not a hard defense to beat. its actually a really stupid defense in most cases because it opens up so many easy scoring opportunities for the other team. thats why no team uses it consistently. however, apparently the rockets dont have the offensive discipline necessary to defeat it. its like watching a 12 year old stumble over his words for five minutes trying to ask out the pretty girl next door. it makes you want to scream.
