Macbeth, I really envy you because no one has yet called you a Yao-only for starting this kind of thread. Guess your name is too English and you probably not posting from China.
I didn't see the game tonight, so I can't say this didn't happen, and it would explain things. That said, I have never seen this kind of thing happen before, but then again, I've never seen a Yao type of player before. If this is accurate, it's a big problem, unless it was sanctioned by JVG. If you are building an offensive sheme around particular talents, and one of those talents decides to counter your own scheme without even costing the defense a double, it's amazingly destrctive. There used to be a player named Derrick McKey, played for the Sonics and Pacers. When he came in the league, I thought he was going to be an absolute stud; for those of you who never saw him play in his prime, picture a combination of Webber's offense, early Rodman defense, and Manning court vision, although slightly less than each. He could defend 1 through 5 effectively, could make every shot, rebound, make great passes, etc. And some of you have never even heard of him, and some others barely remember a role player with the Reggie Miller Pacers...and the reason is, he simply wouldn't dominate. Not couldn't...every coach he had admitted he could have if he wanted to...he just wouldn't. He'd draw back from the glare of the spotlight, and it was a pattern that was never corrected. If this is what Yao was doing tonight, beyond the damage it does to the gameplan, it's something JVG has to address and quick. Being the star Yao should be will take more than being able to dominate, it will take being willing to dominate, and pulling yourself out of effective position to massage teammates' egos is the wrong direction, as 'nice' as the motivations amy be.
Sam...Interesting quote. Again, I was going on the announcers account of Yao being singled and still not getting the ball, but it's possible that's wrong. Also, again, though, I have seen it happen myself in other games where Yao was hot. And, as an aside if you are doubling TWO players, you are commiting suicide, unless the 3rd down guys are absolute stiffs, which ours aren't. If MD was saying this, yet another reason I am happy we didn't hire him.
Well said, and appreciated, but please don't try to involve me in an argument between you and Sam, as, for one thing, Sam and I are friends.
Miche... Please don't ruin an excellent response post with a Parthian shot like that. I have never seen Sam as being narrow minded, but that's aside. If you two have a long standing antipathy, please don;t drag it into this thread, especially as you obviously have so much to bring to the discussion worth hearing. I didn't see Sam getting personal, or did I miss something?
Agreed. I have never understood the results-only mentality. We all agree that we played stupidly against Toronto. JVG said as much. Had Bosh missed his three, we'd have won. Would that have somehow invalidated all the criticism of HOW we played!?!? I don't get it...
I am sorry if I give you that impression . Actally I try to make friends with all BBSers on this board. I hope it doesn't get personal. I have to iterate that I want Rox winning more, win it smoothly, easily and beautifully (little hope under JVG's system). But at least they can win it smarter.
I really wish Cat could just come off the bench as the 6th man. Divide up all the touches between Yao and Francis for the first 10min of the 1st and 3rd quarters and then bring Cat in and let him fire away. This would allow each of these 3 players to get into offensive rhythm with consistent touches. And then the guards won't feel the need to force up shots to try and get themselves going. By the time the 4th Q comes along, each of the Big 3 will have already gotten hot at some point in the game and the defense will have to pick their poison. I really feel this is the only way these 3 scorers are going to be able to co-exist given the type of offense JVG is using. If his offensive philosophy was designed around plays attempting to get open looks for specific players, then it would be easier for them to co-exist on offense. But as it stands, the offensive system is predicated on drawing a double and then allowing the defense to choose who gets the open looks. One of the problems with this is that defenses are very clever and continuously change up who gets to shoot. So because of this Francis and Mobley are never really sure of when or where their next shot will come from - hence the ignoring and waiving off of the 7'6" Panda under the basket.
I'm not saying that Steve and Cat aren't part of the cause...I am saying that saying they are doing so simply to inflate their own egos is, IMO, way off base. From every account I have heard of those in the locker room, etc. with Steve, he lives and dies with winning...it's simply that he still thinks that Steve shooting = best route to winning too often. People confuse that with thinking that Steve cares more about shooting than winning. They used to make that same assumption about Marbury. I don;t think it was accurate about Marbury any more than it's accurate about Steve.
With some obvious reservations, which I addressed in other responses, I thinkyou have gone a long way here to explaing some of the problem left unaccounted for by the explanations I gave, although I still feel that there are too many times where, for example, it wouldn;t take extreme skill to get Yao the ball, yet it still doesn't happen.
I am new here, but I am really surprised your attitude toward the other posters. I mean no one forces you to read or reply to this thread, but why you ask the others to stop a thread they are interested in? You have the freedom to read and reply the threads you are interested in, like uniform or announcer, etc., while the others have their freedom to read this thread and reply here. What the heck of "lets go back to debating uniforms and the Rockets annoucner, shall we?" Whom you think you are? Internet police? To answer your "shall we?", I say NO!
That was a joke, I was just kidding about them being co-dependent. I should have put on a or a or a . I was kidding, I hate talking about uniforms or announcers. No problem though.
TOTALLY agree. To me, solution number one to our problems on offense is to let everyone and their brother know that our offense runs thorugh Yao and Steve, and everyone else has to get theirs working off of those two. I want Steve AND Yao to shoot a lot more. And Cat would, in that kind of offense, be best used as a Micorwave guy off of the bench, so that when he's in the game his best asset, scoring, isn't relegated to being a distant 3rd option. Brinhg him in when Steve or Yao are resting, struggling, etc., and let him do his thing. Not fewer mintes, just distributed differently. I'd put AG at the 3 and JJ at the 2 in the opeing lineup if and when AG recovers.
I mean there is definitely two or three possessions each game that let's say Cat (not to single him out or anything) could get the ball to Yao, but makes an easier move such as swing the ball for a jumper or pull up for one himself. Yao would clearly have had an easier shot. Whether it's selfishness or just bad decision making it happens. And it happens several times a game. The defense is trying to take Yao out, but it NEVER suceeds in taking him out EVERY possession. On those possessions that he can catch it close, it's the guards' duty to get it to him. And sometimes they don't do that. Again this is like maybe 4-5 times a game. When they start doing that, that'll go a long way to solving the problem. But there's definitely much more than that to be solved.
It's possible that there are other reasons. On the other hand, it's possible that, were I Asian, assumptions about me would be made by others just as easily as it would seem you have made them here.
In my opinion, this is the single most important reason. The Rockets need to figure out creative ways to get Yao the ball in the paint. Right now, it's pretty much post him up and if he's double-teamed, he passes out and that's all he sees of the ball. If you can't get him the ball in the post or if he has to pass it out because of a double-team, then move the ball around quickly, penetrate, etc. but still find a way to get him to finish the possession as much as possible.
