The Bulls didn't front. It's that simple really. If he can get the ball with some room to work, he'll abuse the other team everytime. I'm not sure why they didn't front.
I think Yao is going thru some tough emotional stress fighting within himself to become more consistently aggressive - turning to the dark side and letting his anger flow more - it is not natural for him. Nicest guy in the world but for 48 minutes a night he needs to become a jerk to opponents, refs and teammates and it is just not natural for him, so he is stressing internally.
That's strange. And if they did it, I guess the old story would have happened again. Yao couldn't touch the ball the whole night. I didn't see what JVG figured out for this oldddddddddddddd problem. Sad! So basicly I don't think Yao will give the 30points show so much.
I don't think Yao Ming was the reason he decided to play so well in the 4th quarter tonight. So "tonight's Ming" didn't decide to to show up. He's always tried to play productively every game. The Bulls decided not to front him. At least that is what I saw. Maybe they were tired after the back to back. Can you ever see Yao Ming dominating a 4th quarter against the Grizzlies, the team that probably plays the best defense on him in the NBA? A Memphis team that always fronts Yao.
I am longing for the day when the NBA makes 'fronting' illegal. They legalized zone defense to make life more difficult for the big guys in the paint. It's about them they do something to help out the big guys now.
actually most of it is probably caused by JVG.. I remember Yao played more loose when Rudy was in charge..
Everyone who is loosing comes into this stage. I just hope, they (Rox) don't fall into the next stage: loss of will.
I think Yao failed a lot this game. BUT, he didn't let it affect him mentally. He believed in his offensive game and DIRECTED TRAFFIC. Playing ball sometimes, I wonder why I pass it to ball hoggs. There is something about them that makes you feel compelled to pass the ball to them. Clapping of the hands. A glare. Yao needs to stop being reactive. He is wired like this: he asks for the ball, and when his 4 teammates decide not to, he sets a pick. Picks help sometimes. But what we need is Yao to play proactively and with determination as he did against the Bulls.
Every dog has his day Phil Jackson said Ming's improvement would be incremental. I guess he was correct. Dont expect Ming suddenly break out into a superstar. I think he needs to play a supporting role for sometime.
For some reason, I don't think JVG is using him well at all. There's ways to beat hte fronting defense, you just have to work on positioning and add some more motions to your offense, and have the passer and receiver work on their timing a lot. I guess those things will come in time. As soon as we achieve the kind of efficience back when Lakers can find Shaq almost every time with perfect timing for that entry pass, we'll be hard to stop. There's a lot of upsides on this team, that's why any wise fans will pick Rockets to be a powerhouse. No doubt Yao has played well against teams that decide to not front him. I really think Yao has the most difficult job in the NBA right now, being the other team's sole defensive assignment all the time, with the refs on his ass all the time, opponent that defend him can basically get away with murder. Try to play a lot of minutes, setting useless picks, try to play well both defensively and score some points for the team. With the fans and media riding him hard and being the easiest target for blame for every damn loss.
I personally thought the answer was simple. Yao needs to make his move fast. Seems like he waits for the double team now. Why Wait. Just go. Half the time he was kicking it out to moochie and Bowen. I mean who cares if they are open. What is the point. Go quick. Most of the Centers will have a hard time anticipating his quickness. A few can, but most won't. He seemed to unveil a "new" move last night which was more reminiscent of Hakeem dream shake. Fake one way, go back the other. Pretty much unstoppable at his height unless they double. But if he moves fast enough double will result in a foul. I liked the quickness. I liked the fact he wanted the shot. I was tired of him waiting for the defense to clear before making a move. There seemed no point to that ( for Yao ) in my opinion.
That was a really nice move by Yao. It seemed to hurt like hell because of the ankle, but he should be uncorking that all the time. It's going to mean a bucket or a trip to the line. Good call.
I think Yao is more comfortable playing against certain players, mentally. Tyson and Yao have a little history playing against each other, before the NBA, I believe. Maybe it was like a friend vs. friend scenario. Maybe if Yao goes against some bully thug jerks, he is mentally taken out of the game by the intimidation. Maybe........ The lack of fronting defense is probably the biggest factor though.
For those of you arguing that it was just about "fronting," and Ming couldn't get the ball, well, in the first half when he got the ball he did not make aggressive moves to the basket like in the fourth quarter. In the fourth, he determined that it was going in the hole, period. And it did. Why not start out with that kind of aggressiveness?
JVG needs to free Yao. Let him do his Shanghai shakes, his mid-range J and over the head passes. I really miss the days when Yao dominated Spurs' twin tower...
I didn't get to see this game, so I really need to look at video of the 4th quarter before reaching any conclusions. But your description sounds a lot like the 4th quarter of Game 7 in Dallas, when Yao looked really mad and determined and made himself virtually unstoppable. Maybe there's something about desperation or humiliation that finally ignites that weak little pilot light of his.
Fronting, and denying the ball, Yao will become useless. Rockets just can not solve the problems. Yao need the ball to be effective. If not, he would become lost, confused. Playing without a heart is really overrated for Yao.
