JVG it's not working! why make yao set picks?

I was so hoping with the signing of Swift that Yao was through with the pick setting at the 3 point line. In my opinion, that should be Swift's job. He comes out and sets the pick for the guard. Yao posts up. Guard then has choice to drive, pass to Yao, or take the pull up jumper, or if TMac has the ball and the defense runs at him swing it to the opposite corner for a 3 pointer by.............................Head!! So simple.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why Yao has to set those picks out there. Why can't the PF do it? Why can't Rybo do it? Can nobody else on this whole team set a durn pick?

I have tried to accept Van Gundy's contention that Yao has to show on the pick and roll defensively for the Rox defense to work. I don't like it. I don't understand it entirely but I've come to learn to accept it.

But I cannot accept Yao setting all those durn picks on the offensive end. That just totally sux. The only picks I want him setting is at the top of the key when him and TMac are running the pick and roll, a set play designed to get one of our two best players a shot. Other than that, Howard/Swift/Rybo/Baxter should be setting them and the most mobile and athletic one of that bunch would be Swift. Then left Swift dive to the hole for the offensive board or the alley oop. Put Swift in the most natural position for him to score..........going to the bucket. And put Yao in the most natural position for him to score..........on the block with the ball and his dribble available to him. It gives him options, options, options........the jump hook, the Shanghai shake, the turn around jumper, or some combo of the above......or let the defense collapse and look for Swift going to the rack or the guard spotted up on the 3 line.

So the defense is fronting him.....Swift comes over and sets the screen for the guard. Guard penetrates and Yao turns and faces the bucket. Simple Simon. Guard gets layup, dumpoff, or takes a running shot with Yao facing the bucket and his defender sealed for the putback.......or Swift is headed to the rack for the alley oop or the putback.

Can somebody please explain to me in real simple terms why Yao is setting those picks out there for Derek Anderson and David Wesley and Moochie and whoever else?

 

Good post.

Come to think of it, JVG seems to play Yao in PnR situations akin to Jerry Sloan with Malone back in the day. But is Yao faster than Malone? Or better in the post? The other question is who's Yao's other half? Malone has Stockton. Who's Yao supposed to play PnR with? I actually thought SF3 back in the day was VERY effective with Yao in PnR - even hitting a few clutch baskets using that very play. SF3 wasn't the best of shooters but if not Alston or DA, then who? Head?

theSAGE

 

You know, PnR with Head is not a bad idea. Unlike the other guards and besides T-Mac, Head is a playmaker who can hit the outside shot consistently or drive to the basket. Best case senario would be for Yao to only PnR with T-Mac or Head and no one else but that is unlikely to happen.

 

I've already vented on Yao's PnRs 30 feet from the basket. Someone answer me this: What is the point of a PnR when neither player is a threat to score? In the playoffs, what made it work was Tracy attacked the basket and forced the issue. That isn't what is happening now.

Like everybody else, I've got about 10 ideas to get the 1/2 court offense moving but I'm not gonna take 20-30 minutes laying it out here. The one thing I will say is we must attack the basket more to create opportunities. Tracy is great at it but he's not playing. Luther is pretty good at it, makes a lot of mistakes, but will get better. DA can do it and should do it more instead of taking so many fadeaway shots. Obviously Rafer can do it but he just won't, which completely puzzles me.

Like I just said in another post, when Tracy gets back and plays 20 or so consecutive games, a lot of problems could be solved. But JVG still has to make some changes in the scheme IMO.

 

It seems everybody can see this stupid Yao-setting-up-picks-for-EVERYONE thing except JVG. He MUST have some brilliant ideas and rationale behind it. Can anybody find a way to communicate with him and get his reasons out?

 

although YAO only got 8 pts tonight, but I think YAO was not in the game plan even. we play SUNS tempo, and no way we could seal the win

 

I wouldn't mind Yao setting all those picks if he would get the ball back occasionally! I want to see Yao running the pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop with someone, not just set a pick that our slow guards can't properly take advantage of anyway.

 

The PnR did not die when Stockton retired. Nash and Amare killed teams with it last year. Every NBA team runs it and you'll find dozens if not hundreds of articles on how to defend it if you Google "pick and roll" and "NBA".

That said, other than the Hawks there's probably not an NBA team that executes a PnR worse than Houston. Luther Head appears to be the only Rocket who can get around the pick quickly enough to get off a shot. (Perhaps you missed Walton's criticism of how wide the Rockets' PG's circle around the pick?).

When you have a team of spot up perimeter shooters who aren't hitting in the half court set and you're not forcing transition tempo enough to get defensive mismatches and the opponent places a defender in front of and in back of your center in the low block while totally ignoring Ryan Bowen and you didn't kidnap Pete Carill from the Kings 3 years ago to teach your team motion offense...the options get sort of limited.

 

So maybe Gundy needs an assistant who understands offense and runs the offense? I like that idea!

This is the basketball version of watching Marty Schottenheimer try to run an offense.....

 

Adelman and Carill's Kings are currently 5-7. I suppose it's too big a leap of faith to think the offense will look better when a certain Top 5 player returns?

 

I'm a big fan of JVG, and I honestly think he can lead the Rockets to a championship one day. But until he stops forcing Yao 20 feet from the basket every play setting (often) useless picks that any scrub could set, the Rockets are going nowhere.

Yao should never -- NEVER -- venture more than 10 feet from the hoop on offense. Yes, high screens and pick-and-rolls can be effective, but they negate any advantage Yao has. He doesn't know how to roll, he usually misreads the defense, he's often sucking wind, and it removes him from any rebounding opportunies.

I get JVG's offense and, yes, it runs better with TMac. But, dude, you gotta mold your offense to your talent, not the other way around.

 

PnR doesn't work with the Picker is not an offensive threat

Swift has not shown a consistant jumper yet

So Juwon maybe the best option for this

over Ming

Rocket River

 

trade Yao.

 

Even though Swift is dumb as a rock, he should be able to set a teeth-rattling pick. That's the power forward's job. Yao should never be out there. It doesn't even half to be a pick and roll - it could be just a simple screen for a curl. That gets our slow moving shooters a look.


JVG is a donkey.

 

The thing that annoys me most is that Yao rolls BLINDLY to the basket. He doesn't even look for the ball. The other night, the ball came and hit him in the chest. What kind of pick and roll is it if the guard is not really looking to attack and the center is not even looking for a pass?

 

Yao doesn't look for the ball because he never gets it. Yao should only run pick-n-roll with T-Mac, the only working combo right now. Yao should also set the pick when he's running up the court, not going back and forth from the post to the outside then back to the post.

 

Has it ever occured to anyone that the opposing center is slower than the power forward, thus making it easier for our guards to get by them and get a shot off or penetrate? Or the fact that the defense has to rotate on PnR's, forcing them to run behind Yao instead of fronting him, denying him the ball?

 

My source told me JVG is just jealous that Yao has more hair than he does.