I watched the Rockets game and I kept thinking to myself there has got to be a better way to utilize Yao and TMac. These are 2 of the most dominant players in the league and they just looked average to good to even bad at times. So I am thinking somehow they have got to make it easier for each other and then the Lakers Game came on and I watched how Rudy was using Kobe. He let Kobe handle the ball 80-90 % of the time. And when Kobe got doubled which he almost always did then Kobe immediately found the open man. Rudy has got the Lakers playing as unit. It was Rudy's motion offense refined. And Kobe ran it to almost perfection. It started with Kobe and he was smart enough to understand if he is double teamed than some one else is open. That someone else was Mihm Last night but there were others as well. Denver had to pick there poison. Let Kobe kill them or the let some no name kill them. I think this offense could work with Tmac as well, provided he understands the concept. You have the ball and if they decide to play you one and one then make them pay and if they double you then pass to an open man preferably Yao and if they double Yao then pass it out to an open Jackson or MoT or back to Mcgrady. But keep the ball in motion until you find that open shot. By keeping the ball in McGrady's hands then they will have to decide to play him one on one which is insane or double him leaving one less player to guard Yao. McGrady is a superstar . He can do this. The key is to not force anything take what the defense gives you. Rudy and the Lakers made it look easy last night. Maybe JVG will watch a Laker game and do the same.
I hate to say this but there is only one offense Yao is capable of running and that is a very slowed down version of the dump it down from yester-year, and I must admit I do not know the best way to utilize a player like TMAC in that type of system. I am hoping Tracy is good enough to transcend this dilema and I think he is but it is going to take time. Bottom line is Yao is a liability if the offense is not run directly through him and he is not scoring on 60% of those touches.
The Lakers played Denver in L.A last night. The Rockets played Detroit in Detroit. The rockets and the offense needs some time. They played one of the best defenses in all of basketball last night. For me it is just to early in the season to judge and compare.
It sure was bitter sweet.... Bush wins...... Rox lose and are not entertaining.... Rudy T's new team looks good..... (upset because his offense looked so much better than our game)
We would be wise to make TMac the first option on offense. Yao will be a very good 2nd. Also if we go to the low post do it early in the shot clock when Yao first fights for position. I hate it when we wait till he is pushed 5 ft. off the block to get the entry pass to him. Why can't our point guards make the low post entry pass? Come across the time line drive to the side Yao sets up on and fire the pass in there. Don't be afraid of a turnover. Do it until we can do it. Then if it just isn't there for Yao get the ball in TMacs hands either posting up or pick n roll or top of the key. Let the man break down his man, clear out for him. If Tmac is doubled he is a very good passer, someone will be open. FREE the ROCKETS
I am not denying the level of competition was different only that the offense doesn't utilize or best players. That is all. Mcgrady needs the ball more and Jackson less. It is ridculous to have Mcgrady standing around while Jackson tries to create. That is worst than having Francis trying to create while Yao runs screens all day. Give the ball to your best players and trust them to make intelligent plays. That is all I am saying. But don't underestimate what the Lakers accomplished last night either. Tehy are a completely new team trying to learn a completely new ffense moreso than Houston. Denver is being projected as a top team by many, just a step below SA and Minny and the Lakers are projected to be lottery bound. But clearly that will not happen with Kobe playmaking and Rudy coaching. Not only did there offense look pretty damn good for a team with 9 new players and losing the most dominant offensive player in the league. But their defense looked excellent against the 5th best offensive team in the league last year. They actually outran them and shutdown Denvers fastbreak 20-4.
I dont know if anybody noticed this play... but on one instance last nite Yao and Tracy did a pick and roll and yao was wide open in the corner. He missed the shot but this is a perfect play for Yao and Tracy. If they collapse on Tracy, Yao is going to nail that 10 footer most of the time. If they switch tracy can either nail that 15 footer over a center or drive past the center for a lay up or pass to an open teammate or Yao can post up a guard. In any case, I agree the ball needs to be in Tracy's hands more and the rockets need to pick and roll opponents to death
Old Man Rock I totally agree with alot of what your saying on utilizing T-Mac and Yao. I think it will be alot easier for Van Gundy access and make some changes in the offense with more games under their belt. The Lakers are one of my darkhorses in the west, infact I wouldn't be surprised to see them get a better record than the Nuggets especially after losing Vashon Leonard for the season. I believe the Nuggets are very young and talented, also I think they snuck up on alot of teams last season. By the way what was the thinking behind fronting Chis Mihm last night, they made him look like an allstar. Since when did he become a back to the basket type threat.
Even if Rudy was coaching, if our guys missed as many WIDE OPEN shots as they did last night we still wouldn't have won. I know guys want to blame JVG and his slow offense for this(I'm thinking we won't see you guys much when we win) but look at the percentages...Yao had many open shots that he usually makes but clanked them(Hell, even FTs)...T-mac too. I thought we'd lose this game b/c we're still trying to gel and Detroit wasn't going to make it any easier for us. The thing that bothered me the most was Yao's lack of aggression. He was very good on the boards, but that was it. The dude needs to get more aggressive in the paint on offense and throw those elbows around more when guys are swatting at his head. I guess he doesn't mind getting pimp-slapped by little guards...I don't know, maybe the left elbow hurts more than we know.
Yeah, I saw it. Why we're not running pick and rolls just about every damn time we bring it down, I dunno. TMac also made a good move on a "pick and roll" with Juwan Howard. He gestured Howard to set a pick on his left hand side. When it came, TMac saw his defender lean on the pick so TMac went to his right and they were forced to foul. I swear, you pick TMac's guy off him just for a second and the defense will go frantic trying to rotate.
i think jvg's offense does a bad job of utilizing talent. like OMR said, yao set way too many screens i thought last year. tmac or yao should never not touch the ball on an offensive set if they're both in. and if only one is in, then the possessions should be few and far between where the one who is in doesn't touch it. how often did the lakers ever not give it to kobe or shaq? jvg seems to like spreading the scoring around. i liked seeing the lakers when shaq would have 30, kobe would have 35, and everyone else would have 30 combined. because that was unstoppable dominance and it wears on you mentally i think. anyway, after watching us last night, i feel like my prediction of 48 wins is about right. and after watching the lakers, they don't look like they could win much more than 46. i'll say 45. they still had too much trouble rebounding b/c of a lack of size and denver seemed to be missing shots and playing lax D for a lot of the game. still, they looked quite impressive for having atkins and mihm be two of their starters (but it was nice to see mihm have a great game).
You guys kill me sometimes.........DOOM AND GLOOM ON THE GARM!!!! Its one game and if our shot would have fallen (for all players) we would have blown out Detroit. We shot like 20% in the first quarter, not because of bad shot selection but just missed shots off the front of the iron, which means the legs are tired from JVG running them to death in practice. On top of that we played the team who is the defending champs on the night they got their rings in their home court AND they have the best rated defense in the league.....lol High morals won the presidency thank goodness and T-Mac and Yao will right the Rockets.......just give'em time.
