I think we would all agree that one of the main problems with this Rockets team is that, when they can't get Yao the ball on the initial look to the post (ie because of a sagging zone, man fronting the post, lack of positioning on Yao's part, etc ,etc) the offense stagnates and almost immediately turns into dribble fest 2004 (which is usually followed by SF turnover or bad shot). I kept flipping back and forth to the Lakers and Cavs game tonight, and it seems like Shaq gets more single coverages and better opportunities at the basket than does Yao. Without Kobe and Malone in the lineup tonight, I don't think the Lakers are that much more talented than the Rockets. Can someone break down to me what the Lakers are doing that gets Shaq the better looks at the basket (especially with the Lakers not having their full roster available). Or to rephrase my question...why aren't teams saggin the F down on Shaq like they do to the Rockets on every single freaking trip down the court? Muchos Gracias
i can answer one question...people sag down more on us mainly when cato is in. People know he cant shoot so they leave him open.
well i think its because they have to wait to double shaq most of the time because shaq is a better passer out of the double team. yao takes too long to make his moves therefore opposing teams can harass him. if yao would realize that he can immediately make a move after getting the ball then he would be much much better off. instead he puts his head down and does a few dribbles and then the double comes and his opportunity to score is gone.
refs are unbelievably blind when it comes to noticing the defensive three second violation. you can see it happening pretty much every time that yao is fronted. if it were called every time they'd somehow balance it out for the other team with other calls. their way of controlling the game i guess. to answer your question... i dunno. hp would probably be able to answer questions about sets. mickey b too. suppose teams know that they're not going to stop shaq and rely on stopping his teammates instead.
Remember the national TV game where the announcers were saying after a Yao shoulder offensive foul that lots of other players should be called for that (Shaq comes to mind) on every trip down if the officiating were really impartial.
one should also suspect that Shaq has learned over the years how to sealoff his defender. this is something I have seen Yao improving on...but he still doesnt have it down.
well for one things shaq is a brick wall. when he wants position he gets it and you can't do anything about it. second, when shaq is fronted, he can hold the fronter off with his strength, making it almost impossible for them to jump up and catch the ball. yao doesn't hold his man off as well. third, shaq is more mobile. alot of times yao gets caught off balance leaning on the fronter and if the pass is any beyond his reach, he stays cemented to the floor and doesn't get it. fourth, shaq can jump. that means the guy behind shaq probably won't be able to steal the pass away like they can do to yao. fifth, shaq has a fat ass. he clears so much space around him it's hard to get to the ball. you have to get through shaq's body and then try to reach up where his arm is. it's damn hard. yao almost seems to shrink his body and allow people into his space. sixth, shaq handles double teams well. part of that is the fat ass thing. he's got a big space around him no one can get into, and he just holds the ball above his head with one hand with no fear anyone will reach up and grab it. yao kind of panics, stands straight up, allows people into his body, and then it's very easy to jump up and at least knock the ball loose or at least send yao into panic mode. seventh, when you know shaq is good at handling doubles, it makes it less beneficial to double him and invite wide open 3's. eighth, shaq's pf can shoot. ninth, the lakers have good spacing. tenth, it can't be understated, shaq has a fat ass. that helps a lot.
Rick Fox is a pretty good post entry passer. I think he's an underrated player as he does a lot of stuff that doesn't show up in the box score.
He just doesn't like guys who fire 20 ft jumpers all day. That role is already filled by Mobley and Francis.
eleventh, the refs don't call shaq offensive fouls as much as they do to yao. twelveth, the refs don't call yao's defender fouls as much as they do to shaq's. thirteenth, did i mention shaq has a fat ass. that sure helps a lot.
Yao also has a pretty big ass. He's got tree trunks for thighs. He's not stickin' that big ass in the defender to hold him off. Come on, Yao, take the position. Using his knees and hip to push his defender, (when set behind) he should be pretty strong. If he releases that tension with elbows extended after the catch, he should whack the defender pretty good if he's too close, or has a handful of jersey. That all comes from the legs, with extenion through the spine. When the defender fronts, Yao should body up from behind and then push off and back. This will dislodge the opponent and allow the entry lob pass slightly right or left. Then he has to be a goalie and get it. Rick Fox is a good player, smart, tough, and a good entry passer. We'd be much happier with Yao if he were at the three, and JJ swinging help behind the 2 and 3. The Triangle is a much better set. Shaq gets the ball in the post from much better angles, and the passes are shorter and easier to catch. We make everything too hard with that dribble penetration crap, or trying to come in from the top, or not spacing out. The Triangle is the set we should be using, as it sets a two man game opposite the triangle where your scoring guard and power forward stretch the court. You can run backdoors and swing jumpers, set picks, get cutting lanes, and the center sees the court. It's a great spread set for a passing post and cutters. I don't know why we won't run it. Maybe the guys I want to be cutters are just too dumb and have to do the dribble dance instead of explode like Jordan, either up and at the defender or by him. Maybe they're incapable of the two man game with our power forwards. I dunno. I do know it sucks.
One of the biggest things the Lakers do that we don't is reverse the ball, and use movement to create space between Shaq and the potential double. There are reasons for this, some of which are attributable to Yao, some to his teammates. Here's an example of a play we could run to get Yao single coverage, and why we might have some difficulty with it; Starts out with JJ in right corner, Steve beyond r elbow extended, Yao and Cato at r and l vhposts respectivley, and Cat beyond left elbow extended, JJ with ball. JJ passes to SF, and immediately cuts towards basket. SF either continues rotation to Yao, or if JJ has come free underneath, hits him. Yao also looks for JJ free, but of not cycles ball to Cato and cuts towards hoop at the same time that JJ is coming towards him seeting a cross screen. Ball moves from Cato to Cat, who has entry pass to Yao. Yao should be isolated because of the ball movement and corss cut, and no defender should be able to double in time. If any have cheated early, their man would have been opn to the passers on the perim before the entry. Sounds simple, no? But here are some of the difficulties as they relate to the Rockets: * If Yao comes open rigght off the screen, Cat is delivering a pass to a moving Yao, who doesn't yet receive all that well on the go. * Cato's man will often cheat in, if he sees the play developing, and an open Cato on the perim is not the stuff of opposing coaches' nightmares. Taylor fits this play better, but we pay at the other end. * Yao is really getting better at establishing position against tradtional post defense, but is still weak when the defender comes at him from the side, which would be a natural way an isolated defender would play this sistuation. If Yao learns to seal, this is an easy two, but as is, with his difficulty in exerting force to the side while maintaining a base, extra time is often wasted waiting for him to get an arm clear to receive, allowing for the defense to adjust. * Even when he is established, this play requires an immediate commitment and accuracy to the entry pass, as the isolation is dependant on timing. If the passer hesitates or delievers a soft/vulnerable entry, it becomes moot. Our passers often hesitate, and often deliver poorly. All of this can be improved, but those saying that Yao has to earn it before we commit to him are getting it backwards: we need to commit to the entry pass and learn from there.
Shaq has already proven himself a dominant post player, so teams just let him get his points and force everybody else to beat them. So far, Yao has proven to be an inconsistent post player, so teams sag on him, knowing that the rest of the team is even more inconsistent than Yao, thus the reason the Rockets suck...
You really think so? I think that, when able, teams double Shaq as often as yao, maybe more. It's just that they are less able to do so, due to Laker plays. I rarely see teams just let Shaq get his...
I think we allways give the Lakers problems becuase shaq cant defend Yao right & Steve allways brings his A game when we play the lakers. I really do hope we get to play them in the frist round and beat thier ass's and wipe out all the hope jack ass malone has for a ring
It's amazing how ineffective Shaq looks if he gets the type of defensive attention that Yao seems to get. However, Gary Payton got kicked out, so the Sixers are more than likely wanting to collapse down on Shaq to challenge the other Lakers to beat them.
Shaq scores a lot of points on put backs, often of his own shot. Yao is just not a force on the offensive boards. Also, I get the feeling that Yao knows what he is going to do long before he gets the ball. If they are doubling, he will pass out. Single coverage, he will put it up. I think he needs to be more flexible and mix it up more. Much like Steve misses layups because he is trying to get the foul, I think Yoa misses shot attempts because he is trying to pass. Force them to stop you, then pass.
