[nba.com postgame interview] Yao himself admits he needs more touches

He was very good in season 1, his range can even extend to 3 pointer line. He was pretty good in the late part of the season. He's not bad in this playoffs. Where do you want to be selective from? Most recently, last play, or last year? So those career below 40% shooters should never shoot?

 

Yes his career 20% three point percentage is sparkling.
And if he is so good from midrange, why doesn't he take more in this series? The blazers will give him that shot all day as evidenced in that they leave him open at the top of the key.
If he isn't very good from midrange, why should he start taking them now in the playoffs. In the offseason if he developed a good jumper, I'd be fine with it.

 

did you even watched the game? He got 5 pick and pop opportunities, and he made 3 of them. Why didn't he take more? It's a very good question directed to Rick and our point guard. Pick and Pop is not something Blazers can give him, but rather Rockets.

 

blazers have gotten into yao's head

 

. He didn't make any jumpers yesterday.....Did you watch the game?
What I'm saying is it's a bad idea to do something that didn't work particularly well in the regular season.

 

I listed those 5 pick and pops in another thread, 2-2 in game 1, 1-2 in game 2, 0-1 in game 3. You are absolutely right, he didn't hit that single one yesterday. You were also absolutely right in your previous question - why didn't he get more?

 

All the Rockets need to do to get Yao more touches is have the PF set a screen down low for Yao at the post and have Yao roll to the otherside. The last two games they have been fronting Yao. By doing this it'll get him open. That's all they do. The PF can box in by the post for a rebound. Yao can draw the foul or pass out an open person for a 3pt if they collapse on him. Why doesn't Adleman do that?

 

i can agree with that, but it still comes down to what his teammates do. Before, whether he was doubled or pushed around, we took forever to try and get Yao the ball, often wasting the whole shotclock just trying and then having to force a bad shot. what killed us over and over wasnt so much not getting Yao the ball, it was not knowing what else to do. As long as they know their other options and make use of them like in Game 3, then they can still win games.

 

He could have gotten more. If the rockets pass the ball to Yao in the high post, he will be left alone all the time, as he usually is, so if he wanted that, he'd just have to ask for the ball at that position. But there's a reason the blazers leave him open there, he is just not good enough a mid range jump shooter for them to guard that.

 

he got very few touches because two things, the gameeplan and portland defense, they covered him all the time very well and he was not able to stablish good position almost anytime in the game.

Also the gameplan of not try to forcefeed him and use scola as primary weapon was working so there were no need to force the ball into him, actually when we tried, Portland cut the lead.

I really hope that Yao Ming will be more concerned on winning than in getting more touches.

When Portland adjusts, and cover Scola more, he will be free enough to get his also.

 

The bottom line is that the rox have no gaurds capable of mastering the "art" (shouldn't be very hard for a pro actually) of knowing when to get Yao the ball and then delivering the pass. AB has to be the one of the worst I've ever seen actually. The timing is ALWAYs off and then Yao has to exit the paint b4 the 3 sec call. Good thing Scola made them pay for the doubling last night, but if I was defensing the rox I'd shut down Yao with 2-3 and then take my chances on the others.

 

The lakers will be a problem mainly because of their size, especially now that we dont have deke. I think its actually good for this team to learn to play AND win without Yao's points because the lakers' size may take him out of games by drawing fouls and fronting/doubling him. This is actually great practice for Houston.

 

With every other player in the league, I'd agre with you, but with yao he has to be more selfish and really blast the guards if they don't get him the ball. In the long run, if Yao isn't scoring we can't be an elite team. Hard to score if you don't gte the ball. Oh, and by the way, what the he!! happended to the high post set that they ran to perfection against the Spurs in San Antonio toward the end of the season? Seems like that might be something we'd want to try but i don't remeber them running that set more then 3-5 times all game. Did I miss something?

 

We never try it again, but i think last game was not a good example as Portland covered very well the low post, only the high post was open from time to time. No space for the cutter.

Anyway, i never seen this play again after the Spurs game.

 

Wow, you're possibly the first person to ever claim that Yao's more concerned with "getting his" than winning. All under the guise of pumping up Scola so that Scola can get better stats. Welcome, Clutchfan's first Scola Only Fan!!

 

Yao needs to live on the line if they play him so physical like this. He is not even in the game only taking 7 shots.

 

You are the one reading that, thinking i wanted to say something i didn´t.

I just tell you, that after a win, and after your coach said "He's just got to understand how they're playing him and be patient enough,'' Adelman said. "If they want to take that away and we win the game, so be it.''* you got to understand that "your touches" are not the main concern for the team in this series.

*source http://www.nba.com/games/20090424/PORHOU/recap.html

 

I love lowry and i think he should start over brooks but if you seriously believe that lowry entry pass was a good pass and not something that got away from him then you have terrible judgement, regardless of what kind of analyst you think you are.

BTW, I ain't blaming lowry and I think he's a great fit for the rockets. Passes get away and Yao allowed himself to be fronted way too easily but your bias is showing and it's clear you have an axe to grind.

 

And? I rather 5 other players shot OPEN looks than have Yao end up 3 for 12 and 6 turnovers.

 

I actually think that against the Lakers we have to double Kobe with Artest and Battier, the way we did with Lebron.

Yao will abuse Bynum and Scola can keep Gasol honest.