Some think Shaq and Yao need more shot attempts, but do they? Shooting Range By Bryan Williams Watch Shaq take on Yao as the Lakers visit the Rockets (9 ET, ESPN) tonight! SECAUCUS, N.J., March 26 -- One criticism both the Lakers and Rockets have faced this season is that they often don't involve their centers enough in their offense. Between L.A.'s Kobe Bryant (23.8 shots per game) and Houston's Steve Francis (16.3) and Cuttino Mobley (14.9), it's not unusual for these teams to take several trips down the floor without Shaquille O'Neal or Yao Ming even getting a touch in the post, a strategy that seems counterintuitive considering both rank with the league leaders in field-goal percentage. But do these teams really need to get Shaq and Yao extra shots in order to be successful? First, let's take a look at how each of the big men figures into his squad's offense on average: Yao and Shaq haven't played against one another since the Rockets' overtime win on Jan. 17. Jamie Squire/NBAE/Getty Images PLAYER SHOTS/GM (PCT) FG% (NBA RANK) O'Neal 18.1 (21.6) 56.3 (First) Yao 9.8 (12.4) 51.7 (Sixth) Obviously as one of the two centerpieces of the Lakers' offensive attack, O'Neal is much more involved in the scoring than Yao. O'Neal takes 21.6 percent of his team's total shots, compared to Yao's 12.4. However, while each leads his team in field-goal percentage (and Shaq leads the entire league), neither player leads his team in shots per game. The question then becomes, if Shaq or Yao takes more shots than average in a given game, will that have a positive effect on the game's outcome? Not necessarily. Using their average number of shots as a baseline, let's next look at the team records, broken down by the number of shots Shaq and Yao attempted. (Games where either player was not in the lineup have not been included): PLAYER SHOTS TEAM REC (PCT) O'Neal 19 or more 17-9 (.653) 18 or fewer 18-11 (.621) Yao 10 or more 19-16 (.543) 9 or fewer 18-17 (.514) While both teams have a slightly better winning percentage when their centers take more shots than average, the differences are negligible. Certainly there is no dramatic increase in victories resulting from increased field-goal attempts from either Shaq or Yao. But let's take it further and look at the teams' records when each player takes several more shots than usual: PLAYER SHOTS TEAM REC (PCT) O'Neal 23 or more 9-3 (.750) Yao 15 or more 4-4 (.500) Suddenly the Lakers are seeing significant improvement, which shouldn't be surprising; if Shaq is taking that many shots, that means he's dominating the game. In the 12 contests where he attempted 23 or more field goals, he averaged 33.5 points. Yao, on the other hand, has rarely verged into the territory of dominance, and even when he has, the Rockets haven't consistently capitalized. The team is just 4-4 when Yao attempts 15 or more shots and 0-2 in games where Yao has attempted his season-high of 19. In addition, Yao's season-high in scoring is 30 points (10-of-12 shooting) against Dallas back in November, a game the Rockets also lost. If anything, the numbers illustrate two things: One, the importance of a balanced offense; both teams have found success with skilled perimeter players hitting shots and the adeptness of both Shaq and Yao in passing out of the post. Two, the fact that both Shaq and Yao bring much more to their teams than just scoring. Defensively, they rebound, they block or alter shots and they intimidate slashers from making ill-advised forays to the rim. What does that mean for their teams in terms of wins? When Shaq and Yao are most active defensively -- recording at least 10 rebounds and three blocks --the Lakers are 13-4 (.765); the Rockets, 12-2 (.857). Talk about results. http://www.nba.com/features/yao_shaq_030326.html
