The De-Yaoing of Yao...A Skills Development Discussion

nods

 

Totally agreed.

 

I agree with all your points...but is Van Gundy the coach to do it???

He talks a good game, but I've yet to see any positive results. Sure, Yao improved statistically in virtually every category last season, but I believe that would have happened under Rudy T as well.

As much as VG says he stresses getting the ball to Yao, He is always behind the curve in figuring out ways to get him the ball. last night, as I was listeniing to Toronto's announcers, it was all I could bare to keep hearing him say how easy it SHOULD be to get Yao the ball when Woods was fronting him...just go to the HI-LOW, where the PF serves as the release, Yao seals his man to the outside, and the PF just dumps it in nice and easy. Well, sometime in the 3rd quarter, the ROX finally did this and guess what...DUNK. For some unknown reason (the defense didn't change)...we never went back to it. All the Rox had to do was run that play a few times, and Woods would have had to play behind Yao, which would have allowed for clean entry passes and easy buckets.

It frustrates me to no end that everyone else seems to recognize the problem, yet VG and his crew seem entirely baffled. Enough talk from VG...start implementing some more creative ways to get Yao the ball. Mix it up...every now and then try going away from the predicatle ones that even the most casual fan can anticipate...such as the HI-Low, or getting it to Yao in the high post so he can drive (as he did last night), shoot the 15 fter or pass to cutters.

 

This topic has come up repeatedly in the past. I'm still of the opinion that JVG just isn't the best coach for Yao, and I'll add now probably T-Mac too. While he's good at instilling in his players a tough hard nosed attitude towards defense and stresses ball control he just doesn't seem to know how to develop a dynamic offense.

Although it won't happen I've always felt the best coach for Yao would be Don Nelson who has a feel for creatively using big men in offense.

 

JVG is a good coach for crappy players. Thus he sux as a coach for Yao and tmac.

 

good points.

Yao does need to get some looks facing the basket 15-18 ft he has the range.

Some of the reason he is working hard in the low post is because he is very effective deep in the paint (which we are struggling to get him the ball there) and second he is not quick enough to create on the perimeter.
He needs to stop using the jump hook so much, he is horrible at this point with the hook shot. He is much better with a face up jump shot. But he has struggled there also first 2 games.

All in all we would immediately do better to get him more looks away from the basket where he could nail that 17 ft shot.

Think of Vladi Divacs game, but Yao adds more height and strength and Yao may be a better shooter.

 

I don't think any coach or workout regime in particular is going to deskill Yao. He still has all of those skills (though his outside jumper has been way off this year) and MORE, such as improved footwork and back to the basket game.

That said, if your point is that the offensive sets run by JVG aren't utilizing Yao to his fullest - then I agree.

I hope they do more of the low post, high post action, more pick and roll or fade and more backdoor cutting and screening when Yao has the ball in the post on the other side of the court instead of just spotting up for 3's.

In all honesty, I think a lot of this would get better if Juwan Howard played more and Mo Taylor played less or at least their roles were reversed so Mo played with and against the other teams backups. Howard seems so far to be a good cutter, post entry paser from the high post, just as good a post up game as Mo, etc.

 

totally agree boomboom. i also feel our other players' potentials have not been properly utilized, not just yao. it has to be the problem with the coaching staff.

 

In general, if you can make a player a big low post threat, you just don't pass up the opportunity. And Yao's only in his 3rd year. If for some reason he still can't dominate the blocks this year, then it might be a good idea to find other ways to use him. But as of right now, posting him up every time is the right thing to do.

As for JVG, give him some time. He is a defensive coach first, and our new players for the most part have not been adjusted to his defensive schemes. Give him time to instill his offensive philosophy. Sprewell and Houston both managed to find good shots in JVG's offense. So T-Mac should work fine once the team starts clicking together.

 

BRING IN PHIL !!!

Jordan/Pippen
Kobe/Shaq
Tmac/Yao

dont really like the guy ... but he brings CHAMPIONSHIPS!

 

Yes, I agree that Yao does have other offensive skills that are not being utilized (i.e., the good passing, midrange jumpers, etc..), i.e., the 'Euro' type game. I think JVG and Ewing know this. They also know that Yao could easily score more points if he went back to these skills. But I think they also believe the 'Euro' type game doesn't win championships, really. You get solid all-star players, but no championshps. I think their mindset is that it has to be the power game, or we will forever be stuck in the '50-60 wins per season but out in the second round' mode.

 

This will keep coming up until Yao stops getting pushed off the block. Its not that he doesn’t have a good post up game, he’s shown some moves this year already. Its getting pushed off the block that needs to stop. And I think that’s why JVG isn’t going to change because it really is a mental issue. Yao has the skills to do both, play up top or down lown.

 

Pgab,

JVG could help him a lot by complaining to the Refs and the league about all the 2 handed pushing of yao.

DD

 

One thing you failed to mention is that, with some obvious exceptions, Euro players typically come into the league a bit older than Yao, so they've had more years in Euro leagues to develop an outside shot, find open men, etc. Also, I can't think of a single 7'6 Euro player to come into the league and excel at a midrange jumper and pinpoint passing, so you're comparing apple & oranges.

Finally, not every 7 footer bangs it inside in the NBA. Look at guys like KG and Dirk. There isn't some mold the Rockets are squeezing Yao into. The team's just trying to use his height to his advantage, while minimizing the negative side of his slow feet.

I've mentioned it before, and it's actually in line with something pgabriel just posted (I can't believe it!) - Yao's problem isn't the skills, more and more he looks softer than the Pillsbury Doughboy to me. People are just brushing him away. And in the first 2 games this season, no one's scared of his presence inside. Freaking Chris Bosh is shooting over him and bumping off of him like he's a tall marshmellow stick in the way.

 

yes, Yao was pushed out a lot of times. However, did you ever count how many times Yao didn't receive the pass before being pushed out? It is all about timing, or in another word sync, for either shooting or passing. Basketball has it own simple base, well we make it too complicated sometimes.

Why not excecute the strategy that give the ball to Yao in every possesion if he is not covered by 2 opponents? Just give him the ball, and since we all know he is such an unselfish player, Yao will know what to do and give us the best results. When Yao is on the court, let him starts every offence, and TMac take charge when Yao is out. Otherwise, it is just another Magic, how can you expect a win?

 

well thought out post. I agree with this. The Rox should take a look at how Divac was used during his time with the Kings, in particular that stretch where he had like 10 dimes for 3 games in a row. Having Ewing "tutor" Yao is the wort thing that could happen, its like having Moses Malone tutor Dirk Nowitzki. Two different kinds of players, each with theiur own merits, but toally incompatible pairing as mentor and mentoree

 

since when do euros just step right in and dominate. dirk and peja are the two best now (along with AK47 unless i'm missing someone) and those two took a while to get going and AK didn't start off this good.

 

we should have traded yao for mcgrady instead