The Rockets Need To Make Teams Pay For Fronting Yao

Great Great Thread

The Rockets also made one play well vs the fronting D in the Bulls game. Except this time it was a little different. Instead of having Jho flash to the elbow, another player, I think it was Head or another guard flash to the 3pt top to receive the corner pass. The Head/whoever beams a pass to Yao, because while the 1st pass is made, Yao is sealing off his fronting defender with his legs and hip. Yao caught the pass and was immediatly fouled.

So, as you stated, a lot of this has to do with pacing, quick ball movement, and Yao sucessfully positioning himself after the front to be able to seal his man.

 

Please go back and check your tapes, you will find that Hakeem quite often when posting up and against another player, he found himself having to catch the ball over the head of that player as the player would move infront of Hakeem trying to prevent the pass being made to him. Hakeem and Hory were very adapt at making this type of pass, when called for.
I agree with you that it's about time that the coaches did something about it!

 

There's no single play that will consistently beat fronting. Eventually, the defense will figure out what you're doing and adjust. You've got to have several ways to attack and keep the defense guessing. Personally, I think the high post lob over Yao's defender is a rather risky play because Yao is not the best at catching a leading pass. He has a tough time with his balance when he has to jump for a pass and seal at the same time. IMO, a more effective play was one that the Rox ran twice (I believe it was consecutively). Yao set a high pick for TMac on the left handside. Someone set a back pick for Yao along the baseline. Meanwhile, TMac dribbled to his right and sent a bullet pass to the right corner. That guy (I think it was Luther Head) immediately passed it into Yao who was right under the basket for an easy lay up. The second time they tried it, Yao got fouled on the shot.

 

Yeah, I agree. The defense for that play is for Duncan to recognize it, go over and sandwich Yao and Elson to slide over to Juwan. Of course you could just have Duncan sandwich Yao from behind and let Juwan shoot the jumper. That would be just as effective.

The way to bet the fronting is to sit Juwan on the bench and play a 3 point shooter at the 4, or Chuck Hayes, a smart crafty player, who cleans up glass and will slide down to the rim with his man behind Yao. Thereby forcing his defender to leave him open at the rim for the lay in or chase him down there and leave open for the turnaround over his defender.

 

Yao is not a problem.
So far, not even the rest of the team. A questionmark is stability, since the team gets big differences but cannot keep them(tired? not that focused still?), and that the rest of the team must improve performance in order to make Yao's game easier, give him easier baskets, since he's the team's centerfigure.

Yao should be able to give the ball out if he's in trouble and the team to make killer perimeter baskets. You know my opinion on who could do that. Hint: you can affectionately call one like a certain chess piece.

 

Very intelligent thread. This definitely increases my basketball knowledge. Awesome job, Caboose and friends!

 

Great eye. You see guys, this is why I said the Bulls game was very different than the Spurs game. In the Spurs game, the offense bogged down, terrible shots were taken and no one could hit. In the Bulls game, Jeff Van Gundy actually made some adjustments. The offense still missed a lot of shots, but they were good shots set up by good plays, and enough were made to nullify Ben Gordan's specatucal play.

So yes, this is another option. Instead of Yao running straight to the low block and running from one low block to the other, Yao can screen for Mac and run around a back pick to quickly extablish position. A lot of the success from a play comes from teammates who never touch touch the ball.

And on that play you described, the Rockets ran it many times. When it worked really well, Yao got a layup, but other times Yao couldn't get that low, but at least he was still able to catch the ball in the low post with his man behind him, the position where the Rockets want Yao to go to work.

 

Sharp observation. Rockets would have to be more alert on the court to recognize that fronting defense. And practice that front-breaking play repeatedly to make it into on-court habit. Defense would have to start giving the player on the high post the shot cuz I don't see them sagging off of Yao everytime that happens but its a start.

Defense could send a small forward to front Yao when the power forward comes off him off course, if they are quick enough. That's why its great to have McGrady on the team (the potentially great McGrady). They're not going to have a man come off of him so yeah, it will probably be against the opposing center and power forward most the time.

 

interesting analysis..

I have a question though, could u get some kinda analysis going where Hayes is in the game instead of JHO? I think Hayes has a lot to do in cracking down the defensive plan of fronting Yao because he is a good finisher and he requires attention under the basket with his good cuts..

could Chuck be the difference?

 

One of the few quality threads lately. Good job Caboose. Keep it up.