Not saying those guys you listed were unathletic, but when the issue being discussed mainly concerns Yao, our center, listing mainly 6ยด6" superstar shooting guards doesn't really prove anything. I also happen to think that there are more athletic 6`9"+ guys than ever before. No most of them aren't very skilled, or don't know how to play the game compared to the "old-timers" but they CAN and DO present more problems for Yao than the mold of "Classic centers", the skilled but less mobile 7-footers.
But this would only work if the defense doesn't expect it. We don't need a play that we can run every couple of games; we need a solution that would be effective all season.
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GmhmMKD9ZE4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GmhmMKD9ZE4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> Here is the closest we have to Larry Bird nowadays! Some would say that he has even more talent. I don't know what the Mavericks are missing, but Larry Bird is more of a winner than Dirk will ever be.
Yao is like 7'6 just throw it high over the defender and make him go get it. Oh wait....Brooks is our point guard.
i actually do this sometimes when i play ball...of course doing it too much tips off the defense eventually...but johnson threw it a bit too hard, i think bird only caught it since he was expecting it. the trick would be to throw it with more arc and softer so it bounces lightly and down off the backboard and not perpendicular to it at 50 mph. May work better at an angle though.
I think the days of fronting Yao to beat the Rockets is over (they'll still front him of course, but it won't be enough to beat this team now). With three scorers who can finish around the basket you'll end up paying dearly for fronting Yao as he can easily box out the defender. Brooks can blow by one defender at anytime. If he's doubled moving to the basket, he kicks it out to an open look outside.
RimRocker- Thanks for the video. Born in 85 here, so I don't really remember watching Bird, but I have seen a lot of his highlights and he definetly had the best "feel" for the game I have ever seen.
I mentioned that play when they 1st started fronting Yao. Being a Purdue grad, I saw Purdue use the pass off the backboard to Joe Barry Carroll when the defense fronted him. It was very effective. If the defense collapses to defend it, there's an open trey to be had.
