Unfortunately while your comments are true in theory, they're not true as it applies to Yao. There's no need for a second defender in order to front Yao because often times he's not athletic enough to hold off his defender while jumping for the lob and catching the pass. Furthermore, he has a ton of trouble pinning his defender in such a manner to be able to jump for the lob and catch the pass. This allows a smaller, quicker defender to front Yao and keep him off balance enough not to be able to jump because he often has to gather himself to jump and this type of defender can also move to Yao's side to deny passes depending on the angle to the entry passer. A good quick defender can front, go to the side, back to the front, and even switch to get behind Yao more quickly than Yao can adjust to hold his position. It's pretty much a nightmare.
The intimidation factor is only a factor against weaker players or guys who haven't been in the league that long. Players in the NBA are too good and play too often to fall for that kind of thing. The real superstars are going to go right at Yao Ming because they know he isn't a defensive threat he is just a big guy. Also, you can just as easily make a team take more outside shots by clogging the lane. Battier and Hayes do this consistently by rotating over to take a charge and they force the other team to pass the ball back out on the drive rather than get all the way to the rim. It's not 100% effective, as nothing ever is, but I guarantee you statistically it's not any LESS effective than having Yao standing there. Look, Yao is a great player offensively, but lets not get carried away here. The guy is essentially a tree on defense. He is just there and if Morey is relying on him to be a game changer in that area then The Rockets are in trouble.
Superstars go at everyone and anyone down low, because they can either score, or get bailed out. Yao isn't a Camby or young Ben Wallace, but saying that he's just a "tree" on defense is certainly selling him short.
Yao's commitment and effort are constantly challenged and I think this year bites the cake when Tracy was traded away. I think Yao's has the best opportunity with the corrective surgery he's had to play at his best ever (better than the #1 pick 21 year old that came into training camp) due to the physical limitation that it has corrected. But the will of the man might have gone down the drain as evidenced by the pudgey pics when he can already do some intensive light training. In Yao's mind is if he will resign or get resigned for the 2011-2012 season and his timidness to work with new players especially a new patron duo.
What the hell is "intensive light training?" And the only media that we've seen of him with his boot off is when he drained 92/100 FTs. Question Yao's aggression or mobility if you must, but the man's work ethic is rock solid.
Have you ever considered that there was no one, other than McGrady and Jon Barry, who knew how to throw a lob pass to Yao in the post among the Rockets? The Lakers had several great passers who could throw to Shaq and Yao had virtually none as McGrady was always more concerned about his own points first, with occasional forays with displaying his excellent passing skills.
To a point, Yao isn't the machine he came to the league as. A trade involving Tracy would affect he man more than you think because of the chemistry they somewhat have. I'm not confirming that he will be lazy and not take up the best chance he has as a player in this league but leaning towards not caring as much and having a weakend initiative. You work around a loser/friend such as TMac and learn the ropes of getting paid but not fulfilling the promise you think to yourself I'm Yao "I can do whatever I want" and still get paid big time.
I firmly believe in statistical evidence to confirm or verify perceptions (thanks ClutchCityReturns), and I usually hate it when people say "I know because I watch the games." But God, this really is one of those cases where you just need to watch the games to see that Yao gets double teamed. To say that doesn't happen all that much, or that fronting and double-teaming can't both be used together, is such crap.
So, you have evidence that Yao thinks like that? At all? Or you just wasting your motor muscles? Especially since there have been reports that Yao and Tracy in fact did not get along - at minimum I will go ahead and guarantee the chemistry between Yao and Tracy was nowhere as tight as Yao and Francis. < Good. >
Either way, teams find ways to stop Yao regardless. Out of all the franchise players in the NBA, Yao is the easiest to contain. During the regular season, Yao is more effective than come playoff time. This happens because when the playoff comes, teams have more than just one game to come up with a strategy to stop Yao. Most of the time, the first game of the playoffs Yao is great. Then, teams would look at the replays and scout him carefully. Then they find a way to contain him. So after game 1, Yao often struggle because the defense knows how to play him. So the Rockets find ways for Yao to attack the defense but he is too slow to do so. Even though he is much bigger than everyone, it is his speed that kills him. Teams would often put a big long athletic player in front of him preventing the Rockets from passing him the ball. When they play one on one with him, they scouted him enough during games 1 and 2 that they know his go to moves. The bad thing about that is Yao does not having any counter moves to go along with his move. On one on one with Yao, what teams would do is get their player to push Yao out of his comfort zone. So Yao would spend most of the time trying to get into position which often the refs would called 3 seconds on him. Second thing, when he actually receives the ball, smaller and quicker guards would sneak up from behind and swipe the ball from his hand causing a turnover. The refs rarely call reach in fouls for Yao. When other big men gets fronted like Howard or so, an alley oop pass is lobed up so that wouldn't work on them. Even with Tim Duncan, who usually find ways to counter the defense. But with Yao, he isn't athletic enough to do so. Plus the guy that fronts Yao has the athletic ability to jump up higher than Yao and intercept the ball. Plus Yao doesn't possess great hands to catch bad passes, which is why we see him fumbles the ball so many times. Another thing is teams would often get their quick guards, and use the pick and roll on Yao. When this happens, Yao always get stuck with the quick smaller guards who would just drive into Yao's body and draw fouls. This would get Yao into quick foul trouble and get taken out of the game early. So this is why Yao will struggle in the playoffs. That is because teams have enough time to watch tapes, scout him and learn his offensive moves in the first 2 games, which is why they are able to contain him and limit him. Overall, this is why Yao is more vulnerable against good experience teams in the playoffs. Sure he brings a lot to the table but also brings a lot of weaknesses also. I know how a lot people can't wait for Yao to return back next season. But how better would we be with Yao Ming? Sure we would be a bit better but still we're not an elite team. Plus how many of us want to rely on him to stay healthy? I'm tired of watching the Rockets suffered seasons after seasons because Yao Ming cannot stay healthy. No more what if Yao stayed healthy. The Rockets just cannot afford for that to happen again. We should just build this team with or without Yao Ming so if Yao goes down, who cares...Its better than if Yao goes down again, we're screw. Plus is Yao still an all star caliber player when he returns? Or will he be even more limited due to his injuries and become more of a role player? The Rockets just cannot count on Yao. The longer they count on Yao to be our franchise player, the longer the Rockets will be disappointed. Yao will mostly stay in Houston his entire career, but he can no longer be our franchise player. Either way, he was never a superstar caliber player but more of a all star player. Superstars take team places. All star doesn't. Same goes with Yao Ming. He's a big sports icon and a big role model for everyone. He is a good center. But he is not good enough to lead this team. Like I said before, its like building the team around Pau Gasol. That's the reason why the Grizzlies never went anywhere. The Rockets will be stuck in this cycle for years if they believe Yao will take them far. Minnesota did it with KG, Grizzlies did it with Gasol, and the Rockets are doing it with Yao Ming. Honestly, KG is a way better player than Yao Ming but he never really lead his T-Wolves anywhere. Gasol isn't as good of a scorer like Yao Ming but he brings much more intangibles than Yao. Until the Rockets can draft a superstar player or trade for one, they will end up like the Grizzlies or T-Wolves. It does not matter how good of a team we put around Yao Ming because in the crunch playoff time, it is superstar that win games.
Yao knows the official isn't on his side. But he doesn't do anything about it. What matters most is what can he do to counter that? Because the Rockets cannot control the refs but they can control what they do.
hmmm are you saying that 82 games isnt enough for nba teams to find ways to stop YAO? fine. Sure teams adjust to Yao cuz they chose not to let Yao beat them. thats how we won the blazer series.
Lock this dumb*** thread please. The OP and the ring of Yao haters here have been disproven by the stats and facts posted here again and again, yet they still try to argue.
for all those that think yao doesnt get double team...teams front yao has a "safety" in the weak side/other side. so basically theres a player fronting yao and someone playing behind yao as a safety in case he catches the ball....thats why in the portland series Scola and landry had a lot of open mid range looks.
Smartest post in this thread...someone that actually knows something about basketball. as i kept saying time and time again...theres an another defender playing the "safety"..in case yao catches the ball the defender from his weak side would try to swap it again....thats why usually our PFs are open from the mid range. example in the portland series..after game 1..when they pryzbilla and portland found out they couldnt play yao 1 on 1. they had to front him and and had a defender in his backside therefore Scola had tons of open mid range jumpers.
