You'll keep talking on and on about Yao's offense. It's Yao's defense that is going to get us nowhere. I just don't see us going anywhere with Yao's defensive play...no matter how much he scores. The imbalance in Yao's game is real apparent. Yea...he's a scorer and not a defender. I expect a hell of a lot more from my big man on defense. He makes an occassional defensive play...but much more often the opposing players can get around Yao to the basket like he's swiss cheese in the middle. I just wish he were a better defender in the middle. We would be a much better team if he were. Ask Dream.
I really dont understand how Adleman use Yao. He let Yao on the court for consecutive 20 minutes the second half without a rest. What the heck!
I don't think I can argue the point about the defense and maybe the fact that we are limited defensively in the middle as long as Yao is on the court, BUT, it is pretty evident that the Rockets have no plans of getting rid of Yao, so the question then becomes what do you do with what you have? Because that's the scenario you have...can't change it...but you're right, he could be a little more agressive defensively like he was with his blocks against the Lakers, fouls or not. And if you are stuck with a 'Yao' type player that is great offensively and not as great defensively, then you have to emphasize and play on his strengths, use them to outweigh his weaknesses, and we're not doing that.
i'm not saying he's bad...just not as good as he is on offense. he's good when he's just going against his man. it's when the other teams start trying to get to the basket that he can have problems, i.e. late reads/switching. i know he had a good block on a drive to the basket against the Lakers. i think his defensive intensity is lacking at times...especially when the play is not coming straight at him via the opposing center. yes, he did a pretty good job against the Lakers. if he can give us that kind of effort in the playoffs, then there is hope. i just think he can be a game changer on defense as well as offense...bringing more balance to his game. i dunno. i could be expecting too much from him to offset the lack of defense by our other players in regards to their ability to stay with their man. plus, i'm comparing him to dream. nothing compares.
It's time to part Yao and RA after lose the 1st round this season since RA's king system is not fit for the current Rockets since there is no second tall power forward (like cris weber in the Rocket team to protect the board when Yao is out in high post for Pick&Roll): All low efficiency selfish guids kill Rockets. Rockets should keep only the high efficiency players: Yao, Carl Landery, Luis Scola, and Battier. The problem are: when Yao was in low post, the guards, especially Ron, didn't feed him the balls. when Yao was in high post for pick&roll, the guards, cannot shoot the balls from the perimeter or attack the board. Fire the RA and trade Tracy for established guard, like Cris Paul or Nash, may be the Rocket's best choice!
IMO, one of the major problems is that Brooks and Wafer play no defense whatsoever. Yao can cover up some of the team's defensive inefficiencies but he's too slow to do much more than cover his own man most of the time (and sometimes not even that). I've yet to see Brooks stay in front of his own man and prevent a drive and I've yet to see Wafer even on the same side of the floor during an opponents' posession - Wafer's usually cherry picking on the other side looking for an outlet and a chance to get his.
exactly, options may include boozer or david west, al jefferson who possesses more athletic ability. morey traded alston off for next season, so, game is over. what we can expect with ab? we have no chances facing elites with guards with dumb brain.
Can you please let Adelman and Co know this? They don't seem to be able to read a stat sheet. Rockets Highest Shot-Made Percentages for Players Over 50 Games Played: Landry: 56.7% Yao: 54.5% Scola: 53%
I think one scout said great player, great coach but they just don't match together. When Adelman came Rockets wanted to improve the offense and it seems more athletic players benefited from that like Rafer Alston or Carl Landry for example for that. Yao's just not that athletic to fit in Princeton offense... I mean he can play in it but can't be effective as he is in the low post. Maybe I'm wrong but with these types of player JVG would do even better than Adelman, at least at using Yao.
RA's days at Houston is near its end this season if we don't see drastic improvement in his coaching. He messed up the best talents we have, and made a group of soldiers into juggling clowns. The point Im trying to make is that we have to go back to the weapons which were simple but effective. Its the tough defense and the use of Yao at low post in particular.
After 7 years we still talk about Yao's touches? IMO we, as fans, are worrying something we have no control at all. In the end, it is Yao and his teammates that play the game and it's up to Yao how he should be used. Until he realize this we can do nothing but praying.
Yao has been consistently ignored for long strethes in many games under current coach. Just like you said, every said "we should play through Yao", and a lot of times Yao is just running up and down without a touch. Under JVG, Yao was the focus but sometime the offense had a lot of trouble getting the ball into Yao's hands. With coach's in-game adjustment capability, I don't expect the team to win a champaignship under him. When is the last time that you see a coach win it all when he is soooo slow at making adjustment? Unless the team is far better than the opponent, otherwise in-game adjustment is critical. When was the last time that Rockets scored right after a timeout based on a planned play from the timeout?
The thing about Adleman is that one night he is great, and another night he is just clueless. As for Yao, he just has a soft mind like Adelman, then if you have both, it just lets guys like Artest, Brook do whatever they want. Also Adelman seems to a guard happy coach, no much discipline. The rockets really need think let one of them go if they can not pass the first round again. P.Gasol seems to be the man Adelman like, the trade of Yao to LA seems to be one of the options.
I think Adelman is damn good coach. I think he needs to exert a little more control with this bunch, however. We don't have a point guard who is experienced, Artest is borderline insane and Yao still gets too passive out there. I agree with Rick about one thing- Yao needs to demand the ball and fight to get better position. He also needs to dunk the damn ball. I'm tired of that pansy two foot layup stuff when he should slam it home.
