What do we do when the defense triple team yao?

only 2 teams do this - suns and warriors. we can't penetrate as easily b/c teh small players pack the paint but they're quick enough to rotate out.

also when we try to get yao the ball, he's not quick and athletic enough to get those lob passes (like shaq or hakeem).

basically, against these type of teams, yao is basically a nonfactor. unless u want yao shooting 15-20 ft jumpshots. or score off offensive rebounds b/c he does have the height advantage.

it's not really the fault of our team. but realy only 2 teams can do this. that's why the suns are a matchup nightmare for us.

to win, we take yao out, and force tmac to play like he did w/o yao. if tmac can dominate, we can win. b/c then, they play normal D and we just play a normal type of game.

v. other teams, teams usually play yao straight up or double him w/ a big man), which is easier to play through.

really, what can we do abou it? there's a reason only suns and warriors employ this. if other teams do this, we'll kill them b/c they dn't have the speed/athleticism/quickness to recover like those 2 teams do

 

One way to solve this would be to have 3pt shooters outside. For whatever the reason they can't hit anything when they are wide open.

 

Since we all have the same NBA Coaching Resume, here are my thoughts:

1. Review tapes of how Utah got Karl Malone the ball. JS set most of the picks for Karl from the opposite block and Jeff usually made the pass. RA just needs to set the pick on Yao's man. The base line will only allow defenders to come from three sides, which is a lot simpler scan than out in middle of the paint--which requires a 360deg scan. Just keep it simple.

2. Run a play for someone else with Yao setting the pick for a shooter. Pass the ball to the shooter and let the shooter aim a HIGH arching shot directly towards Yao's hands.

3. Post up Chuck Hayes on one block. Let Yao curl around from the opposite block (via a pick) to where Chuck as the post up position. Let Chuck hand Yao the ball, like a quaterback handing the ball to a runningback. Then Chuck cuts to the basket. Chuck can fake it sometimes and do a quaterback sneak.

 

Princeton offense

 

For Yao to punish the opposing team for doubling him. He needs to act as a stationary passing machine. Pass it to Yao when they double him and have slashers heading straight for basket.

another scenario is to have Yao pass the back and forth, back and forth tiring the opposing player between the passer and Yao.

Basically Yao needs to study and practice whatever Shaq is doing now. Yao needs to get his handles better and he needs to lean into his opponent more like Shaq and use his posterior.

And it seems like Yao gets frustrated when the passer doesnt pass him the ball or he turns it over. Yao just has to accept the fact when they double him like that, you must just let your teammates rain them 3's.

 

Our biggest problem is we don't have good shooters or slashers.

 

The only way to attack teams like the Suns & Warriors who employ 2 to 3 players to deny Yao the post pass is to take and Make the open shots. When teams do this, they are basically leaving the weakside player WIDE open and that player has to either make the open 3 or the long 2. However the problem is often time, that player is Chuck Hayes, who cannot do either. In this case, the defense is denying Yao yet giving up only Hayes rebounding and a few scoring oppurtunities on cuts and missed assignment.
Thus IMO the best solution is to go small and have Shane Battier play the 4 spot and in limited minutes even Novak. This creates 4 capable shooters to punish defenses. Also it must be stressed that Yao himself has to punish them by getting on the offensive glass.

A lot of people have suggested Yao be utilized in the high post to counteract the defense. But they fail to notice that Yao at the high post is precisely what the defense is trying to acheive, eliminate Yao's post up. Effectively it eliminates Yao's biggest strength, his highly efficient post scoring. Yao's only attack at the high post is the long jumper (18+ feet cuz if you notice the defense often extend their denial of yao nearly to 18feet on the wing and to the free throw line up front). Is getting the occasional cutter and Yao shooting 18-20 ft jumper the solution, IMO no.

Furthermore some have called for more penetration and attacking the basket. This is indeed important and must be attempted, however it must be stated that when the paint is being packed & defended by 3 players (to deny Yao the ball) it makes it much more difficult to penetrate. The only player who can do this is T-mac and he is the one who must do so.

Lastly many have mention using the pick and roll to counter the ball denial and get Yao the ball. While I agree with this sentiment, I must say, for it to be truly effective JVG's pick and roll must be altered to have Yao set the screen INSIDE the three point line as oppose to on or outside it. As it is now, after Yao sets the screen, he is so far out that his dive to the rim is easily covered by a rotating player. Furthermore the ball handler is also often push parrallel and at time further away from the 3 point line as oppose to being a threat to shoot a midrange 2 or attacking the bucket. If anyone watches the suns or the mavs or the jazz or the spurs all the teams with good to great pick and roll, there is one common denominator aside from exceptional point guards and players, it is that often time the pick occurs at the elbow or a step inside the top of the key or 16-18ft on the wing. The fact that Macgrady is not a point but rather a big 6-6 guard/forward may make harder to run the player closer, due simply to space and size. But its something that must be done/tried if the rockets want to get something more from the play than T-mac taking a three, driving to the bucket or dishing to the weakside. While those results are very good, it often time exclude Yao getting the pass into the paint.

 

I disagree with the premise that "it's really not the fault of our team..." if said team could hit a 14-18 ft jump shot with any reliability, the teams that front and double / triple Yao could never afford to do it. The teams that do this to Yao are smart because they realize he is really our only highly efficient scorer. I'd also like to think that NBA gurds could throw a decent lob pass when they are fronting Yao. I am sincere in that I could find some ringers at the YMCA down the road that I think could throw an entry pass better than our guards can.

 

Here's another suggestion. How about smarter, disciplined players ... you know the kind that don't play into the opponent's hand by settling for the long 3 even though they are available.

I think you beat the fronting and backside help by penetrating and putting pressure on the defense. This strategy can get Yao involved thru dishes and rebounding (those long 3's don't cut it because they result in long rebounds out of Yao's range). But you actually need a point guard that can and will put pressure on the defense in order to do this.

 

The GSW game was just a bad game...a terrible game, since for one half of the game we tried 20 or so odd times to pass it to Yao, which resulted in like 15 TOs and a layup, then the other half we just gave up on Yao and rained threes. When Yao got the entry pass, and caught it, he was virtually unstoppable. I think Biedrens touch fouled him once when Yao secured the ball, smart really, but still, that just demonstrates how dominant Yao is when he GETS the ball.

Problem is getting it into him, but if you're the GSW defense, and you see the same JVG offense ALMOST EVERY TRIP DOWN THE FLOOR (i.e Yao back to the basket, Shane in the corner, shooters (Luther, Rafer etc.) on the perimeter, Chuck Hayes/JHo wandering around...basic chest passes back and forth until a good angle for the entry pass is found...) I imagine its pretty easy to pick off the passing lanes. JVG has to change some things up, he can't rely on T-mac to be his offensive coordinator every game of the year.

Also, some shots have to go in, I mean, triple-teamed Yao gave a HELL of a lot of space for shooters. Luther's 30 point night testifies to that, but Shane and Rafer were on-and-off. I saw alot of bricked open shots.

 

Ture, but you hit on the saddest rtuth of all in the last sentence. You actually need a PG that can / will do this. T-Mac can do some of this, but a 6'8" guy isn't usually going to have the quickness to break down the defense every time. Can you imagine what Tony Parker would have done to GS if he had olayed for the Rockets last night when they were triple teaming Yao?

 

Looks like I am having a little trouble typing TRUE tonight. There, I did it, T-R-U-E!

 

In conclusion, to effectively combat against the 2/3 man yao defense, the rockets need to;

A. Play small, using shane as our 4 with Yao, T-mac, Alston and either Head or Snyder and having Bonzi, Howard, Novak Hayes and Span or lucas to back up. Defensively Shane will be matched up with Marion/Diaw (against the suns) and SteJackson/Richardson/Barnes (against the warriors)

B. Yao has to concentrate on offensive rebounding, while the 4 whether its Shane or Bonzi or novak or howard must hit the open shots & attack the basket as their man will be the one leaving them to deny Yao the entry pass.

c. Run the pick and roll with Yao inside the 3point line at the elbow & key AS well as the usual one 23ft from the basket. This will get Yao the ball in the paint as well as result in the drive, midrange and dish for T-mac etc. This play is also key for Span to run as he is probably the best (out of head/rafer/lucas) at pick and roll at this distance.

d. T-mac must attack the rim and penetrate.

 

Its MUCH easier to adjust to this type of defense in a 7 game series than it is to adjust for one individual game during the season.

Its also much easier to beat a team playing this gimmick defense when the gameplan is implemented than it is to actually beat a good defensive team like the Spurs, Dallas, or Miami.

 

Yao should hold the ball up high where most players can't reach it instead of keeping it around his waist and chest when he is looking to pass. Might help him reduce those turnovers.

 

I really don't agree with you on that. I think Rafer isin't the best PG out there, but he's a decent fit with the Rockets system, to tell you the truth.

I mean, what would Tony Parker have done? His 3FG% looks good, but really, he's attempting almost nothing out there. 1 3PA in the last three games. And do we really want a PG penetrating into a lane congested with at least two speedy and tall help defenders? Not to mention all 7'6 of Yao?

 

point guard may be the rockets biggest problem (I say power forward is an equally stressing concern) but it in terms of playing against the 2 to 3 man Yao post denial defense, the biggest problem by far is the 4 spot. The defense employed by phoenix and GS completely ignored chuck hayes and Juwon, leaving them to wander around setting screens and grab the occasional rebound and the occasional basket on cuts. Having a better point guard, say Mike James or Atkins or Mo williams etc would not eliminate these problems, nor would it stop the it from denying post play from Yao, clogging the paint nor would it stop it from not completely ignoring chuck hayes and to a lesser extent Juwon howard.

Its true the rockets would bennefit from having a better point guard, but atleast in this instance thats not the problem.