Yao is a good passer, but he's not a good passer out of the post. When he gets the ball on the post, 7 times out of 10 he shoots and 3 out of 10 he passes the ball. 2 out of the three passes are not crisp and they're usually turnovers. Yao is a great scorer, but he doesn't create offense for others very often. I am sure he will get better, but he's a finisher much more than an initiator. That will be the next step in his development. That's what makes Duncan great. He is a great passer off the post. I don't know which game you're watching, but I didn't see any wide open threes that were initiated by throwing the ball to Yao inside.
What the Heck is that? When Yao was triple-teamed by Heat and NO players there were plenty of opportunities for wide open 3s. They were WIDE open. By the way, Have you watched Yao from his rookie year as well as his play on Chinese National Team and Olympics? Yao is a good passer for a center. Passing out of double-team is always risky. In fact, Shaq, Hakeem, Duncan all have/had a lot of TOs, and so far most of Yao's TOs are not from passing. To explore Yao's playmaking skills we would have to let him touch the ball on every play, something we haven't done for more than a few games since his rookie year. Right now we are using him more as a finisher 'cause there is a better playmaker in Tmac. Even so Yao is still often not getting the ball enough. How can you expect him to pass the bal more often and be a playmaker?
This post is a perfect starting point for a Basketball Guru like Jeff to teach us one or two things about the game.
What we're seeing now are some of the growing pains now that JVG has finally convinced Yao to shoot the ball 70% of the time, which if the last 3 years are any indication it should provide benefits. Did you really mean 2/3rds of the time Yao throws the ball out of the post they're usually turnovers? There's not a stat in the world that can come close to backing that up. As to what games I'm watching, they're the same ones you are and guys are open everytime Yao passes out. Right now our guards look like they are hesitating and wanting to get the ball back to Yao (which I think is good in the long run), but those shots are there on almost every possession when Yao's in the game. This really hasn't anything to do with any comparison between T-Mac's and Yao's influence because they're very different. I just disagree completely with your analysis of why T-Mac makes the game easier for others than Yao. ClutchCityReturns I should have typed a different sentence, but you and I do disagree about what a playmaker is. With T-Mac having been out and Alston and DA finding their way as primary ball-handlers T-Mac is no doubt a godsend at this point. But I do believe that if JVG ever said Yao isn't a playmaker CD's phone would be ringing off the wall. This thread is goofy, and I was bored. No offense intended to anyone and maybe someday I'll actually stay away from a thread I know I should stay away from.
No harm done in having a healthy discussion and difference of opinion. I don't have video to prove my point, but why don't we observe the game today and we can come back to this point. My point was that Yao was double teamed quite a bit in those 3 games yet I recall our offense being stagnant and not being able to take advantage of his doubleteaming. I don't think he will be double teamed a lot today with tracy in the game, but nevertheless I hope that Yao becomes a playmaker as well as a scorer.
I guarantee there are lots of people on this board that know WAY more than I do about stats and history, for example, but if you think I don't know how the game works...well, you're wrong. I'm not trying to start some huge argument or anything. I just resent that insinuation.
True but that's only because we have a good backup at C. If we had Finley backing up SF then we might have won all 3 games, even with tmac out.
I will say Rox would have won at least one game, probably two. T-Mac is such a dynamic player, he can shoot, he can pass, it is very difficult to double and trap him because he is so quick and he sees floor very well. With him in the game, the Rox offense becomes so much smoother. Yao is a good passer compared to many other centers, but he is not a playmaker, he has to be fed the ball at the right position to be effective. And his stamina only allows him to play around 35mins effective basketball. Look at every other No. 1 option in the top teams, they can all play almost 40mins a night. I think that is another reason Yao can't be as effective as T-mac
First, Tracy is incredibly talented player. I am not arguing with you about that. Second, do you think J. howard, DA, Rafer Alston and Ryan Bowen are worth mentioning? I mean, is Yao's supporting cast during the three-game stretch better than that of T-mac's in Orlando? Third, the Rockets lost to Boston. What a flashback of last season! You're talking about contending for a title. Give me break.
