We need more time...to develop more chemistry..and Yao needs to improve mentally..."assertive" lol van chancellor..and Bob Sura will sorta help...our defense needs some improvement too
As for Yao, I think JVG is trying to fundamentally change his game, make him a primarily dominant low post player, and that may or may not work. Yao is a decent slasher, and good at facing the basket, 2 traits that are being ignored right now. Also, if Yao can come to the high post and face the basket more, it should help his stamina as he would not be banging for position on each possesion. Just my .02. DD
Unless a trade comes down, it's pretty sad to think there's no young developing up and comer on the bench to at least look forward to. Our best bets to be diamonds in the rough are 2 second rounders who aren't even here yet. That Badman guy in Germany and that Vaseline guy in Greece.
SA Rocket, Badiane may be a sleeper, he is an amazingly quick and agile big man. And that is what this team is lacking....now if he could just shoot the 3..... DD
Blame this on Rox management, getting a crack head and giving up 3 1st rounders and other countless blounders have left this organization relying on MLE's for quality players this team couldn't even afford a quality PG with an overbloated offseason free agency where PG's were there galore but we had to settle for a broken down injury prone mid level PG and two scrub PGs.
Aw man, you just had to go there. Now I'm gonna lose sleep thinking for the millionth time about that tired scenario where they could've kept those three picks and used them for Jefferson, Randolph, and Parker.
i think it's too early to tell if our team is as good as we think they are. Keep in mind that we have many new players that need time to feel the JVG's system, to learn, and know how to work, play together with old teammates. Still, I think there are two areas that we need to work on based on the two games we lost. First, Can someone knock some senses into Yao's head. After two years of NBA, he still hasnt' developed the mentality, kill instinct that all of those great players have. We can hire professional trainers to work on his body. We can hire ex NBA players to work on his skills. But, he's not going anywhere if he doesnt' have the willpower and mental toughness that are so important part of high lvl basketball. It looks like nobody is working on that area, what's more, it looks like Yao is not working on that. He's still the old Yao that everybody can push around even though he's the tallest guy on the court. If he's not willing to change, nobody can force him being someobdy he doesn't wanna be, which is the thing I'm feard most. I shudder to think that Yao is just happy with the way he plays, and he's happy being a nice guy on the court. Second, Can someone teach JVG some new offensive plays. It seems he ran outta plays a long time ago. Oh, wait, it might also have something to do with the fact out PGs cann't bring the ball up the court fast enough to start the plays.
I know the dominoes wouldn't have led to Yao and TMac, but as long as we're in depression mode: Yao, Randolph, Jefferson, TMac, Parker Yao, Randolph, Jefferson, TMac, Parker Yao, Randolph, Jefferson, TMac, Parker Yao, Randolph, Jefferson, TMac, Parker
The one thing that truly bugs me about JVG is not his coaching but trying to make the ROX into the NY Knicks. The Knicks were a good team back then but no where near great! No championships at all to speak of but one lousy show at the finals. Is this an organization we should be emulating? The fact as well is that most of there players are geratic cases is another reason we should not actively pursue these ex knicks. Getting bloody Marc jackson from last year, Ewing as coach, weatherspoon, Mutombo and now Ward etc gives us a secondary of old timers that will NOT exist with us in a chamionship team in 3 years from now (based on the assumption we get there). This old secondary will be relinguished my estimation nxt year and we will have to start fresh again with new players at key relief spots at that time which means more months (Or a year) of wasted time gelling excuses before this team is ready to make a serious title run. If we fire Van Gundy we are still left with his mark on the team and we don't have alot of options in getting the players that we "truly want" when out there in the NBA no team will pay high for what they already know -ex knicks are not the requisite elements in making a championship run.
oh. one more thing! DaDaKota said it best. Yao plays better when he faces the basket. A lot of people don't remember Yao is a very good slasher. If he starts to move towards the basket from the high post, who's gonna stop him? he's 7'6! Again, these are the moves Yao did quite often in his rookie season.
Rudy recognized it and played to his strengths, JVG is trying to force Yao to be a LOW post only player....I think that is a mistake. Let Yao be Yao. FREE YAO !! DD
JVG has already left his mark on this team in terms of personnel there is little we could do to reverse that course but in terms of secondary coaches at least we could get rid of Ewing and try our hardest to get Kareem. The things that Yao learned from ewing in low post play coupled with the baby hook Kareem can teach Yao will give him alot more space to make his low post plays (whenever he decides to) and get some cheap buckets with the hook. Ewing has done his job time to get some one that can teach him the skills that can be used for a guy his height. his hook shot is virtually unblockable and very high percentage if you can get a guy like Kareem as a mentor.
I guess I am in the minority about Yao. He showed alot of what we all wanted in the second half. He was aggressive and definitive in the post. The weird thing is I don't remember ONE play called for Yao in the first half. They just kept coming down doing screen-rolls around Yao with the guards. Not once did I see a play where Yao went straight to the low block to post to actually get the ball. Everytime I saw him get anywhere close to the low block, it was to set a screen for a guard going across the paint. It just seemed like the game-plan was to get the guards going first. Just my observation. To the original question, I think it is a combination of PG play and chemistry. The guys look lost at times out there and I think it is just because they are trying to learn to play with each other. As we saw the last two nights, the opposing PG will try to continuosly push the ball up the court to beat Yao and/or Ward down to the other end. I think Ward & Lue are fine, but this will be a problem as every team will try to employ this strategy. Remember, Francis was athletic and fast enough to get back and slow down the other PG and allow the half-cout defense to set up. Anyway, I'm not going to panic yet. How good this team really is will be revealed after, or around, the All-star break. Let's just all pray that Sacremento keeps getting crushed, as they have the last two nights, so that they may part with Bibby or Jackson. Wishful thinking.
JVG's game plan has eliminated Yao's shooting Yao' USE to be automatic from 15~20 i see him take maybe one of those a game and it is flat Rocket River
