And was it his lack of offense that screwed the team and had him on the bench in stretches in the 4th quarter? Nope. And, if Yao was truly in the low post this series... he would have scored 40 a game. Yao was being pushed out much further than normal... tell me when you observed this throughout the season?
It means JVG's offense sucks. It is you and JVG, who solely played Yao in the low post. I said "Yao isn't a true low post monster, Yao isn't a Shaq, Yao should be a half Miller half Shaq".
Yes... I'm saying Yao's best chance for scoring consistently is the low-post... just as he's shown (with vast improvement) over the last two seasons. This year's playoffs showcased a less aggressive Yao being able to be pushed out of his comfort zone, and merely only being able to make a ton of points from the foul line. And nobody was complaining when Yao was utilizing a jump hook, up and under, spin and pop, turn and face-up, and a fadeaway IN THE PAINT. The complaining starts when Yao is forced to put up bad shots with little time in the shot clock because he's either pushed out too far, or it takes too long to find him in the post. I'm saying his regression of strength/positioning in the playoffs is the biggest concern right now... if its simply a factor of Yao being less aggressive/less confident in the playoffs, it can be fixed. If its a factor of Okur being too strong for Yao, and other teams following suit with this tactic, it IS a big problem.
Why did you change topic? I believe we are talking about that Yao can spot up for jumpers, and he shouldn't play in the low post all the time.
Where did I change topic? What am I discussing that's very different? I'm simply refuting the argument that Yao's offense was in shambles before the playoffs started. It wasn't... and still isn't. And, if Yao can't dominate the low post like he did in the regular season anymore... which he didn't in the playoffs... we've got bigger problems.
ok, Yao can't dominate in the low post, actually, it is the reason why he needs shot some spot up jumpers. It is the reason why I said JVG's offense sucked.
HUndreds - maybe thousands. Where is YOUR evidence that he's effective as a spot up shooter from 15 feet relative to his strong performance inside of it? THe guy has been playing basketball for 15 years you know. You'd think if that were his niche he'd find it by now. Well considering he's 300 pounds and ponderously slow, absent magic, I don't se where his perimeter game is going to come from. Which is not going to be open, because teams have no incentive to play off him because he's not going to drive, and is going to make guarding him a lot easier. And he didn't deliver - which in my opinion is on him - because we've seen him do it before. Remember "YOu can't f-king stop me!" Yao? Where was thtat guy? Nothing is wrong for variety but you seem to consistently propose change just for change's sake with the expectation that it will automatically be better. Not always the case. See Occam's razor
Spot-up jumpers, along with spin moves, up-and-unders, pump fakes, hook shots, Shanghai shakes, and now overly used turnaround fadeaways, should all be part of Yao's offensive repertoire. Since Yao isn't gifted with speed, playing predictably is the last thing he should be doing when facing smaller and quicker defenders.
I somewhat disagree with this because if they use the pick and roll that would not be as big of a problem if he does not dribble he can also catch and shoot mid range jumpers. The problem is Van Gundy always put Yao in positions to improve on his weaknesses not his strengths like when he is moving and for this reason JVG will be fired or retire. While Yao can help your defense he would be an assasin on a balanced offensive team and what I mean by balanced is one where cutting and play calling are involved. Houston needs to stop giving the ball to TMAC 30 from the basket and asking him to create something. This team will never win a champion ship like that.
Amen you hit the nail in the head why not make Okur move and play defense. He never stopped Yao in the pick and roll, neither did Boozer I might add.
lol, I really hope you are right, I'm a huge Yao fun, but I'm not a daydreamer. Maybe you're saying the pre-injured Yao can, but I still not sure. At least post-injured Yao can't dominate in the low post, it is the fact. Bewared that he is a very good shooter, all I want to say is please don't waste players' talent, please play players' strength instead of shortcoming.
I'm saying Yao's low-post/high % shooting game IS a huge strength. I was never on the page of turning him into another Vlade or Brad Miller (which many here were). I was never under the assumption that he'd be simply as good as Rik Smits was (which many here were). Now, saying Yao's injury was the reason he didn't shoot a jump hook, didn't get separation on his spin move, and settled on shooting that awful-falling down fadeaway throughout the series is an extreme cop-out... especially when you saw what Yao did in the 4th quarter of game 7. Yao still found a way to dominate stretches of games in the regular season, post-injury. Now, keep in mind, I would never rule out adding new wrinkles to Yao's game every year. That's what makes great players even greater... their ability to work on their weaknesses, and re-invent themselves. Hakeem did it every year in his prime... so did Jordan. One of my pet-peves with Yao is his selective "killer" mentality... it comes and goes with his confidence, and I feel he takes himself out of games more than the opponent's schemes actually do. If Yao brought the killer instinct he had in the 4th quarter in game 7 throughout the series, instead of letting Okur or any other Jazz player push him around outside of his comfort zone, we're not even talking about all of Yao's other defeciencies.
The problem is that you are trying ask too much from Yao, he can play like this in 5 minutes, but not in 35 minutes consistently. He needs relax and take some easy shots, you still didn't get it.
