haha all of you are talking about Yao at the high post now. Where are all the bashers and posters who said Yao should just stay in the low post and shoot from 5 feet in? I knew this was coming.
Yeah, I knew this was coming too. I never believed from the first time we saw Yao running up and down the floor helter skelter with Rudy right after he came over his rookie year, that he should just be a low post presence. However, I am glad that JVG developed him that way and made that his foundation. Now, the final step in his development will be the polish on his face up high post game and distance shooting. Then you will have a truly unique NBA player of which there has never been, one with deadly accurate shooting range, great post finesse moves, and a great power game to boot, not to mention the greatest FT shooting big man ever, one that opponents feared so much that they would quit fouling and let have the bucket as opposed to the and 1.
Thank god you were not the dream's coach I know a good player can do it all, face/hand/ball..especially if they have great patience, timing and body control......Olajuwon certainly did <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uoELUjOQTMk"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uoELUjOQTMk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object> Why do you think so many fouls get called when the defender touches someone's hand on the release............ so your 3pt defense is flat-footed with a hand in someones face......that may work at the playground.....but not always in the NBA.
Here are my 2 cents on this topic.... First, I truly believe Yao is a pure shooter, so he could definitely hit the 3pt shot at a very high clip (~45%). This is an extrapolation of the fact that he hits about 75% of his 20footers in practice (reference video previously posted). The 3pt line is only a couple feet further. 2nd, If other bigs like Okur, Barnagni, and Dirk are allowed to do it, and do it frequently without affecting their teams in a negative way or causing all this commotion, there is ABSOLUTELY no reason why Yao shouldn't be allowed and even encouraged to shoot 2-3 3pt shots per game. 3rd, This would further mix up his already well rounded offensive reportoire, in addition to countering packed zones and double teams down low. 4th, I would suggest he only take the 3's near the top of the key and not the baseline, as this would minimize his distance to get back on D. 5th, This high high post game will also be easily incorporated with pick and rolls and back door passes, as Yao is also a good passer and can see over everyone. 6th, Not only would it be good strategically, it would be excellent for entertainment value also to see a 7'6" guy shoot threes! yeah gimmicky, like when manute bol was shooting them, but kinda fun to watch too... in this case it would not be a gimmick per se....
Just like its nuts for a 7'6" baller to shoot 87-90% from the charity stripe right I went on record saying 33%
Yao is 7'6. and he's very skilled. He's got such an advantage over defenders, it's crazy. How are yo ugoing to defend a 7'6 guy who can shoot 3 pointers? Foul him, and he makes 3 FTs. Yao can pump fake, and have the defender jump in vain. Or Yao can pass out to a driving slasher to the hole. Who's going to defend Yao? The defending center? Great. Perfect for T-Mac to go to the exposed hole. A short guard? Yao can shoot over him, or if doubled, pass over them to an open man. I am sure Adelman will have a few plays that has Yao out in the 3 point line.
JVG would never use Yao this way. And that was precisely the problem. Imagine Toyota center erupting when Yao makes a 3 pointer? It would surely provide huge entertainment value.
If I were Olajuwon's coach, I'd let him play defense however he liked. But for just about everyone else, I'd call them out for going for the ball instead of putting a hand in the face of any 7'+ three-point shooterr.
You don't get it. Of course there aren't any comparable players to Yao. If Yao's size is all that mattered when it comes to getting a shot off, it wouldn't matter when he's pushed a couple feet further from the block. After all, he's 7-6. It doesn't matter how his form works -- the ability from further out is not a given. I already referenced Zach Randolph, a similarly effective free throw shooter who plays a below the rim interior game. He shoots sub 30% from the 3 point line. Stepping out another couple feet can have a huge effect on accuracy, and negates Yao's size advantage. Sure, it's unlikely anyone can block his shot, but to get a hand in the face of someone with a release as slow as Yao's, regardless of how tall he is, is just not that hard. A hand in his face from 6 feet doesn't really matter. From 23 feet, it does. You've brought up one play over the course of Yao's 4 seasons in the NBA, and I'm not surprised. One highlight video play doesn't make it a skill. No, he won't be able to take one dribble and throw it down. His first (and second) step isn't quick enough, and his ball handling isn't good enough. It's not Yao's fault -- when Yao takes one dribble, it's in the air for a really long time. He's just not going to beat anyone off the dribble. He is 7-6 after all.
are some of u guys serious? my goodness? yao will be even SOFTER if he plays like some of u want him to play.
No he wasn't. He was a terrible three point shooter. He just gained a lot of notoriety because he was really tall and had a really strange shot. It was pretty much a joke whenever he shot the ball.
Further proof that this guy knows nothing about basketball: http://basketball-reference.com/players/b/bolma01.html Career 21% from the arc. Took 205 in a 9 year career, made 43.
The only time I want to see Yao take a 3 pt shot by design is when we need 3 points to tie a game at the last seconds when TMac is double-teamed. Otherwise, maybe he can do it for fun during a blow out.
so will he be softer if he goes to the high post every now and then,...huh Jeff Van Gundy, I mean doubleehho3 the point is, mix it up....add to your bag of tricks. I don't anyone here wants to turn him into a 7'6" Okur
so will he be softer if he goes to the high post every now and then,...huh Jeff Van Gundy, I mean doubleehho3 the point is, mix it up....add to your bag of tricks. I don't think anyone here wants to turn him into a 7'6" Okur
