He's 1 for 7 lifetime from beyond the arc. I don't know where or why people think he can magically become a 40% shooter (which would rank him among the very best in the league). Who cares if he can hit them in pregame shootarounds with nobody guarding him? Not relevant.
He shot 3pointers in China at a very high %. Are 3 pointers in China the same as NBA 3 pointers? I think so. Wang ZhiZhi is an excellent 3 pointer shooter, and he's a center. Chinese players are very good at shooting 3 pointers. Why do you think Yao can't shoot NBA 3 pointers? Yao was never really given the chance to be like Dirk, and have an outside game, but I'm pretty sure he can do it.
Did you see the mavs play the warriors in the first round? Dirk was being defended by guys like Stephen Jackson (6'8"), Richardson (6'6"), and Davis (6'3"). They shut him down. He couldn't drive around them because they were much smaller and faster. Yao will have the same problem against opposing centers, let alone the more agile PF's they'll put on him if he becomes a perimeter center. Height means more in getting a shot off in the post than it does on the perimeter. And you're assuming Yao can shoot anywhere near 45%. Only three guys did it last year and none of them have the physical tools Yao has to play in the post. If he could shoot that high a percentage, I'd be all for it. But we're speaking in hypotheticals here. Why not have Shaq shoot at 50% from 3pt land while we're at it? Or Duncan? You're just making stuff up.
lol yao_fan... you are blinded by fanaticism. 45% clip from the 3pt line? even hypothetically that's ridiculous.
Excuse me, but nobody is suggesting planting Yao at the 3 point line every time. Yao should be in the low -post most of the time. I am only saying, once in a while, maybe 2 - 3 times per game, for him to shoot a 3 pointer. We are going to see this kind of stuff anyway under Adelman. Adelman in the past used centers to shoot 3s. Why is this such a shock?
He did shoot .400 3 pointers in CBA. He's shooting nearly 90% from the FT line, unheard of for a center. Who knows? it's not impossible.
Shaq shooting 50% from 3 point line is fantasy. Pure fantasy. The guy can't even shoot above 70% from FT line. Yao is shooting nearly 90% from FT line. He shot .400 in CBA when he was like 20 years old. Yeah, I admit 45% is unlikely, but Dirk is shooting 40%, and he's a big man. I can totally see Yao shooing 40 something also.
Yao should spend the vast majority of his time on the block and as a change of pace the rest at the high post. The only 3 pters he should be taking are the kind Dream used to take, at the end of games when the Rockets are comfortably ahead. DD
So why are we all assuming Adelman means the 3pt line when moving Yao away from the basket? When Adelman mentioned Yao having a good FT% I would've assumed he meant that it was a possibilty that FT% could translate to midrange shots? If Yao can do this then there's less wear and tear and hopefully a less weary Yao in the 4th quarter. Plus Hayes can become a scoring threat being under the basket which is a good thing (There are two guys I hate watching attempt dunks. They're Yao and Snyder, they seem to miss a lot of dunks).
The entire point is to allow Yao and the rest of the team to score easy points. Under JVG, Yao had to really work hard to score his 25 points. He took a killing. And it affects his stamina, and also his health. Is it a wonder why he's been getting injured the past few seasons? Since Yao has a good shooting stroke, why not utilize him to get more easy baskets? Adelman stated this very thing. His main goal is to make it easier for Yao and T-Mac. Yao will still be in the low post most of the time, but I'd like to see Yao also take a few 3 pointers. I think he can do it, and it'd be also hugely entertaining. Imagine Toyota center erupting when Yao makes a 3. That's fun basketball. LOL.
Getting a hand in Yao's face at the 3-pt line wouldn't be nearly as hard as it should be because he doesn't really jump much on that jumper. I'd be willing to bet that T-Mac releases his jumper at a higher point than Yao does. Yao's height would make him absolutely unguardable if he had any hops whatsoever.
Yeah but Yao has an advantage. He doesn't have to jump. LOL. All Yao would have to do is FAKE and the defender reacts, jumping up. And then Yao just shoots over a falling defender. Yao has all the advantage ,really. He's so tall. A defender always has to jump, elevate to even try blocking that. Yao just has to shift his body a little. Advantage: Yao.
Look Adelman said that Yao is a great free throw shooter so he thinks he can make free throw area shots in the flow of a game. He didn't really say anything about Yao making 3 pointers but if history is any kind of guide, look to Brad Miller and his shot selection.
Ideally, Yao needs to spend 70% of time in the low post, and 30% in the mid range, unless situation dictates. I'm fine with an incidental three, it makes Yao feel free, he can do whatever he wants to on the court. Systematic threes for Yao though, are beyond my comprehension. I'll pass.
most of those 3s will be wide azz open, if not....the 5 comes out and the passing lane opens up right to the hole
wow this post startles even knowing the limited basketball iq here...you want the most dominant low post scorer in the game today taking 2-3 3's a game and say thats entertaining...wasted possessions lead to losses which are not entertaining at all.
If he makes 40%, then it's very entertaining. You don't think Toyota center would absolutely go nuts every time Yao makes one? And I think that part of a up-tempo offensive system means that plays take shorter time. No more slow, wait for Yao to get into position, and throw it in the low post offense. THAT type of game is boring, and very slow. The # of possessions would be lower than a hi-tempo system where the play sets up very quickly. Toss it to the open shooter, and let him shoot it. Not only would offense go up, but it would be a lot more fun to watch. And Yao making a 3 would be very entertaining.
