IMHO, Big Yao should still be focused on the interior game under the low post instead of parking outside the arc for 3-pointers. I'd rather use him the same way, the purely inside-out game, attracting double-team, leverage on his passing skill to toss out balls out of the double-team to the exterior for his team mates to shoot open-look 3-pointers. He had the range for 3-pointers, but in fact he is not as good as Mehmet Okur, or Andrea Bargnani in making the 3-pointers. He was not even as good as Wang Zhizhi or Mengke Bateer during his CBA years. He could mix up a bit on his choice of shots for sure, sometimes his 12-foot to 18-foot jumpers, but definitely, he would be unstoppable within 8-feet of the paint with his hook shots, jumpers, lay-ups, finger-rolls, and dunks. After all, why should he go for shooting at most 30% 3-pointer % (even if he manages to do so), and give up on his > 55% 2-pointers ? And if you notice, alot of times, if he plays aggressive enough by laying ups/dunking, he could get extra bonus And 1s. And everyone knows how accurate he is at the free throw line. And that will already be 3 points (2 + 1) !! So just recruit more stable and dead-eye 3-pointer snipers/specialists on this team, instead of asking Big Yao to shoot more 3-pointers.
Yao always played a hybrid game in China, and in his first year in the NBA. That's his nattural game. Back to the basket and also facing up. Not a dull robot banging in the paint in multiple consequtive possessions. I think that dull role has hampered Yao's creativity in the post. A versatile Yao is the real Yao.
You mean the first year Yao who shot a career low .498 and got slightly fewer assists per 48 minutes? I'm hard pressed to see why that Yao is preferable to the better shooting, in close Yao.
Obviously Yao's main weapon would be low post. No one is suggesting PARK him beyond 3pt line. The point is he already comes out quite often to set screen for TMac, then just build on that player, add another dimension of Yao's high post play.
The good news...most coaches not named Jeff Van Gundy will recognize the fact that cutters who can finish...in the half court AND in transition...substantially augment Yao's skillset.
You're absolutely right. He has improved in the post since then, he has not gotten any faster or become a better outside shooter, or a better passer to any appreciable degree.
I would like the Coach, whether it is JVG or any other person, to give green lights to Yao for shooting 3s during games. As a Yao fan, I am honestly very frustrated watching him being stripped and blocked in the low post in 7 consecutive games but has little solution to it. Pulling him out OCCASIONALLY and make a couple long range shots might at least cloud the opponent's defense and save some of his energy (less pounding and pushing in the post??). But still his primary plays have to be low post and he'd better learn how to protect the ball in the low post from Dream this summer.
I wonder why Jerry Sloan would get rid of such a player then? Seems to be an ideal fit for the flex offense.
Yao must mix up long jumper and low post move to become really unstoppable. AMare hit 3-4 long jumper per game. It's stupid to trim off a player's skill instead of utilize it.
I will bet he has gotten better at everything but has only been able to showcase his low post stuff. DD
Surely Jerry Sloan develops players... what about Millsap? Dee Brown? I mean Jerry Sloan is god! He would have turned Bonzi into an adonis! He would have made V-Span into V-Stockton! He would have made Novak the next 6'10 Hornacek!
You mean the "stuff" that he didn't even have when he came into the league? The drop-step, the jump hook, the ability to maintain post-position consistently, the ability to become an effective pick-and-roll player (more due to T-mac). You guys seriously underestimate how far Yao has come in his strength training, stamina and his work with Tom (and the rest of the staff).
I doubt he has gotten any better at all from distance. He certainly hasn't become quicker or a better dribbler - the two things he would need most. I don't think his shooting has magically gotten better, or his passing, which is vastly overestimated on this board. He's not bad at it but he's no Bill Walton or Sabonis - he's simply too slow to be a great passer, IMO, because he has a tendency to telegraph things. In the low post he can overcome that by virtue of sheer size.
Sam Fisher, the notorious bomb thrower, tosses again. Some people just love to argue about nothing. They need that emotion. How sad.
Tim Duncan doesn't always play with his back to the basket, one of his signature move was bank shot off the glass. Also, the Spurs don't go consequtive possessions to feed him in the low post, unless it's sure that he could continually exploit a certain mismatchup. The Spurs mix it up for Duncan and doesn't expect him to be this all purpose great low post specialist all the time. Milking a low post player continually is too energy consuming, causing disinterest, stagnating the offense, and its efficiency relies on many factors said low post player cannot control, such as outside shooting, quality low post feeding, countering defensive adjustments and officiating. When JVG milks Yao in the low post and force the issue on multiple consequtive possesions, it's doomed to produce the above mentioned problems. The way to use a versatile low post player like Duncan and Yao is to mix it up, using other alternatives to keep the defense honest, pace the energy and foster offensive involvement. In other words, pick the spot and make it natural. When Yao doesn't get deep position, don't waste time to wait for him, shift the offense into other plays. Always seek for the best low post opportunities, where Yao could quickly receive the ball and launches a shot. Too many times the Rockets force the issue when the team is struggling in the low post inside outside play. It goes like, the first possession Yao couldn't get great position, after a while of wrestling in the paint the team gives up and has only seconds on the clock, the second possession Yao receives the ball, fires a shot and it missed, the third possession teammates hesitates to pass Yao the ball when Yao is ready, the fourth possession Yao gets the ball, makes a move and passes out to the teammates, only to watch them miss the shot, the fifth possession Yao gets tired from all this boring and tiring banging and wrestling, he ends up throwing up a lame shot. Can you blame him? I haven't mix in the average turnover rate, officiating and defensive adjustments yet. Great coaches don't force players to be something they aren't. He gets out of the way and let them be. He plays an assisting role to help their best players with his selection of role players and sets. He teaches the best players how to play the right way. No matter what the right way is, it's not playing the game rigidly. Yao is a versatile player, T-Mac is a versatile player, when you have two best players whose strengths are their versatility and pair them with an inflexible coach is a marriage made in hell.
Yao learned how to play basketball to be the No.1 pick in China, the rest of his development is just adding some pieces to existing framework. He was a hybrid player since day 1. Yao's low post game and face up game could be developed at the same time under the right coach, but under JVG, he developed his low post game under the sacrifice of his face up game. His passing has regressed under the dull, rigid role of a low post robot. The end result is nothing to be bragged about, shooting only 44% in the playoffs, and multiple injuries from too much stress on his bones playing too much in the low post. You run a tire too much and it wears thin, when it's thin it's susceptible to break. A new tire hitting a sharp stone may not break, an old and worn out tire will. Yao gets worn out faster with all this multiple possessions in the paint, some price he needn't pay had he could pace the game with some face up game.
When Amare (and Duncan depending on the match up) gets the ball from the outside, his defender does not body up on him because Amare will go by his defender. Yao on the high post will more likely serve as a spot up shooter/finisher than some one who is initiating the offence. If you belive Yao has the balance, speed and handles (I do believe he has the shooting touch) to be more effective playing in the high post then I can understand your desire for him to play up top. I still believe the assets that Yao have (size, passing abillity and shooting touch) along with his weaknesses (quickness and handles) is better utilized on the inside. I am however, open for Yao to spot up on the high post (as I've mentioned several times), in fact I think Hakeem's play that role quite a few times after Drexler came and Cassell got better (perimeter player penetrates and Hakeem receive a wide open shot at the top of the key).
Yao has some of his best games when he is not the center of the offence on every possesion. He gets more offensive rebounds, points off of put backs. He gets a pass right under the basket for an easy dunk, etc. Don't get me wrong, the guy can post up, but I think the ability to post or find sweet position comes when you are not running down the court each time with the defender knowing you are going to plant it low and shove for position. I like him having a bit more flexibility on where he goes on offence and cleaning up around the rim.
