This just isn't the case. In fact, Yao did a pretty good job catching some very tough passes while being grabbed tonight. It's pretty tough when there are constantly 2-3 players guarding you due to the fact that not a single player on your team can hit an outside shot.
Pollard and Foster almost fouled out until Carlisle switched strategy and just didn't even guard the power forward for the Rockets. Jermaine Oneal then became the 2nd defender on Yao. Strategy worked. Pacers blew out the Rockets in the 4th quarter.
The way to beat double team is punishing them for leaving 3 guard 4. But if none of your guy is able to make an open shots, then you are sending opponents an invitation to double or triple team your big man. Look at Spurs, when their outside shooting is cold, TD almost always gets shut down.
If Ducan got double teamed, he will get boards offensively and defensively. But Yao just can't do nothing.
So... If I'm reading everything in this thread correctly, I think the 'Main Problem' can be narrowed down to this: Yao has the skill to lead us to victory, but not enough will or desire. SF has the will and desire to win, but lacks the skill to make it so. In short, we are screwed.
yes yao is not a leader right now, and he sometimes is soft. BUT you have got to give consideration to the fact that he is a sophmore player and that even though everyone wants him to be the core of the team and demand the ball and all that other ****, he is, according to himself in no situation to tell the other vets like the mobelys and francis and the others what to do. They are his seniors and they are also his only friends. Give him time, seriously, and let the rockets fail a bit so that he will realize that he needs to put matters into his own hands. and he's really not that soft. Everyone has seen the asian championship tapes, and we even see hints of the aggression here in the states. I think that he's not really fully comfortable abut like i said give it time. His first tech was against ratliff when he bellowed at him after he dunked on him, and the most recent one that i remember is the one when the rockets played the magic and he threw an elbow at juan howard after jH kicked him or something after the whistle. All you people saying that he doesn't ever dunk are full of crap. He can't dunk the ball when he posts up outside the key, and he isn't an 18 wheeler that can barge through so that he is in that deep position and get the ball before getting a 3 second call.
Can we assume that if Yao's performance is equal to or better than Shaq then Rox would be the champion? Selfish plays won't make a great team and is not conducive to making team plays. SF usually takes away 10-15 seconds from the shot clock. When his teammates got the ball, very little time is left and this affects greatly their shots. On the other hand, Yao should be more proactive. In particular, when perimeter shots do not fall, he should shoot more. His shoot attempts should be 15-20 per game. He is just too cautious. He doesn't realize that you can only shoot more to get into the zone. Once you are there, you shots will fall.
Of course we should let Yao mix it up and shoot from the high post. His shooting touch is legit, and with basketball skills, its use it or lose it. I don't care if they take Yao out of the focus/"man" designation becuse I'm comfortable with Francis and Mobley taking a lot of shots cuz they can create... I just don't want to watch poor team execution and Jim Jackson and Cato heaving up poor percentages.
Yao is always a defensive force. He needs to improve his timing and anticipation on rebounding. He should be more agressive too, I agree. TD can play as agressive as he wants because he always get favorable calls. Also, Yao has a pair of small and slippery hands, he cannot hold on to the ball all the time. I don't think there is a cure for that.
I'm sorry but I find it hard to believe Yao Ming is the real problem in Houston. First of all, I was unimpressed with Jeff Van Gundy. 2 freakin post plays for Kelvin Cato tonight, while Yao got 4 attempts all game long. I don't want to hear the Pacers blocked him out of the low block, Yao has 3 point line range, utilize him facing up to the basket. Instead Van Gundy has his star big man spending the early part of the shot clock setting a pick out by the 3 pt line for the guards, then trying to get back into position to post up. If they aren't going to use Yao from 15 feet on that pick, then why bother. I don't get it. He has Sabonis like touch and range, but yet in the month of december he has had multiple games of less than 10 shots, and it's not due to foul trouble. I saw tonight's game, and it was a joke. Yao would set a pick, but never was rolling to a 15 foot jumper, instead he tries to get post position, but by that time the shot clock forces somebody else to shoot it. Other times, Yao gets the ball on the high post or low block, and his teammates mess up the spacing. I remember one play in particular where yao was at around the free throw line, and I believe it was Steve who was wide open at the 3 pt line, but steve instead moves in closer, creating an awkward shot instead of the set 3 he was about to get if he was patient. Yao Ming should never ever get below 25-30 touches a game and 15-20 shots a game, but yet his high outside of an 18 shot game once this month is 13 shots? A lot of it has to do with patience, as I saw little of that tonight. When a set play broke down, the guards/forwards of the rockets tried to go one on one. When they actually got ball movement going, the ball went through Yao, and good shots were taken, even though they missed them. I can't believe with everyone struggling, Van Gundy kept taking Yao out so often, and he left him on the bench until the 7-and-a-half minute mark of the 4th quarter. I too think Yao could stand some toughness and some strength, but damn, he still is the best player on the team, and the smartest one. For him to get over 13 shots in a december game only once, is mind boggling. And for him to get under 10 multiple times, is doubly mind boggling. He is versatile, he can play the high post and shoot over people all day long, he can shoot from the low block too, but he doesn't have to be exclusively a low block player. The rockets should take a page out of how Popovich uses Duncan. He gets it down low a lot sure, but he faces up quite a bit. Use the face up game more with Yao right now if need be, but he needs to be the guy shooting 15-20 shots a night or touching the ball practically every play if houston wants to go anywhere. I'm not saying Yao is perfect. He isnt. He needs to get a mean streak and toughen up, but this is his 2nd year in the league, give it time. He still as of now, has the best basketball IQ and skills combination of any rocket, and the offense needs to start being run through him no matter his deficiencies. The earlier Houston does this, the quicker they become a championship caliber team. Finally, I will admit, being a UT student, this was one of only a handful of games I have got to see extensively this year. While ultimately it's the players job to perform, it's the coaches job to put the players and the team in the best position to succeed. Yao getting 4 shots is not doing that, and he is to blame for not getting low post position well, but from what I saw Van Gundy did a horrible job getting him in positions to succeed and help the team succeed. Him setting a 3 pt line pick unless he rolls off it for a 15 footer or a nice layup is not smart coaching. While one game isn't fair to judge anyone, I must say if the other games have been similarly run from an offensive standpoint, it's no wonder the offense has struggled, and to be honest, I think Rudy T utilized Yao better last year unless this game and those shot attempts in december don't tell the true story.
This is a team game and we don't have the right personnel to face an NBA level zone defense. I think we could be realizing some potential under the old rules, but that's not the case anymore. The zone defense accentuates our deficiencies.
Thank you DD! I went to the game last night and consistenly watched Yao get outmuscled for position. We wanted to get the ball into him but he was either being fronted by the likes of Jeff Foster and couldn't get around him, or was falling down (I've never seen a player on the floor so much.) What it comes down to is Yao MUST put on some upper body weight. Sacrificing any quickness and/or mobility is a risk that needs to be taken. Otherwise, he's never going to become the force we all had hoped. And putting on muscle isn't going to automatically make him tough, he still needs to change his attitude. I don't know if I'd say Yao is the lone main problem. I think it's a combination of things. I just can't stand it when people say "the Rockets need to get the ball to Yao," like that alone will solve all of our problems. BS! Yao is too soft!
great post DD. I agree with your assessment of the offense...Perhaps benching Yao and starting Cato will motivate Yao.
Yes. You can assume that is Yao's performance was equal to or better than Shaq, the Rockets would be champions.
