If we play against Utah in the playoffs, Yao can't get any touches or his numbers will look like this: 38 mins, 15 points, 4-15 from the floor, 7-8 from the line, 6 rebounds, 0 blocks, and 8 turnovers.
b/c yao has to seal his man off and be in great positions. yao isn't like hakeem or patrick where they can get any shot they want. yao has to be in great position, get a good pass, and do his thing. that's why he rarely can get a lot of shots.
When I did this report, it wasn't created to single out people or create a faction split on bbs. What is was merely trying to do is show people that shots don't relate to touches. People can look at a box score and shout yao only had x amount of shots. Believe me when I tell you, its hard to get shots up in the nba. There is a reason why a guy like steve kerr or paxson never avg as many shots as a guy like jordan. It takes energy and cold bloodedness to squeeze off quality shots in the nba. There is a line of difficulty that a lot of nba players will not cross when shooting shots. That's why I tell people all the time that the really good wing players always shoot contested shots. That's the goal of the opponets is to make them take tough shots.Some guys can take and make tough shots and other can't, that's the difference. From a long range look, many will say yao should shoot 20 times a game. The reason yao doesn is because his mental makeup won't allow him to do it. That's the difference in greatness. All of those baseline fades and jump hook were contested shots for the most part, but that's part of being dominant. Great players have to take and make those shots I'm talking about. Wha holds Yao back may be that when he was in china, he didn't have to shoot over the kind of players he does now. Also, shot recognition is another thing that great players have to be aware of. When I was breaking down the game, I noted when yao was ball reversal on his touches. I also noted when he got the ball on the blocks. No matter what level of basketball you play, on the lower shoe blocks is a scoring position. Coaches don't throw the ball to a guy for their health or to just look good. The blocks are Aaron Brooks size from the basket. How much closer must you get. Then when yao takes a dribble and get a foot in the lane, that shot needs to go up. No double team no matter the size should stop yao from shooting when he's that close to the basket. Think about it, a contested 7'6 guy 7 ft from the hoop vs a guy 23'9 from the hoop. I don't have to be a math major to answer that. Like I said, if he's on the blocks, make your move. There were many tmes when he would wait 3 secs, dribble, dribble, then make a move. He should already be playing the scenerio out in his head as the play is developing and seeing how he will attack the defense. By the wa, they didn't double yao 1 time last night. Like I said, I think he had a decent game. The only reason why I say decent is because he had 2 rebounds going into the 4th qt. Any time there are roughly 70 rebs in a game, you have to get more than 7. Next game for all the guys crying about yao not getting enough touches, do the same. Make yourself a legend and just note where he receives the ball, how many times, shot made or missed and things like rebs and fouls. There times when I said yao didn't have a good game and people related that to pts. I tend to look at the impact with rebs,blks, double teams, and etc. Its really a good way to wach the game and educate yourself.
you are falling into your own trap, only instead of counting points you are counting rebounds. Nuff said.
Yao Ming sucks and he is degressing. He is slow and flat footed. This season he should be lucky to even average 14 pts and 6 rebs. I find it especially pathetic that he is beginning to display the swagger of an a55hole, declining to sign autographs? cmon!
Yeah and while at at, lets wish Mcgrady shoots consistently 2-12 every night and Ron Artest 1-8, and Rockets be the worst team in the west. How's that for a new year resolution?
Are you really that ignorant? It had been said many times that he couldn't sign the autograph because of his endorsement contract. But for like you who is able to write a brainless post like above, You didn't really surprised me with your ignorance and dumbness.
A Yao hater and a ridiculous thread. Defence is not just judged by his rebounds. Why do you fail to see Yao boxing out opponents for teammates to get the ball? Yao is the most efficient in offense. Without Yao in, do you still think Landry and Brooks can shoot well? That's because Yao can draw defence and create open shooting for them. You and someone here really ignore the value of a center. Sorry for my words, maybe I"m a little sensitive here.
Shots do not equal to touches. We all know that. However, shots do relate to touches. That is what statistics about. According to you, you were trying to show "crybabies" that Yao has enough touches, and you wanted to show Yao did not have enough shots because he wasted touches. You are the one actually confuse the shots with touches. Besides, it is not a good idea to draw conclusion from one game, especially the opponent is not an "average" one. It is nice for you to take the time educating people. It would be nicer if you could do it the right way.
I was able to do something this past weekend that almost never happens... actually go to both games of a back-to-back, with good seats. Living in Austin means almost all the games I watch (and I watch just about all of them) are on LP. Since we're talking about Yao here, I've got to say that I was shocked at his play in SA, and I'm a big fan of the guy. He was slow. Sure, we all know Yao isn't fleet of foot, but he was slow. Clearly, he's "not right." At one point, he was sitting on the edge of a table having Keith Jones look at his foot, moving it around. Obviously, it was bothering him. Far more obvious, however, was his play on the court. It was like he was moving in quicksand. It's a miracle that he got any rebounds. The vast majority were right around the basket, when they come right to him and he has that height advantage. If Yao has to make an athletic move towards the ball to get the board, you may as well forget it. It's got me worried. He also missed several shots that are typically money for him. The little hook on the low block. Those short jumpers. I forgot to record the game on my DVR, so I'm going by memory, but I remember wishing Scola or Hayes were playing at the 5 spot so we could get some boards (Hayes) and some scoring (Scola), as well as more defense. After Hayes got hurt, that wasn't an option. Getting him the ball? In SA, he was calling for it in the low block a few times, but credit the SA defense. The windows Yao had to receive the ball were quickly closed. Had Alston played (and it pains me to say it. Rafer frequently drives me crazy), I have no doubt that Yao would have had more scoring chances. Brooks showed his inexperience there. Yao looked much better in Houston against the Hornets, but it seemed to me that we made a bit of a run when he came out. Yao still didn't "look like himself." Not to me. Another thing... doesn't have a bearing here, but I didn't understand why Adelman didn't keep Scola on Duncan. He had Yao move out to cover him, and it didn't work. Duncan, even though he's lost a step or two, can out-quick Yao anytime he wants. Landry didn't do nearly as well on defense against Duncan, either. Sola did a good job on Tim. I was puzzled, because SA's big guy was about all they had. No way we should have lost that game.
Maybe I'm not remembering it well. I thought Yao did a decent job with Duncan. Yao may actually be our best post defender against a player like that. I wouldn't trust Scola defending Duncan in the post down the stretch. Actually, I thought Adelman's mistake at the end of the game was using Landry instead of Hayes. Landry screwed up defensively on a number of occasions, and we got killed on PnR plays. Hayes is our best big at defending that. I figured at the time that Hayes was just too injured to return, but apparently he was available. Notice how few minutes Landry got against the Hornets (none in the second half, I believe). I think Adelman learned his lesson -- when Chuck is playing terrific on the defensive end, keep him in the game when we have the lead.
So scola and the others dont box out their players to allow yao to get the rebound? i understand the value of a center. Any Rockets fan understand as much as i do since we've witnessed greatness in Dream and Moses. They boxed out and still grabbed rebounds. Moses took a .500 team to the finals and won multiple mvp's. Dream took some solid, but unspectacular players to the finals and won. I understand centers. I'm not going to beat up on you, but landry shot 60% without yao last year when yao was out. There isnt a drop off in production historically without yao. The team won 68% last yr in 30 some odd games and 60% the year before without yao. So what does that tell you? Rifla, what more do you want when the biggest guy on the court gets the ball 8ft from the basket 21 times with single coverage and shoots 12 times. What kind of offense should the coach design better? I mean the other 7 times were ball reversal which is needed in any offense. He touched the ball alot. he always touch the ball in scoring posistions. now if hes scared because he's had his shot blocked more than anyone else, then i dont know what to say about that.
Yao isn't a great rebounder, but he gets his share--about 10-11 rpg over the course of a season. He certainly helps others get rebounds by boxing out, just like he benefits from others' boxing out. Some games he will be the benefactor, and some games he will be on the receiving end--it's not necessarily Yao's doing if he gets 6 rebounds or 16 in a given game.
