You can't let Boozer just shoot because that is easily a 50-60% shot, we're trying to limit them to under 40% remember? As far as the coaches knowing better, I'm sure they do but I'd like to hear their reasoning on not doubling Boozer. I've watched him for his entire career, and he is the basic definition of a 1 on 1 player. He's a complete black hole, why not try doubling him and challenging him to step up and do what he's poor at (passing out of the post)? Booze is also terrible at hitting tough shots, but is so strong that it's hard to make him take a tough one. Double him and force him to throw it up, because he will throw up some garbage 90% of the time, assuming he doesn't just turn it over. Utah isn't the best shooting team either so even if he hits an open man (which he is unlikely to do, he's one of the worst passing big men in the league) it's better than letting him abuse Yao. I think it's just a matter of pride and not wanting to double a 'second-class' player like Boozer when someone like Yao is guarding him. I understand it's good for Yao to clog the paint and challenge shots, but he needs some help so that our entire defense isn't being broken down by one man. Once Boozer drives past Yao it's an easy 2 points, foul, or and1. His shot is money and it usually misses long, which the Rockets have proved they are terrible at retrieving. Watch how other teams guard him, a guard comes over to double team and he coughs it up nastier than Yao, or spins, barely recovers the ball and throws up an ugly hook that's almost a guaranteed brick. We make Boozer look like a superstar, and it's due to our unconventional defensive scheme. People guard Yao the way we should be guarding Boozer. His handle and awareness really aren't much better than Yaos, he is always looking for his score. For every nice pass you will see Yao or Boozer make out of a double team, you will see 5 turnovers or ugly bricks. Sure you get burned by a cutting Derron 10% of the time, but you're cutting his FG% by 20% easily and every turnover you cause is huge.
I think I see the problem here: few people on this board have any respect for Boozer's game at all. Now, I can't stand the Jazz, but Carlos Boozer is really frickin' good. He's a guaranteed double-double, and even Tim Duncan couldn't stop or slow him down back in the Conference Finals. Yao is simply doing all he can - it's up to the rest of the Rockets to back him up and guard everyone else. Oh, and no coach in their right mind would ever put a 7'6 center out to the perimeter. The day that happens is the day I'm convinced that Adelman is NOT an upgrade over Jeff Van Gundy.
Yeah, the entire reason Adelman runs his bigs in the high post at times is to open up cutting lanes. Putting Yao on Okur is sort of like doing Sloan's job for him, having nobody in the low post opens the game up so much for an offensive team. It's like the Suns, open the floor up and just let Nash operate.
you cant put yao on okur. yao on boozer is the best matchup. you just gotta hope boozer takes a stupid fade away shot, rather than him shooting over the top of yao from 17 feet out. he's almost automatic
Yao was a fumblin, fouling, clanking, ole' defending liability last night. Thank goodness Tmac was out of this world.
Defense on the perimeter is not just a one on one matchup. The game of basketball isn't just a 5 one-on-one matchups on the floor. Yao's responsibility on the perimeter goes beyond simply putting his hand up in Okur's face when he attempts a jumper. How does he guard a pick and roll/pop with Okur and Deron, for instance? They'd run that play to death and get easy looks every time. And Okur could easily drive past Yao. He doesn't have to get past other defenders; they'll naturally come to him and he drops it off to the open man. What does Yao do when he needs to rotate to the open player on the perimeter? Nada, because he'd be incapable of doing so. It's just a bad strategy on so many levels. And I haven't even mentioned that it leaves us terribly undersized in the paint, against the most physical team in the league.
without williams , boozer is just a Martin. So the key is kill williams first and boozer will fade soon
u didn't get the point, it is not brozer vs yao, it is whoever guarded by yao, get the ball . someone should teach yao, he is not the only guy has slow first step. why yao look so easy to beat. sometime, i even don't think brozer want yao to be out because foul trouble.
It's sad to say but Boozer was doin' what he wanted when Yao was guardin' him. Yao is not able to stop him, really.
However, Boozer likes to float around 16=17 foot from the basket. It is still a bit far from the basket. When he guarding Boozer, it also drain up his energy on offense because Boozer has so many moves, and he can not pay much attention to protect the basket when he was one on one with boozer.
And Okur could easily drive past Yao. He doesn't have to get past other defenders; they'll naturally come to him and he drops it off to the open man. You mixed up Okur with John Stockton. Passing is not really Okur's strength, espcially when he is moving. A 7 footer, driving to the lane, and threading a needle to a guard on the corner, huh.
I completely agree with this. If Yao goes to the perimeter to guard Okur, Boozer will have a feast with Hayes. The reason Hayes looks decent is because Boozer can not try to go around Hayes because Yao is waiting in the middle. If Yao is not in the middle, Boozer will just go around anybody playing him low.
it is literally impossible for hayes to look worse than yao when guarding boozer at least hayes can actually affect boozer's shot
for those that want yao to guard okur, i think you are discounting okurs ability to put the ball on the floor. He isnt a speed demon, but he can easily get past yao. Its a bad matchup no matter what. pick your poison
