He was the epitome of the players coach. And in the first championship season, he eventually phased out veteran backup PG Scott Brooks for rookie Sam Cassell.
I read somewhere, that the Rockets need to learn PnR with Yao when teams start doubling or fronting Yao. AB and Lowry can get to the bucket easy and Yao can follow for easy slams. Switch up the offensive game plan between posting Yao on the block, middle, free throw line, wing, etc... WE ARE WAY TO PREDICTABLE IN THE 4TH QTR. STOP FORCING THE ROCK TO MY MAN YAO!!!
Also throw the ball to Yao in the post and run baseline clearing out the potential of a double team coming to Yao. Also, the split screen, where AB runs in between Yao and his man give Yao and uncontested jumper.
Great job on the video. Your list looks almost identical to mine to I won't repost, but I would like to add a few things. It seems that most of our entry post problems were bad passes by the team. I agree that Yao needs to seal off his man better, but his teammates also need to be aware of where they're throwing the ball. 8, 14, 19, 25, and 37 were all bad passes. Clips 11 and 30 were the only plays that Yao himself turned the ball over. Both plays Kobe double came with the double team. Clip 20 shouldn't even count, because it was pretty apparent that Pau pulled Yao from behind with both hands. Now, here's something I'll add: Plays where Yao is double teamed: Kobe: Clip 2 Clip 3 Clip 4 Clip 22 Clip 27 Clip 29 Clip 30 Fisher: Clip 6 Clip 27 Walton: Clip 35 It's apparent that Kobe is zoning off of Battier almost the entire game. It seems that Battier was trying to get Yao's attention, but we all know he's death in one ear... Kobe is always helping with Battier on the opposite side and this is definitely something we need to address. Ps. Nice post Vid.
a couple things: 1. If Adelman didn't like shane just standing there or it was going against the game plan then i'm sure he'd yank him from the game. Shane's been doing that for over a year now. If Adelman hasn't benched him yet, even if he's shoot poorly and just taking those shots, then Adelman must be ok with what he's doing and is just hoping the shots fall eventually. 2. It's easy to say shane, or whoever that shooter is, shouldn't be that far in the opposite corner and that he should move to a better angle. But that's where specific video clips come to play. In clip #2, shane sets up in the opposite end wide open, yes he could move over to his right a bit giving Yao a better angle, but is that better angle worth throwing the ball over 3 defenders and putting the shooter closer to a defender? i dont think so. You throw it in a straight line to shane and it goes over one defender, and the shooter stays wide open. The only reason its a tough pass for yao is because he cant handle the double team. In this specific clip when yao looked over to see where shane was to pas it to him, Pau STRIPPED the ball from Yao, so yao has to waste time gathering the ball, by then the double team is there and he's got outstretched hands in his face. THAT is what makes it difficult for him to pass. If he's not getting stripped he's getting pushed or he's off balance, it's not always about the angle. 3. I agree that pau was fouling him, but Yao has to recognize the way the game it being called from game to game. I know he's got valid complaints most of the time, but if they're pushing you then push back to test the refs' calls. 4. Seems like houston went away from those nice pick and rolls Scola and Lowry were doing against memphis i think it was. They did some other things late in that game (before the starters were pulled) that they havent gone back to.
I actually see most of the turnovers occurring when Yao is double teamed from the weak side. Kobe had two steals this way by coming from the baseline and swiping/hacking at the "ball" (or Yao's hand). Yao also threw couple of errand passes after he was double teamed. One obvious solution is for teammates to alert Yao of the incoming double which gives Yao more time to quickly make a move to the basket or pass the ball. However, one problem is that he can't hear from one side of his ear. Another less obvious is to post on the side of the baseline ref. Frankly, there is quite a bit of contact when Yao gets doubled from his blind side (usually from the baseline). However, refs usually won't call it unless it's right in front of their face. Thus posting right in front of the ref will help illuminate the hacking for the refs forcing him to make the calls.
that IS what they did on certain plays. The problem is that the double team comes no matter what because they know they can bother Yao and half the time its a turnover or a kick out.
I was just noting that it was a good move to double Yao from the opposite side. It's not just about Shane. The other team can do that with any player and Yao would have a tough time passing out of that. I'm not saying there's nothing Shane can do to help the situation either. I'd like to see him cutting to the basket to at least give Yao another option.
Durvasa, when 3 guys collapse or if battier walks behind kobe, he's going to be at the rim or mid paint. You dont worry about space when your guy leaves and you can walk to the basket because then one guy has to go guard the guy under the basket the that leaves scola open . Basketball is fluid. If adelman had a more reliable option, shane wouldnt be playing as much. Right now, wafer is hot and cold, but he did show how poor shane was by allowing wafer to play through his young guy mistakes.
That seems right, He did help develop Yao quite well though JVG and Ewing did a better job developing Yao than Rudy T did, but we never know who Yao would have been if Rudy T coached Yao for the rest of his career. But I find it laughable how only 2-4 players out of 13 who play on the highest level of basketball are capable of throwing a catch-able entry pass to a 310 7'6 basketball player. If you could pick any coach that doesn't have a coach at the moment to replace Rick who would it be? Hypothetically speaking of course.
I think Rick Adelman is a very good coach. There aren't any other coaches out there who are available that have better credentials than him. It's not his fault that in both his years here he's had one of his two best players out with a season ending injury.
Well there is Mr. Avery Johnson. He's an excellent coach, he did lead the Mavericks during the year he won Coach of the year, the best offensive rating in the league and Top 10 in defensive rating. He's pretty good at coaching. Restricted too, we need someone limiting Aaron Brooks, and not let him run off with no head. I do agree that he hasn't really proven himself due to our 2 best players being injured for the past 2 seasons though. I think Yao is saving his engine come playoff time, He may look like garbage on stats at this point, but I think it could change come playoff time. Since Playoffs Stats > Regular Season stats
Not to take anything away from Wafer, but i think Adelman knew he'd have a big game against LA. He had a big game the last time and you can tell he wants to stick it to them, so he was more focused than usual, even if not by much.
you still have to play basketball with a ball though, it does no good for shane to be under the rim or scola open if the ball is stuck in yao's hands. When yao gets doubled and he's taking too long to find someone or to just get some space to pass it safely, the game is no longer fluid. Its like that example I gave where Yao had time and a good look to pass to shane on the opposite side, but Pau knocked the ball loose and Yao wasted time gathering the ball and by the time he got it back the double team was there, set and waving their arms. I still think Yao needs to work on his post passing when doubled before any other tweak is succesful.
I could not finish watching the whole video. Ron Artest was simply abominable against the Lakers. First, he takes ages to throw a pass to Yao. He hesitates for seconds before launching the pass. After the first quarter, he started to simply ignore Yao (even with great post position); Artest drove the ball into a tangle of defenders time after time, throwing up ugly shots. SELFISH basketball. For a player who attempts to be a leader, this is unacceptable.
just want to express my appreciation for such a wonderful video. Thank you and keep up the good work!
I wish Yao was better at the over the head pass. If he could grip the ball high over his head and just flip it over the double team to a teammate in the lane (e.g. Scola running to the open spot in the paint) then he would destroy that Lakers defensive strategy. You look at all the great passing big men in NBA history -- Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Walton, Arvydas Sabonis -- and that's what they'd do.
I agree. Battier's shooting slump doesn't help, but I think the Lakers would have sent the double team on Yao while leaving open the Rocket player camped out at the opposite corner, regardless of who was there. I agree a good overhead pass by Yao is needed, but I'm also surprised the Rockets didn't try to swing the ball around and get it to the open man in the corner. Maybe you purposely didn't include it in the video, but I didn't notice that happening once. Also, I noticed that late in the game, the Rockets stopped having a player camped in the opposite corner, and the Lakers' double came from Scola's defender. That left Scola open and in perfect position for an overhead pass or an offensive rebound if Yao missed his shot. Unfortunately, Brooks' bounce pass to Yao was knocked away by Gasol before anything could happen. (sorry, I can't remember the clip number). But OTH it would be a shame to completely give up getting that open look from the corner three, as it has been so effective in the past. I appreciate the excellent thread, durvasa.
From the video, Lowry is already a better passer to Yao than Artest and Brooks, and he's played way less games with Yao. And Shane should really cut or move closer to the basket when Kobe doubles Yao, not just stay in the corner to wait for a long pass that might be too hard to make/get intercepted. Make yourself a threat to score when you dont have a defender on you. I know Shane has some faceup moves and he can knock down that mid range jumper, he should ulitize it especially when his defender is doubling Yao.
