2004-2005 Yao efficiency was good like that. McGrady and the celebrated cast of veteran combo sometimes point guards creating scoring oppurtunities for themselves. Hitting outside shots to space the floor, then getting Yao the ball without forcing it. This is even with Van Gundy who's all about feeding Yao the ball. Like Andrew Bynum in LA, if they started making him the obvious focal point giving him the ball every time down, he'd get some points and his overall scoring average would go up. But defenses could key in on him and make him miss more shots, and his offensive efficiency might be worse. I keep saying play Yao less minutes, but when he's in involve him on offense til he drops (need a good backup for that). Otherwise let him focus on D and rebouding and let him get the points when they come.
One thing that may help is to get a shooting 4. I think Padget used to do a decent job, as did Battier and I had hoped Artest to fill that role better than either of Battier or Padget (more bulk, less of a defensive liability), but the team hasn't gotten a chance to try it much. Adelman only did it when all 3 of McGrady, Battier and Artest are playing, as far as I remember, and that's not often this season. Van Gundy used to harp on it quite a bit. Scola and Landry do a good job on offense, but sometimes when the paint is congested, it helps to have more guys parked beyond the arc to acts as kind of a Dulcolax for the paint area.
Well, it is also hard for me to understand Yao's low % mid range shooting these past seasons. He was pretty good on this in his first couple of years. Totally agree that beecause he is slow in releasing the ball, it is hard for him to make contested mid range shots, but a lot of mid ranges shots he tried this season were rarely contested. I think it is a mental problem, you could see him heasitating in those situations. Love Yao's attitude and his professional ethic. Hope he could have some mid range games to make it hard for opponents to defend him.
Link for the lazy http://www.nba.com/hotspots/ This season, yao is about 40% doing fadeaways and turnarounds, while being close to 60% close to the basket. This does not account for him probably being fouled on the fallaways. He's 5-17 from mid range. Last season, he was a collective 30% from midrange. Ability to shoot 90% free throws and 3 pointers in practice does not translate the ability to hit the in the flow of the game. JVG even says yao is a below average mid range shooter, and he also says that no one can guard yao legally and consistently stop him. he also says as an opposing coach, you would absolutely love for Yao to get off the low block. He's less dangerous off the blocks, and much less likely to draw a foul on your team. So, in a nutshell, he can't produce it on the court, so he should just focus on making his low post play even better.
LOL - I knew as soon as I saw this thread that somebody would post this. I like the fiction that "he has that shot" when he doesn't, and there's no evidence that he does. But it's a good way to go 5 on 4 like A3P_O said. Oh but wait....there's more: Now there's some great evidence....since Manute Bol hit three pointers to the tune of 21% for his career...this is now a viable option, lol.
Yao makes em in practice, let's see him try a couple in games, but only when teams are triple teaming him in the post because our outside shooters are not hitting. DD
He doesnt need to shoot threes...although that would be cool and he would start to get some ESPN highlight love if he started making them. He needs to bring back the baseline turnaround jumper that use to be falling at a good percentage when he was consistently attempting them. It also opens up other parts of his game that havent really been working like his baseline spin move. Nobody falls for it now because he isnt dropping the turnaround on them. Yao was pretty comfortable with the baseline turnaround a few seasons ago and I dont think he took it out of his game...another reason why I dont like RA and his offensive "genius".
you would still need the others to pass him the ball in good position to fire, sometimes it seems that's asking too much.
We talk a lot about losing defensive intensity with the departure of JVG and Thibodeau. Thibodeau worked A LOT with Yao on his post moves. Yao isn't a young player anymore, but more than most he seems to depend on off court training and repetition. Maybe his off court routine on honing his post moves has changed, and that has impacted his effectiveness. 2-3 years ago, Yao was a wonderfully skilled low post player. I'm not seeing that anymore.
Another good reason to bring back the baseline jumper. I don't necessarily blame Adelman for it's disappearance though...
Doesn't that sound like Tim Thomas? Anyway, you and I had this discussion before about Yao being viable in this league for years. Also if this is the only way Yao can be effective, no good wing players are wanting to play here. If they new guy gets a chance to transition, then nothing happens then they have to wait for yao, throw the ball in, wait for his move, wait for a kickout, lebron and wade or guys of that ilk don't want that. There is 3 solutions to this. 1. Yao becomes a effective elbow shooter and passer. I would like to see him at the elbow as a receiver off penetration or as a receiver to rotate the ball. I would like to see him shoot it more early in the offense. He's a great ft line shooter so I don't see why he should be a good mid range shooter. I think he can see the passing angles, but are slow to react and make a proper pass. Plus, its not like we are blessed with slashers and cutters. I think 30% of his point or attempts or touches should be from here which would unbog the offense. 2. Better conditioning. In 33 minutes of action, yao is a factor, playing with energy for about 25mins. The other 8 he's just going through the motions and being a non factor. The reason a guy like Shaq, who was a oversized human being was so good is his stamina. His stamina allowed for him to be aggressive both offensively and defensively for long stretches. During the Shaq lakers years, they were always a top scoring team and was sneaky in transition. Of course they had Kobe, but shaq would make the outlet at the hash marks and then start running down the middle of the court. He put so much presure on th defense in transition because he would go right under the basket, turn and dunk or get foul. There are too many times when yao gets the rebound, hand off to rafer( which is a whole different story), and he's watching the transition cause he's tired. If he had better stamina, after most of those outlets, he could run down the court and park himself right under the basket, then if nothing happens, slide to his post spot. 3. Trade him. People don't want to hear this and it probably won't happen, but if yao can't do the top 2 things and or the rox don't change the kind of talent that can alleviate some of Yao weakness, the team and yao are better off without him. No one ever said the center had to be the post threat, it could be the 4 and the center could be the rebounder/shotblocker/ mid range guy. Utah does that.
Don't be stupid! The right place for Yao is the low post! Do wearing him down by doing lots of high post picks!
I remember that. Early in his career between games, it was OK for Yao to work himself like a horse to keep sharp, but he can't do that now. You may be on to something. It might be a trade off between endurace/health vs. sharpness. I still have a hunch Yao still isn't fully recovered from his surgery and needs more time. Then again, he may never fully return to form, which is what I'm most concerned about.
I once saw one of the Harlem Globetrotters hit 40-foot hook shots from the "S" logo in the Summit repeatedly in pregame warmups. - maybe we can have him try them in games.
I've had the same feeling this season. He might be playing w/ a soreness that may or may not linger for a long time.
