I'm watching this thing on DVR and noticing an adjustment that Yao or RA seems to have made to the fronting defense of the Suns which killed Yao last game. Normally Yao plants with his back to the basket soon as possible and waits for the pass to get to him, but I noticed that Yao's been facing the basket fighting with his guy for position and then once the entry passer was ready, Yao would turn around and not give his defender a chance to front him. A small and subtle but potentially very significant adjustment to the one defense which has consistently plagued Yao throughout his career.
I like souuuppp (when you read that aloud, when saying sooouupp say it in that motion like "sueee---ewww----eup" it should take like 3 seconds to say it) I think the fronting stopped because of T-Mac, Also Yao used his body last game to block his guy away
Actually they front Yao with or without TMac in there. This is the first time I've seen him actually do something about it.
i dont know. i think you are wrong about that. i only saw the fronting a few times last night (MUCH less than in the previous game) we'll see for sure tonight if he has a solution (almost a guarantee that warriors front yao- with or without tmac in)
Didnt the Suns go away from the fronting due to the PnR success the Rocks had early on?? I didnt get to watch the game but I thought I heard Gene and Jim talking about that. I think it was as much of Phoenix getting burned by others when they fronted Yao as it was Yao not presenting a fronting target.
you only saw the fronting a few times because they weren't successful the other times due to the adjustment that I'm talking about.
the Rox normally goto the PnR AFTER Yao has failed to establish position. Due to his adjustment, he was able to establish position and the Rox didn't need to go to the PnR as much.
That's another reason alot of team don't front Yao, besides opening the paint up for other players. He doesn't necessarily have to have his back to basket to get off a good shot, while if he waits for the ball movement to happen (which didn't with JVG)....then slide or jog to the paint....it catches defense off their toes....since Suns on certain plays are waiting for him to set up, but in actuality. You can't wait for him to set up inside the paint, if stays out on the wing or is setting a PNR, because there is a chance that another player can get free under basket ala Hayes, Scola, and Francis on certain plays.
Another thing that might've worked is "just lobbing it into the paint, occassionally." If a defender tries to step in front someone just stays right in front of them, that player in sense has a good opportunity for good quick shot, since the defender has their back to them, while the offensive player is facing the basket and quick pass to post can give you an easy, two. That's what you saw alot in Orlando, LA, and Miami, if defenders try to front him, he'll just turnaround and wait for quick pass or alley-hoop in the post. Or even get a closer spot to basket. Fronting is good strategy on occassion, but when you use like crutch, team can start figure ways to beat it or make you suffer for it....and for the Suns, it's really bad news because they don't play very good defense to begin with.
Not true. Yao is great because he's extremely talented and he works his butt off. His basketball skills are more refined than players much smaller in stature. His skillset is truly unmatched for a man his size. Tracy opens up things more for Yao because the rules favor the perimeter player.
in the past teams that have successfully fronted Yao has always given us problems because we dont have that third scorer who can get inside and make them pay for fronting Yao. The Rox don't want Yao to get fronted because we cant talke advantage of it, why do you think they work so hard on trying to get Yao the ball? As for the lobbing thing, I havent seen the Rox do it much at all to yao during his entire career. the Suns don't play good defense but they have always been good at denying yao the ball. DO you remember Diaw fronting Yao to death last year? or Skinner doing the same earlier this year?
I noticed the same thing. Yao used this technique effectively against Skinner at least a couple of times last night. I was like finally the coach is doing something right about this fronting $hit
It's no use when the opposing team is double teaming Yao without the ball while Chuck Hayes is on the floor at the same time. Start Luis Scola and opposing teams can't double team Yao without the ball. And also the refs needs to watch the damn fouls! Yao is being pulled and and grabbed in the low post and lots of times, there was no calls??! F**K that!
why doesn't the rockets run some off the ball picks on the weakside so we can have open cutters or jumpshots? Theres no way for the man slacking off hayes to recover... I think the rockets weren't prepared tonight. We all heard what was said about the warriors... Almost the same as suns so just do the same things... that kind of preparation isn't going to get it done.
Chuck has no place on the floor against the Warriors. Totally ridiculous that they could successfully defend us by double-teaming Yao when he didn't even have the ball.
Yao's adjustment to a fronting defense is to fumble the ball a lot and take misguided shots. Great plan!
