Ok, intuitive thinking goes by the wayside: 1. Last Saturday Night, Houston vs. Detroit, Yao vs. Ben Wallace. On paper, this is a HORRIBLE matchup for Yao. Ben's strengths are Yao's weaknesses, he's basically the anti-Yao. Consider: Ben Wallace (one of my favorite players) is probably the hardest working player in the NBA. He isn't tall, but he is strong as an ox, and has a bodybuilder quality physique. He has an incredible passion for the game, he chose basketball and worked at it until he succeeded (unlike Yao, for example, where basketball chose him because of its size, this is not a knock on yao, btw). He is an incredible rebounder and shotblocker because is extremely active underneath. Of course, he can't shoot worth a lick, either. But logically, he is the type of player who will throw Yao around like a ragdoll, use his low center of gravity to deny him position in the post, out jump and out work him for rebounds; he's not the kind of guy you're going to see in the Asian games. Result? Yao has a monster game, best of the season so far, goes off for 20-20, defies all logic. 2. Yao vs. Rasho Nestorovic On paper, this is an IDEAL matchup for Yao. Nestorovic is your prototypical softy Euro-trash big man. Baby faced kid with decent size but not near enough, doesn't really use it, can't really defend, will shoot some jumpers. Slow footed, not much of a rebounder. On paper, this is the typ of guy that Yao should eat up in the first period and sh-t out by the fourth period. Result? Yao has by far his worst game of the season, can't find his shot, can't really do much of anything. Rasho is able to fend him off in the post most of the night. In the 4th period, the decaying remains of Kevin Willis come in and shutdown Yao to add insult to injury. So what the hell is up with that?
Yao played Elden Campbell, not Ben Wallace. Elden Campbell played center for Detroit. Wallace is playing PF this year.
I think the answer might be simple. Players like Wallace (and even Dampier) don't have to front Yao because they feel they can play good enough D on him from behind. Players like Rasho, and other mediocre centers can't, and thus, have to front him alot. Obviously, Yao struggles with the front and has much better success when his defender is behind him.
Yeah, I meant to ask that in the original post. Though as far as rebounding goes, Wallace is a force no matter who is guarding him. Anyway, hell, I think even Elden Campbell is probably a more physical player than Rasho, right?
Even on the few occasions Yao was able to get the ball in a post up position, he wasn't able to do squat against Rasho. The only shot he could get off was that ugly fadeaway hook shot of his. I think it's pretty simple. Yao's offense is predicated on shooting over his defender. He doesn’t go around them. He doesn’t bump the defender off to create space before shooting. He just settles on shooting with a hand in his face and the defender giving him absolutely no room to shoot. Obviously, it’s a whole lot easier to shoot over a 6’8 Wallace than a 7’0 Rasho. On the few occasions he does try to go around the defender instead of settling for an altered shot, the result is usually a stripped ball.
It was Campbell and Okur that guarded Yao most of the night. Not Ben Wallace. Did anyone watch the same game as me? I keep seeing references to Yao against Ben Wallace and 6'7", 6'9" guys. I must be blind.
But this wasn't the first time that Rasho shut down Yao. During one of the Timberwolves games last season, Rasho outplayed Yao on both ends. So Yao should NOT have been surprised. He should have expected a challenge.
Some of my best friends are Euro-trash. Relax, I confessed to being a reformed francophile in another thread last night.
The only things that piss me off about living in europe(exchange student in Hungary) is that I can't see Rockets games and that people always ask me if I'm a cowboy when I tell them I'm from texas.
I dont think it is because of his offense is predictable. I think he is not determined when he got the ball down low. He is too slow. Always wants to draw a double team and finds open man. When that option is gone, he then trys to get a basket. By that time the whole world knows what he will do, and the defense has well adjusted and ready to stop him. He simply needs to get rid of the ball or do something quicker.
i read some article (may have been posted here) on how b'dub defends yao. said something to effect of having to push yao out from the waist down because yao's foundation is so solid. with b'dub focusing on the lower part of his body, i'm sure it's harder to crouch down (not that much), bump yao out of position, and get back up in time to defend the shot of someone who's 7'6". pretty much had to hope that the bumps would affect his shot or that he had an off night ... which yao clearly didn't. rasho seemed to to deny yao the post position from the waist and up last night. relied less on bumping yao to make him adjust his shot and more on staying more vertical so he could more better laterally (sp?) and still be able to contest the shot. seemed to work. kept seeing yao stumble backwards after trying to get in position. looked like rasho was just knocking yao's t-rex-like arms down when yao was trying to establish position. worked well. by the way... rasho ain't no punk. definitely not soft. So what the hell is up with that? [/QUOTE] or... it could all just be inconsistency from the refs.
I remember another post about something similar about Yao's post moves last year compared to this year. Once again, what happened to the fakes and spin moves that we would see from time to time? Shouldn't we be seeing MORE mobility and variety now that he's got a season behind him now?
