fronting defenses against big men

Here are pieces of articles that relate to the fronting defense used on Shaq, Duncan, and Yao

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/playoffs/2003-04-17-shaq_x.htm

The Lakers just lobbed the ball into him, and he turned and dunked before the help defenders from the weak side of the floor could get there."I always considered myself unfrontable," O'Neal says.

Front him: Make the Lakers lob the ball over the top to get it inside and make sure a weak-side defender comes over behind O'Neal to make the lob tougher to complete and perhaps to draw an offensive foul.

http://www.nba.com/finals2001/playdiagram_game5.html?nav=ArticleList

With the outside shooters hot, Los Angeles is nearly impossible to stop. They can get the ball into Shaq and he will either make a move to the hole or kick it out. Fronting him in the post is not a good option either, as the Sixers found out. The Lakers have several players who are excellent in making the lob pass.

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/sports/celts_lakers212292003.htm

Afterward, he cited the Celtics' strategy of fronting him.

It was very difficult for (his mates) to get me the ball, and that's why I told the guys to just shoot and that I was going to go get the rebound (10 offensive boards), O'Neal said.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/bk/bkn/rox/2348799

"It was tough to get the ball in," said Rockets guard Steve Francis. "We tried and tried and tried.

"They have a great fronting defense with the help side, and they trapped the pick and roll, and that's one of our assets,"

http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xlc=1115819

Duncan has had his own problems to worry about. Indiana and Boston both did a good job of fronting him and keeping him out of his comfort spots. He missed 20 of 33 shots and totaled 31 points in the two games.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cheapseats/fanboy/0418fanboy.html

They've used quick and physical double teams on Duncan, both fronting and letting him catch the ball, to fluster him. The Spurs have failed to make their shots when other Spurs have been
asked to pick up the slack.

http://www.dailynewstribune.com/sports/sports/celts_notebook01152004.htm

The process of guarding Yao Ming successfully comes with a price, as the Celtics discovered following their win in Houston last Sunday.

As they prepared for their second game against the Rockets in four days last night, it was with the knowledge that Walter McCarty's sore back had a direct correlation to his frontal defense on Yao Sunday.