Sometimes when watching our painful offense performances, I wonder if JVG may be trying to stuff a square peg into a round hole. I think we may be over-emphasizing Yao at this point in his career. I am not sure if he is ready to be the man, and I think at this point that we may not have the right mix of players around him to be effective. In the past we never really seem to have as much problems scoring as we do now. There is no reason we should be averaging less than 95 points per game with our guys. For the last several seasons we seemed to have problems stopping people on a consistent basis, and that has improved to a large extent. I am wondering if, for at least this season, we should focus the offense around getting SF and Mobes good shots, and let Yao rebound and score off putbacks. Also, perhaps we should run Yao in the high post to take advantage of his outside shooting touch and passing ability. Additionally, I think that he would certainly draw his man away from the basket and allow our guards more room to drive to the basket. Please don't get me wrong I love Yao, and I feel that he will be one of the dominant forces in the league for years to come. I just think he still has alot to learn about post-up basketball, and given that the other guys on the team don't seem to be able to function as well in the inside out offense. maybe would should use what we are most effective at now. I would also like to see more pick and roles with Yao and MoT. Both are excellent shooters and we all know that Mobely and Sf can get to the hoop. We have to do something. It is kind of getting tough to watch these guys now! As a side note, I am a strength and conditioning coach and I think Yao's weight gain could be hampering him. He seems slower and more plodding than last season. I remember being impressed when I first saw him because he was pretty quick for a guy his size. This year he just seems a step slow. I am affraid his weight gain may have been of the non-functional variety, kind of like a bodybuilders. Hopefully they are emphasizing more SAQ type activities with him. Just an observation.
I agree - and think more high post plays for Yao would make a tremendous difference in the offensive output. However - many are saying that de-emphasizing Ming in the low post would hurt his development and turn him into a Ric Smits or Vlade Divac type instead of the next dominate big man. Evan
I am not suggesting that they abandon it completely. There will be nights that he is on fire. I just think that maybe 60-70% of the time we should maybe emphasize the guards. They have already proven that they can score pretty consistently.
The last non-Jordan guard tandem to win the Finals? Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. Not intended as bashing, but personally I'd rather continue developing Yao than expecting Steve and Cat to mimic Zeke and Joe.
Well, i know that it seems like I am, I am not in favor of hindering Yao's development, just scaling him back a little. I don't want to turn Yao into a Rik Schmits. I'd just focus on doing what he is already good at, while working on the other stuff in practice and when the situation presents itself in games. I would definitley dump it into to him, just maybe not force feed him. If it is working then milk it, but if we try to run the inside out and we go a couple of possessions with out a bucket, then go to something else. Later in the game we can try to post him up down low again. Just trying to figure out something to get some buckets and get us to the playoffs.
Why?? Has Francis proven that he can carry this team to the playoffs?? And even if he was able to lead this team to the playoffs (which I doubt), how far would he lead us?? The goal is to win championships! Not to just make the playoffs. The "square peg" is a player like Francis, who just doesn't fit in the "round hole" that is an offense that has Yao Ming involved in it. Having Francis play the point on this team is a waste. And why move him to the two when Mobley is better suited for that role. In fact, we know Mobley's defense is better, but he's just a better sg than Francis could be as well. For league pass subscribers: Take a look at what Hinrich does for the Bulls, and then you will see a good pg. Even as a rookie in the NBA he is far and away a better pg than Francis will ever be! And for those of you who think it is the system, don't be foolish!! You either have the insticts or you don't, bottom line! And stevel, this was more of a rant, than it was something directed towards you.
Repeat after me: JVG sucks. Yes, he convinced already talented people to play defense and showed them how to not play offense. I can hear his BS now: "You win with defense". No, you play a good zone and run, run, run so the other team can't. Remove the east style cancer NOW!
Mobes is getting plenty of good shots, even getting a few plays run for him. Did Steve ever play within the system under Rudy? Or did he just try to "hit the homerun" everytime? Now that he is actually forced to run the plays, he is struggling. He should not be allowed to go back to his bad habits.
Steve and Yao are both struggling. Steve's had his penetration game taken away from him, and he's lost half his weapons because of it. He's never been focused at initiating offense from the key, he's preferred to drive and (maybe) dish. Yao is having an equally hard time being the focus. He's turning the ball over more than anyone on the team over than Steve, struggling against physical guys, and having a lot of games where he scores only 20 despite 40 touches or so. The big question is, do you try to put all your cards on the table now or do you stay in development mode? I have a feeling JVG is operating on a 3 year plan, in which case, it's fine that he's getting the ugliness through now. Evan
The ugliness has been going on for three years. No reason why we can't be playing much better now. You have to give the players a system that fits their styles and strengths. You don't put in a system that requires players to play far outside their strengths, one that worked in 1994 in the East conference with no zone and a completely different league style. The guy is a dinosaur, he needs to be extinct. Let's get a real head coach and a real staff. Pull the plug like they did in PHX and ORL. BAd, bad, bad choice. The players don't even like him, that's a big problem. Look at Memphis. Great GM, good player style coach. Look at Denver - ditto. I would venture a bet CD didn't want JVG but they had to take the last big name for Les. JVG was like the 4th option. Can him now and lets move on before it gets more ugly. We need a coach who is more positive and player oriented. We need an offense not designed to walk the ball up. Hire away an assistant from SAC or DAL. At least we would be fun to watch. This is painful. 8 points in one quarter?!
Is this a joke? The players are the reason we are walking the ball up and have a horrible offense. 2 good coaches now, and it's the same darn thing. The fact that you continue to blame 2 great coaches who can't succeed with the same cast of players shows you aren't facing reality.
I think JVG is bringing along Yao at the right pace. Despite what some may think, Yao Ming does not have the largest role in this offense. Yao still only takes around 12 shots per game despite having the highest FG% on the team. Part of the blame of this can go on his shoulders for not being aggressive enough while part of it can also go on Steve's shoulders for not being a good floor general. When the PG is extremely indecisive and needs TONS of dribbling time to figure out what he is doing, this does trickle down and other players dont get the ball when and where they need it. Effective offense in the NBA is all about making the quick and decisive pass at the appropriate time to get good looks at the basket. Scaling back Yao is a terrible idea imo and moving him to the high post is not good either. Right now, JVG is making it clear to Yao that he is 7-6 310 and needs to dominate around the hoop on BOTH ends of the floor. Standing out on the perimeter is not going to cut it. Maybe later when Yao becomes a monster around the hoop then they can mix in some high post stuff, but right now Yao needs to be a dominant big man in the middle. Its really very simple imo, as GATER pointed out, you simply dont win rings in this league without a dominant big man. Guards like MJ that can hit 50% of their shots from the field EVERY yr just do not exist. As talented as Kobe, T-Mac etc are they simply are not this efficient. Therefore, you need to do whatever it takes to make Yao a dominant big man, even if that means getting rid of Steve Francis for players that will more complement Yao's game.
I'm sure Rudy and JVG have told them to run and be a motion team and not walk the ball up and these damn prima donnas just won't listen at all. No wonder Rudy was driven to bad health and JVG looks so bad! Kids these days. Geesh. They just won't listen and do what they are told.
It's more than that. Steve and Moochie are physically incapable of running fast up the court with the ball. Have you seen them try? Moochie plods up the court like a dwarf, and Steve does his trademark hop and lifts his head way up like if he is going to throw a touchdown pass. They just can't do it right.
Key phrase "with the ball" Outlet pass. Downcourt pass. Run WITHOUT the ball. They teach this in basketball in elementary school. The coaches choose the style and whether to push. Rudy never was a fast break coach during the championships. It wasn't showtime here. It was his style and he couldn't abandon it. Tigers can't change stripes. Don't blame the players, the coach doen't know how. He didn't at NY and he doesn't now. It's JVG....
Um, you're wrong. Am I the only one who sees JVG on the sideline, exhorting his players to---how do you so eloquently put it?----run, run, run. Jimmy Jackson and Cuttino Mobley respond. Steve Francis deliberately looks him off and not only does not run but slows his pace. Rather look cool f***ing up than look ordinary in winning, I guess. JVG wants his guards to run. The principal guard among them, however, the one who ranks 2nd in All Star voting for WC guards, and is, therefore, not going to be traded, does not want to listen to his coach. So someone can tell me I'm wrong now, but due to Steve's childish stubborn streak, the Rockets will continue to stagnate. JVG's offense is no thing of beauty, and other teams with new coaches are also struggling a bit, but if your star player refuses direction and just wants to freelance......
You admit that Steve and Moochie suck at fast breaking yet you still blame the coaches. So who should be leading the break? Cuttino Mobley, who can't pass? Jim Jackson, who isn't fast? Yao? You can't run fast breaks just by passing it downcourt. Teams like the Nets and Mavericks have players who can lead the break regardless of what the coach they have. Do you really think that if we had Jason Kidd or Steve Nash that our fast break would still suck? Do you really think that if Steve Francis replaced Jason Kidd that the Nets would still be a fast breaking team?
