<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> Did you see the blur?</p> It was Yao.</p> Did you feel the hot breeze blow through the Toyota Center?</p> It was Yao.</p> Did you blink your eyes?</p> Then you missed Yao.</p> OK, can we call off all of the fretting and worrying about Yao Ming keeping up with his teammates in Rick Adelman's up-tempo offense?</p> There was Yao knocking down a 19-foot jumper, taking a feed inside from Tracy McGrady for a layup, throwing home slam dunks off passes from Shane Battier and Bonzi Wells. In just 13 minutes of the first half Thursday night, he was 7-for-9 with 15 points.</p> No, the Mavericks didn't play their regulars. But this isn't about that. It's about seeing Yao in the system. Watching him in the flow. Seeing him keep pace.</p> No, he's not quite as quick as the wind. He'll never be confused with a bolt of lightning. But Yao -- as we told you -- is at least able to get up and down the floor and run this offense as well as Vlade Divac did for Adelman in Sacramento and Kevin Duckworth did in Portland.</p> It's not about raw, blinding speed. It's about hustle and knowing when to run and simply trying.</p> No, there won't be many times when Yao is the finisher at the end of a fastbreak. That's a job that T-Mac and Bonzi and Mike James and Steve Francis can do.</p> It's just enough to know that there's a place for Yao in this offense. Maybe an even bigger place than before, when he spent most of his time rooted down in the low post. Let him dunk. But also let him pop outside to shoot. Let him pass. Let him play.</p> See Yao run.</p> Run Yao run.</p> Relax. It will work.</p> And after a season of this, maybe next summer Yao even runs the 100 meters at the Beijing Olympics.</div></p> Source: Houston Chron Blog</p>
I haven't seen any Rocket preaseason games, is Yao being used in the high post? The only highlights they show is him dunking, but I'm curious if he's been able to showcase his passing ability in the high post?</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shapecity)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> I haven't seen any Rocket preaseason games, is Yao being used in the high post? The only highlights they show is him dunking, but I'm curious if he's been able to showcase his passing ability in the high post?</p> </div></p> </p> I haven't been able to catch anything either - hopefully durvasa or Locke can fill us in.</p> As far as the article goes, we all know Yao can move up and down the court in a game. There is no question about that. The question is whether or not he can do that and stay healthy for 82 games this year. If he can - watch out.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shapecity)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> I haven't seen any Rocket preaseason games, is Yao being used in the high post? The only highlights they show is him dunking, but I'm curious if he's been able to showcase his passing ability in the high post?</p> </div></p> </p> </p> I've watched all 3 preseason games. He did pass a few times from the high post. Probably twice a game or so. The thing I like about this offense is that when he is in the high post, they actually look for the cut. His defender will back off, leaving Yao open for a 15 footer, and he can drain those all day long. There is very good spacing, and sometimes its Yao making the cut!</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (foo82)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shapecity)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> I haven't seen any Rocket preaseason games, is Yao being used in the high post? The only highlights they show is him dunking, but I'm curious if he's been able to showcase his passing ability in the high post?</p> </div></p> I've watched all 3 preseason games. He did pass a few times from the high post. Probably twice a game or so. The thing I like about this offense is that when he is in the high post, they actually look for the cut. His defender will back off, leaving Yao open for a 15 footer, and he can drain those all day long. There is very good spacing, and sometimes its Yao making the cut!</p> </div></p> Thanks for the insight foo82. This is the perfect offense for Yao Ming because of all the off-the ball movement. I remember when he was working out during the his draft year Jerry West was blown away by has court vision and passing skills. It's a shame JVG never took advantage of those skills because it might have saved Yao from some of the injuries he's had and also elevated the Rockets into a more successful post season team.</p> You're right, Yao can drain those 15 footers all day long so defenses will have to think twice about playing off him when he's on the free throw line elbows.</p> </p>
This is awesome. We'll go from an inside-out offense last year to outside-in. Once again Anchored by Yao. Yao taking open 15 footers is much more high percentage than Rafer jacking up threes. I like this.</p> I suspect that Yao at the high-post will wrk very well with James on the court. We know that Alston can run this offense great (from the preseason and training) but getting an extra punch of a cutting PG would be cool. In a way, Francis could fit this role well IF HE CAN GET HIS ACT TOGETHER AND LEARN THIS SYSTEM. You can't blame him though since he's never played this style of offense EVER!</p>
Just thought I'd get my two cents in.</p> Due to my recent banning from my university Internet network I haven't been able to get online for the past 6 days, somehow related to exceeding the downloading bandwith limits, totally BS. Anyway, I did manage to download the first two preseason games before my banning, and it's been quite a joy to watch Yao in the high post.</p> Before Rick Adelman's arrival in Houston, the idea of having Yao play more at the top of the key than down low had been brought up, and I'd been against it, mainly because I believe that buckets are easier from 5 feet than 20, and why have a 7-6 guy up top jacking up jumpers when he can be down low gobbling up rebounds?</p> But boy, now that Adelman's here and Yao is at the top of the key, it is a plain joy to watch the Rockets play offense. Having Yao up top draws defenders out of the key, and what I saw was that the paint would be wide open. Yao's potential to make shots from the outside allows the guards to cut all game long. And with Yao's vision, he sees these cutters and turn them into easy buckets.</p> The majority of the time though, Yao is still in the paint roughing it up with the big men, but almost every time down the court, he gets the ball at the top of the key first and the play initiates from him. He will get it, maybe watch for passers or just pass it off to TMac, set a pick, then roll down to the basket and bingo, set himself up in great position down low. It opens up a whole new realm of our offense that was inexistant under JVG. The passing is much more crisp, the movement of the whole offense more fluid, and Yao's been able to shoot a few jumpers every game.</p> As for Francis's poor performance, ugh. My heart's breaking...</p>
