Clips from yesterday's game. Not exclusively low post plays for Yao (as you know, there weren't too many of them). Basically just all the offensive plays that directly or indirectly involved Yao. Hopefully gives an idea of missed opportunities for getting Yao the ball, and the various ways in which the Rockets attempted to get him the ball. Included would be Yao post ups, high post catches, high screens, side screens, battling for post up position, offensive rebounding, as well as situations where Yao could have been an option to get the ball but the Rockets did something else. [video=youtube;ERqm40s6uLc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERqm40s6uLc[/video] Here are my comments/description on each clip as well, for what its worth. There were 49 in total: Clip Descriptions/Comments 1. Yao fronted, Aaron turnover 2. Yao misses turnaround on right block 3. Yao high post pass to Scola, score 4. Brooks and Yao tentative, Scola gets it ... shot clock violation 5. Battier elects to go one-on-one, instead of pass to Ron/Yao ... bad idea 6. Brooks to Yao on left block, pass out and repost, jump hook and score 7. Yao comes up to set screen instead of staying in the post, Artest uses it to get a layup 8. double high post set, Scola to Artest off screen from Yao ... Artest down to Yao who posts in the lane, score 9. Artest uses Yao in high post as a screen and misses shots, Scola rebound to Artest, finds Yao cutting to basket ... that's different 10. post up for Artest on right block, Yao flashes underneath the basket but Artest can't find him, gets it to Scola on the opposite side who isses on drive, Yao unable to get the rebound despite inside position 11. Yao got post up position in paint, but Scola didn't see it. Scola drives and turns it over instead. 12. Yao misses turnaround on left block 13. Artest drives after defender flops; gets the and-1 finish with Yao and Lowry open in the lane as another option 14. Artest to Yao on left block, Artest cuts into the lane and seals his man; Yao turns it over trying to pass it to him 15. Wafer receives the ball from Yao down screen and curls into the lane (alternative would be for him to pass to Yao from 3-poitn line), missing. Rockets get the rebound with Yao open in the post, but he falls down and the defender knocks it away 16. Lowry trapped, can't get the ball to Yao who gets open at the free throw line ... turnover 17. Artest to Yao on left block, his turnaround jumper 18. Artest misses jumper, but Yao gets the offensive rebound and is fouled on putback attempt (dunk that!) 19. Yao comes up to set screen for Barry instead of staying in the post (why?), the ball eventually gets into Chuck's hands who misses his hook ... terrible possession 20. high screen for Lowry by Yao, who then gets into lane and seals; Lowry takes and misses jumper instead of feeding Yao 21. Artest gets screen from Yao in the post, and curls around receiving the ball from Battier ... scores on layup 22. Artest again gets screen from Yao in the post and goes to corner, receiving the ball from Battier ... takes a bad 3-point shot instead of feeding Yao ... then takes another quick 3-pointer after offensive rebound; Ronnie being Ronnie 23. Yao gets deep post catch, from Battier, on right block ... misses a weak layup attempt. 24. Yao unable to post against gasol, who pushes him out with his back. That needs to be a ball reversal to Scola and high low past to Yao going to the basket. Instead the ball goes to Lowry , rockets run pick and pop with Yao who hits long 21 footer at the top 25. last possession, high s/r with Brooks and Yao .. Brooks passes left to Artest instead of to Yao, and Ron hits 3-pointer before the buzzer 26. Yao gets it in right block, goes to the lane but instead of reverse pivot into his righty jump hook, throws an over the head pass to Brooks around the basket ... Brooks to Battier in the corner who misses 3-pointer. Yao needs to shoot that 27. Battier misses 3-pointer, but Yao got good position underneath and drew loose ball foul 28. Yao gets in left block from Aaron, pass out and repost ... hits turnaround. 29. Yao gets it on right block, drives right and finds Battier in the opposite corner who hits three ... nice find by Yao 30. again side screen for Artest by Yao who takes pull jumper that's blocked 31. in bound to Yao who takes a 20-foot jumper. Miss. 32. Yao fronted on left block, sets screen for Aaron and ball swings to the other side and back again with Yao momentarily open flashing in the paint ... Brooks misses floater ... Yao gets a hand on the loose ball but can't grab it 33. Artest finds Yao at the basket on drive ... some contact and Yao can't finish. Again, Yao needs to be stRonger. 34. Yao posting up about 10+ feet from the basket, Artest drives in and the ball gets back out to Aaron up top .. He's eventually bailed out by the refs 35. double high post set with Ron and Yao, Yao sets screen for Ron who misses the jumper at the top. Yao dives in and is able to get a hold of the ball but then has it taken away from him in the scrum. 36. Wafer drives in and Yao is able to seal gasol in the lane ... Wafer passes it out to Battier in the corner who hits the 3 37. early offense and Yao gets down the floor ... Lowry to Wafer who can't finish on the drive ... Yao isn't able to tip it in. 38. play continues with Lowry driving in ... tries to get it to Yao at the basket but the ball is knocked away 39. same set as before with Ron and Yao up top. Yao sets screen for Artest, and this time he hits the shot. 40. Artest takes a quick 3-pointer as Yao is diving into the lane ... a miss, and it results in a breakaway dunk going the other way. As doug collins would say, "that's a 5-point swing!" 41. Wafer gets screen from Yao in the post and curls around ... Barry turns it over trying to pass to Wafer going across the lane. That needs to be Wafer getting the ball in the corner and dumping it down to Yao, damn it. 42. Yao gets it in the left block, finally, from Artest. He's fouled and gets free throws. 43. Yao battling for position on the left block, and mbenga fouls him. 44. again, Yao gets it in the left block, but he travels going into the lane. 45. again looking for Yao in the low post, and mgenga gets another foul 46. Yao on left block, Artest doesn't have the passing angle and no one in the corner to get the ball to ... Yao comes up to set a screen, ball reverses opposite side to Brooks, shot clock violation ... rockets had no idea only 14 seconds on the clock. 47. Artest drives in and gives it to Yao, who finds Battier in the opposite corner, and who gets it to Scola at the top of the key ... score 48. Yao gets it in left block and is doubled ... ball goes to Scola and then Battier who hits a tough 3-pointer. 49. Brooks drives in and kicks it out to Artest who misses the 3 going to his left. Yao on the left block would be the alternative there.
Nice clips durvasa, I wish I could Clutch didn't put all of my posts on moderation. It's your boy OlajuwonShake. Mac not point forward
Hey durvasa thanks for posting this. Couple of my observations: - Ron Artest takes too many stupid shots. I was noticing this a lot on Wednesday when we played Phoenix. There was a stretch where you knew once he touched the ball he would force a shot regardless of other options available. There were several of these bad decisions again. - When Yao's deep in the post, you either get him the ball or swing around the perimeter until he gets out. Play 37 especially; Wafer tried to drive it in and had to try to go around Yao and Gasol. Yao didn't seal Gasol off and Gasol altered Wafer's layup. Even though Yao got a chance to tip it in, the fact that he was in the paint made Wafer miss it in the first place. - Yao took several 20-footers this game. Haven't seen him do this too many times on the season. Fatigue from the Lakers' physical defense settling in? What do you think about Artest and his black-hole mentality at times on offense?
It's extremely frustrating. Ron's psyche is such that, as a coach, you don't want to berate him during games for taking those kind of shots. Who knows how he'll react to that. But he puts the team in really bad situations with those shots. Clip #22 was the worst. Yao was in low post with a foot in the paint. In that situation, you have to get him the ball. Artest scored on the previous possession, and I guess he was trying to get himself in a hot streak.
I really hope Artest is not resorting to his Pacer days though. People said he and Jermaine O'Neal would argue and fight constantly about who would be the leader of their team. If he fights with Yao, He is going to be the leader right away because Yao just wants to get the job done no matter what.
Well he seems to present himself in the right manner off the court, saying good things about Yao, not complaining about coming off the bench etc. You always knew the effort was there. But on the court he totally negates that by taking bad shots and ignoring Yao. For 30 minutes each game, he plays within the system but for the other 6 he looks out for himself. You could attribute that to his desire to win, but shooting off-balance 25-footers isn't his strong suit. And as for clip 22, it's horrible. He was bailed out from the first miss by the offensive rebound, but he took the same shot from the same spot with 23 seconds left on the clock. With Artest, I guess you've just gotta take it as part of the package.
Actually he was complaining about coming off the bench when Tracy was playing. He didn't make a rant on it and yell to he media though. . As much as I hate to say, but I am starting to miss Tracy because he made the right decisions on offense.
I thought Artest had only expressed displeasure after TMac went down and he was starting? When Artest was coming off the bench, I don't remember him saying anything negative about it. Tracy this season was as bad at times in terms of being a clock-eater. Artest attacks the basket more, but yes, TMac from last season would have undoubtedly been better than Artest on offense.
I'd venture to say that if you compare Yao's touches with Tracy playing and with him not playing this season, there's no difference. In fact, since Tracy's season ended, Yao's per-minute scoring is down a bit. The biggest dropoff is in his free throw attempts. He's not even getting 5 free throws a game since McGrady's absence.
