What to do with Yao's game if you were the coach?

[TMU]

I'm assuming that you are talking about clutch shooting. Based on 82games.com's definition of clutch - "4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points" - here are the numbers:

04-05: eFG%: 55.2%, clutch eFG%: 65.2%
05-06: eFG%: 51.9%, clutch eFG%: 45.0%
06-07: eFG%: 51.7%, clutch eFG%: 45.5%
07-08: eFG%: 50.7%, clutch eFG%: 48.8%
08-09: eFG%: 52.2%, clutch eFG%: 36.7% (sample size is small)

Definitely not the clutchest player in the world, but he's not that terrible down the stretch.

[hackle]

Yao is one step from dominating and we all know its mental.

I don't think it's mental at all. Yao's weaknesses w.r.t. basketball are physical in nature. He's exceptionally tall, and proportionately slow. That results in the issues we see him struggling with at times during games. Obviously he's aware of them, and often he can do enough to more than compensate for them, and does dominate (less this season though, but that could be explained by the injury and recovery). And, occasionally, not. You'll have to explain this 'mental' thing. Far as I can tell he's quite strong mentally. You'd have to be to have come back from the injuries.

When it comes to work ethics, Yao is excellent, he basically gives his best every night. On that he is tuns better than T-mac, who loiters on the court. Yao does not loiter, that's not where his problem is. his problem is that when he got defended good, or get dunked on, or badly officiated, or when it comes into cunch time, he tries to play around the defenders, instead of take it to them, get physical, attack the rim.

we already had a discussion about Yao shooting fadeaways. True that Yao is a great fadeaway shooter, but great fadeaway shooter like Kobe wouldnt do it in crunch time, instead he'd take it to the rim, get calls, get FTs, now Yao may get as good as Michael Jordan on fadeaway, still dont change that fadeaway is NOT the right choice down the stretch. do whatever it takes to score in the 1st 3 and half quarter, but dont give us no sissy fadeaway down the stretch. with that achieved, Yao will be a real monster.

[2fast4u]

il let him play 48 mins

[hackle]

il let him play 48 mins

mind you somebody will take this very seriously and tell you that you failed.

[CuttingEdge]

Yao was doing great with the fake then dunk.. Dunking on 3 defenders and what not in the first half. It's just that the team has no athletic cutters or somebody willing to do something when Yao posted up and he ran out of gas. Also the pass inside was prevented. I swear if Yao was playing with Manu and Parker or was a Hornet he'd be smoking because of all the cutters / smart players and guys that drive and are good at it. We have a sorry ass supporting cast to help Yao out.. Incompetent retards... Luther Head, Chuck Hayes... these guys need to go.

[hackle]

Yao was doing great with the fake then dunk.. Dunking on 3 defenders and what not in the first half. It's just that the team has no athletic cutters or somebody willing to do something when Yao posted up and he ran out of gas. Also the pass inside was prevented. I swear if Yao was playing with Manu and Parker or was a Hornet he'd be smoking because of all the cutters / smart players and guys that drive and are good at it. We have a sorry ass supporting cast to help Yao out.. Incompetent retards... Luther Head, Chuck Hayes... these guys need to go.

come on we have an alright supporting cast now (except luther and chuck maybe). cutting and passing is more of a coaching thing, dont you think?

[hackle]

it's obvious that Yao is unable to deliver it in the 4th. in a way he lost us the game against the hawks. but let's hold back the blames. the guy has good work ethics, maybe a bit coaching could set him off a better way? now here it's what I'll do if i were coaching:

1. try keep Yao on the bench for the entire 4th. overtone: he is not clutch.
2. try play Yao off the bench, play the entire 2nd and 3rd quarter, maybe a bit of 4th. overtone: Maybe he likes playing nonstop a lot better.
3. if 1 works out, then start yao and keep him play non-stop till he is fouled out or gassed out, then rest him.
4. if 2 works out, then start playing him from the 2nd or 3rd, till the game is over.

is it too stupid? or what will you do?

looks like adelman has taken method 1. At clutch time Yao was on the bench. Great move Rick! keep it up! and win us some games please.