Would This Be A Smart Move???

With Olajuwon retiring the year after next, we will need a center. Would it be smart for us to go after this guy...


YAO-ZA! YAO-ZA! YAO-ZA!
Ming could be hit of Y2K Draft
By Charles Jay, Editor/Publisher

If you were to tell general managers of desperate NBA teams that help could be on the way next year in the form of a 7'6" shot-blocking center who could do more than just walk and chew gum at the same time, with lots of upside, perhaps even still growing, and who was developing some slick moves in the pivot, do you think they would be looking forward to the 2000 Draft lottery with increased anticipation?
That's kind of a stupid question. The answer is obvious - YES. In point of fact, by that time they might just be falling all over each other to get at him.





Of course, no one has to tell any general manager in the NBA about Yao Ming. And in a year where, once again, there might be a shortage of quality big men coming out of school, the name of Yao Ming might just be on everyone's lips by the time next year's draft rolls around.
Ming is an 18-year-old center who came to the attention of scouts in last year's Nike All-America camp in Tampa, where he starred for the High Five America gold team, averaging 15.3 points, 3.8 blocks, shooting an eye-popping 77% from the field, and demonstrating an ability to run the floor and move side-to-side. Though he was far from being a polished player, Ming showed everyone present that he was far from being the prototypical international big man.

What Ming did this past year was retain an agent, Michael Coyne, who investigated possibilities for a professional career, including the prospects for declaring himself eligible for the NBA Draft. Ming considered that possibility very strongly, but decided instead to play for a club team, the Shanghai Sharks, in the China Basketball Association, and for the Chinese national team.

Ming has certainly gotten feelers from a number of colleges. The University of Houston recruited him heavily, and in fact, thought they had a real possibility of bringing him over for next season. But now the tentative plan would be for him to play through the 2000 Olympic season, then perhaps move directly into the NBA without playing any college ball in America.

Of course, all this is easier said than done. There is a question as to whether Ming would be permitted by Chinese officials to come over to the U.S. to pursue a permanent career in the NBA, or participate in college ball, for that matter. He is seen as someone who can help propel China into international prominence in basketball for years to come, so an NBA career, at least in the immediate future, is still speculative, though not impossible.

But the possibilities are indeed intriguing. Ming is one of the most agile players ever for his size, and is in the process of developing an NBA frame. He weighs about 250 pounds now, and could easily add 25-30 pounds on to it. His wingspan is 7'4-1/2", not phenomenal but impressive nonetheless.

If he were able to come over to the U.S. to pursue a pro career, Ming would quite possibly become the first Chinese player ever in the NBA. There has been very limited impact by players from China, even in the scouting and drafting process. Menk Batear, a 6'11", 290-pound center, played in this year's Nike Desert Classic, an NBA pre-draft camp, but under international rules, was too old to qualify for the draft. And this season the Dallas Mavericks made center Wang Zhi-Zhi, a 1996 Olympian who plays for China's Army Rockets, one of their second-round selections.

The 2000 NBA Draft may or may not turn out to be a little short in the area of pure centers. Mamadou N'Diaye of Auburn, Brad Millard of St. Mary's, Jamaal Magloire of Kentucky, Jeremy Hays of Alabama, Jabari Smith of LSU, and Ken Johnson of Ohio State will be among the highlights, and standouts like Chris Mihm of Texas, Loren Woods of Arizona, Dan Gadzuric of UCLA, Alvin Jones of Georgia Tech, and Ugo Udezue of Wyoming will be tempted to come out early and test the waters. All of the them have ability, but none of them are 7'6" and still growing. NBA scouts have a tendency to salivate over players that size, primarily because there are not many, and certainly very few who can play at both ends without tipping over.

Indeed, if the path were cleared for Yao Ming to enter the 2000 Draft and play in the U.S. on a permanent basis, don't be overly shocked to hear this youngster's name called before everyone else's when David Stern steps up to the podium.