First of all, for all the conspiracy kooks, this guy is from UTAH. Yea, the hated Utah state. Home of the Jazz. But he is respected in his field and has great credibility. Plus, he went to China FOUR TIMES since 2000 to see him play. He was on the radio today. But I guess being on the radio here in NYC so he was probably paid by Stern to say what he said so that he could fall to the Knicks. Since a few of you hate the dreaded Real Player, here is what he said. I try to keep it word for word if possible: "I don't know about Ming. I was in China and everyone there is 6 feet tall. Even then, he got 20 rebounds easily. But they were not with authority. I don't know. He just doesn't show me that he could get through the trees in the NBA even if he gains 50 pounds. His rebounding desire is just not strong enough to merit him projected as a 10 rebound player. He might be a bit of a "show pony". You see him walk into a gym and first thing you get awed by is his size. I would really hesitate picking Ming because he just didn't show me enough to make me feel that he will attack the boards and take punishment even with gaining weight. Then there is the whole culture thing and the negotiations just to get him here. Its not like China has an NBA so whats the problem in showing off your biggest talent ever on the biggest stage in the world? And people compare him to Smits? I dont think he will ever be as good a shooter as Smits. He will definitely be better than Bradley (Shawn). You could argue that he is better now. But whats that saying? I don't know about Ming. I would really hesitate picking him. If I were Houston, I would think about it. They got lucky with this pick and they are already a 50 win team if healthy so seeing this chance again will be very difficult. If the 4 position is a mans position, what is 5? I don't think Ming can handle that spot just shooting outside jumpers. He wants to be Bill Laimbeer? Then fine. But to draft a Laimbeer first is crazy. I understand what Houston is doing. They have a great backcourt and don't need Williams. But Ming is a risk. #1 picks are for franchise players or players that can be that. Someone wants to bet me that Ming will be a franchise player someday? Houston sees Olajuwon. And thats wrong. Caron Butler is there. Drew Gooden is there and so is Dunleavy and Williams. Guarantee me that those players will NOT be better than Ming. Can you guarantee Ming will be at least as good as those players projectedly? Don't think so. I think if Houston wasn't so thin up front, they would take Dunleavy or Williams first and package someone for a big stud. What I would do is try my damnest to get Stoudamire. He is the sleeper here. He is a walking thouroughbred in my mind. The guy is Kevin Garnett on steroids in a few years. He is big. He is athletic. His hands are monstrous. See, one of the things I look for in players is hand size to body size ratio. Jordan had huge hands for someone his size. So does Kobe. Look at Mike Bibbys hands or Jason Kidds. They are huge. Hands that are bigger than normal on players allow them to handle the ball and shoot, rebound and pass with authority. Hands are like long arms on a player that extends his wingspan... This is when he started talking about other players and other players. He loves Da Juan Wagner. He says he will be huge. He says Jay Williams is the next Iverson. He thinks Butler needs time but will be very nice player. A bunch of other stuff also like NYC trying to get Andre Miller. Take it for what its worth. The guy is a brain. Like I said, there will be alot of you who says "who cares" its a NY station and they are trying to move up, etc. But don't kill the messenger from NYC, ok? Have a nice day.
Hmm...seems like his main critique of Ming is that he doesn't quite have the rebounding tenacity you would hope for in a center. I don't know about tenacity, but at 7'5, I think he could manage to pull down 8 boards or so in starters minutes just from his height alone. I would be happy with that.
not everyone is 6 feet tall.. the chinese national team has the most 7 footers on it then any other team in the world.
Almu...I just got done listening to the same thing...you saved me some paraphrasing. Majerus is pretty knowledgable about pro prospects...I'll give him that. I wasn't thrilled when I heard his take on Yao.
I respect Majerus' opinion almost as much as Jerry West's insights. He very well could be right, but Yao will definitely be a step up from what we've got. Looking back in a few years I wouldn't be surprised at all if Stoudemire or Butler do turn out being amazing. Hell, we might end up getting Stoudemire anyways if he drops. I'm not as sold on Wagner as he is though. He's a poor man's Iverson, bigger body but less skills. And Jay Williams, I'm really not believing...but it's very possible that Yao doesn't have that mentality to grab rebounds with authority, etc. One of my biggest concerns was his true physical presence, and although I'm impressed with his offensive skills, I don't know if Majerus is all that wrong.
well not everybody in the cba is only 6ft tall as he so generously sterotyped them. everything i've read about ming shows he has tremendous desire, which contradicts rick here. he's certainly entitled to his opinion and he's not the only person on that side, but i'll trust rudy, cd and their scouts before this guy. the same things he says so generically about ming, i can flip onto his boys. hey rick can you guarantee me that butler, dunleavy, and williams will atleast be as good as ming? didn't think so.
Majerus also said that Mirsad Turksan was a great pick by the Rox on draft night a few years ago. I remember him saying how tough he was and was a tenacious rebounder. Houston Native
I think he might be right. But at this point, after all we've gone through, we just have to hope for the best from Ming. I definately agree with him about Stoudamire. He is a stud. When people look back at this draft in 10 years, Amare is going to be the guy that stands out for his talent and play. He's a diamond that needs to be polished and I pray that he falls to 15. We can get a SF elsewhere, and it looks like Rice is ready to have a nice run towards his sunset.
Ohh man!! Just when i had crossed the fence to pro-ming, this Happens!! (smile) Guys I have heard reports from everybody from players who have played with him, to respected journalists, to coaches, say everything from Yao is the "Next Big Thing" in the NBA, or on the other end of the spectrum that he isn't going to make it at this level. Finally I have come to the conclusion that either one of those views could be right, no one has seen him play enough against tough competition to give a certain scouting report. Are the Rockets taking a risk?Hell Yeah! But this is the only sane thing for us to do, we have a whole as big as the Grand Canyon at the 5 spot, so this is the LOGICAL choice.Will it work out for us? Only time can tell.
While this Rick M is probably a good scout, I wouldn't exactly trust his evaluations as gold. He thinks Gooden, Dunleavy, Williams and Butler will be franchise players. He might not have said it but his "guarantee me that those players will not be better than Ming" statment added to his #1 MUST be a franchise player means those 4 are all franchise players in his mind. That's a good way to have to eat your own words. If Ming is as great as he can be, then more crow to shallow for Mr. M. He said Ming's rebounds are soft. He can't help it if the opposition is soft! From what I can gleem from the articles about Ming's personality, I think he's going to adjust to the "NBA" style faster than ANYONE realized. I wonder if Mr. M. saw the video that is available on clutchcity on Ming's games.
I like Bill Simmon's commentary on this one- "From 1998 ... After Houston takes Turkey's Mirsad Turcan near the end of Round 1, Majerus compares Turcan to Moses Malone and officially gets cut off by the bar at the Vancouver's GM Place."
I think the Chinese had the tallest starting five in the Olympics. The guy said players with hands larger than normal allow them to handle the ball and shoot, rebound and pass with authority... Did he not notice how big Yao's hands is? His hand basically covers half of the ball when he grabs it. Well, of course he is entitled to his opinion, but things like rebounding agrressiveness can be taught easier than shooting when you are physically capable. And I thought many scouts commented that he is already a better shooter the Smits and will only improve. Lets hope Yao can prove this guy wrong for the best of Rockets. btw, Stoudamire might still be there at 15, so the Rockets will still get a chance to draft him. -G'day-
I'm not sure that Turkcan predictions are any indication. After all Turkcan never played for us in the end, and I don't know if he ever saw the court for New York either. Can you say he wasn't tough and a tenacious rebounder?
Ya right. This is the same guy that thought Van Horn was going to make an impact("be a star"). He thought Van Horn would definitely be a rebounder, shot blocker, and scorer. Van Horn has aligator arms! He is "SELF CHECK".
Rick Majerus isn't exactly one of these dumb a$$ beat writers. This actually knows what he's talking about. Not specifically on Yao but on basketball in general. I would be worried Rocket fans. Oh yea, and Amare won't last to #15.
Porky Pig makes some dumbass statements concerning bball. He harps on how weight, crazy steroid athleticism, and big hands of all things are what make great players. Maybe he's developed some sort of inferiority complex b/c he's never really been able to recruit any players that fit those criteria. I can say right now that I have unusually large hands and they do make ballhandling and passing easier - but shooting as he mentions, ya right!! Last time I checked Shaq is not the best shooter around. And in any case, Ming's one handed rebound on the video clips indicated he has pretty big hands. Majerus' logic is severely lacking and that makes his statements nothing more than gibberish. Incidentally, Majerus and Scott Layden are likely still pretty close. Hmmmmmm.........
If that were true Bradley would average about 20 a game. Positioning, and Boxing out can be taught but not aggressiveness. You either have it or you don't. Do you guys even know who Rick Majerus is? He's not some scout or NBA beat writer, he's a very highly respected coach that has always been a good judge of talent. He did predict some guys to be good that missed but so does every coach or scout. Rockets Management better hope for their sake that Majerus just missed on this one too.
Well I have never read anything from this Rickie M guy, But he said "if" healthy Houston would be a 50 win ball-club, and our chance at another #1 pick could be far away.......SO... It would stand to reason that if Houston could get 10 pts., 8 reb., and 1 1/2 bl. per game. Houston could win maybe 5 to 6 games more than the 50 he projected, heck that would make us one of the top 4 or 5 in the NBA. Well I dont know about you, but I will take that all day long, however, I believe my evaluation to be a worst case scenrio.... Someone please correct me if my assumption is wrong! Thank You :0)
Dont get me wrong I think Majerus is a great great coach, but I question his scouting, especially for the NBA...I heard him on ESPN radio or PTI a couple months ago, saying he doesnt really watch that many NBA games... anyhow for those of you who are suddenly down on Ming, he is an oldie but goodie (one of the 1st articles taht made me pro Ming) to bring you back up. December 25, 2000 Huge Upside by Bill Walton ESPN The Magazine As we approach the halfway point of the Age of Shaq, the search for a successor has extended to the least likely of places: China. Why? If you watched the Olympics, you know. I was there, and after watching Yao Ming compete against the best players in the world, I left Sydney dizzy with the possibilities. Simply put, the 20-year-old Yao has a chance to alter the way the game of basketball is played. I've seen hundreds of talented prospects look promising in tryouts, only to disappoint once they got on the court against polished performers. I'm sure that won't be the case with the 7'6" Yao. This guy has skills, competitiveness and basketball intelligence that far exceed his limited background. As I watched his crisp and imaginative passes, felt the energy surge when he'd whip an outlet to launch a fast break and noted his decisionmaking and great court demeanor, I knew I was peering into the future. Yao Ming has arrived. The first thing that struck me about Yao in Sydney was the way he combines grace with size. He carried a beautifully sculpted physique (he weighs 265 pounds) despite only recently committing to formal weight training and conditioning programs. His base is solid -- size 18 feet under a powerfully muscled lower body -- yet he's amazingly nimble. The mechanics of his jump and hook shots, while not classic, are most certainly sound. And consistent. His jumper is dangerous out to 20 feet, and he can hook you to death with either hand. The two best young players I've ever seen were Lew Alcindor (before he was Kareem) and Arvydas Sabonis. At this stage, Yao is not the equal of either. But his upside is so unlimited that when he does enter the NBA draft, I can't conceive of any other player being chosen before him. It usually takes a foreign player at least two years to adjust to American culture and perform at his best. The language barrier is always the initial hurdle, though that should be a lesser concern for Yao. Three years ago he spoke no English. Since then, he has been to the U.S. as a guest of Nike and been a participant in Michael Jordan's summer youth basketball camp, and he's learned enough English to communicate adequately with coaches and teammates. Yao will have more of a challenge adjusting to the NBA lifestyle: rich restaurant food instead of the Chinese staples of fish and rice, a different hotel room every other night, the constant trips in and out of airports. His life will be quite different from the one he leads now. Yao was recruited to play for the Sharks' junior team seven years ago, but it's an enormous stretch to compare the Chinese developmental process to ours. The facilities in China do not measure up to our standards either. Nor does the equipment. It's ironic that much of the world's sporting equipment is now produced in China, but that equipment is available to its own athletes on only a limited basis. The poor quality of coaching in China and the multiple levels of bureaucracy are also hurdles for Yao. Basketball innovation and creativity are absent in China, where longer, harder and faster practices are thought to be the true path to success. And while the Chinese are aware of the need to upgrade the level of coaching, the extreme nationalism in China and noncompetitive salaries prevent the much needed influx of U.S. coaches. There's only one American now coaching in China. Former NBA player Mike McGee coaches a team in the league Yao plays in, and his impact is severely limited since he isn't associated with the all-important national team. I think the quality of international competition, especially in China, holds back Yao as well. The international game is slow-paced and almost contact-free, and you face a top opponent no more than a few times a year. The speed, intensity and physical nature of every possession in the NBA makes Chinese basketball look like it's in slow motion. Despite these hurdles, the people who run basketball in this country continue to dream of a truly international NBA. Why not? If you can find a Larry Bird in French Lick, Ind., a Kevin McHale in Hibbing, Minn., or a John Stockton in Spokane, Wash., why can't you find a future star in Russia, Brazil or China? A year ago, the Mavericks used a second-round pick to draft 7'1" Wang Zhi-Zhi, the first Chinese national selected by an NBA team. Wang is a good player, more along the lines of a Toni Kukoc, and the Mavericks are still working to get him under contract. But it's Yao who has the NBA truly excited. Granted, I can't predict Yao's continued good health. Or how hard and long he'll work to develop his game. Or how he'll stand up to playing 100 NBA games a year. Or whether he'll be able to overcome his relatively short arms, suspect explosiveness and less-than-great lateral mobility. Yes, Yao is unquestionably a work-in-progress. But if I were an NBA coach, I'd like him to be my work-in-progress. He's 7'6" and incredibly graceful and coordinated. Over the past 15 years, the NBA has put a higher premium on physical talent than on skill. The international game favors the opposite, skill without the physical prowess. Yao Ming has the chance to be the bridge that spans both worlds. This article appears in the Next Issue of ESPN The Magazine.
