We all know that, barring injury, Shaq will be teh starting center.. However, if there are tons of votes coming in online from China, which is very possible, we could see Yao Ming in the AllStar game. Moreover, since Francis is his teammate, I think he'll receive a lot of votes, perhaps Mobley too. What do you guys think? Will the votes from Asia really effect the results to our advantage?
I hope not. He won't be better than Shaq next year, and I hate to see guys start that don't deserve to, even if they are on my team. It wouldn't be fair to Shaq.
What do you mean not fair? If the folks in China are motivated enough to get out and vote, then Ming should start. This would only show how popular the NBA has become in China. Fast forward a couple of years, and imagine 100,000,000 Chinese with Rocket's jerseys and caps! Les Alexander is swimming in fen, and suddenly the luxury tax is insignificant. NBA free agents could view Houston as their number one choice. It could happen!
I would HATE to see that happen this year. It would only make an already overpowering Shaq more determined. Let's just hope the kid plays well enough to make the rookie game!
The all star starters are picked by the fans because it is a game for the fans. As much as I dont agree when some guys get voted in because of ballot-stuffing, it is what it is. If 8 zillion people from Bejing want to see Ming in the all star game, then he may well garner the votes needed to start. Its not like Shaq wont make the team if Ming gets voted in. BTW, is there really a center in the west (other than Shaq) that you can say will be clearly better than Ming?
Yao need to avoid big rookie year injury for the benefit of him, the team and all the fans out here. Hope Shaq won't play dirty on him.
if fans across the country and now the world vote for Ming to start in the all star then let him. I dont remember people b****ing when a 19 or 20 year old kobe bryant started the all-star game as much. At the time kobe was just a guy who had one to two great sportcenter highlights a game and nothing else, but he was voted on because its the fan choice. (Dont get me wrong, kobe deserves the be on the team now thats for sure, but I didnt think he deserved to be on it those first couple of years) Thats what the game is all about the fans and besides I personally would not like to see shaq play in the all star game because he totally would slow the flow down on a team that has a bunch of stars who wanna show off their skills and do some playground stuff. Shaq is the most dominant player in the game today but he doesnt really have that many basketball skills, let be realistic about it. If the fans vote Yao in let him play its for the fans and wouldnt it be cool to see Tmac or VC make an incredible to and go up for a thunderous dunk just to get it sent back by Yao?
I personally think that Shaq will have a down year by his standards, that being said I don't see Ming supplanting him as an incumbant starting center just yet. In time he will be there, just don't discount him being in the all-star game either.
What you mean it won't be fair to Shaq? He never wants to play in it anyways. Always faking a injury. But it would be unfair if Yao only averages like lower then double digits and he makes the all-star team
Pls forgive me, I sometimes think that all-Star game is a joke. Don't take it too serious. BTW, did the same question ask last year for Kwame Brown? KH
All the excitment surrounding Ming is nice and is awesome for the team, but let us remember that Ming has yet to play a friggin preseason game. There have been tons of posts about Ming and the AS game, Ming in the HOF, Ming surpassing Dream, etc... Good Lord people!!! Calm down and take a dose of reality. I hope Yao goes great things in his league and for Houston, but lets not bank the franchise on him yet. It's dangerous when you put too much pressure on a player too early. Some handle it (Isiah, Jordan, Shaq, Duncan) while others don't. Remember "Baby Jordan??" Where on God's Green Earth is Harold Miner now? It took Stackhouse about 5 years to start to play up to his hype. You can't forecast a players sucess based upon his potential, or how he played in the NCAA's or elsewhere. Some players games just don't adapt. Anybody remember Austin Carr?? Dude still holds NCAA Tourney records for points, averaging over 40 per for Notre Dame. For the season, he would have had the scoring title with over 35 per if it wasn't for some cat named The Pistol. First pick in the draft, Carr had some good years for the Cavs, but nothing close to the hype and soon faded out of the L. My point being, Yao has all the tools and I hope he does great things, but give it time to happen like Stack, or it might not at all.
