Underrated rebounder? Are you kidding? The guy is 7 foot freaking 6. He's the biggest guy on the court every night. He should get 10 rebounds just by walking out of the tunnel every night! Chris Kaman, Al Jefferson and Antoine Jamison are underrated rebounders.
So, by that logic, George Muresan, Shawn Bradley, and Manute Bol would make the NBA's greatest rebounders.
Nice try, but you know it's not that cut and dry. Different players have different potential and skill sets, but you cannot ignore the fact that rebounding expectations are higher because of a players height, especially gargantuan 7 footers. Bradley is the only guy out of the group you mentioned to ever have over 30 mpg in a season (high of 32.1mpg/8.7rpg). Given Yao's minutes this season (37.3mpg) it's possible that Bradley could have pulled down rebounds at the 10.6rpg clip, which is a career high for Yao this year. Does that make Bradley and underrated rebounder to?? I think not. The guys you mentioned were just tall, but lacked the skill to be dominant rebounders and the only decent rebounder of that bunch is Bradley. Muresan had one decent year and Bol was just big. None of the three were great at anything. They were just tall and average at best. Yao is great at scoring and a decent rebounder for his height, but hardly underrated. If he continues at the pace he's on this season, it will only be the 2nd time in his career he's averaged over 9.4rpg. Again, hardly worthy of being labeled an underrated rebounder, expecially for being the tallest guy in the league..
What and Yao doesn't change games. How many times have you seen players get their shots altered driving to the hoop because of Yao. How many times have you seen the consistent double or triple or even quadruple teams on Yao because he's so freaking dominant. I hate people consistently downplaying Yao's dominance on the court. The only reason he's getting bashed this season is because the supporting cast sucks and we're losing games. In fact, Yao is playing more aggressive now than he has ever before. If it's anything, blame the new system or the lack of shot making by the others. But don't sit there and give me this Howard is more dominant than Yao BS. Yes, Howard had his brief sunshine of of fame at the beginning of the season due to the surging record of his team. But they've been on a losing streak lately and suddenly he's not so HOT anymore. I agree Howard's got vast potential and he is in the top 3 centers category in the league at the moment. But don't bash the man when he's team's down. Yao has more than paid his dues and should earn some respect from the naysayers.
If you honestly think Yao is equal to Dwight in effectiveness on the defensive end and on the boards... you need to learn some basketball or have your eyes checked. Yao = dominating scorer (probably 1st or 2nd in the league) inside. Unmatched skill level for his height - great shooter. As for defense, the guy is decent at challenging shots. Rebounding wise, hes a positional rebounder in that he can only rebound shots in a close area. He is a defensive liability against quicker players - See Boozer, Carlos, or Harrington, Al. Dwight Howard may not have Yaos skill set and ability to score in the paint but he makes up for it in raw aggression and force. On the other end of the court, the guy is the most dominating rebounder in the league and one of the best shot blockers as well. He's pretty much equivalent to a Marcus Camby on the defensive end these days.
I was not refering to if those players would fit onto the Rockets. I was comparing the players on an individual basis - as to if I was building a team -who would i choose first.
Hate to say it, but players drive into the lane alot on Yao, with alot of success, with large part because Yao's slow foot speed. I don't get the feeling that other teams are intimidated by Yao's presence in the lane. I still think other players see him as a perfect poster boy for their dunks, although this is happening less and less. Yao hasn't been *dominant* thus far this season. He's been efficient, my word to describe him this season.
Yao is surrounded by team mates who cannot shoot the ball at a decent rate or offensively inept that they cannot make the opposing team pay for swarming him. What Yao is going through now is Rockets history repeating itself. After the Twin Towers were dismantled, Hakeem went through a very tough phase where he was clearly the only legit threat to the opposing teams. I remember in the Hakeem the Dream dvd someone saying that Hakeem was the better option even with a double or triple team in his face. I believe the team is capable of getting one of the lower seeds and if they have momentum going to the play-offs maybe they have a shot at winning the first round.
