I was listening to Fox sports radio 1190 today and Mike Fisher was interviewing Mark Cuban and the topic of Yao Ming came up. Mark said that Yao would not be a top 10 pick! Normally I would just say that is Mark just spouting off because he loves to give hot sports opinions. However we should all remember that the premier man in basketball at working with foreign players works for Cuban, Donnie Nelson. We should also remember that the Mavs are the most successful team in the NBA at acquiring and developing foreign talent. No one in the NBA has seen more basketball from China than the Nelsons. Remember that it was Don Nelson a few years ago just before drafting Dirk that said the next MJ would come from over seas. Mark said that Yao was basically the oriental version of Shawn Bradley. He said that all the drills that Yao used to woo the scouts with were the same drills that Bradley could do better. He said that Bradley had a better outside shot and was a better passer. He also said that while Yao had better lower body strength that Bradley had better upper body strength. He went on to say that Yao would experience the same problems as Bradley trying to establish low post position. Yao would find it hard to stay out of foul trouble and stay on the floor. Mark then compared drafting Yao with the number one pick with the Clippers drafting Kandi with the number 1 pick. He said that Yao simply was not ready to contribute in the NBA and by the time he is ready to contribute his team would face the same problem as the Clippers face with Kandi now. Do you give him more time to reach his potential by giving him another big contract or let him go. One thing about Mark is that he does have the resources to create his opinions from the best foreign talent scouts in the world. He was very convincing. I think that Yao is just to big of a risk for the Rockets to draft. Don't forget that last year our own Eddie Griffin was suppose to be the top pick in the draft (at this time last year) and he fell all the way to 7. I heard Chad Ford compare Yao to Rik Smits on ESPN radio last week end and now Mark Cubans statements on the Radio today coupled with the potential problems with china and I believe Mark when he say's that Yao will not be a top 10 pick.
If Mark Cuban had a crystal ball and could actually foresee Yao's future, do you really think that would stop 10 teams from passing on Yao before the 11th team picked? I don't.
Did you really think that Eddie Griffin would drop to the 7th pick at this point last year? Be honest. Yao brings a lot more baggage with him than Eddie ever thought about bringing.
crash - One major difference. Eddie Griffin was regarded as Top 5 or even a Top 3, but Yao is listed as #1 on almost every mock draft you can find. You will not find a respectable mock draft where Ming is lower than #2. I don't recall that EG was a concensus #1. There is a big difference between being generally mock drafted at 3 and falling to 7 and being a consensus #1 and falling to #11.
At this time last year every mock draft that I saw had Eddie at #1 or #2. It was always either Eddie Griffin or Eddie Curry until about June. It was not until closer to the draft that people started questioning Eddie as the #1 or #2 pick. It is no different with Ming now. Almost every draft has either him or Jason Williams at #1. When I hear NBA people compare Ming to Rik Smits and Shawn Bradley then I think it is safe to say there are more than enough questions about him to cause teams to question if their high lottery pick would be worth someone that may not have all world talent after all and carries more baggage than any previously selected player in the history of the game.
Gator, here are a couple of paragraphs from an article that was listed in another thread by Pat. Here is a link to the intire article: http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~113~591014~,00.html The poorly conditioned Yao changed jerseys midway through the workout, although he didn't seem to break much of a sweat. The odd thing for such a giant was that his jumper was much more impressive than his limited post moves. Also, Yao said he despises lifting weights. It showed. He has almost no upper body strength. That could be a major detriment toward survival as a big man in the NBA whether it's against Shaquille O'Neal or Zendon Hamilton. And despite his height, Yao could be a weak shot blocker because he has such slow reactions. Some observers likened Yao to former Indiana Pacers center Rik Smits. That comparison could be valid if Yao puts in several years of hard work and weight lifting. Whether the Shanghai Sharks star has the mentality to work that hard and mold himself is unknown. Now tell me...does that sound like a #1 overall pick? If he works real hard he could develope into Rik Smits. No thanks.
Quite a few posters here use NBAdraft.net. They had Griffin as #4. http://www.nbadraft.net/2001mock.htm I personally don't hang on every word Mark Cuban says or writes and don't have the time or inclination to comb his words as if he is the next Nostradamus. If Cuban says Ming will be drafted at #11 or lower and you choose to believe him, that's your prerogative. As stated long ago - I don't think so. PS - Rik Smits was the #2 overall selection in his draft.
i would like to bet with Cuban on this. let's say i put 10 and he will put 100 000. and i'm sure Ming will be top 10 pick , if China let him get drafted. how i can contact Cuban? i want my money
All of this is crap. Even Yao's workout. He goes through the motions for NBA scouts and coaches in general but probably busts (what he has of an) ass in private workouts for Chicago and New York. To say that Ming wouldn't go Top 10 is absurd. If he's available when New York picks, then this grand scheme of David Stern and all the governing bodies in China will have worked: make the acquisition of Yao such a pain that everyone will pass on him and he'll fall to the Knicks. As far as Mark Cuban, I was one of the first persons to wonder if he would trade Finley to Finley's hometown of Chicago for Yao Ming (if Chicago gets to draft him). Ming, Raef Lafrentz, Dirk Nowitzi as the frontcourt? Scary. When an owner talks down a player in the draft, I immediately think it's a ruse, or the owner already knows he can't get the player because he knows where that player's going. Call it the Mafia/Cubans/military industrial complex/grassy knoll syndrome.
Yeah, but that was probably right before the draft. I'm sure about this time last year they had Eddie at #1 or #2. I do think Ming will be a top two pick, but it will prove to be a bust. I wouldn't even touch him with the fifth pick.
MSNBC had Griffin at #5 one year ago today: http://www.msnbc.com/modules/sports/nbadraft01/mockdraft.asp DCkid - you and crash5179 are both guilty of selective perception. Go to the bottom of the College Corner front page and search back for posts that are 1 year old. You will find that Griffin was not a lock at #1 in mock drafts even here at Clutch City. Here are a few examples were he was #3: http://bbs.clutchcity.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18874 http://bbs.clutchcity.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18866
And the posturing begins! Think Cuban would offer a team like Washington or Atlanta (assuming they keep their pick) a package of NVE + filler?
So, I didn't know the exact date that Griffin's stock began to fall, which is why I said ABOUT this time last season. It even says in the MSNBC draft that Griffin's was the projected #1 pick just one month before. The fact is that before workouts really started and not everyone had decided whether they were coming out, Eddie Griffin was going #1 on more mock drafts than any other player. After workouts and after some other people declared of course it is going to change.
Based on the whole interview, it doesn't look like Mark Cuban was meaning to say that wouldn't be drafted top-10, but that he wasn't top-10 quality. I find it interesting how many of us have made judgements on Ming without ever having seen him play.
This is actually a great point, and I myself am guilty. Aren't the World Championships this year in Indianapolis? I assume they will televise a few games with Yao ... it'll be verrryyy interesting.
Cuban employs Donnie Nelson who is recognized league wide as the premier authority on foreign talent. I would say that gives Cuban a pretty good source of knowledge on the subject.
