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[Marc Stein] Yao = Third Team All-NBA

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by baller4life315, Apr 20, 2006.

  1. baller4life315

    baller4life315 Contributing Member

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    http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-060420

    Marc Stein's All-NBA Ballot

    First Team
    F Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas)
    F LeBron James (Cleveland)
    C Shaquille O'Neal (Miami)
    G Steve Nash (Phoenix)
    G Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)

    Second Team
    F Shawn Marion (Phoenix)
    F Tim Duncan (San Antonio)
    C Ben Wallace (Detroit)
    G Chauncey Billups (Detroit)
    G Dwyane Wade (Miami)

    Third Team
    F Carmelo Anthony (Denver)
    F Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers)
    C Yao Ming (Houston)
    G Tony Parker (San Antonio)
    G Vince Carter (New Jersey)

    Toughest omissions: Pau Gasol (Memphis), Gilbert Arenas (Washington) and Jason Kidd (New Jersey)

    Voters are instructed on the All-NBA ballot to "vote for the player at the position that he plays regularly."

    This ballot would have looked different if voters were given a little more latitude.

    I wanted to name Duncan and Gasol as centers because A) Shaq and Yao both played less than 60 games because of injuries and B) Duncan and Gasol play enough in the post to justify billing them as centers.

    In that scenario, Duncan would have been my first-teamer largely because he grinded through a nagging case of plantar fasciitis to appear in 80 games and help the Spurs secure the West's No. 1 overall seed. Gasol would have been my second-team center and Shaq would shift to the third team, enabling me to move Carter to third-team forward and thus make room for Arenas.

    But there wasn't room for Gasol (eclipsed by Anthony since the All-Star break) and Arenas (his Wiz didn't quite win enough) because the league wants us picking "real" centers. Yao had the best individual season of the three, but the Rockets' disastrous season as a team relegated him to third on this scorecard behind Shaq and Big Ben.

    Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson and Paul Pierce didn't get serious third-team consideration from me because none of their teams reached the playoffs. The tougher call on the third team was trying to figure out which Net to choose: Carter or Kidd.

    -- Marc Stein


    _____________________________________________________________


    This coming from same guy who claims this team can't be considered one of the league's biggest disappointments simply because all of our injuries "should amount to some form of asterisk."

    Well apparently that "asterisk" also applies to designating individual accomplishements. He even admits the obvious point that Yao was the best center among those mentioned.
     
  2. compucomp

    compucomp Member

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    I totally disagree. The All-NBA awards are for who played the best, not whose teams did the best. Yao deserves First Team All NBA, and Stein admits it. Unfortunately I think enough media people will think like Stein so that Yao will end up on the third team.
     
  3. Hippieloser

    Hippieloser Contributing Member

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    We might as well get some more scorn heaped on us at this point. I don't see how it could make us feel any worse. :(

    I've boycotted the GARM since that tub of **** kicked Yao's foot to death. At least finally this nightmare of a season is over. Slowly, dim rays of hope will return to us. I'm already looking forward to hearing about Malick Badiane and speculation on if Sura will ever walk again. :)
     
  4. durvasa

    durvasa Contributing Member

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    Better reason for not putting Yao higher is that he missed about a third of the season.
     
  5. compucomp

    compucomp Member

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    So did Shaq. Shaq played 59 games, and Yao 57. That's a wash, and Yao's numbers are better. They'll give Shaq first team all NBA due to his history, and although that's dumb I can accept that since Shaq is a great player.

    However, putting Ben Wallace over Yao is pure idiocy. As I said in a previous thread, how can you say that Wallace is better than Yao, when Yao scores 3 times as many points as Wallace, while Wallace only makes up for it with 1 rebound, 1 steal, .4 assists, and .5 blocks per game? While his FT% is even worse than Shaq's (and my personal FT%, btw), while Yao's FT% is in the top 20? It is correct to say that Wallace's team had a much better season. HOWEVER, this is the All-NBA Teams, not MVP. It's for the player who plays the best, not whose team played the best. Unfortunately the media people vote on these things so Yao will end up on the third team.
     
  6. dream2franchise

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    I realise Basketball is a team sport and ultimately the goal for any player, coach and organisation is to get the ring.

    But is there ANY room in the NBA for a player to be applauded for his efforts without being held back by crap team mates, general managers or, in Yao's case an injury riddled team?

    I mean All-Star appearances, All-NBA, why even have these 'lists' if a player can only make it based on how good his team mates are?

    I'm sick of the "well, their team wasn't successful" BS. Why not just make Desagana Diop 3rd team all NBA since Dallas was so much more successful than Houston?

    Yao and Shaq played the same amount of games, Yao has a better season and he's third team?..its just not fair.

    Question: Who was the best centre in the NBA this year? The Answer is Yao. He should be 1st team All NBA. Case closed.

    I'd love to see what Shaq could do out in the West with Yao's teammates. I'm guessing it'd be the same result. Wade's been carrying his fat ass and Shaq's getting all of the glory. Not fair.
     
  7. wizkid83

    wizkid83 Contributing Member

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    Steve Kerr did too. This is just a little messed up, and I finally do believe there is a little race issue (or at the very least nationality issue here). Lets just hope next year Rox stay healthy, make the playoffs, Yao have a monster year and they have no choice but vote him #1.
     
  8. francis 4 prez

    francis 4 prez Contributing Member

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    how did shaq have a better season than yao?

    how did duncan have a better season than brand?

    how did carter have a better season than iverson?

    answers: they didn't.

    hell, he tried to get duncan on the first team, as if he needs another damn first team appearance. he already gets the free pass of getting two forward positions (as opposed to a sf and pf position or just plain being a center).


    i would say not having garnett on any team seems kind of bad but when i listed my 3 teams i didn't have garnett on any of them either. of course, i'm now starting to think that was pretty stupid as he still had a great season even if minnesota sucked. and carter over AI isn't horrible, but AI still had an amazing season (his pts plus asts is the best in the game).

    like dream2franchise said, way too much emphasis on team success. not everything about individual recognition should be tied back to how good or crappy your teammates are.


    edit: and if the centers have to be actual centers, i would have yao first team, knock brand down to 2nd team (with dirk moving from C to F on the 1st team), then put shaq on the second team, and drop duncan to 3rd team with brand taking his place (and marion at the other F position).
     
    #8 francis 4 prez, Apr 20, 2006
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2006
  9. Champ06

    Champ06 Member

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    From CBS Sportsline, Yao is left out of the All-NBA teams.

    All-NBA teams by Tony Meija

    First-team All-NBA: F-LeBron James, F-Dirk Nowitzki, G-Steve Nash, G-Kobe Bryant, G-Dwyane Wade.

    Second-team All-NBA: F Shawn Marion, F-Elton Brand, C-Ben Wallace, G-Chauncey Billups, G-Allen Iverson.

    Third-team All-NBA: F-Kevin Garnett, F-Tim Duncan, C-Shaquille O'Neal, G-Gilbert Arenas, G-Vince Carter
     
  10. RocketForever

    RocketForever Contributing Member

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    IIRC this is the same guy who put Yao at 6th in his ranking of the centers earlier this season, behind the likes of Chris Bosh, Chris Kaman, etc.
     
  11. xlr817

    xlr817 Member

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    Yao should at least gotten 2nd team. Ben Wallace!!! You gotta be kidding me. Oh well, his team is great & he's a terrific defender. But Yao always get the double & triple teams constantly, plus ALOT of $hitty calls from the refs! :( AI hope he gets 1st next year.
     
  12. RocketForever

    RocketForever Contributing Member

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    What kind of team is that? The only inside player is Dirk who plays more like a SF most of the time. Are you supposed to pick the best player at each position for the first team?

    If he wanted to put the five best players in NBA this season in the first team, why didnt he just pick Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson and Dwyane Wade? That would be one great five-guards lineup. LOL
     
    #12 RocketForever, Apr 20, 2006
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2006
  13. vcchlw

    vcchlw Contributing Member

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    Yao gets no respect from refs and sportwriters, just like Hakeem.
     
  14. compucomp

    compucomp Member

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    I sincerely hope that this idiot doesn't have an All-NBA vote. Wallace over Shaq? No Yao? WTF?
     
  15. Gutter Snipe

    Gutter Snipe Contributing Member

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    Anyone notice that he didn't have a Center on his first All-NBA team? What's up with 3 guards?

    Cop-out.
     
  16. Williamson

    Williamson JOSH CHRISTOPHER ONLY FAN
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    For that matter, how did Tim Duncan have a better season than Pau Gasol? He didn't. This was Tim Duncan's worst season ever.
     
  17. durvasa

    durvasa Contributing Member

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    I actually think Ben Wallace has a better case than Shaq for being ahead of Yao. The stats of course are going to be skewed in Yao's favor, because stats of offense-centric. Ben Wallace's primary contribution obviously is on the defensive end, and the statistics don't do him justice.
     
  18. emjohn

    emjohn Contributing Member

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    The media biasis is pretty ridiculous at this point. You could almost debate that Shaq was the second best center on his own team this year. Putting him above Yao simply because his teammates got him into the playoffs is terrible logic at best.

    I'd be more understanding if Chris Bosh somehow slipped in as a center.

    Evan
     
  19. langal

    langal Contributing Member

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    I'm guessing if Stein were actually a GM he'd pick Yao over Wallace or Gasol to be his starting center. It's not even close.

    I'm just going to pull out the race card on this one and say the media doesn't like Yao cuz he's Chinese.

    (Shaq isn't fair cuz he's old).
     
  20. KeepKenny

    KeepKenny Contributing Member

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    Let me get this straight: In Yao's 2nd year, he averages 17.5 ppg, and 9 rpg, and gets 3rd team.

    This year he gets 22.5 ppg, 10 rpg, and he's still third team? Not to mention that Wallace's numbers have declined.

    Honestly, a defensive minded role-player like Wallace should be happy to be on any all-nba team. Did Rodman ever make one? Can't they just give him the defensive player of the year award and be done with it?

    Before Yao even exploded this year, he was still averaging 19.5 and 9.5. Stupid writers, I want to see how coaches vote. They're the ones who send double and triple teams every night.
     

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