And you all say that Dwight Howard is better than Yao???

Howard's more durable than Yao.


Yao is a better basketball player than Howard.

 

I would change your second statement to: "But if Yao was as durable as Howard, then Yao would be a better basketball player."

Can't really say that Yao is better without the qualification. If the Rockets could do over the last 3 seasons and pick between Yao or Howard, I'm pretty sure they'd pick Howard.

 

And you all say that Doc Rivers is a bad coach???

 

This is actually a good point. For the most part last 2 years Orlando's teams have been perfect for a dominant center. Imagine Yao with all those clutch 3 point shooters in last year's final with Turkoglu playing the point forward.

I think it is highly possible they win the finals instead of losing them, even with Rafer being their main PG.

 

Dh couldn't make more than 3 shots to save life or his gems today his shots were terrible. If it ain't a dunk or put back it ain't going in. Can wait t see the big guy shooting for the team. Only a couple of months away. Dh enough
bricks to build a house today and magic non 3 point shooting

 

I give the nod to DH just because he is more durable. But saying he's the best center today is more of a statement on the dearth of quality centers today. Having watched the golden age of centers in the late 80's/90's, I find myself nonplussed on Dwight's incomplete game. He can't carry the team on his back and take over a game like past dominant centers. Maybe I'm spoiled from watching Dream all those years but DH is only getting that best center title by default.

 

The main problem with Howard: He's trying to do too much, offensively, when he should just, lack for better term, know his place.

He's a monster defender and is an athletic freak that should tell the team "I know what my strengths and weaknesses are and I am just going to go out there and defend, rebound, block/alter shots, and grab any offensive rebounds and dunk the damn ball. Enough of this drop step, left handed hook business. I'm just going to go out there and crash the boards, defend, and do all the dirty work. You guys do the rest"

Would this cause the opposing team to stop double teaming Howard? Of course but there was never a reason to double him in the first place--the guy has one or two moves and he's a spotty FT shooter. Sure it might take away the double teams Howard might face, but it cuts down on the excessive TOs Howard causes.

When I look at Howard, I can't help think "Why can't Howard pattern his game after Mutombo during the Nuggets era?" Is it because he feels like he needs to put up points to actually be considered a Top 10 player? I mean, if he just shuts down the paint on the defensive end and can chip in 14-16 points a game (while committing LESS TOs), wouldn't that be better for the Magic? All he needs to learn and develop is a hook shot and use that as his bread and butter. These drop step moves he's trying to do won't work for him all the same like it did for Shaq. Rather than use brute force (which is a critical flaw in his game), he needs to work a jump hook and go with that . No one is going to block a jump hook.

SVG and Otis did a great job putting the team together and, yes, it's similar to what Rudy did with the championship Rockets. But fact of the matter is, Olajuwon dominated on both ends of the court while Howard has trouble making a strong move to the basket and hitting a 3 footer.

 

Howard is better than Yao in some areas and vice versa. But overall Yao is a better basketball player than Howard. Just let the two play 10 one on one pick up games and Yao would win 9 out of 10 times.

 

When they play, does Howard have to be sitting in the chair too?

 

Yao had a much better point forward in T-Mac when he was at the same point of his career as Dwight is right now and yet couldn't stay on the floor and got dominated by Carlos Boozer on the rebounds.

 

I pick Yao for at least the next two seasons.

 

Dwight Howard is a better player than Yao and it's not even a discussion any more. You want to play ifs ands nuts and buts while Howard is actually playing and beating the teams on the schedule, going deep into the playoffs, winning rebounding titles, DPOY, and 1st team All-NBA awards. You can continue to compare Yao's theoretical performance in the NBA with Howard's actual performance but at the end of the day Dwight Howard is a 24 year old emerging force in basketball who has yet to enter his prime while Yao has never won anything of note, hasn't played a full season in five years, and will be 30 years old this season.

 

if they want to play like that, more advantage to Yao

 

I guess Yao technically made it past the first round... but Dwight has been deep into the playoffs

 

Yall forget how Al the boxer Harrington abused Yao.

I just knew this thread would pop up after today's game.

 

If they saw Howard playing this afternoon, Howard would become known only as defensive player a great shotblocker and rebounder- Just what we need to act as a back up for Yao Ming!

 

You know what I hate? When people like you claim that Yao is better than DH when he can't even play on the court. Everybody knows that if he was fully healthy Yao Ming would be better than DH. But he's not. He's been injured so many times and I doubt he'll ever get back to his 2004 MVP form.

You talk about how DH is limited but at least he can play. On a scale of 1-10 Yao would be DNP-injury

 

DH is only 24 years old, if he played in Jordan's era he would be rookie right now. He has at least a decade more to play NBA bball.

Yao Ming is 30 years and has a body ravaged by injuries. His career playing life is around 3-5 years.

Who has a limit based on age again?

 

If Yao is good, then you have to include Oden also. Injuries don't count, after all.

 

If Yao's injuries don't matter, then let's bring back T-Mac and relive the T-Mac-Yao era again. We would have an elite center and an elite swingman to take the Rockets to the Finals.