It's a toss up between Yao and Dwight Howard when both are healthy. But Howard has been extremely durable during his career, and Yao has not. So, advantage Howard.
Yao can't score at will either. While I think he is still a better overall player than Howard, if Yao goes down to another major injury, the case is closed. You cannot compare the two without considering durability. Another factor to consider is Howard plays with a bunch of sissies on his team while Yao has Chuck Hayes, Scola, Landry and Shane drawing charges and banging around. Not ONE player on the Magic has Howard's back. One of these days I think he's going to explode during a game. For those of you who are so certain Howard is already better, remember that he cooled down after the fast start last season. Props to the OP. I agree with most of what you said and appreciate the attempt to be thorough and objective. I disagree with your final conclusion. I don't think DH has knocked Yao off the throne just yet, but we'll see after next season. Don't make a hasty decision if Howard (again)starts the season out like a monster.
This poll proves why Yao is overrated in Houston. Better than Dwight Howard? ARE YOU GUYS KIDDING ME??????
I think it will be Yao for the next 2 - 4 years, then he probably retires or is in decline. Dwight Howard or Greg Oden takes over.
Amare Stoudemire is a power forward and that is easily his natural position. If you watched him dominate in the 2nd half of the season after the Shaq-Marion Trade.
Definitely, he fits in with the duties of power forward...since most power forwards behind a stalwart center aren't expected to be a force on defense. He just can't defend the paint all that well, and he's just not built for that. Maybe, good one on one defense, but not patroling the whole paint. I imagine Phoenix will probably try another center, before they move Amare back to the spot. Since that was one of the reason they struggled so much on defense, no presence in the paint combined with a lack of team defense.
I voted for Howard, after factoring in expected production over an entire season. If Yao is missing 30 games and Howard is playing practically a full season, it's hard for me to rank Yao ahead of him. When both are fully healthy sure I may give Yao an edge, though it's debatable.
Dang you, but even an unhealthy Yao is better than Dwight, Watch the game on August 10th China vs USA, Yao dominates Dwight like they always do.
Individual matchups mean much less to me than then what they do against the rest of the league as a whole over the course of a season. They only play against each other a couple times a year.
Clearly, it's between Yao and Howard with Yao having the edge right now. I agree that if Yao suffers another major injury that becomes a deal breaker and Howard automatically gets the edge based off of durability alone. Howard will eventually overtake Yao. Al Jefferson deserves consideration if he continues to progress. He's close to Howard. Bynum and Oden are in the same boat, IMO. Same age and similar size/upside. Obviously, Bynum has the experience edge and should be better initially but i'm curious to see how good Oden is going to be. Right now: 1) Yao 2) Howard 3) Jefferson 4) Bogut 5) Chandler 6) Fat Memo Bynum and Oden shouldn't even be choices yet. Things also change enormously depending upon where Duncan plays into all this too. Duncan gets the majority of his minutes at C but i'm pretending for the original poster's sake he's a PF.
Either way it shows that if they were playing in the finals one day, Yao would win and destroy him, I don't think it's a complete difference.
Agree completely on this point. 2 games out of 82 doesn't mean much and the odds of a matchup in the Finals is close to zero.
Yao also gets a triple team every time he touches the ball...while Howard at most get a double team once in a while. People that plays the Magic game play is to stop hedo and lewis. While ppl that play houston is trying to stop Yao Ming.
