Defensively Yao did a good job clogging the lane due to size. He just could not guard the pick and roll. That why we lost to jazz in 07.
Are you kidding me? Fronting Yao was only effective because Alston sucked. That was not Yao's fault. Once McGrady came in, he had no problems getting the ball to Yao no matter what. Too bad one of them was always hurt by that time.
I agree but I meantcenters that have played for the Houston Rockets. Even if their major production was with a different team.
Yao was a great player and was great for the game, but i would venture off and say he was not a dominant player, instead just a specialist;albeit the best the nba has seen. To be a superstar and dominant force, you had to be unstoppable, and not be taken out of the game very easily. Yao main problem was that he was neutralized too easily and almost became a detriment when he was so. Yao was a very situational player in that he would be great, the best offensive player at times but under very specific situations. All that to say that i think yao was the best offensive situational specialist perhaps of all time but no, he was not a dominant force consistently in the game
Blame Alston. Blame Brooks. Blame David Wesley for all I care. All I know is fronting was a perpetual problem for Yao. Was it that all of the guards he played with couldn't pass correctly? Or was it that Yao's lack of athleticism required too perfect of an entry pass? I'm inclined to think it was the latter. That said - I still love Yao.
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My lasting memory of Yao is him sitting on the bench in his Giorgio Armani suit when we needed him the most during the playoff. End of discussion.
Hmm... maybe it was because of a CAREER-ENDING injury? I for sure do not doubt Yao not being able to play on such a threatening injury. And since you questioned his toughness, he came back in game 1 to lead Rockets over LA, playing through the injury. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/sports/basketball/30sportsbriefs-yao.html?ref=sports&_r=0
Where did I question his toughness? I am the first one to say Yao was a warrior who has fought back from injury time after time. But the image of him sitting on the bench in street clothes during the critical playoff time will stick in my mind for the foreseeable future.
Madmax, if you could read you would have seen that I said I wouldn't put Yao in the top 10 all time. We never saw yao in his prime and he still managed to be all NBA 5 times and also be considered a top 10 overall player in the league. I understand hes not Hakeem but really nobody's Hakeem and nobody will ever be hakeem he's the best center to ever play the game. As I said before Yao was top 8 offensive center of all time maybe even higher IMO.
Yao, when "ON" was very difficult to stop due to fabulous efficiency. He approached shaq level efficiency in the low blocks due to his size and combined it with 80% FT shooting. Of course, part of this was due to the fact that he wasn't able to ever really be a 40+ minute a night 78+ game a year guy because as you leaned on his efficiency and upped his usage, his legs crumbled. The problem was that it was his sole dimension (and no, it wasn't because the Rockets "turned him into that" - it's simply who he awas due to his frame - he was never going to be a loping 7-6 gazelle tossing touch passes on the break as his body matured). As such, it was comparatively easy to turn him "OFF" with fronting, knocking him out of position, denying him the entry pass, etc. And his relative clogginess made it hard to play a different way when he wasn't on the court and limited the offense's versatility.
if ifs and buts were candy and nuts Yao would be healthy and so would Sampson Yao is one of my favorite players as is Sampson BUT neither one should be compared to the Hakeems and Russells and Wilts and Kareems and yes even Shaqs. Availablility is always an underrated attribute and you can't reach the top without it. Just for a side discussion, IF they had stayed healthy for long careers I think Sampson would be closer to the top 5 list than Yao but that is IMO.
When you say that, it implies a bad connotation. That's all, and there is no reason for that bad connotation. He cannot help himself against injuries.
