Out of curiosity: Yao or Howard, now that we have Howard

Howard is my favorite player currently but still easy to answer Yao. Was completely unstoppable (when healthy)... and that's the point, the big guy was too big and heavy, and on top of that played way too much during his prime years and was always certain to break down eventually.

 

A healthy Yao was more dominant. Howard better defensively! I would take Big Yao!

 

Everything with Yao starts with a "IF" I'm going with Howard.

 

A healthy Yao? That's a mythical creature, not reality.

 

Dwight is a much better defender.

It's similar to the Harden vs Paul George Debate. Yao being Harden.

 

Yao was clearly a better offensive player, and for whatever it's worth the team was almost always excellent defensively with him in the middle (his career on/off defensive splits were quite good, and that was with Dikembe backing him up). With his ability to pick-and-pop, Harden-Yao pick & rolls would probably be just as devastating as those by Harden and Howard.

That said, Dwight's athleticism is clearly a better fit for this team's style of play, and he's a superior rebounder. And most importantly, you don't have to use the 'when healthy' caveat with Howard.

That said, Yao was better.

 

I would take a healthy Yao over anyone in this league except Lebron and Durant. That's how good he was.

 

Yao and its not even close--when he was healthy and aggressive, if you didnt double-team him he would go for thirty without breaking a sweat. He disrupted every defense that he faced, assuming that our guards were making decent entry passes and the offense flowed through him.

If you fouled him, he destroyed you at the line and when the game was close, you knew if he got the ball he would get it in the cup or hit his FT's.

But, he did not have the motor that D-12 has for the glass and protecting the rim even though he changed a ton of shots he wasn't an "elite" rim protector IMHO.

Might not count for much as it applies to team ball, but Yao OWENED D-12, head to head Yao would torch him on both ends of the court.....I miss the big fella....

 

Except they're centers.

 

A "healthy Yao" definitely but those two words did not go together near enough during his time here. I picked Yao in the poll based on the word "healthy" being tied to his name but I have to say I would pick Dwight knowing how the Yao years turned out.

 

Durability matters.

Give me the guy that can reasonably be expected to play a full season without major injury.

This healthy Yao you speak of is a myth.

 

We can't we have both?

 

Health is a big part of "being great."

Guys like Sabonis, Sampson, Grant Hill, and Penny Hardaway could all right now be considered some of the "greatest players ever" at their positions... if health was a given.

Yao was obviously better when both players were at their full strength... but in the end, Howard's career will surpass that of Yao's.

 

Who's arguing that durability doesn't matter?

OP is just asking which player was better when both were on the floor.

 

A healthy Yao. But since that is not realistic, and due to the fact that we're stuck inside of reality, I'm going go with DH.

 

That's the irony isn't it, Dwight's the better defender, but Yao's teams were better defensively, whereas Yao was the better scorer, but Dwight's team is better offensively.

I'd take Dwight, simply because his skillset is more valuable for a center imo. H2H though in a playoff series, Yao all day.

 

I get that, but it's hard to not factor that into the discussion.

Chuck Hayes is nowhere near as talented or physically gifted as a Greg Oden or Andrew Bynum type, but I'd still take him over either of those guys, all things being equal.

But as for who was more skilled or who I would choose for one game? Yao.

For an entire season? Howard, by far.

 

An interesting question. The determining factor in my opinion is current team composition. The Rockets are constructed around speed and pace. I think that as the current roster is constructed I would go with Howard, because Yao could not easily play at their pace.

 

Harden and Yao...that's a lot of MADE free throws.