Don’t know if anyone has ever done this before, but I thought this might be interesting to someone. I actually did this when the Yao, JBC, Smits comparisons were flying, but a power surge wiped out my spread sheet. Anyway, here are some numbers to peruse. 1st and 2nd years of notable centers. Player AGE G MPG PPG FG% RPG BPG TPG Carroll 22 82 35.6 18.9 .491 9.3 1.5 3 Carroll 23 76 34.6 17 .519 8.3 1.5 2.7 Wilt C. 23 72 46.4 37.6 .461 27 na na Wilt C. 24 79 47.8 38.4 .509 27.2 na na Ewing 23 50 35.4 20 .474 9 2.1 3.4 Ewing 24 63 35 21.5 .503 8.8 2.3 3.6 Hayes 23 82 45.1 28.4 .447 17.1 na na Hayes 24 82 44.7 27.5 .452 16.9 na na Kareem 22 82 43.1 28.8 .518 14.5 na na Kareem 23 82 40.1 31.7 .577 16 na na M. Malone 19 83 38.6 18.8 .571 14.6 1.5 3.9 M. Malone 20 43 27.2 14.3 .512 9.6 .7 3.9 Olajuwon 22 82 35.5 20.6 .538 11.9 2.7 2.9 Olajuwon 23 68 36.3 23.5 .538 11.5 3.4 2.9 O’neal 20 81 37.9 23.4 .562 13.9 3.5 3.8 O’neal 21 81 39.8 29.3 .599 13.2 2.9 2.7 Robinson 24 82 36.6 24.3 .531 12 3.9 3.1 Robinson 25 82 16.7 25.6 .552 13 3.9 3.29 Sampson 23 82 32.8 21 .523 11 2.4 3.58 Sampson 24 82 37.5 22.1 .502 10.4 2.0 3.97 Smits 22 82 24.9 11.7 .517 6.1 1.8 1.6 Smits 23 82 29.3 15.5 .533 6.2 2.1 1.7 Yao 22 82 29 13.5 .498 8.2 1.8 2.1 Yao 23 41 32.5 16 .532 9.2 1.88 2.46
Code: 1st and 2nd years of notable centers. Player AGE G MPG PPG FG% RPG BPG TPG Carroll 22 82 35.6 18.9 .491 9.3 1.5 3 Carroll 23 76 34.6 17 .519 8.3 1.5 2.7 Wilt C. 23 72 46.4 37.6 .461 27 na na Wilt C. 24 79 47.8 38.4 .509 27.2 na na Ewing 23 50 35.4 20 .474 9 2.1 3.4 Ewing 24 63 35 21.5 .503 8.8 2.3 3.6 Hayes 23 82 45.1 28.4 .447 17.1 na na Hayes 24 82 44.7 27.5 .452 16.9 na na Kareem 22 82 43.1 28.8 .518 14.5 na na Kareem 23 82 40.1 31.7 .577 16 na na M. Malone 19 83 38.6 18.8 .571 14.6 1.5 3.9 M. Malone 20 43 27.2 14.3 .512 9.6 .7 3.9 Olajuwon 22 82 35.5 20.6 .538 11.9 2.7 2.9 Olajuwon 23 68 36.3 23.5 .538 11.5 3.4 2.9 O’neal 20 81 37.9 23.4 .562 13.9 3.5 3.8 O’neal 21 81 39.8 29.3 .599 13.2 2.9 2.7 Robinson 24 82 36.6 24.3 .531 12 3.9 3.1 Robinson 25 82 16.7 25.6 .552 13 3.9 3.29 Sampson 23 82 32.8 21 .523 11 2.4 3.58 Sampson 24 82 37.5 22.1 .502 10.4 2.0 3.97 Smits 22 82 24.9 11.7 .517 6.1 1.8 1.6 Smits 23 82 29.3 15.5 .533 6.2 2.1 1.7 Yao 22 82 29 13.5 .498 8.2 1.8 2.1 Yao 23 41 32.5 16 .532 9.2 1.88 2.46
Stats dont tell lie,but they dont tell everything either. Yao still has tremdous upside. The past 120 games or so were just his first step in NBA. He is the only one in that list that has to make a huge adjustment in terms of play style etc. It still remains intesting to see what kind of player he will grow into.
The similarity to Smits is striking. The only really difference between Yao's stats versus Smit's is in rebounding. Smits really wasn't much of a rebounder his first two years.
i think yao will end up developing like garnett. coming from a similair level of competition, its a good comparison (mo malone was just a freak). yao's stats remind me of KG in his first two years and i see the same passion in them.
People need to realize that scoring in the NBA has go down considerably over the last twenty years. In the 80s a team's score for a regular game used to be around 120 to 130; nowadays it's more like 90. There used to be a bunch of players averaging over 20 ppg in the old days; as of today there are only 18 players with 20+ ppg in the NBA this season with only three averaging 25+.
the whole game was different back then... now we allow zone defenses...so a bad game for yao against say boston, who fronted and zoned yao wouldn't be allowed back in the day... in addition, point guards in the past would have been blasted if they took as many shots as they do today...
Yao will be MUCH better than Smits in every aspect of the game. Granted Smits was mobile for 7'4 or 7'5 whatever he was. Yao is a better defender than Smits only in his second year.
It's also interesting to note that Yao is 2nd among C's in FGA's per game (excluding Duncan). The websites include such players as Cliff Robinson, Kurt Thomas, and Dirk Nowitzki, but these guys are not pivot players and can't be considered C's. Yao is averaging 2 less shots than Shaq on a team that takes less shots I believe. Plus, Yay hits 53% of his shots which is unbelievable. He's playing just 32 minutes, so if he plays around 40 minutes and forced a few shots, who's to say the guy isn't capable of putting up these numbers (assuming his stamina improves): 40mpg 22ppg 11rpg 2.5blk 49-50% shooting Which is absolutely incredible if you ask me, and he's already capable of doing in terms of skill but not in terms of fitness.
Stupidmoniker, Thanks for cleaning it up for me. Rik Smits and Yao Ming Foreign experience, type of game, performance, I always thought Smits was a good comparison to Yao. I would have said it earlier, but so many people took that as a slam I hesitated. Personally, I always thought Smits was a very good center. Not that I think Yao is exactly the same as Smits, I just think to make the best comparrison. To be more clear, I think that Yao Ming is a bigger, stronger, version of Smits with better range, a quicker spin move (did Smits have one?) and more potential. Wilt I know the game was different, but man, look at those stats.
Yao would get over 20 points a game like some of the centers on this list, if they gave him the ball all the time. Not to take away from Wilt but early in his career there was no key. Also alot of short center early in Wilt's era.
yeah, i'm not holding my breath waiting for Yao to average 40-40, i think Wilt might have done that one season.
