How lucky are we to have two of the most athletic centers of all time?

ummm you do realize dream played defense too right?

 

Yao is 17th in the league in blocks, behind such prodigious shot blockers as Ostertag and Nesterovich. Yao has yet to realize his defensive potential.

 

and yet is the defensive anchor to statistically best defensive team in the L.

 

Moses Malone?

 

Yao is athletic FOR HIS SIZE. I could name quite a few MORE ATHLETIC centers than he. However, I will say that Houston has had one of the most athletic of all-time and (if Yao realizes his potential) one of the most dominant.

 

Yao is definitely NOT the second coming of Hakeem. Olajuwon was a small forward in a center's body...

 

I'd rank Yao as top 5, maybe even top 3 in intimidations. Every time opponents get in the paint and decide to kick it out instead of challenging him, and every time someone changes their shot to try and go over Yao and misses, that is where his intimidation comes into play. Most shot-blockers in the league get the big numbers from weak-side, or help blocking. They sneak up on people. Yao can't really sneak up on people, but he has a huge impact in the paint.

I agree that he hasn't maximized his defensive potential, but he is a great defensive anchor, and that is reflected in our opponents' shooting percentage.

 

If intimidations or shot alteration was a stat Yao would be #1. Theo Ratliff and Hakeem were successfull shot blockers because their opponents underestimated their ability to come out of nowhere to block their shot due to their average center height. Yao's mere height and presence is an intimadating factor that has players passing the ball whenever Yao is close. He has players alter their shot at mid air and gets at least 5-10 intimidations a game.

 

Intimidations can never be put into numbers however, no player's gonna admit they were intimidated and changed their shots or decision because of Yao. And it's very subjective to see if a certain player's intimidated by another player.
Anyway, I do agree Yao's defense doesn't come on stat sheet.

 

It's pretty improbable that fortune would shine on one franchise like that, especially when you add Moses Malone and Ralph Sampson ( the shooting guard in a center's body).

Is that the best list of Center's to ever play for one franchise?
Chamberlain, Jabbar, Shaq and George Mikan were all Lakers at one time or another so probably not.

 

Agree 100%. People who compare Yao to Dream, probably never saw the Dream. But that's not a knock on Yao. Remember, Dream was actually 6'10 1/2". Yao is 7-5. Shaq is obviously a lot more athletic than Yao as well, but Shaq is "only" 7-1. You have to keep things in perspective. Vince Carter is more athletic than both Dream and Shaq. Size matters a lot in the NBA. It's how athletic and how big you are that makes you a great player.

 

Well, statiscally, Yao might not be as good of a defensive player as he really is, but he is making a hell of a difference out there. Do you know why Houston is playing great defense right now, you have to give Yao a lot of credits for making it hard for others to score down low.

I am not saying he is a hell of a defensive player but his stats does not justify the work he'd done

LL

 

I dont think we can compare Yao to dream, I think their styles and body types are too different. If anything it looks like Yao is becoming more like Tim Duncan (taller but a lil slower). Once he gets a better grasp of the game and works on his stamina he will become a scary player.

J

 

We have been extremely lucky!

 

Dream was definitely one of the most athletic players (not just big men) to ever play in the NBA, period. Yao is incredibly athletic for his SIZE. I could not possibly compare Yao to any other player who has every played, but there are a few players in the NBA who remind me of Dream.

Kevin Garnett possesses the athleticism that Dream had, especially when it comes to running the floor, although KG has superior passing ability but less of the post moves that Dream had. This is probably the best comparison I can think of.

Dirk Nowitzki also reminds me of Dream, with the athleticism and quickness of a small forward and the body of a big man. Of course Dirk will never be as good defensively or in the post as Dream, but it's not a horribly off-based comparison.

 

As an individual defender, for his size, Yao is about average.

As a team defender... he is textbook, a great team, help-defense guy.

Stuart

 

Hakeem was the most intimating shot blocker I've seen ever. He change more shots and is much more intimating than any center in the past 20 years when it comes shot blocking AND defensive intimation. Just break out the tapes for year 1994 and you'll see what I'm talking about.