I honestly think that Yao will average 22-10 next season. Having TMac and J Howard alongside should limit the double/triple teams on him, thus leading to less TOs. I think that he will reach the peak (statwise) in 3 years with 26-11. That should be enough for him to make a case for league MVP.
So since you seem to think these stats Yao puts up are indicative how he does against a group of teams that could blow out the US "Dream Team", then we can expect Yao to put up the same numbers against "lesser NBA players" during the season, correct? Do you want to make a bet that he won't? Yeah, I'm sure Yao's going to be averaging a point a minute and 70+% FG shooting in the NBA. Along your line of thinking, did you see how Yao got shut down by scrubs last year in the NBA? Also, who are Watermelon and King? Please find a link for me for these 2 players.
think positive! i actually think Yao's days of being owned by scrubs are over. he seems more fit to me... and you can't underestimate having a great playing partner. it's like how a 3B with good range makes an above average SS into a glove glove short stop.
Think realistic! While I hope you are correct, we saw Yao dominate during the summer a year ago only to see him putter out during the NBA season. We saw him dunking like a mad man and getting aggressive only to see him revert during the NBA season. I'm hoping the addition of a Tracy McGrady and hopefully a PG in Lue will help him become better. His skillset isn't what I doubt as much as it is physical and mental ability to dominate.
The reason Yao's doing well becasue partially he's getting call not like the Refs in the NBA who aint giving him no respect. By teh way, NBA players are damn dirty with they hands and elbows poking at you whne the refs aren't looking.
last year we saw yao dominated against Asian scrubs this time we saw yao dominating these quality european and american teams that is a different level of competition. (even though this is a friendly exhibition game but still its better than last year's asian cup). think 'realistic' !
One thing you gotta admit, Yao played a U.Utah freshman, a NBA scrub Drobnjak, and got pretty much all the calls. Nonetheless, Yao was real smooth, deep position, game over. Too bad the Chinese team played like flies without heads, and the ball not always goes to Yao's side.
I certainly don't think the Euro officials will give yao calls that NBA officials won't. And yeah it was different last year. Yao dominated the likes of Japan... whose center is like 6-8.
We all know Yao's is dominating because he knows he's the man on teh team and plays with confident. So pretty obviously he takes more shots and demand the ball. While in teh NBA, he's only play 2 seasons and havent consider himself the man of the team yet. But I think this year he will step it up because since Francis and Mobley is gone. But we all know that TMac have said that he'll let Yao be that man and hopefully TMac kept his words. The guy is only getting better. SOme people still don't see that he's taking a ridiculous low 12.5 shot per game last season. Hopefully he'll average at least 17 shot per game this year.
Realistically in his prime. If Yao to average around 18shot per game and averaging half of it, 9/18 shooting 6/8 from the free throw. So pretty much he's accomplished 25pts per game. The guy is shooting amazingly over 50% for godsake. 25pts per game isn't unrealistic. He probably could come close to it if he takes that many more shots.
Well, Yao is the Man of the Chinese team and by far the best player in that tournament. That alone makes him more assertive. On the Rockets Francis was the #1 option and Mobley was competing with Yao for #2 option too. Yao also had less pressure of responsibility and tended to hide between the two older brothers.
That's not my point. All I want to say is that the competition that Yao faced in the tourney is legitimate. China played the #1, #4, and #7 ranked team in the world and Yao came up with excellent if not dominant overall performance, is something worthy of notice of the Rockets fans. Clearly the competition level is much higher than he faced in the Asian games last summer. The reason that I point out the loss of US to Italy is to make Yao's accomplishment more legitimate in the eyes of those doubtful Rockets fans. Italy is a lesser team than either Argentina or Serbia. And see how the likes of Boozer, Amare, King got confused against a not that great zone defense. And to those who believe that Yao got the star treatment, you need to watch the games carefully to see how many times that Yao was clearly hacked and how the opponents grabbed his jsersey using both hands to stop him, and how many times he had to face double, even triple teams inside the paint......Yao is a one man show on the CNT and at least he has TMac in Houston. And do you guys see the traveling called on King this afternoon? The international referees can care less about superstars, whether you are the King, or Queen, or Yao. The calls are legitimate and the officiating is 10 times better than the NBA officiating who never calls by the rules.
Congrats to Yao winning the MVP for the Diamond Ball Tourny even though China finished 4th. That is amazing. I think Yao winning MVP needs its own thread.
http://www.eurobasket2005.com/news/newsitem.php?id=1244 Yao Ming the Most Valuable Player 04/08/2004 Serbia and Montenegro team won Dimond Ball, but the player who marked the whole intercontinental tournament in ¡§Belgrade Arena¡¨ is China's center Yao Ming. Yao Ming diserved the Most Valuable Player title of second Diamond Ball tournament by placing himself on top of both points and rebounds lists. Lithuanian guard Sarunas Jasikevicius won Best Assistant trophy. MVP Yao Ming 22PPG / 9.3RPG / 28MPG
