Wow. Way to jump to conclusions. I think Yao is a great player and is a huge fan of him, but he has clearly been overhyped, if not currently then certainly in the past. Starting as a rookie in the all-star game when Shaq was around? Alot of the publicity he has received has been because he was an 7-5 asian athlete in the NBA. I think a lot of players in the NBA see that, are maybe jealous of that, and/or recognize that as a part of being over-rated. As a fan of Yao Ming, I realise that and can understand why some believe him to be over-rated. Again, way to jump to conclusions. Stuart
With the expectations from Houston and China, Yao hasn't lived up to his billing as the next Shaq. Would Yao make it to the All-Star game if he was an African American who played the 4? Probably not. T-Mac+KG and a coach like Flip or Byron Scott would make the Rockets a sick squad to watch. Draft or pickup 2 European stiffs to man the 5 (Do NOT give them extensions from their inflated numbers), and you're good to go....
popularity and being overrated aren't the same. yao seems to have more critics than praise in the media.
Interesting. Why did you intentionally or mistakenly change the 5 to 4? Maybe you should answer the question yourself, whether he would make allstar game if he was an African American who played the 5.
The position's dried up at the 5 in the league. If Yao had to play against a conference with deeper quality of players at the five (as deep as the 4), he might've been snubbed last year. What I take from the players result is that they acknowledge that year is a good player, but at the moment, he's not a great or dominating player the hype builds him up to be.
The fact that the league designates Center as it's own category in All-star game voting is both a blessing and a curse for Yao. It's good for him because he's pretty much guaranteed an allstar game slot because of the lack of quality centers (or all the good big men that used to play center are now all playing PF). But it also hurts him through the backlash of being the player with the most votes. Most people look at Yao getting the most votes and feel he's overrated or undeserving. It's not his fault that he's shoehorned into a terrible category. And it creates this illusion that he's solely the top-vote getter because of the Chinese connection, when it has to do with competition more than anything else.
Yao is a great player, but come on we Houston fans witnessed Elvin's Moses's and Hakeem's plays, Yao was hyped as the saviour of the decling 5 position let alone the rockets and he is absolutely nowhere near the 3 greatest big men we were lucky to have. He is overated!
To be more precise, he is overhyped. Like JVG said, Yao doesn't have to apologize for being a very good player. That's what media does, they overhype someone, if that person doesn't live up to the hype they created then they said he is overated. Yao doesn't have to be one of the all-time great to be a crucial part of a championship team. Plus, he is still young and improving.
One is past tense and the other one is present tense. Does anyone hype him as the saviour NOW? If that's the case, he IS overated. Is Kwame Brown overated now? He was the first high school kid drafted by overall No. 1 pick. He was hyped as next KG. What has he done for his whole career? Is he overated now? I say no because no one hype him AT THE MOMENT. Same as Yao, I dont think I have read any good thing about Yao in the media for 2 years already. It seems he will be overated FOREVER because people will use the expectation from day 1 to judge him. He will get bashed daily but at the same time criticised for being overated over the course of his career. Does it make sense? How can anyone be overated when everyone in the world thinks you're overated?
No they are not the same, but in Yao's case, they are closely related. Ones the cause and the other the effect. Not saying it's right, just saying thats a big part of what is going on. Stuart
His peers should know better. I acknowledge that today's rules totally destroy a good center, let alone a great center's, capability, but these players in the informal survey are either haters or don't feel dominated by his presense on the court.
That is very true. Yao had about one game of objective judging and ever since he did not dominate from his first game, he has been called a "bust". Yao is what he is, the second best center in the NBA, in a day in age where there is a defecit of legit centers in the NBA. I truly believe that if Yao had come into the league before all these rule changes came about he would be more effective than Shaq. The only thing rockets fans can do is appreciate what Yao contributes to the Rockets team, and be glad that he is a team player. I am almost positive that there were'nt any rockets players that picked Yao in the top 2 spots of that survey, and that is all that matters to me..
I love Yao, but KG is a better passer, rebounder, defender, ...overall a better player and still one of the top 5-10 players in the league.
Vocal Leadership? Sam was THAT on that team check the artible Garnett is great but IMO he needs someone else to be the VOCAL leader at this point. . I'm beginning to think he is a PIPPEN not a Jordan a great second banana Unfortunately . . .. I think Tracy is becoming that too Yao . .the jury is still out on . Garnett IMO is just as timid as Yao . . there are alot of games Garnett needs to TAKE OVER and he refuses to do so With T-Mac and Garnett. . . they rarely play over their heads they show it in spurts when it is close talent wise. . . .they do not consistantly will their teams out ESP Garnett . . . Rocket River
IF you think you can trade Yao for Garnett, Yao is underrated, not overrated. How many player better than garnett in NBA? One question must be anwsered before you think someoneis overrated: What is this player rated now? All media bash Yao should not start on All-star, even a lot of Houston fans think he should not, how could you say he is overrated? He is rated 2rd or 3rd level center in west by media and players,even some Rocket fans already. He may not belong to NBA, if he is still over rated.
Based on the amount of All Star votes he gets, and based on his play the last twelve months, Yao is overated. Of course, during the last twelve months he has been playing on the bleeding, rotting, infected, unbelievably painful, toe from hell. I think Yao will surprise and impress his NBA peers the rest of this year, and in the playoffs. I think Yao will begin to dominate games, and playoff series. Yao is currently under rated for toughness and grtit.
If I was Yao, I will tell those "fans", especially those so-called Rockets fans: I don't care how others rate me before I came to NBA, when I first started, or 3.5 seasons into my play, history will tell after I retire. I only want my team to win. For those of you Rockets fans, if you have so much energy to argue 20 times everyday on a message board that I am over-rated, why don't you just spend that energy in our home court, cheer for your Rockets team, I don't care if you shout out loud that Yao sucks. If you based your opinion that I am overrated by my max contract, then you better shut up, because that's Les' money, and you don't have a damn say. Besides, I am still on my rookie contract. If you based your opinion that I am overrated by the fact I am starting the all-star game, you better shut up again, because that's a fan event. You can vote for Dampier all you want, all you think center position is weak, you can vote Boykins to start at center all you want. Others voted for me. That's how the system works. If you think everyone should agree with you, then you are OVERRATING YOURSELF! If you think it's not fare that except Chinese, nobody votes for me, then apply your super influence on Stern, to make him change the frigging rule, make sure that no Chinese is allowed to vote for me. If you based your opinion that I am overrated by the fact that no other center has better number than mine this season, and those scrubs are still jealous of my endorsement deal and fan voting, you better shut up again, because you and those scrubs need to exam your own brains. Now, if you claim you love your wife or child, but anyone comes to you and praise them in front of you, you would furiously debate them that they are overrated, not pretty, nor nice, they are just nothing. Make sure you cover your ass, because you will get kicked hard. Stop the nonsense that you are a righteous Rockets fan because you know basketball. THAT IS OVERRATED GARBAGE. If I was Yao, I will call out those Rockets fans busying at putting him "in the right place". Because he knows what he is, despite all the hype and bash, he practices hard and plays hard, devotes everything to the team. If you don't want to see him, then don't watch, he doesn't lose anything.
