Playoffs dont matter in this decision. These things are all about stats and how you play, injury regardless. Just look at AK 47 making the all defensive team last year when he was gone nearly all season. THis is just a way to reward the best at each position, nothing more. So Yao's stats put him as the best center in the nba. ON another note, TMac wont be on any team. Lebron, duncan Brand, KG DIrk, Marion
I think it will be: Shaq, Ben Wallace, and Yao. But Camby might edge out Yao, if he finishes out the season strong and the Rockets miss the playoffs.
While Camby has had a good year (when he's actually played), it would be a travesty if he beats Yao out for a spot on the All NBA team.
Since when #'s trump reputation and prejudice on NBA 1st team voting? You are underestimating how biased league personels and coachs are.
I think the biggest thing is that Yao didint play like this all year and hes missed so many games. But Id be ecstatic if he makes 3rd team
anyone getting really sick of Ben Wallace being so overrated? man, what's so great about him? yeah he rebounds and blocks shots. but in Shaq's words, "Ben Wallace's defense is overrated." he changes the game, heh? ok then, ask him to carry the Piston's offense load without Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and let's see if he can be an unstoppable offensive machine like Shaq or Yao. yup, he can't . OVERRATED. in fact, in the World Championships, he was virtually worthless and didn't do anything. Defense and rebounding isn't worth as much as scoring....
What prejudice do you speak of? I can understand the reputation thing because Shaq is the man and has been so for so long, however, he has had an underwhelming season whereas Yao is turning it up. I think you are underestimating that a lot of people actually like Yao. there are probably more in that group than there are that don't like Yao, especially when he is playing so freaking well. Stuart
haven't you seen his commerical by Nike. He's been watching game tape of him blockin someone over and over. Plus he lives at Nike's House of Hoops. He is the 2nd coming of Jesus.
yeah, i'm going to have to agree. He's a FANTASTIC role player, maybe the best role player ever, but he isn't exactly carrying the team ya know. He's like this generations Rodman without the antics.
yao will have to continue this level of play (25+ppg, 12.5+ rpg, and 53%+ FG%) and the rox will have to make the playoffs for yao to be 1st team. to be on the 1st team you have to able to put the team on your back and for yao to make it he has to lead the rox to the playoffs more than anything. plus he has to outshine shaq, who is starting to play harder now that we are in the last 20 games of the season, so he can sway the voters to him. also lets not forget camby who could steal votes from yao since he has better rebounding, block, and steal numbers even though he is inferior offensively and really doesn't effect the game like yao can.
Yao was just voted as the 2nd most overrated player in the NBA by NBA players. You cannot help thinking players' opinion reflects (at least partially) what coachs think. And we all know refs have never treated Yao like a superstar. Although nobody will admit it, but I believe the league does have a list of superstars and refs are told to give them special treatment. This means Yao has never been on that list. As a matter of fact, we all know Yao had been officiated unfairly for a long time. And then you read what people say in media, Yao has received 10 times more bashing than props in his career. That is plenty evidence to me. Yes there are a lot of people actually like Yao and they got him ASG. But among the league personels, I am not sure that is the case.
Their stats that year were about as close to idential as you can get. Amare 13.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.76 steals, 0.98 blocks, 0.472 FG%, 0.661 FT% Yao 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.38 steals, 1.79 blocks, 0.498 FG%, 0.811 FT% From a strictly statistical standpoint, Yao actually had a better year (although by a VERY small margin). Stoudemire won Rookie of the Year because Phoenix made the playoffs that season. Unfortunately for Yao, everyone is in love with Camby this year. Shaq and Wallace will take the first two spots as usual. Camby may very well win the third. Unless the Yao carries this team to a final surge into the playoffs, I doubt he'll win any honors this season.
That commercial is hilarious. Uh Amare, you get better by watching your bad plays and screwups, not your spectacular blocks. He keeps rewinding it with a studious look on his face like he's thinking: 'yes, I AM great.'
Thats all in the past. Even the most recent "over-rated" poll of the players is becoming more and more ancient history with each 28-15 game by yao. A lot of players and media think Yao was over-rated and over-hyped and they had decent ground to stand on... however, again, if Yao goes for 26 and 12 the rest of the season, and the Rox continue to win, the stats will trump the reputation. If you look at my first post, that's what the jist of my argument is... Stuart
Actually, scoring is really overrated and defense is underrated. You can be a great scorer and still hurt your team's offense by being inefficient or not sharing the ball (like Iverson in some past seasons). Defense is always valuable, even if it doesn't show up on the stat sheet some times. And if you think defense and rebounding is overrated, Bill Russell just might disagree.
