I think you are completely forgetting the fact that Webber had a skill level that Amare will never ever have. Webber had a good face up game and one heck of a passing game. Yao Ming's passing skill hasn't been since his rookie year but we know he has it. Amare isn't anything like Webber, he's like a young McDyess, Yao is like a superiorily talent version of Vlade Divac. Yao will never ever have the athleticism of Webber, but his skill level can definitely be there. It'll be a mix of Webber's kill and Vlade's athleticism in what would be Rick Adelman's Yao Ming. For the record, on the topic. I take Yao Ming. One reason is purely econonimical another reason is I think you must have a low-post presence to win a ring. Not necessarily a big man that can just score, but someone that can routinely cause a presence inside. Amare attacks inside, Yao plays inside. To say Amare is created by Nash is just wrong. Amare is just much more efficient with Nash, Amare easily could've have been a 25/10 player without Nash. He was a 23/10 for the half season where they had barbosa running PG and Amare was in his 2nd year. If someone takes Amare and by the justices of he's more aggressive and athletic, what's that got to say to anything? Ok. He's a more explosive basketball player. Explosive does not mean better. Yao Ming's skill level is far more polished than Amare Stoudemire's. In Adelman's system, you don't have to be "athletic" you have to be skilled. Anyone(obviously besides Van Gundy) can work with skill, there's limitless potential and greater investments in skill rather than athelticism. If Yao hurt his knee in Amare's fashion, would that even touch Yao Ming's skills? Skills never deteroirate, athleticism does. Yao Ming's the much better investment business wise and sport wise.
exactly... I guess everyone on this board who thinks Amare is better that YAO is smooking something. Does anyone remember HOW DOMINANT YAO was before the injury?? Amare may develop further and become Hakeem in the future, but as of now in this League , YAO's value is much higher that Amare.
hmmm, which last meeting? The very last game Yao head to head against Amare was the game Rockets beat Suns and secured their home court advantage at the end of the season. In that game Yao owned Amare, not the opposite.
Last time I checked, Yao complete shut down Amare when amare tried to play Yao 1 on 1.Yao just cannot stop Amare & Nash Pick N Roll. Amare has no chance to challenge Yao 1 on 1. Trust me, cause he has no post game.
Lets put it this way: If Yao is playing with Marion, Nash, and the Suns, I believe they'd be just as successful as they have been with Stoudemire. On the other hand, if Stoudemire took Yao's spot on the Rockets roster, I'm not sure they'd done any better than they have done.
I think up to this year Yao outplayed Amare... Amare always looked like a deer in headlights going 1on1 vs Yao... however the last game they played Amare really showed me something... a 12-15 foot game... if Amare can be consistant with that 12-15 foot shot...I would put him equal too even better than Yao... if Yao however can develop his 1 step/1 bounce game... where it gets him in the mindset to score rather than wait for double team to decide to kick the ball out... then I would put Yao ahead of Amare... both are offensive monsters... i just leave it at that
I think Yao has a better jumper, and probably has one of the best work ethics in the league. Probably why his jumper and ft shooting is so good. And hard work with his height might be enough to tip the scale. But Amare has more upside since he is the more naturally gifted. I think Yao has what he does from hard work. But if Amare adopted that, he could be one of the greats. Now I can't predict the future and say what will happen, which is why you can't complain about picking Yao. However, one thing we have to look at realistically is durability. Yao has proven to be increasingly injury-prone, and this is worrisome. He has gotten a few injuries from trauma but also has a number of nagging ailments from over use. So one has to question how injuries will impact his game in the long-run. It's very hard to tell which one will have the greater career at this point. I don't think either one has established themselves as a Duncun or Shaq type player. Both still have the chance to do so. But really, they are now getting into their what? 6th season? Guys don't get much better at this point, they usually get craftier and more mature in their games and decision making. I think this is a big year for Yao. He was on the cusp of asserting himself before his injuries....let's see if he can have a healthy year. He's had two injury ones. We all knew that his year round activity might be a problem. I hope that the upcoming year isn't a repeat of last season, because we know in 2008 he won't get any rest in the summer.
I can't believe somebody brought up another silly thread on the Yao vs. Amare debate, which was settled years ago. Three years ago, Amare *MAY* have been slightly better. But since then, there is no questionl. Yao is *CLEARLY* the better player, skill-wise or stats-wise. There is no argument now, and there certainly isn't one a year ago, before Yao blew out his leg.
According to Feigen in his blog, the Rockets tried to trade up from the 15th (Boki) pick to get Amare.
I wouldn't say Nash creates Amare, but Amare clearly isn't the type of player you can just throw the ball to and say go create your own shot and score. That rarely happens. He is however one of the best finishers in the league and his jumper is improving.
Are you SURE about that ? Even before Amare's injury, he had tough time playing one-on-one against Yao Ming. Remember those games in their 3rd season that Amare got blocked several times, and only managed to score single digits when guarded by Yao Ming?
Amare Stoudemire is more athletic than Yao Ming. But other than that, skills, basektball IQ/EQ, team-orientedness, professionalism, work ethic, business potential and personality wise, Yao Ming is miles ahead from Amare Stoudemire. Just focus on team-orientedness, when was the last time you heard/read Yao Ming criticizing his team mates for poor performance? He always self-critiqued and self-blamed himself for bringing his team down, and he will use those setbacks as motivation for ever trying to improve himself to be a better player. Just quote you guys a most recent example. On its exit of the playoff (defeated by Utah Jazz in Game 7), Big Yao was the first one to come out self-blaming himself for being responsible for his team's defeat; on Phoenix Suns' exit of the palyoff (thrown out by San Antonio Spurs), there were reports about Amare Stoudemire still in the mood to chat and laugh over mobile phone with his friend, while every of his team mates had to wait for him before the team bus could depart. NOP......I would not take Amare Stoudemire over Yao Ming for the Rockets.
yao > amare as an individual player. amare is vastly overrated b/c of the suns play and their winning record. he's not a franchise player in any sense of the word. but again, amare fits the suns. yao fits here.
You are basically saying that many people in NBA are idiots because they voted Amare , the one miles behind, ROY and first NBA team. And where was this perfect Yao in playoff?
Yao wasn't all that dominant in the playoffs while Amare dominated big time when it counts most! Yao can only play less than 35 mins of the game effectively. and skills are overrated what's the use of all those skills if you still have your shots blocked like Yao did in the Utah series?? Amare just jumps over people and it's unstoppable.
you forget toughness and stamina, that directly relate to on-court performance, where amare is light years ahead of Yao. and I don't know about work ethic one either. all the information indicates that Amare's also a workaholic.
I take Yao whatsoever . His skill level is much higher than Amare. Yao can create shots and play dominant. Amare is a good player at most and lucky to have Nash creating plays for him. If we could switch Rafer & Nash at points, wonder what might their stats be.
