I was reading up on this guy and he seems to be the real deal. I mean if we want to compete in the west then we have to have someone who can at least put a body on Shaq. At 7'5" I think he could really dominate a game. Do we have any shot at nabbing this guy? Will he declare himself draft eligible? Would he fit on our team next year?
Here is the nbadraft.net report on Yao- <i>NBA Comparison: Arvydas Sabonis Strengths: At 7-5 has very good agility and athleticism. Can knock down jumpshots all the way out to NBA 3 point range with consistency. Very quick reflexes and shows the ability to adapt to plays as they're happening. Has a developing hook shot, that will be indefensible when it becomes more refined. Has very clever offensive game and passes with creativity. Has good timing on blocking shots, will even step out and swat jumpshooters if they challenge him. Runs the floor with fluidity, and good quickness. Has good aggresiveness, loves to dunk (mostly two handed), and does so with authority. Has the motivation to become better, and has expressed a strong interest in playing in the USA against the best in the world. Weaknesses: The issue of Yao's NBA eligibility seems to be the greatest concern. Will he be able to play right away? and will coming to the US be an issue? (Wang ZhiZhi's play and presence in Dallas could affect his draft position) A deal may need to be made with Yao's team to allow him to play in the NBA. Injury concerns, players his size often have foot and knee problems with the stress their size creates. Must build up his strength. Quickness, though Yao has good quickness at 7-5, he will take time to adjust to the quickness of the NBA. Notes -- Imagine Shawn Bradley with enough strength to hold down a spot in the post. At 21 years of age still has physcal developing left to do. Similar to Sabonis in his ability to spot up for threes at well over 7 feet. Can actually get up and down the floor and has good hand and foot speed. Has very intruiging shotblocking abilities. Beginning to dominate against the competition in China racking up 38 points in 20 minutes in a recent game. May take some time to adjust to the NBA, but his upside is so tremendous he will likely be the top overall draft choice. </i> Here is Bill Walton's take on Yao- <i>Huge Upside by Bill Walton As we approach the halfway point of the Age of Shaq, the search for a successor has extended to the least likely of places: China. Why? If you watched the Olympics, you know. I was there, and after watching Yao Ming compete against the best players in the world, I left Sydney dizzy with the possibilities. Simply put, the 20-year-old Yao has a chance to alter the way the game of basketball is played. I've seen hundreds of talented prospects look promising in tryouts, only to disappoint once they got on the court against polished performers. I'm sure that won't be the case with the 7'6" Yao. This guy has skills, competitiveness and basketball intelligence that far exceed his limited background. As I watched his crisp and imaginative passes, felt the energy surge when he'd whip an outlet to launch a fast break and noted his decisionmaking and great court demeanor, I knew I was peering into the future. The first thing that struck me about Yao in Sydney was the way he combines grace with size. He carried a beautifully sculpted physique (he weighs 265 pounds) despite only recently committing to formal weight training and conditioning programs. His base is solid -- size 18 feet under a powerfully muscled lower body -- yet he's amazingly nimble. The mechanics of his jump and hook shots, while not classic, are most certainly sound. And consistent. His jumper is dangerous out to 20 feet, and he can hook you to death with either hand. The two best young players I've ever seen were Lew Alcindor (before he was Kareem) and Arvydas Sabonis. At this stage, Yao is not the equal of either. But his upside is so unlimited that when he does enter the NBA draft, I can't conceive of any other player being chosen before him. It usually takes a foreign player at least two years to adjust to American culture and perform at his best. The language barrier is always the initial hurdle, though that should be a lesser concern for Yao. Three years ago he spoke no English. Since then, he has been to the U.S. as a guest of Nike and been a participant in Michael Jordan's summer youth basketball camp, and he's learned enough English to communicate adequately with coaches and teammates. Yao will have more of a challenge adjusting to the NBA lifestyle: rich restaurant food instead of the Chinese staples of fish and rice, a different hotel room every other night, the constant trips in and out of airports. His life will be quite different from the one he leads now. Yao was recruited to play for the Sharks' junior team seven years ago, but it's an enormous stretch to compare the Chinese developmental process to ours. The facilities in China do not measure up to our standards either. Nor does the equipment. It's ironic that much of the world's sporting equipment is now produced in China, but that equipment is available to its own athletes on only a limited basis. The poor quality of coaching in China and the multiple levels of bureaucracy are also hurdles for Yao. Basketball innovation and creativity are absent in China, where longer, harder and faster practices are thought to be the true path to success. And while the Chinese are aware of the need to upgrade the level of coaching, the extreme nationalism in China and noncompetitive salaries prevent the much needed influx of U.S. coaches. There's only one American now coaching in China. Former NBA player Mike McGee coaches a team in the league Yao plays in, and his impact is severely limited since he isn't associated with the all-important national team. I think the quality of international competition, especially in China, holds back Yao as well. The international game is slow-paced and almost contact-free, and you face a top opponent no more than a few times a year. The speed, intensity and physical nature of every possession in the NBA makes Chinese basketball look like it's in slow motion. Despite these hurdles, the people who run basketball in this country continue to dream of a truly international NBA. Why not? If you can find a Larry Bird in French Lick, Ind., a Kevin McHale in Hibbing, Minn., or a John Stockton in Spokane, Wash., why can't you find a future star in Russia, Brazil or China? A year ago, the Mavericks used a second-round pick to draft 7'1" Wang Zhi-Zhi, the first Chinese national selected by an NBA team. Wang is a good player, more along the lines of a Toni Kukoc, and the Mavericks are still working to get him under contract. But it's Yao who has the NBA truly excited. Granted, I can't predict Yao's continued good health. Or how hard and long he'll work to develop his game. Or how he'll stand up to playing 100 NBA games a year. Or whether he'll be able to overcome his relatively short arms, suspect explosiveness and less-than-great lateral mobility. Yes, Yao is unquestionably a work-in-progress. But if I were an NBA coach, I'd like him to be my work-in-progress. He's 7'6" and incredibly graceful and coordinated. Over the past 15 years, the NBA has put a higher premium on physical talent than on skill. The international game favors the opposite, skill without the physical prowess. Yao Ming has the chance to be the bridge that spans both worlds. This article appears in the Next Issue of ESPN The Magazine. </i>
We are not going to get the first pick. When francis comes back, we will win at least 30 games. We should trade the first pick now while it is still hot...
He would be a better fit than any other draftable player but it would take a top 3 pick to get him. If we get him, we've got championship type talent. Now we don't which is why we should tank it (even more ).
We very well could land in the top 3, because of the lotto. As for Yao Ming, Rudy is one of the few coaches who have seen him first hand, from the Olympics. If you put Ming and Griffin together on the floor, you're basically forcing the other team to shoot jump shots, because no guard in his right mind would challenge those two. According to most reports, Ming has a sweet jumper, which Rudy would love. He will be eligible to draft this year, whether he can leave China or not. Because of the limited scouting there will be on him, and questions on if he'll be able to leave, it's not absolute at this point that he'll go #1. Jason Williams, Dejuan Wagner, and Amare Stoudamire could go #1 to other teams. For example, Cleveland is loaded down low with Mihm, Diop, Ilgauskas, etc. but could really using a scorer next to Miller, like Williams or Wagner.
Too many problems with Ming. 1) Chronic injuries VERY possible. 2) Needs to put on weight that he never will. 3) Language barrier. How long are we willing to wait for him to develop? It will take 3 years for him to be able to be consistently good. At this point, I'd love nothing more than to trade the high pick to Cleveland for Diop, Mihm, or Illgauskas (providing he plays the whole season). They would be really excellent with Wagner wouldn't they? I mean, I'm not a Wagner fan, he'd be awful for our team. But next to the 6'6 Andre Miller? That's an excellent match.
MATCHUP OF THE CENTURY: DALLAS VS. HOUSTON WANG VS. MING HOWARD VS. GRIFFIN NOWITZKI VS. TORRES FINLEY VS. MOBLEY NASH VS. FRANCHISE That would be awesome.
I have concerns that Yao may be a bad fit for the Rocks, and just won't pan out the way a lot of people feel he will. I'll admit that I haven't seen much of him, but Yao sounds a lot like Shawn Bradley, but slower. I hope I'm wrong, and he'll be a major force in the NBA.
Well, I'll say it again... i lived in china and watched games of Yao Ming play. you won't need to wait for him to produce... he'll AT LEAST give what bradley did last year for the Mavs... i think the rocks wouldn't mind that. as for injuries... he's from a tall gened family and is known for being an injury-less big man. he daydreams all day and night about hook shots, defensive moves etc... one thing on his mind is improving and getting into the nba china isn't as politically jumbled as its pictured here in america. they depict the same political clumsiness in their newspaper articles about america. i know a few people who know wang zhi zhi and people close to yao ming... talk about how wang acts like a pimp in downtown shanghai with lotsa gals around him. haha i can just imagine that. but they said the general consensus is a lobbying effort to get yao ming to play and then come back to teach the new generation of chinese stars during offseason. it seems as if he'll most likely be eligible
I say this guy has a good chance to slip. For once, a lot of teams in the lottery have decent ,or at least talented, big men. Miami, Memphis, Chicago, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Golden State (who all belong i lottoland) would rather have a good guard than a good center. Plus, Ming will be eligible for the draft but he might stay another year which would further drop his value.
