Bill Simmons: Jason (Jay) Williams Would be Better than Yao if He Did Not Crash

flyguy2000 · Mar 10, 2008

mzymmm said:

What if I was rich, smart, attractive and funny....

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then you would be ME!!! haahahah couldn't resist

BigBenito · Mar 10, 2008

For the record:

Bill Simmons said:

One more thing: Years from now, we will remember "Yao Ming over Jay Williams" the same way we remember "Bowie over Jordan," "Traylor for Nowitzki," "Carroll for McHale and Parish," "Aguirre over Thomas" and every other great draft day blunder in NBA history. I'm not just predicting it, I'm guaranteeing it.

Think about it. At best, Ming develops into a bigger, more athletic Rik Smits. Fine. But then you throw in Yao's adjustment problems (going from China to the United States -- yikes), his laid-back demeanor (what happens when NBA players start pushing him around, elbowing him and intimidating him?), his inability to play in the low post, and the way he'll struggle fitting in with his teammates, as well as lofty expectations, inevitable problems adjusting to a higher level of competition, the fact that NBA players will go out of their way to dunk on him (just like they did with Shawn Bradley -- and they ruined his confidence, too), the isolation of playing here, the meddling Chinese government ... I mean, did Smits have to deal with any of those things?

Can't you picture Shaq rubbing his hands together and saying, "I'm going to dunk on that Chinese guy as much as humanly possible next season"? This is a disaster waiting to happen. Repeat: This is a disaster waiting to happen. I feel very strongly about this. Just wanted to get that heard before the jury.
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alexdapooh · Mar 10, 2008

A. It's quite possible the best team didn't win the 2005 title. When the Artest Melee happened, the Pacers had just finished throttling the Pistons in Detroit and were staking their claim as "The Team To Beat In 2005." In the span of five minutes, everything went down the drain. And if you remember the shoddy '05 Finals when the Spurs beat the Pistons in seven, it's right up there with the '94 Finals on the "Wait, Are We Sure These Were the Best Two Teams?" Scale. There's no way to prove this, obviously, but I'll always believe Indiana had the best team that season. Although maybe the Pacers were destined to eventually self-combust in some way. Who knows?
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Another minor shot at... this time at our beloved old school Rockets

magnetik · Mar 10, 2008

yeah..... all backtracking bs spew

BigBenito · Mar 10, 2008

Followed up by this Jan '03:

Bill Simmons said:

After the Rockets drafted Yao Ming last summer, I wrote that he'd get dunked on more than a cup of coffee at Krispy Kreme. I called him a "disaster waiting to happen," even throwing in the portentous phrase "Mark my words."

The lesson, as always? I'm an idiot. Forget about Yao's emergence as the most polished rookie big man since Brad Daugherty, or that he offers the first worthy challenge to Shaq since Hakeem was still The Dream. If you're a basketball fan, you love Yao Ming. He's a godsend, the best Chinese import since General Tso. And I thought he'd stink. I may as well have predicted that Vin Baker would be the missing piece of the puzzle in Boston or the Blazers would be a team you could be proud to bring home to Mom.

Like many hoops junkies, I now stalk SportsCenter every night for a Yao fix. Exceptionally well schooled and mobile, he affects the game at both ends like nobody since Bill Walton. His turnaround jumper -- a borderline work of art -- might be the most unblockable move since Kareem's skyhook. And when was the last time you saw a 7-footer start fastbreaks with 50-foot jai alai passes, or find open teammates with backdoor looks? In the Me-Me-Me NBA, that stuff isn't supposed to happen.

Throw in his enormous size, and he's the most compelling NBA player since MJ in his prime, "Ripley's Believe It or Not" crossed with Pete Newell's Big-Man Moves instructional video. When he's running the court, you can't take your eyes off Yao. I don't even feel that way about Shaq.

Teammates and coaches took less time than I did to embrace the likable Yao. Since Day 1, they've said he lights up the locker room just by strolling through the door. Stevie Francis and Cuttino Mobley bought him new threads, taught him a three-step handshake and dubbed him "Dynasty." And the Houston fans treat him like royalty, swooning over his baskets like preteens at a Britney concert.

Yao Ming
Sorry, Shawn. It doesn't rub off.

So what happens once he masters English, meshes with teammates and fully adjusts to the best competition in the world? He's already the second-best center in the league; with no other young rivals at his position, he has no ceiling. Forget LeBron & the 89-inch Asian guy will dominate the NBA for the foreseeable future.

If Yao's game hasn't yet won you over, surely you'll agree his indoctrination to Western culture has been the most enjoyable coming-to-America routine since, well, "Coming to America." With Yao's thoughts converted from Mandarin to English by a translator, every quote sounds like poorly dubbed dialogue from a Bruce Lee movie. For instance, before Thanksgiving, Yao confessed he'd "heard of the turkey that is at the center of this meal." He describes victories with nuggets like "To get this victory, it's like being able to take a deep breath," and disappointing losses with Yogi-esque observations like "Sometimes the hardest challenges are easier than the more difficult ones."

After a loss to Dallas, a disappointed Yao confessed, "You have to understand, I play the game in two parts. One part is the enjoyment of playing. The other part is, of course, winning. Today, I achieved half of that." Want a funny image? Think of Rasheed Wallace or Mike Miller saying the same stuff in bad '70s uniforms and with dubbing that doesn't match their lip movements.

The surprising Yao even belts out one-liners like this one in Seattle: "I'm a little disappointed. I thought there would be a Starbucks on the bench." But he never strays far from the Tao of Yao, which centers on two principles: "Basketball is not something that you can talk about, but rather it's an action through which you can show people" and "Respect is something you earn, not something someone gives to you."

Well, he has mine. I'm going to thoroughly enjoy the Yao Ming Era. Now, if we can all just forget that I was dead wrong about him. As Yao might say, "If you recant a prediction within six months, it vanishes from memory like a disappointing meal."
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YallMean · Mar 10, 2008

Ok, Bill, make your case about a guy that is no long relevent, who cares. Just dont make a cheap shot at Yao. Moron.

mms · Mar 10, 2008

Bill Simmons would be the smarter than GWB if he did not s*** that much.

RocketRaccoon · Mar 10, 2008

Simmons on basketball...stupid.

and

Stupid people on bikes do stupid things on bikes.

Nelly · Mar 10, 2008

Jay Williams would've had the same career as Antonio Daniels.

solid · Mar 10, 2008

Yeah, let's pile on Yao while he is down. Williams wasn't doing anything noteworthy before his accident.

baller4life315 · Mar 10, 2008

Simmons was great when he stuck to just making fun of people and cracking jokes alone. Now, for whatever reason, he thinks he's some sort of NBA wizard that makes stupid prediction after stupid prediction. Stupid claim after stupid claim. He's getting old now.

P.S. Remember his panic column about the Donoughy scandal saying how that scandal was going to ruin the NBA forever? Yeah, his pulse for the NBA is that bad.

Cjballa14 · Mar 10, 2008

Jay Williams absolutely would have been a better player... Take Chris Paul's best qualities and mix in Deron Williams...you get Jay Williams. Dude was a beast at Duke and in his 1 season with the bulls, and this is coming from a TarHeel Fan...

pgabriel · Mar 10, 2008

baller4life315 said:

P.S. Remember his panic column about the Donoughy scandal saying how that scandal was going to ruin the NBA forever? Yeah, his pulse for the NBA is that bad.
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the funny thing is he loves the nba. you're right, when he makes predictions, he does not do well

Spacemoth · Mar 10, 2008

Yeah I don't think he was faulting Yao for anything, I think he's just trying to underscore the ridiculous amount of potential lost when Williams crashed and effectively terminated his NBA career. Just like Len Bias for Boston, who Simmons has spent much more time talking about as one of the major contributors to Boston's downfall in the 90's.

baller4life315 · Mar 10, 2008

Cjballa14 said:

Jay Williams absolutely would have been a better player... Take Chris Paul's best qualities and mix in Deron Williams...you get Jay Williams. Dude was a beast at Duke and in his 1 season with the bulls, and this is coming from a TarHeel Fan...
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I KNOW MAN!!!!! 4 REAL!!

Dude averaged 9.5 PPG as a rookie! SHiiiiiizzznit that's incredible. He even shot almost 40% from the field, 32% from downtown and 64% from the line!! Not only that his 4 assists a game made Steve Nash cry himself to sleep at night!!!

Fukkkk that stiff Yao man. Francis + JayWill = 10 championships

Joe Joe · Mar 10, 2008

Yao (Why) Ming sans injuries would be better than Jason (Jay) Williams even if Jay did not crash.

Cowboy_Bebop · Mar 10, 2008

What if Jay Williams was the number 1 pick and never got injured? He would've been a total bust...

Dave_78 · Mar 10, 2008

Jay Williams looked like he was on his way to being an underachiever in the league. I won't say he was looking like a bust but you can be sure Chicago was wishing they had that lottery pick back even before he wrecked his bike.

Simmons is a funny guy and knows more about basketball than he gets credit for IMO but this is the flimsiest thing I have read in a while.

Blue Brick · Mar 10, 2008

Yao will never be Dream, but J.Williams... give me a break

Cowboy_Bebop · Mar 10, 2008

What if Houston listen to idiot like Bill and pick JW as their #1 choice? Then Houston wouldn't have Yao or T-Mac.

That guy is just a hater.

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Bill Simmons: Jason (Jay) Williams Would be Better than Yao if He Did Not Crash

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