But what use does Chicago or Memphis have of Jamison? I thought the Bulls got rid of Brand so that Fizer/Curry/Chandler can flourish? Memphis already have Battier & Gasol, I don't see them wanting Jamison either. Now, if you say they will give up Richardson, then...
a good friend of my is convinced that NY will get the 1st pick through the ping pong balls because the Commish office cannot not stand having NY not playing on Sunday and flailing like they are....he is convinced Washington was given the same fix for Michael Jordan coming back this last draft....he and Mel Gibson live for the conspiracy...though I will die if it happens!
I don't understand the facination with Ming, but apparently that's just me. I saw him play a few games during the Olympics, and he looked really, really raw. He's tall (!), and has good range on his jumper, but he was very skinny and looked like he'd have trouble in the low post in the NBA. And his level of competition in China is negligible. Steve Francis faced better competition when he played at San Jac. I guess what he has going for him is his age (just 21) and his height. He's got tremendous potential, but the same thing was said about Shawn Bradley when he came out. I don't think a single one of the lanky 7'4"+ centers who've entered the NBA have had a meaningful impact on the game. The caveat is, I haven't seen Ming play since the Olympics. If any of you have and can tell me how he's developed since then, that would be helpful.
Jabbar was lanky and perhaps the most unstoppable scorer in NBA history. He changed the game. Ralph Samson was lanky. But I guess you have some Shawn Bradley definition of lanky that eliminates Jabbar/Sampson from consideration...imo, that word is skinny-ass-uncoordinated-knee-knocking-preying-mantis. And why do people insist that Ming has to be a low post player? Why do us Rocket's fans always think that centers must bang down low. If the center can pass and shoot a jumper, you are limiting his power by placing in under the basket. guys...Ming is a high post center. Princeton's offense is based on that John Wooden's offense was based on that Much of Bobby Knights offense is based on that don't be so one-dimensional thinking where all centers have to play like Hakeem in the low post. Simply not true! btw: look at Ming's legs. <img src="http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/largepics/ming.jpg"> It is unfair to compare his body to those uncoordinated knee-knockers who couldn't pass like Shawn Bradley. SamCassell, if he can pass and knows the game like Bill Walton and others claim, he is uncomparable. Allow him that.
Sam, would you spend a top 3 pick on a player like Mark Eaton? I am not comparing their game, I am just asking if Mark Eaton is on the board today, would you spend a top 3 pick on him.
I think the league will be a bit more subtle then that; if I were to bet however, I think Ming will land in New York one way or another. I'm a bit of a conspiracy theorist myself. Krause got the #1 after Jordan leaves, Thorn gets the #1 the first year he is with the Nets, Jordan gets #1 the first year he becomes part owner.......things that make you go hmmmm.........
just because shawn bradley has razor blade knees does not mean Ming will have the same : ) btw: Ming is much more cut and developed than Bradley has ever been! good point on the high post comment.....banging does not have to be a prerequiste for a center.....Ming has the stroke, the athleticism and the b-ball intelligence to play in the NBA. comparisons to Bradley are not founded..... a friend of mine who lives in Hong Kong saw him play a few times and says the only issue with Ming will be adapting to the speed of the NBA game on a nightly basis and the language. other than that, he says Ming is instant paint prescence and will dominates everyone in the league and seems like he is playing more team ball right now...he says he scores everytime he wants to.....
The thing that would concern me is this: Ming, while no Sampson/Bradley, does not have a solid bone structure. He looks like he could bang ok, but when I think 7'6" and not real solidly built, I think "injury waiting to happen." Mark it down.
Unfortunately, I don't see anyone who can take Ming, trading his rights. We'll have to get the right ping pong ball...
Tmo I say he'll lead the league in blocks in one of his first 3 seasons 17 blocks in a game, I don't care if you're playing against high school kids, is awesome
I think Ming could be an awesome player and probably WILL be an awesome player, at least for a while. The simple fact that he can run normal and shoot almost guarantees it. On the defensive end, he won't even have to jump for blocks (see Mutombo, Dikembe). Let's just hope his lower back/knees/pituitary gland hold up.
shawn bradley is consistently in the top 5 in blocks per game. if nothing else, players have to respect the fact that bradley is in the paint, so they can't just run all willy nilly through the lane. and, given 35-40 minutes per night on the right team, bradley probably could average close to 10 boards per game. shawn bradley - defensively - is an impact player. that said, i don't think shawn bradley could average 30/19/4.5 in china...even at the height (pun intended) of his career. bradley also has never - and never will - have the lower base that ming has. ming is probably already a better player than bradley...and most teams (the rockets especially) would take shawn bradley in the middle, if nothing else than for defense. ming is a no brainer, imo.
crispee, Jabbar was 7'2", much closer to the size of most NBA centers than a guy like Ming. I did say 7'4"+, didn't I? Sampson was the only player in that category who was legitimately coordinated and possessed a polished game. He also had bad knees and didn't have a prolonged NBA career. I think being THAT freakishly tall could contribute to health problems. Shawn Bradley was so highly touted that he was chosen 2nd overall in the 1993 NBA draft (ahead of Penny, Mashburn, etc.). He led the NCAA in shot blocking during his one college season, and he was considered to be coordinated and well-rounded for his size, unlike (for instance) Manute Bol. GATER, I'm not saying it couldn't happen, but it hasn't happened yet in NBA history. It's my opinion that Ralph Sampson was one of the most unique physical specimens to ever play the game, right up there with Muggsy Bogues being effective at 5'3" and Charles Barkley dominating in the post and on the glass at 6'3 3/4". No other player of Ralph's size has had Ralph's coordination and overall skill level. In fact, nobody else has come close. And who's to say that Ralph's knee problems didn't have something to do with his size, frame and game? moonbus, I don't think I'd spend a top-3 pick on Mark Eaton. Eaton was a hell of a defensive presence for the Jazz back in the day, but I don't think he was enough of a factor to justify a top-3 type selection. Basically he did one thing, block shots, and did it exceedingly well. That made him a role player, albeit an excellent one. Career averages: 6points, 8 boards, 3 1/2 blocks. For a high lottery pick, I'd want someone with a little more offensive game, and also a little more rebounding. I'm thinking Dikembe Mutombo yes, Mark Eaton no.
Can't say that I have seem Ming play and that of course bothers me witht he possbility of the Rocks considering him. I would not be comfortable with the Rockets spending such a high draft choice on someone that they cannot fully evalaute or fairly compare to our homegrown players. Also I would hate to run into the same problems that the Comets have had in drafting foreign players who get homesick or decide not to come at all. hehehe if Van selects another foreign player my wife is going to personally drive down to Houston and kick his butt. I just hope the rocks don't get carried away by the hype and pass on a more known and quanitifiable player.
KT/ mooch/#5?/14?/2nd rd. they owe us to Bulls for 1st pick this year/Crawford/if Ming can't play1st picknext year or somehow land Woods/Stoudamire---which looks just as appealing to me
Sam, 7'4+ is not a very big sample, unless you include China and for a long time no Russia, either, which is what we are doing now, so since we are now including 1 Billion more people in our sample, maybe your suggested trend won't hold. Afterall, have you ever seen a 7'5" freak with such naturally proportioned legs like Ming before. If you want to narrow the field to impact players that are 7'4+, that's fine, but don't say they are all uncoordinated with health problems. But, why is 7'4 some magical number for you to say someone is likely to have health problems more than others. What we have is Sampson and Ilguaskas (7'3) that developed leg problems that seem to be height induced, that is to say the seem to be injuries waiting to happen. There are plenty of 7'2+s who had prolonged careers, and who were coordinated. Bill Walton has amazing coordination, dude never should've played on bad ankles...I don't think that was height induced. Bradley at 7'6" really hasn't had injuries that have changed his game have they? Rick Smits was 7'4" and coordinated with no real problems other than being a softy. Sabonis is 7'3 with incredible coordination...how old was he before blowing a knee? Was that a freakish height induced injury? Luc Longley was 7'2 Mutombo is 7'2 Artis Gilmore was 7'2", right?
I would take Ming as long as China or his current team or whomever doesn't screw us over it and force us to trade him. Rockets' management would have to do a song-and-dance with the Chinese to convince them that Houston would be a good fit for their star player (the Rox being only so-so last year and downright stank this year). Also: obviously we would need a top 2 pick to even have a chance at the guy; or the team that drafts him would have to be looking for some depth with our draft picks to make a trade. Also: if the team that drafts Ming does so to trade him, THAT will need to be conveyed to the Chinese as well, to smooth over misunderstandings (trust me, mis-communication between Asians and Americans is commonplace and can cause all sorts of problems). The team that drafts him will get a billion Chinese speculating about him and his new city; so, if traded, there'll be a billion confused people. So the trade proposal should be worked out on draft night, even if it can't be consummated until July 15th. If the guy has anywhere near the talent that people say, and if we'll have no problems getting him here, he'd be a great addition. And it would put pressure (which is both good and bad) for the Rockets to get it together for a change. Not that we'd start a war with China, but we don't want to make liars of ourselves when we tell the Chinese sweet nothings about how our team is better than its record. And maybe we can arrange Berlitz courses for the Rockets team and staff? Steve wouldn't learn Canadian so would he mind picking up a few phrases of Mandarin?
If we can get Ming without trading KT, we could move Griff to the 3. He then wouldn't have to learn a post-up game, only how to dribble a little better. He could shoot 3s like most Rocket 3s, and block shots.
