Pass on Yao...here's why

Let's say Chinese PRO is at same level as NCAA, is ming's number worth #1 pick? I heard of one former NBA player was playing at ming's team in China. Do you guys think NCAA is better than Chinese PRO or at same level?

 

Totally with you on this Crash. Ming will get tossed around like all the other abnormally tall and skinny NBA players to come around. They're height actually works against them when they don't have the bulk like say a Shaq does. Let's not forget that 5 different organizations in China have this guy by the balls, he has to do what they say when they say. The Rockets have a chance to solidify themselves as a contender for years to come by trading this pick. I sure hope they don't blow it on a guy who even if he is all he's cracked up to be, will take off for a big market city in 4 years. There needs to be an Anti-Yao movement established here in Houston, what a nightmare it would be if the Rockets do end up drafting this bust.

 

I think Ming deserves some props for absolutely dominating during his championship run

After saying his team would win the championship, he strapped his team on his back and did just that, putting up some SICK numbers in the process

I think Yao has what it takes upstairs
that's why he'll rise above Shawn Bradley

 

The thing that bugs me about Ming is that when people talk about him it's about his skills. Frankly I don't want a 7'6" center who plays like a small forward. If my guy is 7'6" I'm more interested in his quickness, strength, and agility. I want the guy pounding people inside, pounding them on the boards, and blocking everything in sight. I dunno if Ming is that kind of player. He can leave his jump shots in China as far as I'm concerned.

 

If we don't get Ming, then who............?

Another small foward or guard.
This year's draft isn't as strong as past, and if a center comes along with certain skills, we shouldn't pass up......especially us.
He hasn't played a single NBA game, but he's already a major improvement for our front court.

 

Count me in the "Pass On Ming" camp. I won't compare him to Shawn Bradley (although the poster is correct that the pre-draft talk we heard about Bradley is highly similar to Ming except that Ming is heavier and Bradley always had problems *gaining* weight). I compare Ming to Hideki Irabu.

Remember all the hype about this guy? The Yankees won a bidding war for him and he wound up being just average as a starting pitcher? Never was anything to write home about.

I think Ming carries too many suspicious factors to be what I'd want in a #1 pick. Can anybody say "Sam Bowie"? Tall guys in college/foreign competition are sometimes able to dominate just on height alone. His stats, even at that level, don't say "dominant" to me. Besides, with free agency what it is, we're just as likely to be developing him only to watch somebody else sign him and get the prime years out of him. A more "ready-to-play" guy is what I'd be after.

Personally, Butler is the guy I'd be targeting and I would just listen to offers, make a great deal, and trade down to get him. Both the Bulls and the Warriors have already put out feelers and have good reasons to want Ming for promotional value.

True, talented big men are rare - which is why they too often are busts and reaches. We should be able to find a talented C either in trade or as a 2003 draft pick that we get as a condition for trading down.

We need somebody in the post that will neutralize guys like Shaq and Duncan. Ming doesn't impress me (from what I've heard) as somebody who projects as a matchup that couldn't be steamrolled by either one.

Yeah, we need a center but let's have a talented one come to us rather than reach for a guy who fills the need but comes with more than his share of question marks. When you're shelling out mega-millions, you want as near to a sure thing as you can get.

If we play our cards right, we might be able to swing two trades out of this and wind up loaded for this year's and next year's lotteries.

 

Uh, Shawn Bradley weighs 275, Ming weighs 283. That's an eight pound difference, right? Not 60 pounds. Besides, its not really the weight that matters anyway. Freakishly tall guys like Ming don't have a very good center of balance. And it is VERY hard for someone at that height to gain weight. I remember reading about Shawn Bradley's diet. One of his meals equaled about as much as I eat in a day, and the Mavs still couldn't get him to gain a lot of weight. Plus, it doesn't help that Ming doesn't really care for lifting weights.

If we're just looking at talent, then I agree we should probably draft Ming, but that's not all there is to it. I want to see how receptive the Chinese are to the Rockets. That's what is going to make my decision. If they will not even let him come for a workout, how can we really draft him?

 

Yao Ming was weighed at 296lbs, for everyone here. For the sake of this discussion being a good one, it's better if everyone who hasn't AT LEAST seen the short clip of Ming's workout stay out of classifying the player's abilities. If you wish to stay in the discussion, say "from only what I've read" continuously.


It's highly unlikely that you've seen Ming play, and you think he's a Shawn Bradley. HIGHLY HIGHLY unlikely.


Despite all this, I think we should pass on Ming. He has all the potential, but we've been blessed with the #1, let's make it a safe bet. Let's trade for someone who's skills are known, He can do it now, and improve on it. We're weak at 2 positions, let's address both. Trade the pick for a SF and a C, package it with one of the big contracts (Cato, Rice, Mo T).


Ming may very well become great, but how long can we wait, and can we take the risk? I don't think so.

 

lot of good thoughts...

honestly, every player in the draft has some sort of baggage with them. nobody is a sure thing.
sure, yao might turn out to be another bradley, but the fact is that there is an even greater chance for him to become something special for this franchise. There are always gonna be risks when you invest ur dough into a project.,...But greater the risk, greater the reward. Plus, i have a feeling that not drafting Yao will come back to haunt us down the road...just my gut feeling.

I have faith in Rudy T and CD to do a thorough evaluation of Yao. Let's trust Rockets management to do their job, and do it well. they have 6 weeks...This is gonna be one exciting summer...
I LOVE this team!!!
~3oClock

 

I don't understand this debate. Almost none of us have actually seen Ming play much. And yes, his #'s weren't fabulous at the Olympics. But, then, I believe Gasol actually had better numbers in the NBA than in Europe... and Radmanovic's big knock against him was that he played very little even for his European team... and he filled just about the same role in the NBA.

I'm not so sure that the NBA is light years ahead of the rest of the world, anymore. Certainly, it's better. But not so much better as some would think. Maybe the US doesn't win by 40 in the Olympics anymore because our athletes are lackadaisical in a competition they dominate. But, then, maybe everyone else is catching up.

Like JAG, I think many use too many comparisons. But even if you accept such, the situation isn't as frightening as one might think. Yao has a far different build than Bradley... looks much more like a real person. And he has significantly more range.

Besides, if Yao really is Shawn Bradley with 6 feet more range and a little more strength... the guy'll be a superstar. Bradley was a serviceable NBA center in his peak. Range and weakness were the flaws that prevented him from realizing his potential. And if Yao is "just" Bradley with those weaknesses improved... hell, let's take the man at #1!

Right now, I'm not going to say if we should take Ming at #1. But if we don't, we're probably going to have to trade down. Francis seemed pretty explicit in not wanting to move to SG at the draft, so that rules out Williams. And there isn't another guy who deserves the #1 pick.

Just throwing this out... but if the Rockets don't take Ming, I hope they trade down and nab Caron Butler.

 

From the limited exposure on Yao I am curious how anyone can have a real idea of what he will do in the NBA. Dominating in the Chinese league is a little different than dominating in the NBA. I see a lot of "IF`S" when people are talking about Yao. IMHO with the posistion the Rockets are in you go for a player who will have an immediate impact on the team, whether thats by a trade or the draft.

 

I haven't drilled through the million Ming threads, but I believe I read somewhere that the Mavs may not have the services of Wang Zhi Zhi in the off-season and maybe part of the regular season (not sure of the last part). He may miss most of, if not all of, training camp as well due to the Chinese National Basketball Team competing at that time. Apparently they can just request he come back over to China whenever the heck they need him.

1) Can anyone else verify if the above is true? Have you heard the same?

2) Are we going to run into this problem with Ming? My biggest worry is that Ming will be a bust, of course, but this "we'll take him when want him" crap worries me about as much. Why couldn't this have just been a draft with some superstar at the top pick without all these worries?

I'm still undecided what we should do with the pick. I still lean towards the option that we trade down provided we get solid help + draft picks and/or get rid of some salary cap busters we have on our team.

 

Do you think High School level is better or the Same Level as College?

Because when a skinny 7 footer came str8 from high school . . .
I wasn't impressed either. . . but i am now. . Cause it was KG

I said. . and I quote:
HE'S 6'11 . . HE IS SUPPOSE TO DOMINATE IN HIGH SCHOOL. . .
In the League he'll be punked. . . .

I was wrong.

Rocket River

 

Well said by Sane. I couldn't agree more. Package the pick for a C and SF and dump off one of our unwanted contracts. That would be perfect!

 

Not sure if anybody has though of this, or posted this, but

WHERE WILL YAO BE IN 4 years?

China can not tell the NBA to put him into NY this year, but what about after his Rookie Contract ends? Even if Yao loves houston, china will tell him where to go. Do we want a #1 pick for short term relief? Or to groom him for NY?

 

For those who don't know, Wang Zhi Zhi will sit out the entire seaosn with the Mavs due to strained relations with the Chinese Government.


Now, what if we're in the second round of the playoffs, and China decided, they need Ming for some Chinese tournament. What then? is it worth the risk? It's not unlikely he will be recalled at any time, because his National Team relies heavily on him.

 

I thought about that too and eventhough that is a long way down the line, you have to consider it if you're the Rockets. Personally, I'd be surprised if he resigned with the Rockets four years down the line. I think it would depend on the amount of support the Rockets get, combined with how succesful they are as a team. If the Rockets still aren't considered legitmate championship contenders and the local supports still leaves much to be desired, he'll be as good as gone.

 

Plus how hard will it be to get something of use for him?

Rocket River

 

Easy, the Hong Kong Market on Bellaire. We could rename Dynasty Mall, "Ming Dynasty Mall." We could offer him free groceries at Diho Square, My Hoa, and Kim Hung Market. In addition, he could buy a new Acura RSX and turn it into a rice rocker at Endless Performance or Carboy. Imagine Ming rolling down Bellaire and Beltway 8 in his shiny new dropped RSX with all the lights, and stickers. Hos in the front and hos in the rear.
He'll pull up at Timmy Chan's Chicken and Fried Rice, and eat some buffet.

That's where he'll be in 4 years.