ummmmm..i don't know if you noticed....but they didn't win. and they win with much more regularity when yao is getting his touches and the offense is actually running through him. somebody post again their record when he scores 20 or more.
Ooooh....sarcasm...... Yes, I noticed, but I don't think you can win every game in the playoffs, and also don't believe Roy and Aldridge can keep up the pace. The Rockets are beating them, being tied at 1-1 is a little misleading to me, I see one team that is much better than the other. DD
Of course you do...you're a Rockets fan! I do, too!!! I promise you, in Portland they're seeing it a bit different than we are. I don't think Roy and Aldrdige can keep up that pace either. Of course, I don't think the Rockets will continue to shoot at a 50% clip though, either. But I said Rox in 5 and I'm sticking with it.
finally some sanity! this is indeed a great yet broad topic to talk about. i will dig it up in the summer when the season is over, so people can have more meaningful discussions.
i'm baffled that you both think yao would be olajuwon's equal or greater averaging 25-30 ppg in the era he played in. I think you're both on crack. Ewing had only one season in his career over 25ppg Olajuwon did it 4x.
That was 1996, when Hakeem was getting old and battling a knee injury. He could no longer jump hook. Without that as a weapon it negatively impacted his game severely; we're talking about 50 percent of his peak arsenal. If you have it, post an article from the 1993 playoffs when they played Seattle and he dominated them. Another thing about that series, I remember everyone else missing wide open looks even with all the attention on Hakeem. The shots they were making the previous two years were just not going in. That certainly didn't help Hakeem's cause.
yao will never be the dream. i told you already, akeem is THE g.o.a.t. in my book. but yao is awfully efficient at the offensive end. don't know about how many times, but i can certainly see him do 25 per under the old rules. he did it before he went down on that knee injury under the current rules. safe to say his offensive output will be greater under the old rules and still be a decent interior defender. let's leave this topic to the summer...
You are confusing the regular season where teams can not put as much preperation into stopping one player and the playoffs. Under the old rules, Hakeem could NOT be doubled until he had the ball, and with his quickness he could beat his defender many times before they even got there. Under the NEW rules, teams can sandwhich Yao with a guy in front and one behind....LEGALLY...... This makes the entry pass nearly impossible....unless the team works together and Yao seals his man, and Scola flashes to the high post and hits that shot. The new rules screw Yao..a LOT particularly because his one true advantage...his insane height can be mitigated by the new rules. DD
I'm certainly not arguing that if you have the more talented team, and you are the most talented player on the most talented team, you should win and be dominant. Nor am I arguing that any of the dominant post players of the late 80's through early 2000's wouldn't also be awesome today - Hakeem, Robinson, Ewing, Shaq, Mourning, Duncan, etc. Heck, the article I quoted was only one game anyway - Thorpe did have a huge game in that series at one point, too - and it's not like Hakeem struggled the whole series (though the team did get swept that year). But I don't think Yao will struggle this whole series either - heck, he's still having a pretty good series based on Game 1, and the fact that despite the limited role in Game 2, he still made good things happen whenever he was used, and had the Blazers front-line in foul trouble. What I AM saying, though, is that I definitely think that in today's NBA, with today's rules, the dominant post players of years past wouldn't be quite so dominant, and certainly not in the same way. I think prime Hakeem and Shaq would fair the best...because they were the best. I would agree that the PRIMARY difference between today's big men and yester-years big men, in terms of "dominance" is certainly skill level. Yao is awesome. Offensively, right now, I'd take him over Dwight...but just barely. But that aside, Dwight Howard is so far and away more dominant than pretty much every other "Big Man" in the game today it isn't funny. The height, bulk, wingspan, athleticism combo IS reminiscent of Hakeem's era. He HAS to develop more of an offensive game, though. If he's getting 25/13 just based on athleticism, couldn't you say that's enough? I don't think so - I just don't think you can impact a game enough on put-backs and alley-oops, even if you're putting up great stats, to be dominant. But if he continues developing an offensive arsenal - and it's certainly developed over the years, then without a doubt, he will DOMINATE games, regularly, regardless of the rules in place...whereas Yao is the only other center who dominates games even occasionally today.
The primary reason I went to that year was because it was the first time the played the Sonics in the post-season AFTER hand-checking became illegal. So, the Sonics "illegal" defensive schemes, combined with no hand-checking - trying to make it similar to today defensively. But you're certainly right. Hakeem had some great games and series against the Sonics, and some bad games and series. In general, though, I think it is fair to say that Hakeem and the team was flustered by the Sonics "illegal" defensive schemes of the time. It was always the thing to complain about when playing them...
yeah. no one is saying akeem was horrible in these seattle series. to me it just shows EVEN the greatest had some problems in a similar (ala illegal then) defensive scheme.
all that is fine and well...but given an even playing field, hakeem outscores yao on a per game basis. there's almost zero chance you could convince me otherwise. so suggesting that if yao had been playing in that era he would be matching hakeem's best years in the league in offensive output is nutty to me.
Actually I think Yao outscores Hakeem under the old rules, and Hakeem would outscore Yao under today's rules. Because the old rules would allow Yao to catch the ball more easily and he is a VERY efficient scorer, more so than Dream. The new rules hinder Yao more than they would Dream because of his slowness of foot. But the old rules, Yao would be an impossible cover.....he is too big and skilled....for just one guy to defend. DD
Did Yao draw double or triple team in most games? oh, yes, Yao did it. Image this team without Yao, and the shooting percentage for AB or Ron will be? Idiotic thread!
giants cannot use all their energy unless there are great passers. that's the difference between yao and roy. roy can control the ball from the back court, but yao needs someone to pass him the ball. we need great guys such as healthy tmac or wade who can drive inside and has the great ability to finish or pass. yao is unstoppable if he could always get the ball.
You'd think Adelman got the message already??? Wafer is no Tmac...anyone who thinks he can be more than a Jason Terry in Wafer's prime...get off the pipe...its not good for you ok?
