Some Anandtechers' take on Yao

They should stick to discussing the age-old Intel vs. AMD microprocessor benchmark debate.

 

Here is a take from an American opponent playing in China.

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/3363574.htm

Posted on Thu, May. 30, 2002

Ming dynasty could be on its way, Yao opponent says
By PHIL JASNER
jasnerp@phillynews.com

He was one of Alex Carcamo's opponents in China's pro basketball league, a 7-5 center who would arrive at practice riding a bicycle, saying his dream was to someday own a car.

He was Yao Ming, who could very well become the No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Rockets in next month's NBA draft.

And here was Carcamo, a slim 6-7 forward who grew up in Los Angeles, scoring 49 and 36 points in two games against Yao's Shanghai Sharks and losing both.

"Not even close," Carcamo said, laughing after the 76ers' morning workout yesterday for free agents with pro experience.

Carcamo averaged 32 points for Shenzhen, his Chinese team, and was included in the Sixers' three-day camp after phone calls from former NBA stars Rick Barry and Kermit Washington. Carcamo played at Santa Monica (Calif.) Junior College and Eastern Washington, and has played overseas and for Belize's national team. But even as he tries to establish his own identity in the sport, he understands he will be asked about Yao, expected to become the third Chinese player to reach the NBA, following Dallas' Wang Zhizhi and Denver's Mengke Bateer.

"I think he's a phenomenal player," Carcamo said. "You can't teach athleticism, and for 7-5, he's athletic. He passes well out of double teams; he's a finesse player right now, but he works hard.

"I think he'll be a great player as long as somebody works with him. Not too many coaches work with big men these days. It's as if, once they're in the league, they're expected to know the fundamentals. The league in China is good and competitive, but a lot of the coaches there don't work with the big men. Ming is going off his athleticism right now."

Yao averaged 32.4 points and 19 rebounds for the Sharks, both second-best in the Chinese league this season, escalating to 41.3 points and 21 rebounds in a 3-1 victory over the Bayi Rockets in the best-of-five championship playoff series. He led the league with 4.8 blocks per game, 4.3 in the finals.

"Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning are two of the best centers in the NBA, and Ming is more skilled than they are," Carcamo said. "He just needs body weight. You can't teach Shaq to shoot 15-footers smoothly. They say Yao doesn't play inside, but he can play to the basket, can play good defense, can block shots."

Enough to legitimately become the No. 1 pick in the draft?

"In my book, yes," Carcamo said. "If you take him, you're getting a 7-5 guy with talent. You're not going to get another one like that. I think he could probably average 14 to 16 points, but in two years he could be the second- or third-best center in the league.

"When I found out he rides a bicycle to practice and that his dream was to own a car, I said, 'You should have 50 cars by now.' He's a humble person, intimidating on the floor but one of the nicest people off the floor."

The Chinese government, though, is insisting that Ming pay authorities 50 percent of his NBA earnings in addition to money paid to the Sharks. That apparently is because the Chinese league is largely sponsor-driven, and there is a fear that some sponsors would drop out with the absence of three of the country's best players.

"China is asking a lot," Carcamo said, "but I think he'll take it because he doesn't get paid a lot in China."

 

Disturbing that Carcamo, who couldn't even make it in the NBA, averaged 32 points in that league.

 

Dear Yao,

In Houston, it is very dangerous to bicycle on a continuous basis on many streets, particularly during rush hour. You will probably need a car just to get between the Westside Tennis Club and the Summit, even if you live in between.

I would be willing to lend you my car until you can afford one here.

P.S. You might miss bike riding, as based on the size of your thigh and calf muscles you are probably very used to it. I'm sure the Rockets can probably provide you with access to a stationary bike till you can afford a new one here in Houston.

 

that's diturbing to me as well, he also had 49 points in one of the games against the sharks. i still lean toward drafting yao but maybe the competition really is that bad.

 

I'm with you BigM, I would like to see them draft Ming. But I could still see Rudy/CD having some sleepless nights over the pick.

 

Common guy’s why are you being so pessimistic? Off course the competition is weak! It’s a basketball league in China! How long have they been playing over there compared to here? What if there was a pro Chinese football team that had a 475 lbs offensive lineman that could run a 4.9 40 and had never allowed a sack. Would you not want the Texans to draft him just because the competition he faced wasn’t good? Ming is 7’5” close to 300 lbs, has great range on his shot, (knows how to use the glass no less) and is claimed by all that know him to be a very good person and hard worker, not to mention he is only 21 years old. What more can you really ask for from a player in the draft?

 

Joe,

Agreed. But also keep in mind that Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker etc, also played along with and against American players who either could not make it to the NBA or were NBA rejects.

NBA is the best when it comes to Basketball. No questions about that, but that does not mean that good players cannot exist outside the US.

-Tariq

 

gasol played at real madrid....guess they know how to play ball. it´s not like, gasol always played against dummies.

 

I'm starting to think that I could average 15 and 8 in the Chinese league. Carcamo? Never heard of him, but he seems like a man among boys.

 

This guy can't fool me! 32ppg???
I checked it on official CBA site, they played 24 games on regular season. Each team plays 24 regular season games, facing every opponent twice (1 home game, 1 away game). No.12 and 13 teams will be dropped to Division-B next season.

2002 CBA


1. Shanghai Sh. 23-1 (* ming played for)
2. Bayi Rockets 17-7 ( *wang was their star)
3. Beijing Shog. 15-9 ( *Bateer who now played for NUGGETS)
4. Jilin N.Tigers 15-9
5. Shandong Bulls 14-10
6. Zhejiang Hors. 13-11
7. Guangdong Tig. 12-12
8. SINA Lions 11-13
9. Jiangsu Drag. 11-13
10. Shanshi D. 10-14 (*Joseph Garth played for)
11. Beij.Aoshen 8-16
12. Liaoning Hunt. 7-17
13. Shenzen Y. 0-24 (* the team Alex Carcamo played for)

Total Points
Player PTS PPG
1. Liu Yu-dong 873 36.4
2. Sun Jun 741 30.9
3. Yao Ming 713 29.7
4. Joseph Garth 687 28.6
*5. Alex Carcamo 655 27.3

 

I wonder if this Carcamo guy can play SF for us? 32 PPG?? Forgot Odom. Forget Lewis. Sign this guy to a minimum contract...

The more I read about this Chinese league, the worse it looks, competition-wise. I'm starting to go into panic mode now. Perhaps Ming isn't the best way to use a #1 pick. Did I just say that? Eeek. The anxiety is worse than I thought...

 

Joseph Garth 687pts 28.6ppg who ranked #4 at 2002 CBA.
I found his resume as following:


1994-1995: St.Rose (NCAA2): RebDivII-2(12.8), FGPDivII-3(.679), 14.2ppg
1995-1996: St.Rose (NCAA2): 15.8ppg, 11.8rpg, 3.3bpg
1996-1997: St.Rose (NCAA2)
1997-1998: Peristeri Athens (GRE)
1998-1999: Mansfield Hawks (IBA)
1999: Atlantic City Seagulls (USBL), in May'99 was placed on the inactive list
1999-2000: Nov. '99 Training Camp with Trenton Shooting Stars (IBL,1T), the signed with team for the season: 6.9ppg, 6.9rpg
2000-2001: Toronto Raptors (NBA): 2games: 1ppg, 1rpg, in Jan.'01 traded to Denver Nuggets (NBA): 2games: 0pts, but released the same month
2001: Shaw’s Pro Summer League in Boston (Washington Wizards)
2001-2002: At the end of Nov.'01 signed at Shanshi Dongshen (CHN)

 

Who's the Alex Carcamo?


1997-1998: Santa Monica CC
1998-1999: E.Washington (NCAA)
2000-2001: Sangalhos (POR-1a)
2001: BTL Nets (BIZ)
2001: Los Angeles Pro-Am Summer League (Sacramento Kings)
2001-2002: At the end of Nov.'01 was signed by Shenzen Yikan (CHN)

 

Guess what?

Roy Tarpley is playing for Beijing Olympian in CBA. I remember he was Dallas Maverick starting center few years ago, and 7th in 1986 draft.

 

CBA is a joke. I think that if every CBA team were in the NCAA tournament none would make it to the final four.

When you have guys who’s a superstar over there and can’t make a NBA team here that’s bad.

I have seen them play, my mom has one of those 30” Chinese TV dish.

I am Chinese so don’t tell me I’m a racist. But more than anything else I’m a Rockets fan therefore I don’t want Yao Ming.

 

what i think is that if you stuck nowitski, webber, duncan, etc. over in the cba they'd all put up the 30-35 point, 20 rebound, performance ming does, nothing more. i doubt they're gonna be pulling out any wilt chamberlain 100 point games or 50ppg for the season. but my point is, when an NBA "scrub" goes over and puts up 30ppg, it makes it that much harder to evaluate what's going on. is yao dominating cause he's that good(ie what a webber, duncan would do) or is it because the competition is that bad?

all i know is i'm glad i'm not the one trying to figure it out.

 

No one doubts NBA is the best. We are comparing CBA with NCAA1 or NCAA2. Some played in CBA can not make into NBA, but they did play well in NCAA.

 

Ming has played in the U.S. before. Played against Jordan, actually. Why don't you ask Mike how good he really is?