The western conference is too tough. Yao cannot have enough rest unless the team plays very well during the regular season. But for the past two seasons TMac's injury and quit screwed up the team at early season. Yao and the whole team then had to struggle the whole season for the playoffs and HCA.
We all well know that playoff games are very tough, many players as Kobe and Anthony all feel extremely whacked at this moment. Yao's energy whether enough for wining a title is really what I most worried about.
Like I have said I would gladly trade Yao for Lebron or tmac for lebron. Yao would then play the role he was meant to be the second or third option.
So, Yao may have won some individual battles playing against Howard. But, Howard won the war...and the crown as best center in the NBA.
Well the thing is MD alot of times we've played Orlando and Dwight although Mcgrady is not the best wing man like Wade Kobe Roy or Lebron he was still a decent enough wing man that poses a threat. He could create his own shot and when he had the chance would drive into the opposing teams big man. Dwight had to watch out for not just Yao but for another player that was driving in. In my opinion Yao just had to guard Dwight or any other orlando magic big man that they had. It's just scary thinking Dwight getting a decent wing man that can penetrate.
Maybe you wouldn't but I think the general consensus in the league is that Howard is the number one center.
A few things. This year we beat the Magic twice - once with a crippled McGrady, and once without him at all. So, the effectiveness of having Tracy is minimal at best. Also, your assertion that Dwight's defense on Yao was distracted by wing players is also exaggerated. In fact, it might be false overall. I don't have the exact details, but to the best of my recollection, Yao scored mostly off one-on-one post play, rather than playing off of penetrating guards. Yao is actually a poor candidate for that type of offense. Dwight, on the other hand, excels in that type of offense. Even without a "penetrating" wing man, I'm pretty sure that he still scored more points off Yao helping out than Yao did. And even though the Magic don't have an All-Star caliber guard, they still have adequate penetration on that squad. Nelson, and Turkoglu are both very capable of taking their man off the dribble and into the paint.
Lebron would have won this one if ANY decent big man played with him. Ben Wallace and Igauskas doesn't cut it this deep in the playoffs.
Howard is not the best center in the NBA. Honestly dominating Big Z and Anderson Varejao means nothing, Yao did that too didn't he? Howard failed to dominate Kendrick Perkins. You guys have bad memory.
Well, Yao's gettinga rest this summer so we'll have a chance ot see how much that helps out him. Also, I think the good thing about this playoff run is that the team showed it can play without Yao (and Tracy) for stretches so that'll be good in hopefully not playing him as much minutes. I also think RA should get Yao play off the ball a little more. He has trouble with fronting and we have trouble getting him the ball when fronted, why waste energy fighting for position and just have the shot clock expire, run him on a PnR and let him take a 20 footer ever 3 to 4 posessions like Spurs do wiht Duncan.
Yao has been in the Rockets for 7 consecutive years, why can you get that he will never become another Shaq. He can dominate in his own way, which can not be reflected from the data. So forget about making Yao more Shaq, it is vain.
I would. Howard man-handled Big Z, Ben W and Fuzzy Hair. This team has taken out last year's champs and the best team in the league. Yeah, he's the best C in the game by far. Its up to Yao to prove otherwise.
And how'd he do against Perkins? Not very well. Big Z is an epic failure on both ends, It's no wonder why he did absolutely nothing before LeBron and he is making LeBron do nothing as he is playing with him. Big Z is a cancer.
If Dwight Howard lead his team to the NBA final is not the best center in the League then who is? Yao Ming? are you seriously thinking Yao "the injure prone" ming is the the best center at this point? c'mon...I love yao but I am not a YOF
If there was ever a chance that Yao ever ended up with the Jazz after next season or at some time during next season if the Rockets were to trade him there, Coach Jerry Sloan and many Jazz fans would want him to emulate Mark Eaton. I think that we can forget all about seeing Yao ever being as athletic as Howard is now, and his predecesors here with the Rockets in Moses Malone and Hakeem Olajuwon respectfully, or even Ralph Sampson.
