Mr. Clutch, i see what you're saying, and will respectfully disagree. i am a diehard believer that basketball is a big man's game. only the rarest of the rare guards are exceptions to that rule. think about it: how many average sized guards have led their team to be champions in recent memory? jordan zeke thomas um.... west? cousy? not really, because they had *major* support. don't get me wrong. if i had the #1 pick next year, it'd be lebron james, hands down. but there's no way i'd trade a 7'6" center with all the tools yao ming has shown for a guard. especially when you consider the fact that after shaq leaves yao will have absolutely zero competition. do you realize how much a team dominates when they have the absolute hands down best center in the nba along with one of the best guards (francis) in the nba? if not, take a trip to the staples center...i believe you'll see some banners to prove it.
No, I wouldn't trade Yao for James. Not because I think he is better (potentionally) than James, but I love Houston and Houston Rockets and I am a big fan of Yao. If he is going to have success in NBA, I want him to have it in Houston in Rockets uniform. Yao to Cleveland? No, don't want him to endure the heavy snow. Yao to Denver? No, don't want him to go to a football town. Yao to Clippers? No, don't want him to play for a cheap owner. Yao to Warriors? No, his English will not get any improvement. Yao to Knicks? Hell no, just don't like Peter Versy. Yao to Bulls? No, Jerry Krause is as annoying as Peter. Can't think of any other teams that are James bound.
verse. You got to be kidding me. I've had "ya'll could have gotten Jordan" thrown in my face several times. Even the media has always made a point that Jordan wasn't the top player taken, but they (wrongly in my opinion) have declared him the greatest player ever. It's about perspective. Jordan has the entire world sucking him off. Just look at endorsement contracts as proof of his relative position in the minds of the majority. I love Hakeem and wouldn't have traded him for the world. But, you're a fool if you think that there aren't a lot of people out there that think the two teams that picked before the bulls were idiots for passing on him. Look no further than Sports Illustrated not wanting to print a special championship edition after our first ttle to know the level of respect we have gotten in the past. Usually only homers stand by taking Hakeem. Call me a homer. But, at least be objective. This situation is different. It doesn't come down to number of dominant centers, yada, yada, yada. It comes down to the best player, period. I would love to say Yao is going to be the best player ever. But, we have to temper our enthusiasm in regard to what we can expect. Look no further than Griffen to see somebody that was expected to be great, and is being criticized for being mearly "very good". I hope Yao is the dominant center of the future, but there is a very good chance he will be a bust. Part of the game. James has more than proven himself on many levels. There is a reason he has the hype. It was mentioned over and over again that if James had come out this year, he would have been a no brainer for number one. He is just that good. Teams are chomping at the bit to get him as evidenced by Cleveland getting penalized. Just because ya'll don't know anything about him is more evidence of your ignorance over the subject matter than that you are right. Player versus player, James has shown more natural basketball sense than Yao. Coupled with skills, he has the potential to be the best ever.
Karl (is it just an accident that you have the same name as someone . . . cough . . ?), I haven't heard anyone say something like "there is a very good chance he will be a bust" about Yao for a couple of weeks now. Even the Yao haters in the press have admitted he's for real. I am really surprised to hear from someone who claims "I would love to say Yao is going to be the best player ever" to say this kind of stuff. I don't know James well enough to compare him with Yao. But I am pretty sure Yao is not a bust.
I would take Ming over James( Lebron or Bond), Not only because Im a Ming fan. I would love to take any great potential center (not necessarily Ming) over James. Jordan was Jordan because of his mentality. Have you heard James called himself King (of the city or basketball?) James in a local talk show? Here in Cleveland, all the media guys are talking about the draft, hoping Lebron would revive the Cavs.You can get all kinds of info about him, from what I heard , he would not be next Jordan because he just does not have that mentality. Sure, hes just a kid, would he ever grow up? I doubt it, if you happen to know his parents somehow. yeah, I will take him over Kwame Brown, but for a potential franchise center? no frikin way! you can disagree with me, but DONT COUNT HIM AS THE NEXT MJ! he will be no near to that title.
there will never be next mj. a guy as handsome, as intellegence, and skillful as mj? the chance are very little. even if James live up his expectation, will he be better than Kobe? Mcradey? Carter? there are some many good guards in NBA, he will not be dominate. but Yao might, there is only 1 shaq, after he retire, who can stop Yao?
Vengeance, you said this, "LeBron has the game unquestionably, but I can't say I'm too pleased with the personality of him or his family, especially after reading that article about his broken-rim dunk. I'm pleased to have a great player with such class rather than a great player with none." What exactly did you read to make you have such strong feelings about this high school basketball player's character. I agree that Yao is a great talent and is about as untradeable as any player could get, but maybe LeBron could put some fans in the seat. BTW - We all know that China did not send Yao Ming to the United States to be traded for the first High School hot shot that comes along.
I'd like to see a tiny article that says James will be a bust. From anyone credible, I'd like to see this article. Believe me, james will not be a bust. I'm etlling you, 99% of scouts agree. There's just no way he won't be, at least, as good as Paul Pierce. That's the WORST case scenario. You can't say we have a talented backcourt, and therefore, shouldn't go for James. We can trade Mobley. In fact, Mobley and Cato would fetch more than a decent C. We can trade Mobley and our own pick for a pick that will get us a better C than Cato. We saw the list of excellent big men. There's one every (AT WORST) 3 years. Now, let's look at "baby Jordans": T-Mac Kobe Grant Hill (pre-injury) Paul Pierce is a stretch I'm struggling here....... Basically, there's NO ONE on Kobe and T-Mac's level in the league. Come on. no one says that James is a bust. That's as opposed to tons of people who said no to T-mac, Kobe, FELIPE LOPEZ, Yao Ming, Tyson Chandler, CHRIS MIHM... This guy....He's just 18....If he has the passing instinct, the work ethic, the ability, the physical talent, the brains....Tell me, how long till this guy tops T-Mac? Oh yeah, and he can play the 1, 2, and 3. A 2-guard with passing abilities? Isn't that the PERFECT player for this team?
Has there ever been a situation where the previous year's #1 was traded to obtain the next year's #1? I don't think so and I really don't think Yao will be traded for LeBron James either. So talking all the hypotheticals is just that, hypothetical. And hypothetically speaking, hell no you trade a gifted 7'6" big man for a gifted SG. With Shaq out of the picture, Yao could be the most dominant C in the League. One player doesn't win championships. The best team built around your best player wins championships. With Yao, Houston has that opportunity.
The Rocks need a big man to complement their backcourt. Lebron James is a great player and will be a great talent but so will Yao. + Yao is better in our system cuz we need to have a legit force down low. Yao will be that and more..how many 7'6 guys are u gonna find as agile and possess such a great shootin touch...+ i dont see lebron and stevie coexistin....lebron need to to go to a team like Denver where he goes in being the leader of the team.
What if the Bulls get the #1 draft pick? Do you think they will draft Lebron James, even though they allready of 3 rising stars?(Curry, Chandler, Williams) Or do you think they would trade the #1 pick for something else because you now it will have value?
It looks like they'd trade Jay Williams, Crawford andMarcus Fizer for T.J. Ford, then draft Lebron James. Curry Chandler/Baxter Rose James T.J. Ford Now that'sa team to build with.
I would take Jay Williams over TJ Ford anyday, and I think if they do get the pick that they have to take James. James+Williams=best back court in the NBA Curry+Chandler=best front court in the NBA That is of course if they all live up to there potential.
James and JWill will not be the best backcourt in the NBA, and Curry and Chandler sure as hell won't be the best front court. Jay Williams at his prime will be what Stevie was in his 2nd year and Curry and Chandler are way overrated.
