[Barry] Daily Dime: Winning is Ming's Thing

Our very own Jon Jon got a chance to expound upon the pummeling that Yao gave to Shaq tonight. Heres what he had to say.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-061113

Winning is Ming's thingBy Jon Barry, ESPN.com

Rousing Shaquille O'Neal in November is a dangerous thing.
But my old teammate Tracy McGrady did it anyway.

"I don't care who you try to match up against him, I don't care who you say is the most dominant," McGrady said after Friday's win over the Knicks. "No. 11 on my team, hands down, is the best center in the league."

I didn't think this was a great idea by Tracy. But Yao Ming still got the better of this matchup, dropping in 34 points with 14 rebounds as the Houston Rockets pulled away from the Miami Heat, 94-72.

I know Yao and Shaq respect each other, and they've had some good matchups over the years. Early on, it was seemed like Shaq's calendar was set for June, putting in his first four hoops. His spree slowed down, and he finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

We saw Yao running the floor well, shooting with a soft touch and playing unselfishly. We saw him shaking off an inadvertent Shaq elbow to the head without missing a beat. We saw him showing off his well-rounded game.

Advantage, Yao.

Maybe T-Mac was right, because Yao is playing better than any center in the league. To say he is better is harder to say. But Yao has been sensational as the Rockets have been off to a 5-2 start. For this team to have that mark and not be at its best offensively, they've got to feel pretty good.

I've always believed Yao was going to be one of best to play the game because of what he can do at 7-5. I think some tabbed him unfairly because he's not a Shaq, a player who will just mow you down inside. He's a finesse big man, a very unselfish player. His skills were on full display Sunday night.

The other half of the Rocket superstar tandem is not playing his best. McGrady says he's feeling pretty good, and it seems awfully early in the year to be mentally tired. I'm not sure what's going on.

But even when he's not shooting the ball well (6-for-18) Sunday night, T-Mac's playmaking ability (seven assists) is always good. I thought he took over this game without shooting, setting up Luther Head for open shots, and Yao too.

When he returns, Bonzi Wells can be that third guy that could pick up when one of the superstars is struggling. Shane Battier can be that guy, and some nights it's going to be Luther Head. There's a lot of pieces there.

Miami's not playing with a lot of passion right now. It looks like complacency set it. I think they believe they can just switch that light on, and you can get in trouble that way. They better turn it around quickly.

You saw how Pat Riley went to Jason Kapono. He was looking for someone who was hungry.

Putting it on cruise control is a dangerous thing. Shaq can do that because he's Shaq.

I would be bit concerned because this team made no moves in the offseason, and it's a team with older players who just got one year older. Even Dwyane Wade played all summer long.

I still look for them to make a deal. They are the champs, after all.

As for the Rockets, they've got the pieces filling in nicely. Let's see how this develops.

ESPN analyst Jon Barry, on the call for Wednesday's Grizzlies-Kings game (9 ET, ESPN), played 14 NBA seasons for eight different teams before retiring this season