Be Honest: Did you want Yao in the 2002 draft?

Man, am I good or what?



Comparing Yao to Dream

Disagreeing with Popeye, who wanted to trade Ming, but wanting Jamison if the pick was traded

Finally - Pro Ming baby !

And some people doubt me about V-Span .......SHEESH !!!



DD

 

I remember seeing Yao play against team USA in the Olympics. Just seeing him play once, it was obvious he was going to be great.

When we won the draft lottery that year, I pretty much jumped up and down and made a fool out of myself, because i knew we were taking Yao.

 

Of course, cuz I am a YOF, cuz I am from Shanghai.

 

you're right, no Yao, Tmac would never come to houston.

 

Poll would be a little more complete/accurate if Mike Dunleavy and Other were added. It's a big joke now, but there were plenty of people jonesing for him. Most people knew that Jay Williams + Francis & Mobley didn't make much sense.

Evan

 

An incredible player does not make an incredible analyst. Please see:

- Clyde
- Charles
- Magic
- and a list of about a dozen more

 

I have been Pro Ming all the Way
I thought he would have struggles
but
I was impressed wth him when he was like 17 and on the cover
of Sports

I thought . . man if we could get that guy

Rocket River

 

In '02 he was still 7 1/2 friggin feet tall.

 

I wanted Yao, but I did like talking trades to see what we could possibly get for the #1.

 

Thanks for the trip down memory lane, R2K. I can read them without having egg on my face, thank goodness. It was hard to disagree with Popeye, and a huge number of very well respected members back then were trying desperately to figure out a deal that would land KG for Yao (I'd forgotten about that!).

Here's what I wrote:

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=33855&page=6&pp=20&highlight=2002+draft+ming

I'd been lurking for years, but only posting 2-3 months. Talk about walking amongst the trees! Big time, groovy heavyweights posting then, and before they got drowned out by the "deluge."

 

Sure, I think anyone who says that they have "no doubt" about any player is either delusional or is lying. There are just not many rock-solid, no-doubt-it locks coming into the draft. Even if they have the talent and are proven, then you have to worry about durability / injuries. Given who else was available, the upside Yao had, the Rocket's need and the marketing benefit (small relative to the other factors, but not one you can ignore), Yao seemed like the obvious choice. But to say I had no apprehensions, that would be untrue.

Another interesting post - since I can't - would be: "Looking back, what was the play that you saw Yao make that made you realize he was the real deal?" For me, it was when he played the Lakers about 10-15 games into year 1 and hit 10 or 11 in a row, and had the Lakers looking like the Keystone Cops trying to "guard" him. I remeber thinking, "wow this guy can play." How about you?

 

I always take it as a given that there is no "sure-fire locks" in the draft.

that is a lesson some younger members havent grasped yet, they see these guys coming out of college as studs and figger they are can't-miss stars(R Gay anyone?)

WHat I saw from the video we had to go on (World Championships and other FIBA and CBA footage) plus reports from respected basletball professionals was enough to convince me that if there was anyone in the draft worth a gamble for greatnesss, it was Yao.

Im a great admirer of guys who work their butts off to be great, the hard workers that dont do anything but take care of business every day....so when every report I heard told me Yao had a great work ethic, plus his skills on tape...I was sold.

Could he have failed? sure, he *could* have...but that is a risk you tkae with EVERY draft.

now that we see him growing before our very own eyes, its easy to tell that those positive reports back in the spring of 02 were SPOT-ON.


agreed Deck....that was an exciting time to be a member here...the new arrivals teaching us about a cluture that most of us had not a clue about, the insiders coming out of the woodwork to tease and tantalize us with rumors and innuendo...and the VERY spirited debate on if Yao was worth our time.

 

Its like comparing apples to oranges....kinda like when you compared VSpan to Barganani.

I really didnt like Jay Williams that much...I thought that Dunleavy would be good. But I never had one issue with us drafting Yao, especially after that first workout that he had in Chicago.

 

Yao Ming has proved that Rockets made a good decision. On the other hand, Houston is the right place for Yao, I believe. Rudy and Jeff show a lot of patience and coach him well. Francis and Tracy are easy going super-stars. Yao won’t reach this level if he went to Lakers and became Kobe’s teammate.

 

It is true. Before Yao joineded the Rockets, I never watch NBA game. I was a soccer fan not basketball fan, but after Yao got here, I became a superfan of Rockets.

 

hmmmm, that was pretty sharp I have to admit..... You da man.

 

WELL SAID!

 

Does anyone have footage of Yao's workout in Chicago. I remember being very intrigued by him, but I have to say I had no idea about what kind of player he was.

Yao has proven to be a very smart ball player with a good feel for the game and amazing size and touch...Continues to improve...Doesnt get much better than that