I've been pro-Ming all along...I failed my Public Enemy lessons..I have believed the hype since I saw a story on him on HBO last year.
I'm Pro-Ming but if we got an unbelievable deal like Brand, Odom and their picks for Rice and Collier, then I would do it in a heartbeat
I have great confidence in him. I hope Yao could break the rookie wall with his hard work and smart training. I shall be extremely glad to see him posting 20, 10, 5 in his rookie year. Though this is really too wild a guess.
If all the factors work out...who-wha! The factors remain high though: health, government, will he play well, how many year will he play, will he leave the Rockets as a free agent, etc. He's a bigger risk than any number one pick before him. Yep, I said it.
I will eat NYKRule's hat if Ming posts 20, 10 and 4 stats ... At 10, 8 and 2 I'll just admit he was wrong ... ... anyway I doubt he'll grab that many rebounds his first year ... China was lost on the boards in their recent games against New Zealand ...
How many new converts today, with the news of the Sharks talks? Sounds like we can check them off the list as a roadblock. Along with most of the other stuff people were doubting about. Far as the negotiations with various Chinese authorities go, the Sharks looked to be the hardest sell with the most demands. Instead, they came back with virtually no demands and only a few reasonable requests. Seems like all that's left now is: He's too tall 7'4 3/4" wingspan is too short He can't bang He won't get enough rebounds He won't lead us to a championship in his rookie year Darth: I don't expect him to post 20/10 as a rookie by any means. Was only asking if that's what it would take for some people to stop doubting. I won't bear any grudges towards the former doubters when Ming turns out to be what the Rockets think he'll be. Just wondering what it'll take to get some of you guys excited about our number one pick. And to get that cheese guy to admit that while Ming might not be Shaq and Kobe rolled into one, it's pretty stupid to say he sucks.
You'll find some people that won't stop doubting until he wins you a championship ... I would be more worried how much time fans will give him before proclaiming him as a bust if he doesn't contribute from day 1 ... just look on how many people that consider Kwame Brown a bust after just 1 year ... You are going to have a hard time getting me exited about your number 1 pick ... ... the number 4 pick though thats another thing ... Caron Butler ...
Yea, I see this as the next great challenge when (I'm taking out the 'if') Yao Ming is drafted. I always felt Yao would be a great fit in Houston, and that everything would work out. So far, so good. But I also strongly believe Yao have a decent change of struggling his rookie year. I think 10/8/2 is a fair estimate, but to me that means he has equal probability of ending up at 15/10/3 or 5/6/1. If he ends up at 5/6/1, it'll be because of foul trouble. And it can be potentially very destructive if the Houston fans turn on him, as we all know fans of the pro-game are prone to turn on players. It's not something Yao will be used to, and probably not something the rest of China is used to. Time to tone down the expectations; not in terms of overall numbers, but in the amount of time it takes to get there. Yao Ming *needs* two years of grace from the fans; look at how long it took Nowitzki to blossom.
Just saw this dTown. Thanks. Don't know what's come over me lately. Maybe I'm scared heypartner will finally make good on his threat to post some poem of mine he found in his schweetheart's HS yearbook. Heech: I agree with you for the most part. Though if he posted those low end numbers, I think it would be due to Rudy bringing him along slowly (a la Griffin) rather than foul trouble. The guy just shoots too high a percentage to average 5 ppg if he's getting minutes. But I agree he'll need two years to develop. IMO that's perfect. So will Griff. In 2-3 years, we'll see our frontline of the future realizing their potential AND we'll be out from under Rice's contract. Given the lack of centers, we should have three potential all-stars in Franchise, Griff and Ming plus two "role players" who can put up 15-20 ppg in Cat and Taylor. And not only that, but in three years Shaq might even be gone.
Oh, we're not that bad! Seriously, there were some rumblings last year about Eddie Griffin, people were wondering aloud if he was going to be a bust because he started off slowly. But then he had that breakout game against the Lakers, as well as continued strong effort for the rest of the year, and now the fans love him and are very excited about his future. As long as Yao is on the floor playing hard, playing smart, and giving his all (which shouldn't be a problem at all given reports about his character and passion), he certainly won't have a problem being accepted here in Houston. We can be very patient and understanding to an athlete that is at least trying to improve. You can bank on that! Now, if Yao had gone to New York, however,..... They can be absolutely brutual up there, fans and media alike!
