i dont mind if yall disagree. but the way some of yall do it is what gets me upset, i try not to disrespect anybody on this board.
DD, its not that want athletes, I want guys that can play that are athletic. Looking at the roster turnover, it looks like the rockets want the same. The problem is they waited 4 yrs too long to do it, but better late than never. Look at a team like Utah for instance. They're athletic and they have guys that can play. La,denver,portland,orlando to name a few also have good athletes that can play. Athleticism has more to do with lateral quickness and explosion than it does running fast and jumping high. I want to see a fast break off a long miss,steal,or blk. I want to see adelmans offense turned over and when the defender turns his head,the ball is thrown over the top for a easy alley ooop. I don't want to see my team lead the league in shot being blocked because they don't have explosive players.I enjoy watching womens basketball because of how fundamental the game is,but in the nba,you need both.
Yeah, uh, Larry Bird got his stuff blocked all the time...and shot blocking is so prevelant in the league that the leader averages like 3 or 4 a game..... You can't be afraid of getting a shot blocked....who cares? Kevin McHale was a hall of famer because he could get by people, and out think them, Larry Bird too. Scola (while not on the same level) is the same type of intelligent player......that is more important than a guy who can explode through the roof or move laterally....Stromile Swift ring a bell? And yes, Deckard, I am a long way from agreeing with Leeb regarding Scola, I think he is a championship caliber starting PF. As to your take on winning it all....since "NO ONE" really knows if they are in it or not....I say you keep getting better... In case you forgot the Rockets first championship they were NOT the favorites.....nor the 2nd one either..... I think you get to the playoffs with a good team, with chemistry and you take your shots....sure it helps to have a great player....and I think the Rockets should be looking to get one......but to me, neither TMac or Yao are great players......so I would trade Tmac for someone that I thought might become great...take a shot.......or get someone that is still great but has a few years left....and take your shots with Yao as well. I am not of the "Rebuilding ilk" because that is an inexact science, for every Portland or Orlando, you have tons of Golden States, and Clippers.... Just acquire the assets by hook or crook.....that is how you do it IMO. DD
DD, u never saw bird or mchale get blocked at the rim as much guys on the rockets. Boozer who isn't a explosive guy doesn't get blocked as much either. DD, the rox during the ring yrs had the top player in the game also. We both knooow that makes a big difference. In regards to scola,I've never said he couldn't be on a ring team. I just said he's the 4th option on a ring team. He's in the haslem,ac green kinda piece. That's not a bad piece to be and the only reason I bring him up is because he can bring u back something good and young.Right now, if memphis offered u gasol for scola,would u take it? Why or why not?
Just curious, why don't you consider Yao a great player? First off, I am NOT a YOF or whatever "clever" moniker the board has come up with to label certain clutchfans. I however do appreciate what Yao brings to the table as a basketball player. At 7'6, he has the agility, coordination and fluidity of a Small Forward (albeit a much much slower version..due to size). My point is Yao's skillset is unparallel, and throw in the fact that he is 7'6, that makes him great in my opinion. He's injury prone I'll give you that...but let's put that aside for a moment. Yao's positives supremely outweigh his shortcomings (slow lateral quickness, no ups, etc). It's actually amazing to me how MONEY Yao is and he even proved that in the past playoffs. He had a great playoff run before he went down. Yao's health is his only knock in my opinion. He's got the drive and has developed the will to be a beast over the course of his career. Again, why do you say he is not a great player?
David, I think he is a very good player, just not a superstar, due to his lack of footspeed, and ability to stay healthy. What? Gasol? NO !!!! No way I take Marc Gasol for Scola.....come on Leeb...... I understand wanting to get a superstar player....but I don't believe you have to give up Scola to do it...... I would give up Landry first.....but my first choice would be to give up TMac. DD
You are not comparing apples to apples....Hakeem was one of the ALL time greats....he had the unique blend we spoke about earlier in this thread. 1. BBall smarts 2. Competitive fire 3. Athleticism You can get by with 2, and I think Yao has the 2nd one in spades, is ok on number 1....but does not have number 3 at all. DD
In all my years I haven't seen such disrespect of Yao Ming and to boot by established and knowledgeable Members- shame!!
I am not able to find the TV listing for tonight's preseason game. Will this be on FOX houston tonight? Anyone?
Yao isn't a great player because of his mentality more than anything. He doesn't have the mentality to dominate every guy like shaq dream other great bigs. Yao doesn't want to every night.
No, but he could have been.....injuries took it away from him....but right now I would say Ralph was better than Yao.... If Yao lasts longer that will flip to Yao's column. DD
Size is overated...plenty of players considered "Undersized" made it....quick first step falls under athleticism, IMO. DD
Undersized makes it in light of athleticism. There is a tradeoff Dada. If a guy has bball iq and competitive fire, he can compensate for being underathletic by being oversized to a certain degree. I will have to disagree with you regarding quickness and athleticism somewhat. Larry Bird was as quick with his first step, with his first move as anybody, but he couldn't hardly jump over a piece of paper and he sure wouldn't win any sprint races in the NBA, and he sure wasn't super strong. Bird had phenomenal bball iq, competitive fire, decent size, and a tremendous first step. By comparison, Yao has very good bball iq (probably not anywhere near Bird's), great competitive fire (that doesn't translate to his teammates like Bird, Magic, Hakeem, or Jordan, or like say, Brett Favre if you want to look at another sport), great size, and a very quick first step. So, even though Yao is underathletic, his tremendous size compensates for his lack of athleticism somewhat. To prove my point, watch him play against Dwight Howard, the most athletic big to come down the pike since Shaq and maybe even more athletic than a young Shaq. Yao dominates Dwight because his size and girth takes away Howard's athletic advantage when they are fighting for post position and leaves Howard rooted to the floor trying to hold ground while Yao pressures him. Great size does balance out lack of athleticism in a player with a very developed skill set such as Yao.
I never see you applying this lack-the-mentality-to-dominate label on Tracy where it belongs. With Yao, I think he's stoked that fire and wants to win. Dominate? I don't know if he CAN dominate. Shaq in his prime was not only gigantic but relatively nimble. Yao's more mechanical and deliberate in his movements, and whose prime has been played in this era when you can't breathe near a guard or you'll get fouled, but you CAN prison-rape the bigs with no foul called. Yao getting 20 and 10 (-ish) under those circumstances isn't shabby.
