both have a variety of low post moves. both dislike dunking. both like using the back-board. neither are terribly athletic or powerful. were were #1 picks who seen as their franchise's savior. is it me, or are they quite similar?
Duncan has more post moves. Duncan doesn't dislike dunking. Duncan uses the board more than anybody else. Duncan is athletic and powerful.
No comparison right now, Duncan in much, much better. That said, we know Duncan's ceiling, he is there and he ain't getting any better (God forbid). Yao on the other hand has yet to reach his full potential in the NBA. Who knows, over the next 5 years the gap could very well narrow.
I do see a lot Duncan in Yao. Someday Yao will be at that level. As long as he keeps healthy. One of these days Yao will get 30/20.
I see some Duncan in Yao. But where Duncan is stronger, Yao is smarter. Also, Yao's the better passer. Duncan is not athletic or anything either, but more than Yao for sure. I think that in a few years, they'll be pretty close, and will infact have very similar games. I'd just like to add that Duncan does not have more post moves than Yao.
Duncan has a stronger upper body and is quicker. Duncan has a better vertical leap and is a better rebounder. Duncan gets more calls from the refs. Duncan averages more blocks. Yao Ming is a better shooter. Yao Ming is taller. Yao Ming is a more intimidating shot blocker and may change more shots than Duncan. Yao Ming has a stronger lower body, but less vertical leap. Yao Ming may be smarter and is a better passer. Yao Ming is ours. Both will play a similar game, as they don't relish scoring so much as winning by setting up their teammates. Yao will get better as he learns to avoid turnovers from double teams and how to block out for rebounds. Hopefully his rebounding will improve a little bit as well. Yao does have greater potential than Duncan as he is simply a better shooter and is bigger. Duncan is a dominating rebounder and very smart player - but he doesn't use his athletic ability to do anything Yao won't be able to do.
why do people say Yao is a better shooter than Duncan? How do you figure that? i would love for Yao to have a shot of the backboard like duncan has. Duncan is a good shooter for a inside player, i'm not saying Yao isn't a good shooter, but why do alot of people keep saying that Yao is a better shooter like it is a fact and there is no discusion possible?
And that's the important part. Shudder to think of it, but let's say the Rockets had NOT won the #1 pick last year. Where would they have picked, #5 or something? So they end up with someone like Tskitishvili, Wagner, Wilcox, etc. Not only would they not have improved very much last year, but it would have been a really hard sell to get any good free agents or a decent coach to come here. Yao has changed a lot of things around here, even if he didn't have a Wilt-like rookie season.
Who keeps coming up with those threads? OK, I love Yao, and I think he CAN BE a future superstar/HOFer, but comparing Yao to Hakeem, Shaq and now Td? You gotta be kidding me.
give it a few years. if yao pans out like expected than there might be a fair comparison. and duncan himself is still young. he can get better if he dedicates himself to offseason improvement regimens like jordan did. i would say that right now, their greatest similarity lies in their personalities and mental approach to the game. both are team oriented guys. they both seem to be pretty intelligent (and in yao's case-a great sense of humor) and have a great, natural feel for the game. duncan is a lead by example kind of guy-its rare that he gets up in a teammates face. however, although he is quiet, there is no doubt that he is the man. i think in time, yao will be like that too. and both are better than average passers.
Yao Ming's also got a much better personality. He's not complaining to the officials after every call either. Other than that, there's not much comparison.
I love Yao, but I don't know if Yao is smarter than Duncan. Duncan has full GPA in Wake Forest and his major is not the popular Physical Education. I don't how many of us can achieve that.
Well, the great ones end up having their own style, which is why the are so "great" in the first place. They're unique! So, don't worry it about. Comparing to past greats to Yao is only for fun. In reality, I've never seen anyone like Yao. He could become an 18/12 guy, or he could become a 24/15 guy. We're not sure.
sarcasm? I cannot remember the last time a college graduate went first. Playing basketball for a college and doing a hard major is murder, there is no way you can dedicate 5 hours of practice per day and still manage to pull off high grades especially with a hard major. In short, Duncan is a smart person and so is Yao. Hopefully, Yao will set an example and decide to enroll in college for the sake of being a good role model. I don't think they offer physical education in college, the closest thing is kinesology (study of physical improvement) and thats not that easy. You gotta know chemistry and physics and other attributes of science to major in it. You think if Duncan was a computer engineer, he could be in the NBA? I don't even think Yao can pull that off (Doug Flutie did though). All in all, if you graduate college, you're automatically in the 25% of Americans and probably in the 2% in the NBA.
