Why do Yao haters always have to claim that they "like" Yao? Can't they just be Yao haters? Oh, and I love the bolded part. His impact on the games that he dominates is actually nada, except for his scoring, rebounding, defense, and drawing double teams so his teammates can score.
Um have you ever watched a High School basketball team? It's the same way with kids... You see them hustle, work hard, etc.. But the NBA is supposed to be different.. Height with Agility, Athleticism, Strength, Speed,Skills and hops galore.. Unfortunately Yao only has height, some shooting skill and a bit of strength only because of his height. Yes Yao is the consummate player as Clyde would say but you need more than just heart, height, and a light touch to be exciting in my mind.. Is it rare for a man of Yao's size to have any of those? Yes! but it's still not that exciting.
I think there are two kind of basketball fans The ones who get excited by Sportscenter plays and The ones who just like to watch fundamental basketball Either way Yao is respected by the other coaches and he is their number one defensive target.
Pretty damn entertaining to see Yao spin baseline and leave faster guys flatfooted. And how about that behind the back dribble on the fastbreak to fake out Shareef? We never have and never will see another 7'6 giant that can do the things Yao Ming does. Oh, and it doesn't hurt he's the first Asian player in the NBA that doesnt suck donkeyballs.
Yao is probably the most frustrating player to watch for me. I want the guy to do well but those turnovers and soft moves just frustrates me. This year he has been more physical which is a sign of improvement.
You forgot to mention the ones who get excited to see centers play like Hakeem (I know there is not another center who can play like Hakeem)... The GREATEST Center of all time in my opinion.. I miss him so much
I like watching the inside-out game. I like watching Yao draws double team and kick the ball out, opponents rotating, then an extra pass to the corner for 3, yes! That's basketball!
fundamentals post play doesn't claim to be a post player, only to get the ball with back to the basket and then just turn and face up and dribble drive like 95% of the "post players" in the league yeah i enjoy it
I watch the NBA because I genuinely love basketball. There is so much about the sport other than Agility, Athleticism, Strength, Speed,Skills and hops galore. There is dedication, hard work, pride and passion. Yao may not have exciting basketball skills like Howard or Gasol, but Yao represents the sport of basketball in a way that no other can.
It's frustrating to watch Yao. He's about the antithesis of where the league is headed in hyper athletic, long players who can do about anything on the court. He's also frustrating to watch because he's such a step down from Hakeem which isn't his fault but when you're used to racing the Lamborghini, racing the Camry isn't quite the same. No question I wish we'd somehow landed LeBron instead of Yao but I guess it wasn't our year.
I enjoy watching him play when he is "on." Of course, I hate watching him on those nights when every time he catches the ball he is either stripped, blocked or blows a layup that should have been a dunk. Watching him kill his defender in the post with one on one coverage is something I enjoy very much.
I like effort and determination and the guy has it in spades. I feel like I am cheering for a guy who plays ball the right way when I watch him. So, not alway the most exciting, but I would argue it is very intriguing to watch him.
This deserves to be repeated. Yao Ming is a really good player, really efficient player it's just that he has physical limitations that stop him from being dominant. Yao is that guy that works really hard, tries his best and gives a B+ performance. Ideally you want that guy that puts up a B performance with ease and can really turn it on and give you an A+ performance.
It does deserve to be repeated, but only to showcase its ignorance. When Yao is putting up 30/12, he's being dominant, because in addition to scoring, he's also drawing double and triple teams, allowing the rest of the guys to get open shots. Knock Yao if you want (and we all do once in awhile), but if you're going to belittle his great games, then you obviously don't know ****.
