averaging 20 ppg in the playoffs while your second go-to-guy putting up almost as much points in not "carrying" the team. and he was implying dwight was somehow better than yao, so i was presenting the opposite case. dwight was - and still is - vastly overrated player who relied way too much on his freakish athleticism, never developed any post game, learned how to shoot free throws, or do pnr with guards. he doesn't have anything to offer to this team anymore, and we will be way better off without him.
Yao was thoroughly punked by Mehmet Okur in the playoffs. I remember distinctly because it was so irritating to watch. Different players, different weaknesses. Useless comparison started by the dude who posted that Yao picture.
Just want to say, what timing for this Sam Amick Dwight Howard interview the VERY NEXT DAY after the Cyberx post.
Yao was an incredible player. He is head and shoulders above Dwight in the professionalism, leadership and preparation standpoint but sadly that wasn't worth anything when he was on the bench in a suit. Attendance is half the grade in the NBA and sadly Yao gets an "Incomplete". He's a sad What if in Rockets Basketball kinda like Ralph.
Howard was 4th in MVP voting that season http://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/awards_2010.html You really wanna keep this up?
You underestimate the importance of defense in the playoffs. And Dwight was enough of an offensive force that it made Rashard's life easier. It wasn't really the other way around. Many players could have stood in the corner like Rashard did. Turkoglu was more important. Anyway, semantic arguments are stupid. I say he did carry that team that year, as much as anyone in the playoffs not called Lebron on Cleveland. But we do agree that he did it against the East. You don't need to get us agree by saying both "he was in the East" and "he didn't carry his team." The second part is just semantics. Yao never carried his team in the playoffs like Dwight did.
i was talking about the playoffs. don't change the subject. also, he totally got outplayed by pau gasol in the finals that year. once again, we see the familiar pattern. only dominate against scrubs, and then get owned by elite big men. - story of dwight's career
also, Yao never gave up on his team like the current Dwight has, and actually put in a lot of effort to develop various post moves, high free throw percentage, and above all else, gave a damn about the game; unlike Dwight who only relied on his athleticism to get by, and once he didn't have it anymore, was too lazy to even develop other parts of his game. at least Amare bacame a decent jump shooter. Dwight showed 0 improvements skill wise, from his rookie years to now.
Ladies and gentlemen your NEW starting center, Clint Capela! Honestly I'm fine with Capela starting at center if we can sign some big named players at other positions (KD, Horford, Conley etc) I also would be for signing Whiteside as Howard's replacement if that option is available.
He was probably mis-remembering. It was Boozer that was really good that series. Boozer had a bad game 1, but basically dominated thereafter, including a Game 7 where he went 35,14 and 5. None of which is to say he dominated Yao. Yao was also great... and when you factor in he was playing next to Juwan Howard and Chuck Hayes as his PFs, it's not a fair comparison. Okur isn't amazing but was a more than competent C, and Boozer/Okur is clearly better than Yao/Juwan/Hayes. But having been at that game 7, Yao struggled anytime he was switched onto Boozer because if he got too close Boozer went by, and if he was one step too far, Boozer hit that midrange. And then Yao couldn't grab a rebound down the stretch of Game 7 because he was trying to defend on the switches, would get out of position, and then just didn't quite have enough athleticism to recover. He wasn't rebounding poorly... again, this isn't supposed to be criticism, just is what it is... he was great at boxing out, and did so in Game 7, but if the rebound wasn't in his vicinity, it wasn't in his vicinity. To be clear, very few centers can do it all. Shaq was equally incompetent in PnR defense and didn't exactly chase down boards, for example. Dwight and Hakeem, on the other hand, in their youth, had the athleticism and size to do it all. Switch effectively, guard weakside and their side, grab boards near them, or bouncing 5 feet away. Dwight isn't anywhere close to that anymore, though.
which is why exactly he should have put in more effort in developing his game skill wise. i've never seen a player stay so thoroughly stagnant in terms of skills than Dwight freakin' Howard. After more than 10 seasons in the NBA, he still doesn't know how to properly post up, shoot free throws, or do pnr with guards, not to mention low basketball IQ. maybe it's just me, but i don't really respect a player that only relies on his athleticism to get by when he's really young, and then instantly become mediocre after 27 or something. i respect Hakeem and Yao way more, because although they had distinct physical advantages (athletic or just being super tall), they actually gave a damn about the game enough to become one of the most skillful centers that we've ever seen play basketball. in that sense, dwight is an extremely lazy player, and will always be remebered as such.
Its like Dwight siunds genuine but at the same time just says everything 'correct' in order to be attractive for free agency. I say 60% of what he says is show. Best if he goes. But if the center position really is changing, then should the Rockets have stuck with Asik? Or a decent center who does not need touches like Bogut, Adams? Dj?
Probably but I'm sure Les had more interest in going all all for Howard. He needed two stars to sell tickets. It didn't matter who was up for free agency, Les wanted the Big guy. In 2013 my season tickets were $18 a game this season I hear they are trying to get $23 a game.
Add that to the list of never ending problems with this team. The greed of these people is unbelievable. I hope Bernie does a number on Les Foundation sucks Coach sucks Chemistry sucks
Yao was a significantly better player than Dwight Howard ever was. His injuries are the only thing that stopped him. I miss a center who could catch passes in the post. Pass the ball, make mid range jumpers, make his foul shots, make his post shots and not cry and whine all the damn time. I was a big fan of Dwight on Houston before this season but Im done. I really took a look at his game and realized that he's just not worth it. He's plays when he wants too. He whines about touches in the post despite not being able to hit the shots or make free throws. Im just done with the dude. He needs to be gone with Corey Sewer, Terry, Smith, and Jones. I don't care if we don't make the playoffs next season I would rather rebuild around Harden and Bealsey then to have a bunch of good for nothings sucking the blood out of the Rockets.
That Boozer mid range was unstoppable there's nothing anybody could do. If I remember correctly both Yao and Tracy's stats were up during the playoffs that year. Our biggest problem was offensive system and shortcomings at certain positions like PF.
