I didn't expect Kelly Dwyer to drop Yao all the way to 8th. I guess he takes the whole can't stay healthy for a full season thing pretty seriously. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ba...est-centers-of-the-last-decade?urn=nba,193423 8. Yao Ming(notes) He hasn't played more than 57 games since 2004-05, but Yao has shown flashes of being an all-world center when he's healthy. "When he's healthy." Sigh. Forget it. The work he's put in is good enough. Scores from either block, from either hand, with several moves. Rebounds, changes shots, makes me tune in. Love watching him play, love watching him get a proper entry pass, and we'll all love it when he walks confidently back onto the court and starts dominating again.
weird since amare and jermaine have missed a bunch of games as well and both are higher. i guess he is taking the injury this past playoffs and the coming season into account when i dont think he should since his criteria is the last 10 years and not also what yao wont do this coming season
the funny part is when he comes on here and b****es about people posting his articles in entirety.....as if his thoughts and his writing were worth a damn anyways
Shaq had 5 MVP caliber seasons this decade. Most dominant center ever (Hakeem is number #2). Duncan is PF regardless of his playing style, and even as a center isn't better than Shaq. JO'neal is a power forward and always has been. Brad Miller is better than Big-z. Amar'e is a power forward. Yao is better than brad miller/big z. Robinson and Mourning sneak on this list over people like Okafor and Okur that put up better stats for a longer time in this decade. Sad thing is next to Yao and Dwight the position of center is next to dead.
Quite possibly the worst Centers list I've ever seen. Putting Shaq below Duncan is inexcusable... unless you weren't alive to see the first half of the 21st Century.
It's not like Dwyer is a "Yao-hater" -- he defends him a ton. I think he's just taking longevity and durability pretty seriously with this list. As for Duncan vs Shaq -- yes, Shaq was the more dominant player early in the decade. Duncan was more consistent, durable, and committed to his team. I'll give Duncan the edge for these past 10 years.
I think it's justified. These past few seasons, Shaq's game has really fallen off while Duncan's has remained elite.
whatever he gets paid must be peanuts so i couldn't care less about that......it's his smug attitude here and in his replies under his articles that is most perplexing.....i mean this guy really does believe he adds some sort of insight and value to the sportswriting world
Sometimes Kelly puts out pieces for a reaction. Can't always take internet journalists seriously. Magically putting Duncan at center... Jermaine O'Neal... Big Z... he just wants a reaction.
That was surprising. Jermaine has averaged 65 games played per season this decade, Yao 68. But Jermaine has played throughout the decade, and he had one season where he was a legitimate MVP candidate (3rd place in 03/04). Yao has never even been top 12. In Yao's best years, unfortunately, he's either missed a ton of games and/or his season was cut short.
Yao should definitely be number four and I'm not even a fan of him. Wallace and Jermaine above him? Really?
