Here is a link to the box score of Team USA vs China in the 2000 Olympics. Ming finished with 5 points 3 rebounds 2 assists 1 turnover 2 blocks and 5 fouls in 16 minutes. This was just 1 1/2 to 2 years ago. This guy was DOMINATED. This was against Alonzo Mourning mind you - not Shaq. And you think in that time, he will go to dominating those guys? This was his only taste of NBA caliber talent and it wasn't even close. I think it would be a HUGE risk to bet the farm on this guy. I'm not saying he will be a total bust, but I don't think it's as much of a sure thing as a lot of people do. What do you think?
In the championship game Wake Forest's Darius Songalia at 6'9" did very well playing the Luthuanian Pivot. He's be a great 2nd round pickup for the Rockets. Tough kid. Boards. Some offense. Maybe foul prone... but who cares, he's playing backup.
He was still playing against NBA all-stars and was able to get 2 blocks in 16 minutes as a 19 year old kid. This guy is not getting drafted for offense but for his defense and the ability to make the other team change their shots.
Maybe so, but the reason he only played 16 minutes was due to the foul trouble he go himself into because he couldn't defend our guys without hacking them....interesting post Juugie...it definitely makes you wonder about this guys when he gets here and has to play with the big boys
China toured the US last year beating up on the World University team and other college teams like OU. Ming was always at the top in blocks and rebounds. Wang Zhi Zhi was right there in points. counter to this one game in Olympics where fouls go him in trouble and in which he had 5 blocks by the way, in 2001, there many results of against top college competition in which Ming had excellent games and in some cases had 20 points and 21 rebounds or 25 points and 15 rebounds on average. he always had 3-6 blocks in games against top American collegiate talent too. He played against the likes of Melvin Ely and Jabari Brown during their tour and dominated them. So, is this guy ready to dominate in the NBA, no! But, is he one of the best college age players in the draft. 99% of drafted players do not dominate anway. I expect him to put up 12 points and 5 rebounds and at least 2-3 blocks per game his first year in the NBA, which better than 99% of drafted players and better than 75% of most centers currently in the league
The only knock on Ming, in my opinion, is size. He is atleast a good two years away from bulking up. What Ming has: - Height - Shooting Touch - Strong Fundamentals - Ability to play inside and outside What Ming does not have: - Size, bulk, muscle To play in the NBA, especially center, you need size and strength. I personally think that the Rockets should draft him if available, but get him on a solid reconditioning program and bulk him up. In two years, if he has the size, he can be the best center in the league. The problem I have with the College kids drafted these days, is that almost none of them can shoot. It is quite frustrating to draft a player, and pay him this big money, only to discover that he has no shot. That is why, I think Rudy is on the money, when he always aims for players who have a good shot. Talking about the above game in question, I did watch that game. Many of the fouls that Ming and Bateer made were intentional fouls to stop breakaways. I was actually watching the game to check out Ming, but unfortunately, he could not play much as we was constantly in foul trouble. I don't think that is a reflection of his skills. It is more a reflection of the different type of game being played in the Chinese Leagues and the NBA. -Tariq
Which Ming are you talking about? The one who delivers your pork fried rice? What exactly would constitute having "size" in your opinion? For God sakes he is 7'5 283
NJRocket, What I mean is that he needs muscle to avoid being pushed over in the NBA. When I saw Ming play in the Olympics, he was just a stick, hence my remark. If you look at Wang Zhi-Zhi today, that guy seems to have bulked up since he first came to the NBA.
Ralph Sampson was 7'4" and 220. Ming has him beat by 60 lbs. Ming is plenty big enough except maybe for Shaq but who can cover Shaq. Ming will be good as long as he gets used to the banging and speed of the NBA. The reason he was in foul trouble during the olympics is he tried to block almost every shot as was not used to the speed of NBA all-star players. However, I also saw him shoot a 18 footer with Garnett in his face. He will be the #1 draft pick and no one will trade him. If Chicago gets him, then they will trade one of their other big men away and keep Ming.
Hubie Brown just did an interview on WFAN in New York and he was VERY high on Ming... Said he runs the floor as good as any big man in the league, shoots 80% from the FT line, etc etc etc. He went on to say "the only thing he hasnt done yet is compete against the great BLACK athlete" then...he made another referrence to the "Black" athlete...what is he thinking WOW...anyway, he went on to say that if a team with some surrounding cast drafts him, he will adjust to the league very quickly.. He quoted Bob Ryan, who asked Hubie a very interesting question when they spoke about MIng... Name one American born center with all star potential under the age of 30 (Shaq is not under 30 anymore)...Ming is 22 and certainly has all star potential
OK, if the China world team beat OU, then I may have to rescind my comment about the talent in China being less than CBA caliber. I'm beginning to like Ming alot. Robinson struggled in his first olympic, and he turned out to be a good player.
i'd like to see ming's stats now if he were to play against our all-stars. he was too young then to give a make or break judgement. let's just say if griffin was playing against them(same age), his stats would be the same or worse, yet we can all agree he has star potential.
The jury is still out with me in regards to Ming. I look at Wang Zhi Zhi as an example. Certainly Wang will be a solid scorer. But he still seems like a huge project, and development and adjustment may take a few years. I have heard Ming is better, but I have seen both play, and I am not terribly convinced that Ming is that much better than Wang. They both do different things well. But overall, I am not really rinding the Ming bandwagon yet.
It will take Ming a few years to get used to playing against bigger and stronger competition. Yes, he will get pushed around and abused in his first few years. He WILL need to bulk up and get on a high protein and carb diet. But, the skills are there. This guy isn't a clumsy freak of nature like Manute Bol or Shawn Bradley. He has a sweet jumper and knack for blocking shots. He probably won't have an immediate impact like a Pau Gasol. He may need to sit the bench alot in his first year. Believe me, though, this guy is the real deal. He's not a stiff, and about 5 years down the road, he'll be a household name.
All due respect to your 3000+ posts, but why are you comparing Zhi? Other than the fact they are Chinese... Would you base an opinion on a player born in California because you saw somebody else from CA? Ming's success lies in his heart and talent...not his country.
I think the reference is to the style of play. Basketball played in the NBA is different than the basketball played in the NCAA, Europe and Asia. I am inclined to agree with Hoop-T, and that goes out to all foreign players coming to the US. All of them have great shooting skills and run the floor well, but don't know how to play defense and shun the physical play. Lets take the example of Dirk Nowitzki. That guy was lost in his first year of NBA and it is only now that he has developed into the fine player that he is. However, having said that, all the non-US basketballers are now waking up to what the NBA is, and that is partly thanks to the participation of the NBA in the Olympics etc. More and more foreign players are adapting their game for the NBA and learning what makes the US produce such great players. I think this is great for the game itself, though I hope that the US kids develop their fundamentals and shooting skills, otherwise within the next few years, the draft will mostly be of foreign players. -Tariq
Ming finished with 5 points 3 rebounds 2 assists 1 turnover 2 blocks and 5 fouls in 16 minutes. I'm not too concerned about this boxscore. Rebounds and fouls are things that can improve quickly if one has the desire and the time to get adjusted to playing a faster and more physical game. It sounds like Ming has the skills to improve in these areas. Point production in the post is entirely dependent on someone throwing you the ball in position. If the perimeter defense is such that post passes are not coming, it's hard for inside players to score. I'm guessing the Chinese perimeter players found it difficult to deliver the post pass against the US Olympic Team. I would take 2 blocks and 2 assists every 16 minutes right now.
I decided to do a little investigation and it turns out that Shawn Bradley weighs 275 pounds. Therefore, I think it can be assumed that the reason Ming weighs so much is simply because of his height and has nothing to do with his bulk, because we all know that Shawn Bradley is by no means a bulky player. I've seen pictures of Ming. He's a beanpole. His first two or three years he's going to be snapped like a twig.
DCkid: Yeah, but he is also 21 so he is going to put on some more muscle and weight. I'm not saying he is going to be as big as Shaq or even Olajuwon but he will be bigger than Bradley.
Yeah, I agree he'll get stronger, but I have a feeling his first NBA season he'll be saying to himself, "what did I get myself into?" But from what I heard about Bradley is that it is very hard for someone that tall to put on weight. I remember reading about the meals that Shawn Bradley would eat. They were ridiculous. It was about three times as much as you and I would eat for a meal. Yet he still doesn't seem to have gotten a whole lot bigger.
