I found this to be pretty backhanded. Even I (who most believe is a rockets hater) know that Yao Ming should be an all-timer. Give me a break, Simmons. http://grantland.com/features/nba-draft-crapshoot-repick-1995/
hmm if you take a look at his career on a whole it's hard to argue.. If he never got injured I would certainly rank him above Griffin as a franchise player. Unfortunately his prime was just so short lived.
heck if he has Howard as a all timer (what the heck does that even mean) I have no doubt Yao is above a franchise player and a all timer since HE IS UNDOUBLTY more skilled, talented and better overall player than Howard. It's jsut too bad he only had two short years on top.
I would take Yao over Howard any day of the week. There isn't a question that Yao was better. Dude was a beast.
I'd take Yao for a single day. I'd take Howard for a single season. Yao was pretty much guaranteed to go down at some point in each season after those foot injuries started piling on.
If you are a franchise player make at least 1st team all nba. He probably could have made it in 08 if he didn't get hurt, but he didn't. He was just too flawed. He was unstoppable when he got the ball, but it was hard to get him the ball. He was a good defender except when he had to guard some on the pick and roll. He was an OK rebounder. Howard was a better defender than Yao. Yao was more skilled than shaq too, but I would still take Shaq.
considering Yao was injured so much it's hard to argue his spot as a All Star. If he wasn't injured then probably around All timers to Franchise Guys. I don't think D-Rose at this point belongs in the franchise guys with his injuries.
When your career lasts 7 years, you miss about 100 games due to injury, and you retire at age 28, it's hard to say you should be an all-timer.
Dude, did you even read the article or just scan over the star rating? A little later in the article: "I weighed the entirety of their careers over any short-lived peaks — so Yao Ming, Brandon Roy and Amar’e Stoudemire weren’t “franchise players” because they didn’t carry a franchise for long enough" So he isn't insulting Yao, ok. ok.
Obviously, it's a projection - how else would you rank players who are just starting their careers? Lots of the young guys will still move up or down. He has the look of a franchise player as of now. Maybe he'll be an all-time great. Maybe he'll crap out.
He was constantly injured. The only way in hell you might be right is if you factor how poorly he was officiated. Griffin is no long a b**** these days and I think if he were a Rocket he would impact the team in ways Yao couldn't.
