...the Rox luck out with the #1 overall pick, get the chance to draft a 7'5" freakin' center with skills, and a lot of you guys are whining? Ming, at worst, is a double-double guy in the league which puts him in the Top 10 centers in the NBA...right now! There are about 28 other teams right now wishing they had the chance to do what the Rox get the chance to do in one week. Consider yourselves LUCKY!
Definitely not a double double guy at WORST. He can eventually be a double double guy, but will need time to adapt to the NBA.
There are some of us ROX fans "who still can't stand up in front of the class" due to having won the draft lotto.
Man, you're taking the fun away from us. It's so much more fun to have a hostile poster from teams. While I'm a pro-Minger, I think you're a bit optimistic about his first year impact. However, I'd be very happy, if your predictions come true. Also, I consider the Rockets to be very lucky as well.
Maybe Ming will be all that you say he will be. That isn't the issue. The issue is the Chinese government. They can yank him back to China AT ANY TIME!!!!! He could be the next coming of Shaq and he would do us no good playing in China. Also, what if the Chinese decide to invade Taiwan? That is something the U.S. has said that we will not tolerate. This can become a real issue for the continued NBA availability of Ming. Drafting a player is always a risk that he won't turn out to be all that he promises to be, but take one without the political issues. After all, if we could trade the pick for the 8 and the 12, we could get Caron Butler and Amare Stoudamire. Not only that we could get Odom and get rid of Rice in the deal???? If I'm CD that deal would have been done yesterday.
Good point, but Divac was not subject to a Communist system. I mean you don't see Serbs defecting in droves. Also you don't see Serbs being restricted from leaving the country. You also don't see Serbs with nukes. This is a very touchy situation given China's status as a world power.
Doc has posted before that there is at least as much conv. w/in the rox camp about Butler as there has been about Ming. I wouldn't be surprised to see them make a deal for Butler, but not at the expense of Ming. How does it happen? I'm not paid to figure it out, RT and CD are, and they will find a way. Now that I think about Butler's two reps at 185, what a joke. He was tanking it...but why would he? given the $ Butler stands to lose by falling not one but several spots in the draft. NO I do not think Butler will be there at 15, but he could be there at 8 or 9 and acquired via trade. Is this all part of a master plan? if so Butler was duped?
I understand your point about Butler. But most commentators I have heard all say that there isn't anybody in the draft that fits the Rockets system better than Butler. Additionally I think that Stoudamire will develop into an All-Star calibur center. At 19 he is a fraction of what he will become.
I'd like to nominate this man for the "Most Ignorant about China" award. He also has a good shot at the "Most Ignorant about Yao Ming" award, considering he obviously hasn't read the multiple other posts today about the CBA/Sharks promise that Yao would be fully available during the NBA regular+playoff season.
You're right...my mistake. The Chinese government has never (gasp) lied about anything before. But I do appreciate the insult.
Pfft, what fun is that? It takes away the from the complainers. And then what will the people who complain about the complainers do? It could get ugly. . .
Maybe double-double isn't the worst, but I think he will be a 4-5 block per 48 min guy out of the gate. The big question, between easing him in and foul trouble, will be playing time. Ming may not average 20 min a guy till after the allstar break. If he is averaging less than 20 min a game, I think we will see 8 pt, 6 reb and 3 blocks from him on average. Remember, the guy is 7'5" There are some teams they will be able to say, go under the basket and we'll lob it up for you. The big question is how do you deal with Shaq? My take, MoT or Cato put the body on him to keep him out of the low block as much as possible and Ming defends the goal behind them. Will we see more zone this year on defense with Ming? Should we? What kind of defense would you design with shotblockers like Ming, Cato and Griffin in your arsenal?
As far as worrying about shaq goes, I think we should try to put together a team that can make the playoffs. Then we'll gripe more about shaq once we can get there. Note: Rudy T knows how to coach big men. This also probably means he knows how to slow them down. I'd love to play the Lakers in the playoffs.
What if? What if? What if? Is there anybody here who claims to be Cassandra/Nostradamus/Casey reborn, he or she will have a guaranteed audience. Nothing is certain. We could decide against Ming and take a Len Bias Jr. We could choose a player who becomes too badly injured in a car wreck like that future point guard wizard on the West Coast (what was his name?) or blow out a knee like LaPhonso Ellis and never be anything. I mean, afterall, Ming has to fly from China to here, and there is plenty of chance for an accidental crash or terrorist act. Sometimes the board sounds like a bunch of old women who are trying to tell a grandchild who to marry --- the doctor, the lawyer or the Indian chief! What if? What if? What if?
let's review: -we draft Griffin after going 45-37 2 years go -we have a rash of injuries this year and finish in the 5th slot -we win the lottery and get the #1 -not bad for a team that almost made the playoffs a couple years ago with a worse team.......my point is this We are not a lottery team and really should be in the 13-16 slots. my take is that we were extremely blessed to get this anyway. realistically, we are not a lottery team. we had a comedy of errors and injuries that wipe us out last year and had that not happened we may have the 14 or 15 or 16, not the #1. with this in mind, my take is yours....everyone, including every NBA scout agrees on one thing, Yao Ming can shoot the lights out, he can run and is athletic and he is freakin 7'6"......this is not a risk in my mind because we should not be here and the guy is freakin athletic and 7'6"..... let's enjoy this because we should not be here....and Ming is athletic at 7"6"
