I heard many people say his arms are short but from the pictures, they look pretty normal for a 7"5 guy. Does anyone have the official measurement of his arms? thx
I have no idea about the length of his arms but I know he has the 2nd widest wingspan among all the draftees this year.
All this talk about Yao's arms being short is a bunch of crap! Yao's arms are 7'4" 1/2 (wing span). That's 2-3 inches longer than most 7ft centers in the league. There are too many other factors that "make a player." Shawn Bradley's arms were longer. What happened to him...Hmmmm? Big deal if there are 6'9" guys that have 7'11" (wing spans). What Yao loses in arm length, he gains back in height and jumping ability from his strong legs. Everyone said that Kevin Willis had short arms and look what he did: An All-star, and averaged over 17ppg and 13rpg over a four year period with Atlanta. Kevin had strong legs, could jump high and quick, and had excellent hands! Yao shows these same abilities. This arm length issue is a non-issue. As a matter of fact, it's probably his shorter arms that has given him the ability to put the ball on the floor and dribble. He gets lower to the ground (bends his knees) when he dribbles the ball. He has developed this skill over time probably due to this factor.
The longer the arm is, the harder it is to pinpoint the angle of elbow during shooting. That's a geometric fact. Those who don't believe it can experiment by using a stick to touch an object, the longer the stick, the harder it gets.
Yes, Maybyner "Nene" Hilario, 6'9", 260lbs, and an incredible 7-foot-4 3/4 wingspan. That gives him an advantage over other 6'9" players that aren't afforded that luxury. But there are two other players under 7ft, that have 7'9" + wing spans. And they are under 7ft!
Panda. How about...And a car that goes 150mph is 2mph faster than a car that goes 148mph. So, in a word: Duh! I guess this means that Yao can't play basketball, huh? Maybe you should give China a call and tell them to send us a longer armed Yao Ming!!! (sarcasm). People are acting like his shorter (non-proportional arm length) will make/break him. It will not.
Don't get me wrong. I'm with you on this. It's arguable that longer arms for Yao are better for rebounding and blocking, however, extra reach may come at the expense of shooting touch, for the point said above. Look at Ray Allen, the guy has short arms and his jumper is automatic. Then Carlos Rogers, he has extra long arms but his jumpers are beyond ugliness. Yao's present reach is already the second in the league next to Bradley. It's certainly good enough. I think ppl are just curious to Yao's wingspan, that's all.
Yes, I noticed that about Ray. He has trouble in the paint. But is great on the fly or during a jumpshot. Kobe (who has longer arms) on the other hand loves the paint (putbacks/tip-ins), great at blocks, but not as smooth on the jumpshot (mechanical). But if I had to chose one desirable trait, it would be: hands! Here's a few names: Bobby Jackson, Darrell Armstrong, Chris Webber, Randy Brown (nice ball control for a short guy), Barron Davis, Bo Outlaw, Tony Delk, Kevin Willis. Although, not *all* these guys are dominate players. I love to watch them play because of their ball control. They all have good-hands for the ball. Yao doesn't have wide hands, but he has long fingers. Like Dikembe/Hakeem. He should be able to handle/pass the ball with some skilz!
Yes, JJ. He's 7'ft tall, drafted by Portland. "Nene" and JJ have the most abnormally long arms for their bodies. Freaky.
Kevin Willis.....good hands????? His hands are horrible! Great ball control? have you seen him play????
Yes, I've seen him play. And I'm not basing his skills on the last two years like YOU ARE! I'm talking about his career, from the time he was drafted in 1984! Grow up kiddie!
Is it just me or does this remind any one of Ricky Williams "small hands" which were supposed to make him a useless receiver out of the backfield. Didn't these people watch him play at UT for Pete's sake! On the topic of Yao Ming, just from the pictures I have seen, it looks like his wingspan might be affected more by narrow shoulders than short arms. Maybe it's just me. I dunno.
Yao's arms are in normal proportion to his height, he doesn't have long arms, which is just fine with the Rox.
