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Out of curiosity: Yao or Howard, now that we have Howard

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by HamJam, Feb 26, 2014.

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What would you rather have, Howard or a healthy Yao

  1. Howard (who we now have)

    17.9%
  2. A healthy Yao (two words that, when together, cause me to weep)

    82.1%
  1. chenjy9

    chenjy9 Numbers Don't Lie
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    I voted for a healthy Yao, but like others have said already, let's be real... when did we ever see a healthy Yao in his prime. By the time his balls dropped, the poor giant was already breaking down.
     
  2. rockbox

    rockbox Around before clutchcity.com

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    I pick Howard because it's easy to get him the ball. You don't have to spend 15 seconds waiting for Howard to get position just to see the opponent steal the ball.
     
  3. YallMean

    YallMean Member

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    Absolutely, Yao's few that could distort the game, Howard not quite that.
     
  4. Icehouse

    Icehouse Member

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    Here is the link to the 2009 ECF's, when Howard led Orlando past Cleveland. I think that counts as playoff time. Let me know which game Howard spent the last two minutes on the bench.

    http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/matchup/_/teams/magic-cavaliers
     
  5. rhino17

    rhino17 Member

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    I'll still take yao. He was way better offensively and although nowhere near the shot blocker howard is, was every bit as good of a man to man defender
     
  6. YallMean

    YallMean Member

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    He was healthy for almost 3 years when he first started. He didn't miss one game in his rookie year IIRC. As matter of fact, injury free was a bragging point of his during those years. Too much National basketball duty, and JVG probably would have rethought how to use Yao had he known. Yao was grinding night in and night out, like freaking digging. Some of you guys make it out as if he was that fragile. It was like WWE smack down every game for him, mind you, because the opponent knew that was the only way to stop him. At the end, he gave all he could to the Rockets and deserve some due respect.
     
  7. YallMean

    YallMean Member

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  8. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    Actually why don't you switch Howard to the Yao teams - those teams would be absolutely beastly. McGrady and Howard together would be outrageous on the pick and roll in a way that McGrady and Yao weren't able to be.

    Anyway - Why do you think the Rockets kept winning games without Yao all those years that he got injured? Because they were able to fill in the gaps on offense (they replaced his post scoring with more aggressive play from TMac and Landry et al and played at a higher pace) and generally had Mutumbo on defense to plug that gap.

    Put him on this version of the Rockets, which bases its offense heavily on attacking the basket repeatedly from the outside in - and it's an awful fit. The pace slows down, the driving lanes get clogged.

    Harden & Parsons would still be effective, but not nearly as much when they have freedom - and watching the Rockets would be more like watching Memphis. Morey would have to rebuild the whole team, get Chuck Hayes back to play next to Yao and cover his weaknesses - more casspi & other spot up only players. I don't wanna see that.
     
  9. Icehouse

    Icehouse Member

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    Good enough for him to be on the court at the end of games and lead his team to the Finals.
     
  10. JLOBABYDADDY

    JLOBABYDADDY Member

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    I changed my vote three times before deciding on Howard. Yao is more skilled, but he was not the rebounder dwight is. He is a 20/10 guy when healthy at best over the course of a season. Given that this year's Harden and '05 TMac cancel one another out, I'd take Dwight on this team and on that '05 team. Better team defender, better shot blocker, better ball handling, and can run the floor better. Yao is much more skilled.

    Post moves weren't jaw dropping but he was clearly the better offensive scoring option compared to Dwight. But he was more of a pick and pop guy where dwight can roll and accept lobs. Yao wasn't a free throw liability late in games. Finally, the deciding factor for me was that Dwight has played every game this year. A "healthy" Yao was always one game away from being "not healthy". Tough call. But I'd go with Dwight.
     
  11. YallMean

    YallMean Member

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    Yao would draw double team. You don't think that's going to impact the game more than Howard?

    Tmac and Howard with David Wesley and others, wouldn't it be like Harden and Howard with David Wesley. Don't think that would be beastly, like beastlier than the current team.
     
  12. sleepyazn

    sleepyazn Member

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    There is no centers today that can match Yao Ming. If Yao was healthy, he would be number one right now.
     
  13. YallMean

    YallMean Member

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    He was right around 60%. I don't think team was hacking him as a strategy. Didn't Michael kinda sit him out in the PHX game. Look, don't get me wrong, I love Howard, not trying to disparage him. This is in the context comparing Yao with him.
     
  14. ItalianRocket

    ItalianRocket Member

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    Howard all Day every Day
     
  15. ItalianRocket

    ItalianRocket Member

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    Howard all Day every day
     
  16. Salvy

    Salvy Member

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    I love Yao but the current team with Howard is better in my opinion. The record say it all.... And sure many can argue Harden has a lot to do with it and he does but T-Mac was also one of the top players when he was here.... Yao went down right at the time when he was starting to dominate on a whole other level... Still wish we could have seen what that team could have done but this current roster is quickly making me forget about it.... Howard it is.... Sorry...
     
  17. don grahamleone

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    I picked. It was hard.

    Yao head to head against great centers, you pick Yao every day. However, this league is dominated by smaller quicker bigs and Dwight's athleticism affects the game much better than I can imagine Yao doing today(he struggled with the smalls then). Yao was somewhat turnover prone, but the biggest deal to me is rebounding. Yao can hit any free throw, but he can't will his way into grabbing a missed shot quite like Dwight.

    This was tough, but Dwight.
     
  18. houtown

    houtown Member

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    theoretically Yao Ming should be better better, but in reality, Dwight is the better center and Yao lacked the agility.
     
  19. SamFisher

    SamFisher Member

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    It sure would impact the game more - you'd be having a 7-6, double teamed plodder who has trouble with fronting defenses drawing people into the paint on every one of your fewer possessions. Like I said, you'd have to play the game absolutely differently - fewer possessions, fewer points, more defense.

    I don't think this is very conducive to the current Rockets' personnel strengths. It would probably end up like 07/08 in which the Rockets were a significantly better offensive team when yao ming was OFF the floor with his various ailments, due in part to the greater freedom allowed to TMac et al. on the offensive end.
     
  20. YallMean

    YallMean Member

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    Okay, that's fair.
    I would say this though it's all about match ups in the playoffs. We are having tremendous difficulties against the Griz and Indiana, teams that play big. I think Yao would give us better chance to be successful against those teams in the playoffs and finals. The small ball we are running were fine last year, but the Griz and Pacers suffocated us pretty good, it's like no chance at all. I thought with addition of Howard, that might change. First two games against the Griz, IIRC, Gasol was out, and pretty ugly comeback wins. The last two games were just bad. Pacers whack us even harder.
    The counter to that is ... Yao and company were horrendous against small ball, e.g. the Suns. True. In the end, I think it's preference of style. I wish we could have a mixture of Yao and Howard in one.
     

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