Cassell, Horry et al for Barkley. Rodrick Rhodes at #23. Dickerson, Harrington et al for Steve "I won't play for the team that drafted me" Francis. Najera & mayo for Langhi. Looking back, Les, CD, and Rudy have taken some pretty steep gambles over the years. They have a pattern of trading away or passing up reliably good players in favor of players who offer the possibility of big rewards on the one hand, and significant risk of total failure on the other. Yao would be the biggest roll of the dice yet. Those of you who point out the risk that he'll be a bust are right. He could be a bust. Remember when the Rockets supposedly tubed a blockbuster trade because they refused to give up Rhodes? He was supposed to be a junior Jordan; all we had to do, said a Rockets official, was fix his jump shot. Never happened. People were freaking out all over this board when we coughed up Dickerson and Harrington for Francis. We knew Francis could be great, but many of us thought the risk that he'd prove to be a total headcase (as opposed to a headache) was too great. We traded away Najera, who has turned out to be a useful piece of a good team, for Langhi, who might have turned out to be something special but seems instead to be a total bust. I'm not saying Yao won't be a bust. Nobody knows the answer to that question. What I'm saying is that if you look back at the track record of the people at Greenway who will be making this call, that record suggests that unless they're offered something pretty amazing in exchange for this pick, they'll take the risk.
Why take the risk on a player that you can't even get in for a workout? Even if there weren't any demands from the CBA, he still would be a risky pick. Think about it... the last time there was so much hype over a player from the CBA he ended up in Dallas, and how much of an impact has he been. Take 4 inches away from ming and aren't we looking at the same player???
Wang is just a spot up shooter. Not a post up player. Ming can post up and can actually dribble. All that Wang does is catch and shoot.
I hope not. After all, Uwe Blab and Dirk Nowitzki are a bit different from each other as well (just to refute your assumption that two players from the same country have to be identical... ). And Uwe Blab had more of an impact in the German league than Dirk Nowitzki did. Nobody can be sure that Ming will be better than Wang, but there are a lot of indications that he is a totally different type of player. Besides, from what I have seen of Wang, he does not look like a bad player at all.
What "blockbuster" trade was contingent on Rodrick Rhodes being involved? I believe he was a potential deal-breaker in the Damon Stoudamire trade, although I'm not sure. This was when we had the Big 3 and seriously needed a point guard. The Rockets front office has consistently shown a willingness to make moves and take risks. Don't forget Eddie Griffin in that mix. At some point, though, you've got to wonder if they'll say "look at where all these risks have brought us". (3 straight lottery years, regardless of the reasons) I heard somewhere that no coach has ever survived 4 straight lottery seasons.
I am not saying he is going to be a bad player, but a player worth the number one pick to a team that is several players away he is not. For a team, city, and coach who needs to have a playoff season next year, this is the best chance to bring in more players than just one to get this thing turned around. (i.e. the Nets)
Major, Do you not see Ming as a worthwhile investment? Also, Two of those years were injury plagued, we should factor that in as well.
Major, Do you not see Ming as a worthwhile investment? Oh -- I personally am intrigued by Ming. I would have no problem with the Rockets picking him, nor going the other way. There's just too little information out there right now with regards to the constraints as well as his abilities. It's only been a week since we won the pick and there's still a month before the draft. My guess is that a lot changes between now and then. I just wouldn't be surprised if the Rockets pull back a bit on the risk factor and decide its time to pick someone who's likely to help win now.
Besides the Rockets drafting Hakeem, trading for Steve Francis was the best move this Franchise has ever made.
Kenny Thomas was also something of a risk when we drafted him. No one had predicted he would go as early as he did being a "tweener" and all. I remember the draft anaylists thinking it was a bad move at the time. That is a risk that worked out, I think.
On the topic of Rhodes....anyone remember the ESPN draft analyst (think his name was Bias) who called Rhodes something to the tune of The Worst First Round Pick Ever.....and was then murdered less than a year later, in the New Jersey hometown of none other then Rodrick Rhodes......hmmmmmmm..........
I don't remember that. There was an ESPN guy called Loewenstein or something like that who committed suicide, but he was not murdered. Can you provide a link to your story?
In China, wangs defense was better and he was a more versatile player than Ming. Take Wang to the NBA, and their is your softee who shoots perimeter jump shots. Take Ming and will his game be much different then Wangs.
That is really surprising,If Wang was more versatile and a better defender than Ming in China than why is there so much hype about Ming? I'm not arguing that you are wrong barbourdg,I'm just expressing my ignorance.
It should be mentioned that the Rocks drafted Drew and Mirsad Turksan in the first round three years back when they could have had Rashard Lewis instead of either. My only point is that some "risks" don't always work out.
