Honestly, and I have been meaning to change my signature, I still think that I would rather have a healthy Amare. Yao has had 10-12 stellar games. I would take Amare's consistent 25 and 9-10 over Yao's production over the course of this season. My opinion of Yao has been improving, but I still don't think that anybody 7'5" tall who starts at C in the NBA has an excuse to average less than 12 rebounds a game. Yao is the real deal, but it remains to be seen whether Yao can do this for 70-75 games a season.
I get on your case a lot, but I agree with you on needing to see how long Yao can sustain this. If he does it till end of the season, I dont think there can be any doubt.
If there is a rule saying nobody is allowed to jump while grabbing rebounds, I'd defintely agree with you. With the current rule, It's even harder to understand anybody 6'10'' tall with 40 inch vertical starts at C play 40 minutes in NBA has an excuse to average 9 rebounds a game. Maybe that's a good reason to pick Boykins over Amare and call Amare underachiever. It's even harder to understand any NBA player can shoot FTs below 60% for the whole season even in his prime, maybe that's a good reason to pick Wesley and call Shaq underachiever.
Amare never be better than Yao since day 1, now you ask this question when Yao 30/12 and Amare is on injure list?
If it's a choice between Amare and Yao straight up? I'd take Yao any day. Amare would not have gotten his 25-26 points per game without the brilliance of Steve Nash. He'd still be able to get 20-22 points per game, but his scoring efficiency would go down dramatically. His field goal percentage dropped to somewhere around 46% last year when Nash was out. Yao is clearly better at creating his own shot in the low post. However, if we had a great point guard like Jason Kidd or Steve Nash on this team...I might have to reconsider. As good as Yao is down low, Amare is an absolutely incredible finisher around the basket.
If Yao wera in Suns, Suns could be championship because they had enough offence (especially 3 point shooting ,Mvp Nash and their COY DA).Does Yao have all above in Rockets?
Another dumb@ss is talking about the overrated height crap again. It's the same kind of attitude that leads to unfair officiating against Yao. Anybody 7'5" tall and 300 pounds is physically immune to any pushing and shoving because nobody is big enough to foul him. Yeah, height helps, but it is skills, strength and athletic ability that matter.
If everyone else is like 6'5", then you are right. A few inches height difference can be more than compensated by supreme athletics and/or long arms.
I disagree. I like the variety in Yao's game. I just don't find dunks all that impressive unless its VC dunking over weis. Any jackass can run and jump in the nba and then throw it down. Yao can spin to the baseline and dunk it. The drive into the lane and hook. The fadeaway. The pass over the shoulder into the cutter diving into the lane. Hitting 15ft dbl teamed jumpers. Thats the kinda of game I appreciate. but hey, w/e floats ur boat.
Come on, of course Yao should average like 15 rebounds a game as he's 7'5. Dont you see that the leading rebounders for the last few seasons were 7 footer like Ilgauskas, Brad Miller and Shaq instead of 6'10 athletic freaks like Ben wallace, KG, Dwight Howard or Marion? Oops, never mind.
7'7 Manute Bol averaged 18 rebounds a game. 17 of them offensive. Unfortunatey he had a shooting percentage of 10%
I've been picking Yao over Amare since their rookie seasons. Yeah I am biased b/c I am a Rockets fan but Yao is more than a dunker. Head to Head I believe Yao has always outplayed Amare and most of the time Yao has won the team battle as well. Amare's numbers last season were inflated b/c of the Nash factor. Just look at how good the role players are on the Suns. THese are the same role players that struggled on other teams. Now they are lethal three point shooters and averaging double digit points. Amare is an athletic freak but I don't think his overall game (post moves, defense, shooting, jump hook) is better than Yao's. Oh yeah, look at his numbers last season when Nash was out, I think he average less than 15 points!
Blah. The NBA needs to impose height restrictions! It's unfair!!! (this was actually a serious, multiple page thread on ESPN forums recently. I kid you not.)
Amare was replaced by Boris Diaw without missing a beat. This is the same Boris Diaw that had trouble getting starts with the Hawks. That team is driven by Nash, who is a frontrunner for the MVP again this year. Amare without the rest of the Suns, or even just without Nash, is not nearly as good. Just because the Spurs decided to shut down the rest of the team and let Amare run wild (a strategy that worked, I might add) people think he is the second coming of Moses Bird-Barkely. Instead, he is an athletic freak with limited skills and the worlds best point guard, and now his athletic skills may be diminshing with his injury. It is no coincidence that Raja Bell is having a career year, just like Amare did when paired with Nash, as did Joe Johnson, Boris Diaw, etc.
It entirely depends on your team. If I'm the Suns, the Mavs, or any other teams play with up tempo, I'll take Amare. If I'm the Rockets, the Heats, or any team plays more of a half court games, I'll go with Yao.
