well, too bad we'll just have to stick with yao like u said les would never trade him lol u r absolutely right that the window of opporunity is closing and the shadow is caving in on yao's era... shane is getting older and slower by the day... scola is not that young himself.. will we be able to keep artest... will we get suffient quality play at the pg position..and tracy mcgrady...oh my but as long as yao ming is playing, the rockets will have a chance, without him there is no chance. unfortunately and fortuantely this is the situation rockets are in because yao ming is irreplace.
That's the whole point. Maybe you can, maybe you can't. But why take the risk when you've conceded that he's not irreplaceable or good enough to carry a team.
based on what? you don't think the return on his trade value could carry you to the 5th seed in the conference?
Cab, Here is the difference, I have not conceded that, I think he is fine for being the centerpiece of a great team, but the championship will be won by the pieces of the entire team, like it always is.... Yao can be the focus, but it will depend on the entire team to get it done. I will bow out and let others respond, no need for me to go on....clearly I disagree with the Yao is not good enough crowd. DD
realistically no, because cavs ain't treating lebron4yao, and other than that... let's say we get kobe in return, dwight in return, let's say we get chris paul in return, lets say we get duncan, wade, bosh, or whoever u can think of.. we are better off keeping yao, with the company of shane, scola, artest and mcgrady. our best chance to win a couple of championships before yao retires is yao.
Never bothered to watch a Yao's mix as a "true Rockets fan"? I bet you when TMac came to join the Rockets, he always had the game in mind, where he traded baskets with Yao throughout the whole game but lost on the end. Not too long ago, posters were busy digging out 4th quarter performance data and last 5 mins data to show that Yao is in fact quite clutch on this team. Of course, video, game data, stats, opinions of teammates or coaches are just garbage, You Sir holds the ultimate truth with your own opinion. That's fine. I am not interested in changing your mind. Just once again, my original question, Yao is the problem, how do we fix that? You said through trading with your breakthrough new discovery of 2 models. a) superstar model - which superstar do you propose we trade Yao for? Who are you going to rip off with your garbage? Why would the counterparty do it, just because you feel like it? b) Detroit model - they had 4 all-stars on their team at the time. We only have a fake one in Yao, now how are you going to trade your garbage fake all star Yao for 4 all-stars? Again, I wouldn't hold my breath.
Yao is a "star" not a "superstar". He is a superstar in the sports-celebrity sense but not in playing ability. That does not mean we should break up the team.
great players win championships, not great teams. sure the celtics were great, but paul peirce had to outduel lebron in the conference finals and then shut down kobe in the finals and hit big shots. yao got his lunch money taken from him by mehmet freaking okur. and how do you plan on acquiring those peices to surround him? you're going to wait till '10 when he's 30 and hope someone signs here? you're going to hope you can get something great for mcgrady? you're banking on some unfavorable odds and even then, you have a tiny window to get it all to mesh. what's even the point when you could restock your farm system by trading him? sure, we might get to the 2nd round this year, but who cares? that's not a good goal for a veteran team. if you're not either contending for a championship or building towards one, you're wasting your time.
great players make great teams. sometimes great players aren't playing on great teams but the great teams of the game have ALWAYS had great players. i don't believe the Houston Rockets currently have a great player.
DD... I see this thread in an entirely different matter... 1) Yes it does take a TEAM to win a championship 2) You are correct that it did take Dream going thru the injury, fighting with the front office and rededicate his left back to being a Muslim. But the thread title was this "Superstar Centers carry their teams" and so many people want to put Yao as a Superstar. I for one agree that Yao is a good player... but not a Superstar player. As soft as David Robinson was, he could still carry his team... So when I look at Superstar Centers.... Shaq, Wilt, Russell, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Kareem, Bill Walton, Willis Reed and Moses Malone. They could all carry their team, unfortunately I see Yao in the same category as Rick Smits, very good players but not Superstar players. T_Man
I am not saying Yao is a Superstar, I think he is an elite player, and I don't think you need a superstar to win the prize. DD
Huh? Where is this video, game data, and stats of Yao carrying the team? What are you talking about dude. You seriously need to invest in a reading comprehension course. I have no idea how you derived that I thought we could trade Yao for a superstar or for 4 All-Stars. The two models are the two blueprints of past championship teams. They either had a great player (or two great players) carry them or had a great balanced lineup. I said since it was clear Yao couldn't be the superstar in a 'superstar' championship model, and you're focusing on the second model, it's easier to just trade him and develop younger talent. I have no idea how you so drastically misinterpreted that.
What is the point of this thread? Implied Yao sucks? I am so regret to become a member of clutchfans, this forum is so negative. The "Rockets Fan" dont support their own team, always whinning and hating. Houston dont deserve to have a champion team.
yao is a great player in every sense of the word great. sure, he's 29 and been injuried 3 of his best years sure, he's 29 and no playoff success sure, he's 29 and slower by the day sure, he's 29 7'6 getting blocked everygame and missing dunks often sure, he's 29 and on career projection he's already in his prime and going downhill from now on... but we can still assume the best, we can still believe and hope for the best. because why? because yao ming himself does. "blessed are the ones who have not seen and yet believed." YAO MING ~ WILL STEP UP, COME THROUGH AND DELIVER!!
From my perspective he's closer to Hakeem than he is Jesus Christ, so this post doesn't really get it for me.
