Originally posted by Verbatim Interesting. granted Paul Pierce is a scoring machine and O'Neal is a up and coming star. BUT you seem to forget one thing. While there are great individual players, I truly believe that they are not "team" players. They play for the money, the fame, the honors. Ming plays for the love of the game, to improve himself, to make his National Team better. He won't see his money and yet he's still coming to play. He cried after a lose that was in ways expected because the Chinese NT is not good (except for Ming). He is a team player and that makes him better than all the yahoos on the USA Team. Only Yao plays for the love of the game, only Yao is a team player, and only Yao cries after losses. Yao Yao Yao, he's the man. What did these stars on the USA Team do after they got their asses handed to them. Did anyone say they were sorry for letting the American People down? Sure it don't mean anything cause only the Olympic and the NBA Finals are worth something right? WRONG. They represented their country and were the heavy favorites because they were the team with the better players. They did not play like a team and lost. They did not play like a team because they weren't a team. They were a bunch of guys thrown together right before a world tournament. These players have never spent any time playing competitive tournaments with each other unlike the majority of the teams at the Worlds. And really please, the Worlds usually don't mean anything to American basketball fans. The crowds at the USA games should have told you that. It's only when we lose that it matters to anyone. If Team USA had won the tournament nobody would even be talking about them. If Ming was on the USA Team instead of O'Neal, would he still be the best center in the Tourney? YES, Would the USA still be undefeated? YES. That's because if the USA Coach see the way Ming performs and the USA guards see him perform, do you think Ming would get more shots and score more or get more assists? Would Ming have impacted the USA Team more than O'Neal??? Well if Ming is the best center in the tournament I guess we can expect him to put up 20 points and 10 rebounds this NBA season. Make sure you stick around for the season so you can tell me again how he was the best center in the tournament and how much better he is than O'Neal. As for the health issues, he's in training year round, that I think is actually pretty good. That helps his conditioning. If Cato was in training year round and getting better, I'm sure everything here in this BBS would be surprise and happy to heard it. Training is not an NBA season. Injuries happen so that shouldn't even be considered. Ming is young and he's in good shape. Lot's of NBA players get injured so it's just a part of life. Look T-Mo got injured while playing a pick-up game and was lost for a year. Is T-Mo injury prone? Grant Hill was out for long periods of time for 2 years? Does that make Grant Hill a bad player? No. That shouldn't even be considered!? Why not? That seems pretty incompetent if you're not considering Ming's increased risk for injury considering the histories of Sabonis, Sampson, Smits, and Muresan. Ming is not in good shape. He was dragging on the court quite a bit during the Worlds.
I guess if we were not willing to take the chance that Yao will avoid injuries and turn into a dominating center we would have already traded him for one of those players or more. Between Peirce, J. Oneal and Yao who is the only one that has a chance to be dominant like Shaq, Dream, Jordan, Magic, Bird and Kareem? While Peirce and J. Oneal may be sure things, Yao is the only one with the potential to turn into a truly dominant NBA player that will lead his team to an NBA championship. I acknowledge that it is a real possibility that Yao will start to fall apart in two or three years but it is also a very real possibility that Yao will be the best player in the NBA in two or three years.
Gasol may be better than Ming at this point...but I would say his potential as a wiry center is limited. We'll see who dominates their matches in the future.
Pierce was third in the league in scoring and took the Celtics to the Eastern Finals man! He's already a dominant NBA player and he's only about 25. I agree with you that Yao has the highest upside if everything falls into place but that's a big if. I'd also say the chances of Yao being injured in 2/3 years are a lot higher than Yao being the best player in the NBA above Kobe, Duncan, and McGrady.
so, most of you are climbing on the Ming bandwagon. that is fine, I just hope not many would just bash him as hard when he has some bad days like hitting the rookie wall.
I'd never argue with a Yetti, Big Foot, or Abominable Snowman but some of these expectations of Yao in these threads sound like hoops style wet dreams. I hope Yao fulfills them all for the sake of the team but I'm not counting on it.
this thread need to be locked, don't waste our time for this issue. MING IS WITH THE ROCKETS period...
whatever your smoking, send it my way. oh yeah, i also hear that ny wants to trade charlie ward for franchse. you think we should do that too?
"Well if Ming is the best center in the tournament I guess we can expect him to put up 20 points and 10 rebounds this NBA season." Timing, No NBA player at the Worlds averaged 20 and 10 last season. Nowitzki and O'Neal came close. I don't expect Ming to average 20 and 10 the coming season, not because I don't think he is capable of doing so, but because there are several other scoring options on the team. And yes, Ming IS better than O'Neal. He beat him in every statistical category imaginable at the Worlds, and I'm sure by now only an idiot would say "that's just the Worlds, it's not the NBA", because the NBA superstars came 6th. Your logic concerning Mings health is seriously flawed, because what you say about the players you listed is mostly untrue. Check out the number of games the so-called injury-prone Smits played in his career. Also, while I'm not sure, I don't think the injury problems of Sabonis have anything to do with his feet, which is supposed to be the major problem area for players that tall. And yeah, he's so injury-prone that the Blazers are gonna pay him 7 million bucks to come back. Note how old Sabonis is and how many years he's been playing, even before he went to the NBA. Manute Bol, who is even taller than Ming, had his own fair share of NBA games, and you conveniently forgot that Shawn Bradley is just as tall as Ming, has played over 600 games and has never once been labelled injury prone. You must admit that your claim that Ming would "fall apart" after two or three years is seriously flawed.
Originally posted by okuseinde No NBA player at the Worlds averaged 20 and 10 last season. Nowitzki and O'Neal came close. I don't expect Ming to average 20 and 10 the coming season, not because I don't think he is capable of doing so, but because there are several other scoring options on the team. And yes, Ming IS better than O'Neal. He beat him in every statistical category imaginable at the Worlds, and I'm sure by now only an idiot would say "that's just the Worlds, it's not the NBA", because the NBA superstars came 6th. O'Neal averaged 19 and 10, if Ming is better then he should get 20 and 10 I guess. Kind of funny that you tell me Ming beat O'Neal in every statistical category and then right above you tell me you don't expect Ming to average O'Neal's NBA numbers because the Rockets have several other scoring options. Um, didn't the US Team have just a few other scoring options? Yeah... The Worlds isn't NBA basketball. Bateer drop kicked the US Team posts and couldn't even start for one of the worst teams in the NBA. Since Ming IS better than O'Neal you'll surely remind me of that after this NBA season or maybe you'll sink into the abyss of unrealized expectations. Your logic concerning Mings health is seriously flawed, because what you say about the players you listed is mostly untrue. Check out the number of games the so-called injury-prone Smits played in his career. It is a fact that Smits had foot problems, that is not untrue at all. Smits' minutes were limited often because of his feet, though I'm sure foul trouble played a role in that as well. If you look at Smits' career numbers I have no doubt his playing time was significantly lower than other top starting centers of his era. Also, while I'm not sure, I don't think the injury problems of Sabonis have anything to do with his feet, which is supposed to be the major problem area for players that tall. And yeah, he's so injury-prone that the Blazers are gonna pay him 7 million bucks to come back. Note how old Sabonis is and how many years he's been playing, even before he went to the NBA. He suffered a terrible achilles injury in his career and his speed/mobility is apparently nothing compared to what it was previous to the injury. Dollar figures mean nothing in the NBA, especially with Paul Allen in Portland. Scottie Pippen will make twice what Sabonis will, so what. Manute Bol, who is even taller than Ming, had his own fair share of NBA games, and you conveniently forgot that Shawn Bradley is just as tall as Ming, has played over 600 games and has never once been labelled injury prone. We on this board are not allowed to compare Yao Ming to Shawn Bradley. It's a rule or something. Bol and Bradley were super light weights without any athleticism unlike Yao, however you can add in Bol and Bradley to the mix and that would make 4 of 6 centers over 7'2" that had career ending injuries (Sampson, Muresan), career changing injuries (Sabonis), or in Smits case very limited time. You must admit that your claim that Ming would "fall apart" after two or three years is seriously flawed. I said it is a real possibility not that he definitely would but nah, if 4 of 6 previous centers in his height range have had serious injury problems then I'm confident that claim is right on considering none of them had to play basketball year round but we will see because I'd be happy to be wrong.
Since Jrazz refers to the WC's before posing his questions, it seems obvious that he's referring to the fact that Yao kicked some butt, and the US team stunk it up. Therefore, he's suggesting that there is no player on the US team that he'd trade Yao for. So basically, this guy makes an extremely pro-Rockets post and you guys beat him up for it...nice job.
I would ban myself if Rox does not beat the crap out of Mf*x next season(3:1 at least)!!!!!!!! I would ban myself if Rox does not finish at least two ahead of Mf*x!!!!!!!!!! book my words!
previously posted by Timing Jermaine's previous season's stats: 37.6 mpg 15.7 shots/game 47.9%FG 68.8% FT 1.6 ast 2.31 blk Would you argue that if Ming plays 37.6 minutes a game and get 16 shots a game, he will get similar or better numbers than Jermaine playing for Golden State, New York, Indiana, etc? I think almost everyone agrees that as a rookie Ming won't get over 30 minutes a game, so his rookie statistics won't exactly tell which player is better. Almost everyone would agree that Ming is a better passer, more efficient scorer, and a BIGGER defensive presence than Jermaine! I think it's from these reasons that people, including me, argue Ming is the better baller. I don't epect Ming to average Jermaine's numbers either on our team, but it's very possible that he can, and even surpass that, if he gets the minutes. Also, I don't expect Jermaine to do as good as last seaon either if he plays for the Rockets!
Would you trade Griffin and Ming for Wallace?? I wouldn't. Griffin is young, has shown Wallace level potential and has a rookie scale contract. Ming is in the same boat, except he has to prove it on the NBA court still. I'm not ready to claim either a HOFer, but I'd say it's a small risk to keep Ming/Griffin. I would trade Ming for Duncan. I doubt many on this board wouldn't, but realistically SA would never make such a ridiculous offer. BTW, Gasol is good and is arguably better than Ming because Yao has yet to play a single NBA game, but you need to keep in mind Gasol put up those numbers on a very bad team. IMO when all is said and done Ming will be just as good if not better than Gasol.
as soon as opposing players realize that they can drive between Ming's legs without ducking, he's going to be in trouble, IMHO... then again, I hope Vince is wearing something protective if he tries to jump OVER him... I wasn't sure these things had been sufficiently pointed out... maybe they had...
