What player of all-time do you think Yao Ming's game Resembles?

Yao is one of the most unique players ever to play the game, No one like him and no one probably ever like him

An incredible package at 7-6, probably 340 lbs and still able to rebound well, block shots with an incredible lack of athletic ability and score 20 pts and hit free throws at a high clip, people will realize how special he is when he retires.

 

Spot on!!!

Yao Ming's childhood idol, since he started to be trained/play basketball at a basketball academy as a 12-year-old was Arvydas Sabonis!!

 

Sabonis could hit threes, and he was a more gifted passer. I thought Yao would be like Sabonis during his rookie year, but he never really evolved into that.

 

Denver's color commentator said Yao reminded him defensively of Bill Laimbeer of the 80s/90s Pistons, as both used their big size to force the opposing team to make adjustments in the paint.

But I think they went about doing this in a very different manner. Laimbeer was known for committing really hard fouls and for being a top defensive rebounder. Two things Yao is not known for.

 

I didn't vote, because I don't see Yao resembling any of those guys in terms of the way he plays the game. However I did make this video a couple of years ago, that highlights some similarities between Yao and Hakeem, although their games are really very different.

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my thoughts exactly. except for the FT% their games are quite similar, too bad we don't have a top notch pg like kareem did, otherwise we'd be....

 

I think it is between Hakeem and Kareem. Hakeem had the footwork which Yao has but he also has quickness which Yao doesn't. Then there's Yao's hook shot that's similar to Kareem's sky hook. Yao's finese can be compared with Hakeems' or Duncans' but Yao has the built to include more power and strength than either of the big men.

 

I think if Rudy T or Rick Adelman had coached Yao for most of his early NBA career he might've turned into something more like Sabonis, Sampson or Rik Smits. A very big guy with a softer passing and outside shooting touch but not quite as dominating of an inside game. JVG very consciously made the decision to mold Yao into a more standard post player and I would say Yao is now more like Patrick Ewing and Abdul Jabbar than he is like Sabonis.

 

I don't think Yao has anywhere near the footwork of Hakeem.

 

I didn't vote either. Yao is very unique in a way people don't pay enough attention to--he doesn't have enough stamina to be consistent.

I'd say overall he's very good all star. When he's rested well and without injury, he can be as dominant as anybody in the league. But when he's tired or with small injury(he will play through it though), he could be embarrassing to watch. That's the biggest reason we have seen totally different yao to a point we are confused about who he really is.

I'm optimistic that when yao's at his best(staying healthy and finally getting some rest in the summer will do it), he can be all time great in his own category.

 

yao is more like kareem at the end of his career. early kareem was very mobile and very athletic.

 

which is fine with me.

dominant centers dominate the paint. rik smits, sabonis, brad miller, et al can take the high post and shoot jumpers or pass to teammates.

 

fxxxx,what is your signature, why abuse YAO ? you hate him?

 

Anyone who thinks he's like Ewing is crazy.

If he's like anyone it's a lakers era Kareem. Yao can shoot the hook with either left or right hand which very few of the centers on the list above could do.

 

I'm thinking he's actually a super-charged version of Mursesan, whose NBA career, while healthy, was underrated.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/muresgh01.html

 

Brad Daughtery. Big and slow, very skilled on the blocks, a bit on the soft side. All star type, not all time great.

 

i hate how yao is always compared to oh-so-average rik smits. rik smits averaged only 15 (pts) and 6 (rbs) for his career. yao is much better than rik smits. are there aspects of yao's game that are like rik smits? yes there are. but there are also flashes of hakeem, duncan, and kareem. yao is yao. there has never been a player like him before.

 

Haha I can't believe 15% voted Hakeem. It's like they didn't ever watch Dream play ball.

 

i think yao is pretty unique.
when i read the thread, initially i thought rik smiths ... but yao is not rik smiths. first off i dont believe rik was anywhere as physical as the yao we see leaning his 300+ pounds into his defender to get position every single game. it really does tire the opposing center out. then you combine his finesse game. i think i forget all the time that a 7'5 center shouldn't make moves that can be described with the word "quick" in any way, shape, or form, but somehow yao's got a decently quick baseline spin. i mean, if it fools 6'10 guys with regularity, it's gotta have a lil quickness to it. you throw in yao's versatility (though I'd like to see one more move into his repertoire) with the hook shot with either hand, face up jumper, baseline spin, fadeaway from either side, "shanghai shake" (still don't think this is that great a name), and i think u got one difficult player to guard. throw in his ability to pass the ball. his passes are quite good ... even though his 3.2 to/game is not. yao's still a liability on defense but he's getting better. he was pretty disgusting to watch when trying to cover the pick n roll but now even tho superstar playmakers will burn him, he's not bad. oh and 85% ft shooting is key.

all things considered, yao is a one of a kind player. i don't think we'll see another player with his body type and his skill set.

hopefully the one trait he'll learn (besides not fouling out reaching on a pg when ur team needs to hold onto a 9 pt lead with 2 min left), is what dream kept telling him. He's gotta learn how to dominate. And from the looks of it recently, defensively, yao's improved in this area.

can't wait to see how it all turns out.