If you have to depend on Yao averaging 30 pts a game AND you have a healthy T-Mac, that only means that we still haven't surrounded these players with good talent. These stats are different in the playoffs though, when your stars have to step up.
Not so fast New Jack --It could mean that he is our dominating scorer say in about four more seasons, Tracy could be still putting up 20points a game but we have then moved the team forward into playing the big man [dominent center]game.
Even though he's making it look easy right now I cant possibly see a bigman who playing primarly with his back to basket averaging anything over 26ppg. The game just isn't set up that way anymore. I expect Yao next to start his prime. Both physically & mentally. Especially given his size..he's a gotdamn giant. Bigmen actually reach their primes earlier in their career than perimeter players. Generally, their best years defensively are earlier in their careers. Shaq for example, was a terrific defender in his Orlando became good enough in LA and is a very average one now. Ewing was a great and better defender earlier in career as well.
Welcome to the board. Gonna have to disagree about big men maturing early, and with respect to Yao in particular. I will agree that physically they mature (post the best stats) early (5 -7 years). But I think their basketball IQ continues to increase more than their physical ability diminishes. IMO Hakeem, Shaq, Patrick and David Robinson were all better later in their careers than in their fifth years. I don't think next year will be the best of Yao's career, but that he will peak in the next 4 to 6 years.
In his prime, Yao will get 22 points and 10 rebounds, and we cannot expect more. Why? With a healthy TMac, Yao will not get that many touches any more. With an unhealthy TMac, ROX do not have the money to find good support for him, he will be duoble or triple teamed in every game, and eventually get exhausted in the second half of the season. The good thing about Yao is that he cannot or does not need to jump. This can make his prime time longer.
Yao doesn't need to score anything more than 24+ PPG. We'll have T-Mac putting up at least 26-28+ PPG when he's healthy and then we'll have Yao probably putting up ~24 PPG with higher effiency and about 12 boards a game, maybe 13. That's what I am hoping for. As long as we win the title, I don't care how the stats go. I just want them both to win MVP at one point, that would be cool.
