I started thinking about this after the thread about the top 10 players, and the fact that Yao wasnt on the list or even in the five honorable mentions. There is no way he isnt one of the top 15 players as far as impact goes. So here is the question. If there was a draft today with all NBA players being available, where would Yao get picked. The rules are simple. You are drafting as if you were starting a franchise, so it isnt a one season thing ie: Garnett has 4-6 good years left, Dwight Howard 10-12. My picks would go: 1) Lebron 2) Kobe 3) Yao 4) Wade 5) Dirk 6) Chris Paul 7) Nash 8) Duncan 9) Dwight Howard 10) Tmac I know people will disagree, so let me say I hate Kobe, but he is so good on both ends of the floor. It is probably a little high for CP3, but PG is so hard to find and he is a great young PG. I know Tmac is low on the list, but he does have a lot of miles on his body already. This is my first thread started, so let the bashing begin.
Good thread. I wouldn't have Duncan and Nash so far up - if you are starting a franchise, they are almost washed up. That's a pretty hard list to draw up - I agree with most of your choices.
Well I am not going to get into where you should rank Tmac. However, I have to point out that putting Chris Paul ahead of him is heresy. Tmac has been a top 5 player for a almost a decade. Chris Paul has done shiit. You would be guillotined if we were in medieval times lol
If you were going to start a franchise and you could select anybody, Yao would be right up there with Lebron and Kobe because of his age, size, and skillset. He is a franchise player. But the poll was about the 10 best players on the planet. The more appropriate way to look at it would be: If you threw every player in the world in a pile and you had the chance to pick any of them to build your team for just this coming season, who do you pick? In other words a fantasy league team where you get to pick and salaries don't matter. On that team, at worst he is fourth behind Lebron, Kobe, and Nash. If you had to pick your #1 player and Lebron, Kobe, and Nash are gone....who else are you going to start your team with? Or better yet, let's say that you could trade Yao for any player in the world with the option of trading them back for Yao at the end of this season? So, there is absolutely no risk of losing Yao permanently. Who would you be willing to trade Yao for just for this upcoming season? As far as I'm concerned, I wouldn't even take Nash over him. He's right up there with Lebron and Kobe. You wouldn't pick Shaq over him, at least we here in Houston wouldn't. We know what Yao brings to the table and we know the liability that Shaq is at the FT line. Yao is the best center in the NBA and has been without question the best center in the NBA since midseason last year. Unfortunately, the national media doesn't recognize it because we weren't in the playoffs. They only recognize stuff after it has already happened, in hindsight, past tense. Almost everything in the media is written based on the recent past, not the present. We all know that if Yao and TMac stay healthy this season that we are staring a 60 win team in the face. Nobody wants to say it. We don't want to jinx these guys. But the 04/05 team won over 50 and they got off to an atrocious start and did not have nearly the depth and athleticism that this team has. This year's team has close to all of the shooting of that team, possibly just as much or more, and they will have that shooting all season. This team has a much better Yao on it than that team. And this is the best defensive unit that JVG has had to work with. Realistically, we should win 75% of our games that are not against SA, Dallas, Phoenix, and Miami. Put all the rest in a bucket and we should win 75% of those games. And we will win our share against those other 4 too (provided 111 plays 70 games or so this season). And once that happens, these stupid lists will all be populated with 111 the top this and that.
Yao would go number 1. Reason? He's the best center in the league and no one beyond him is young. You'd lose out for your next pick @ #60 or whatever it would be, but you could find two solid players to surround Yao with at 60&61. Basically, there are plenty of players that play the other positions, Yao plays center and centers are rare. (I would strongly consider nabbing Lebron)
tough list to complete. when chosing a guy to build a franchise around you have to take into account age, potential, marketability, contract size, and current talent level. i think the lotto would look like this in a fantacy draft: 1. lebron - has everything 2. yao - has everything except a rookie contract 3. dirk - same as yao but yao's bigger and younger 4. wade - rookie contract boosts his stock 5. kobe - overall talent and still young 6. dwight - big, young, rookie contract 7. melo - potential and marketing 8. parker - international marketing, age, contract. 9. bosh - potential, contract. 10. marion - talent level 11. kirilenko - talent level 12. j.johnson - age, potential 13. arenas - age, talent level 14. iverson - marketing, and talent.
interesting topic. Wonder why people rank Wade so high. Yes, he's got a few trophies, but we are talking about players not teams, rite? Without Shaq, Alonzo, and some other guys, where do you think he would be right now? I see Wade just a above-average player happen to be at the right place at the right time. Rank him over Kobe, Dirk is CRAZY!!!
Are you joking?.. gasol and carmelo over lebron and yao and tracy? Lebron Kobe Duncan Yao TMAC Dirk KG Bosh Howard
1. Lebron - Simply the best right now, and still improving. 2. Kobe - He can pretty much do whatever he wants to any opponent, any time. Jordanesque 3. Duncan - when healthy, and he will be, still commands the most presence in the league 4. DWade - regular season is won usually by role players with a superstar as center piece, but come playoff time, it is the stud superstar guards that carry teams night-in, night-out, and right now he is arguably the best small-guard out there 5. Nowitzki - other than lebron, he presents the most match-up nightmares for any team... the heat have figured out a way to guard him in last season's playoffs though: putting at least 2-3 guys on him and letting him pass it to an open teammate. Is that gonna work every time? That says something about Dirk. 6. KG - Imagine you are on a virtual playground, and you have a chance to pick KG. He's looking at you with a grin. How do you pass on him? The guy is a freak of nature. All he does is produce and lead, even when his supporting cast is mediocre at best. He could be the foundation to any franchise (he needs the right point guard thoough) 7. Yao - We all love him. Every team in the NBA would love to have him. The most populous country in the world idolizes him. And he's got the game to back it up. Not even in his mid-20's, he is still growing physically and mentally. His game will peak a few years down the line. Scary thought. 8. Brand - It's a shame he didn't win the MVP last year. He deserved it just as much as Nash. What did people think when they heard the words "LA Clippers" a few years ago? Arizona Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, American Soccer... these teams ring a bell? Well since Brand's arrival, the franchise took a 180 degree turn in the right direction. He would be a great person to start with in any franchise. (He's now even a movie producer!?) 9. Dwight Howard - He's a triple double waiting to happen. When his mental game cathes up to his physical game, he will be to the big men what Magic Johnson was to the little men: a revolution in NBA positions. He's a KG, but more raw and perhaps with more potential (is that even possible?). Any GM would love to have this beast as a number 1 pick. 10. CP3 - How many assists did he average last year as a rookie? 7.8? Who was the best scorer on his team? David West.... who? The guy is a young Steve Nash who plays better defense and has rebound numbers like a small forward. He's still 21! A GM can go small ball and grab Paul as a first pick, and put all his ball handling worries behind him. The floor-general will take care of it. Honorable 7: 1. Amare - If healthy (no injury risk what-so-ever), he's top 5. 2. T-Mac - If healthy, he's top 10. 3. Nash - If 5 years younger, he'll three-peat MVP (He still could). 4. Gilbert - He likes to play with a chip on his shoulder. How about not getting put on the above list. Maybe he can earn his way there. 5. Bosh - 23-11 for years to come are numbers any GM would appreciate. 6. Marion - The ultimate glue. 7. Iverson - If 10 years younger, he may be top 5 pick.
Yao is definitely higher in the list than t-mac. hes top 5 maybe even top 3. he would get pushed back though if it wasnt for amare's injury. honestly id pick a healthy amare over yao. i love yao though. good thread.
1. Chris Kaman 2. Dampier 3. Mike James 4. just kidding seriously, 1. Lebron: nuff said 2. Wade: if starting a franchise, this guy is a winner 3. Bosh: so much talent offensively and you can't coach size 4. Howard: He is a baby shaq 5. Kobe: not as much left in the tank, but great 6. Yao: Honestly, i think yao may have only 3-5 good years left, his body takes a serious beating. 7. Carmello: 1 tier down, but good and young 8. Dirk: he changes the defense, so many weopons 9. Chris Paul: and this is why - he is the next generation of point guard, he's got 10 years left in the tank- and he can only get better. and he's already ridiculously good 10. t-mac: he's got all the talent and then some- top five player in the league no doubt, but after 9 years, well, he's undistinguished? sorry guys, i love him, but... 9
I forgot Carmelo as a honorable mention, possibly in the top 10 due to his new-found leadership qualities and clutchness. If he was top 10, i'd bump CP3 down because Paul is a bit unproven, only 1 year into the league.
Man that's a hard one.. If all the NBA players are available as they are now.. my top five will be 1. Yao - He's good, no doubt, and I'm biased.. 2. LeBron - Young, Damn good and that's just the beginning 3. T-Mac - Same as 1 4. D-Wade - Pretty much unstoppable when he's on 5. Nowitzki - Did I spell his name right? But if it's just any given draft year.. MAYBE with the exception of LeBron's draft year in 2004.. Yao would've still been #1
You beat me to the point. The thing about Yao is that he plays the thinnest position in the league right now. Centers, especially of Yao's talent, size, and even marketability, are IMPOSSIBLE to find in today's NBA. Therefore, I would really have to pick him up at #1. The thing about LeBron, Kobe, and the rest of the G/SF positions is that 75% of them are interchangable. For example, you can team Yao up with Kobe, LeBron, TMac, Wade, or Melo and get the same results. However, you can't take any one of those guys and team him up with Ben Wallace, or Shawn Bradley and get the same result. Because the other positions have so much depth, you would have to get Yao. LeBron and Kobe would be a toss-up at #2. I would have to go with Kobe because he has the killer instinct that Lebron and Tmac sometimes don't have. Now if you are talking about Yao or Tim Duncan in his prime, then it would be a much more interesting debate. However, with Yao's age and skill set, its a NO CONTEST!
1. Kobe 2. nash 3. Yao 4. T-mac 5. Dirk 6. Carmlelo 7. Wade. 8. J Oneal. 9. Kirilenko 10. Novak 11. Ron Artest 12. Billups 13. Jefferson 14. Bosh 15. Josh Howard 16. Amare 17. Carter 18. Parker 19. Gilbert 20. Ben Gordon 21. Brand 22. Redd 23. Gasol 24. Bibby 25. Duncan 26. D. Howard 27. C Paul 28. Garnett 29. Lewis 30. J Johnson 31. Pierce 32. Baron Davis 33. Chuck Hayes 34. Francis 35. Darko Milicic 36. Ginobli 150. Lebron No Im not trying to be funny...I don't like Lebron, his big nose, or his ugly shot. He also isn't a guy I would like to promote.
