I love Deke but there's no way he's going to give you more than 25 minutes a night. Additionally there's no way he's going to be able to put up 25 minutes a night during the playoffs. Also, at this point in Deke's career I'm not really sure how he matches up with the elite centers. We know how Yao matches up--he typically does very, very well. He basically dismantled Howard on the offensive end the last time they met and frustrated him all night defensively. Here's one more thing we know: the Rockets had a huge problem dealing with size in the Hawks game, and that was a game that Deke did play in. Given that game I seriously question your judgement if you think that the issue of how the Rockets are going to play big, legitimate centers has been settled. Another correction: this is not a run and gun offense. Once in a while they'll push to try and get a basket in transition but in marked contrast to the Suns, who try and get a shot up quickly, the Rockets will move the ball around until late in the shot clock to try and get an open look. One more thing: your use of the term "big men" in the same sentence with "two freebies" is pretty much nonsense, with the exception interestingly enough of Yao. As for your "most Rockets fans" comment, oh really?
The situation's a little more complicated than that. Feigen at the Chronicle thinks Deke is the better shot blocker but Yao is better at defending the pick and roll. http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid823425601/bclid853723710/bctid1445587657
Uh, variability means that for all the seven and eight TO games there are a corresponding number of games where Yao only has one or even no TO's. Otherwise how would the average work out to only be 3.33? A couple of observations: 1) Yao handles the ball more than anybody else on the team. You get the ball more, you also get more opportunities to be stripped. 2) Yao gets doubled more than anybody else on the team. It's basically a given that he'll be aggressively doubled, maybe even before he gets the ball. 3) Career wise he only averages 2.5 TO's a game.
Hakeem 2.96 career TO Shaq 2.86 career TO Yao 2.65 career TO All big men playing post up and in the pain will have more TO. But they are even it out with their scoring and high percentage shooting. Man, I don't think you have any basketball knowledge. Stop blabbing nonsense out of your ass.
And not to forget about: Dwayne Howard 2.93 career TO Tim Duncan 2.85 careet TO I guessed all these big men suck as much as Yao and kill their team.
Cowboy. I get what you're trying to say, but unfortunately, you're wrong. You can't use his career average and compare it to these other guys with longer (MUCH LONGER) careers. Their minutes vary signficantly. As do their PPG averages per year. And in the case of Yao, it wasn't until the '05-'06 season that you really saw him establish himself as a 20+ ppg player and all the implications that come insofar as "touches" and FGAs and what have you. Instead, look at Yao's TO numbers the past years. Average? 3.13 (Check my math if you don't believe me). That's OVER 3!!!! Yaos' in the TOP TEN in turnovers for the '07-'08 season and he isn't even a GUARD!!!! So don't tell me what I know and don't know. He ain't a guard - this I suppose we can both agree on. Bottom line is you're comparing apples and oranges here. And his TOs relative to other player is statistically SIGNIFICANT. Accept it for what it is. theSAGE
No, we should start a "We are Better Without JHO" or how about "We are Better Without Mike James", no, I think we should definitely look into "We are better without Boki" thread because those seem like much more pressing concerns right now.
Dude, you do know there's an important NBA rule change that makes life much tougher for Yao that Hakeem didn't have to deal with, that Duncan and Shaq haven't had to deal with for most of their careers?
I feel sorry for TMAC. Soon (maybe next week) his name will be mentioned millions times in those stupid threads just like this one......... He must be feeling his back itching.....
With all due respect, badger, do you honestly believe Yao to be a good ball handler? Be it dribbling? posting? handling passes, etc? All I'm saying is, normalized for any measure of "touches", (e.g. points, FGAs, etc.), Yao is/was a turnover machine. Has he been able to keep his turnovers down from time to time? Sure. But it's been hit or miss with him. For his minutes, his point production, and his importance to this team, Yao's turnovers HURTS the Rockets... even more so when we were still under Adelman. Why? b/c under JVG we had fewer FGAs per game, we ran the shotclock down, and we ran the offense THROUGH Yao. More possessions means more scoring opps and hopefully more FGAs. All this helps absorb the negative repercussions of TOs. When we were a lower scoring team, we couldn't afford the TOs. Today? We're more able to. Yet we've been able to get the TOs at bay. That's an unambigously good thing in Yao's absence. I don't see why that's so hard to accept. theSAGE
You're changing the subject. Historically Yao has a lower TO rate than any of the guys Cowboy brought up. You can argue all you want about perception but the reality is that in terms of career numbers Yao actually ranks pretty low on the TO per game stat. And additionally Yao is dealing with a rule change that has a huge impact on his game, a rule change that the great centers of the past simply did not have to deal with.
One more thing: Hakeem's stats: Year TO's per game 93-94 3.39 94-95 3.29 95-96 3.43 Additionally, in 89-90 he averaged 3.89 TO's a game. That's almost 4.
You hit it right on the nose. Yao is definitely has a stronger base and is a bigger guy, which help against the Shaq's and Dwight Howard's of the league. Look at the head to head matchups and how Yao is usually able to keep the big premiere centers of the league playing below their usual level. Deke on the other hand has great timing and is much quicker and a better shot-blocker and rebounder overall (though Yao is probably better at boxing out his opposing big). How will we fare in the playoffs without Yao? This Sunday vs the Lakers should be a pretty good barometer.
How soon we forget that Yao was the starting center when this win streak started.....12 in a row. And he has been NBA player of the month I believe twice this season. Deke's career is over this season. One of the greatest shot blockers of all time. But over. If you think the Rockets would be better off w/o Yao you are insane. He is one of the top players in the NBA. If you think Mutumbo could make it through a season (at this point of his career) and put up Yao #'s you are even crazier. This is a stupid thread. No way the Rockets will move Yao. He is too valuable.
If u guys truly believe Deke is romotly has important then Yao are so stupid it's unbelieveable.First of plays 19-22 mins max when we had foul troble in that hawks gm and they put deke back in he told RICk he needs to come out.he doesn't really play in the 4th Q(The big part of the gm)At this stage in there career yao is the better rebounder.Yao was averging like 10-11 rebs over 50 gms.He also is needed to take tecniqals FTs and is the best Ft shooter.He gets to the line and is our only low post player.In the playoffs all u will regret saying we don't need yao when we can't make a jumper.The playoffs teams won't let that happen and still make us win like the hawks.
