This thread is pointless. Both are very fine young players for whom the jury is still out on their possible impact on the league in the coming years. To try to compare them now is folly. Let's wait and see what their stats look like at the end of the season.
MFW2310 said it best. This was talked about last year. The "celling" for Yao is just higher. Last year, Amare deserved Rookie of they Year. He helped his team more consistently than Yao. Now, if there was such a thing as ROOKIE of the DECADE, then it would be Yao. Because he's the type of player you can start a franchise with. Amare is a solid 3rd player. What I mean is, he's the 3rd best player on the Suns. He's not their best player. Yao is 1 or 2 with Francis. So, Amare was better last year. But not the next 9 years.
the question should be: what creative headline are you sick of the most? "That's Amare!" ? or "Ming Dynasty!" ?
He didn't deserve the ROY award any more than Francis did when he and Brand split it. I'm still searching for the reasons why Francis shared the award; despite Brand having better numbers. The bottom line as to why Amare won is because the Suns went to the playoffs!!
How can you make that argument? If Amare helped his team more consistently, with two all-star players already there, how could the Suns were just ONE game over the Rockets? The Suns played well because Marburry had a career year, he constantly broke down the diffense, fed Amare & Marion for the easy points. On the other hand, the Rockets was in a "Who's team should it be" fight (at least here, and in the media), Yao was one of the focal point for the Rockets for most of the season. People here & some media made argument about weak competition at 5 vs strong competition at 4, that just shows how little they know about basketball. Teams in NBA play to win the game at any cost, they always tried to take your best option out. For the Suns, it's Marburry, then Marrion, no one cares about Amare; but when playing the Rockets, the first order was to defend Yao, then Francis. If Amare have received opponent attention remotely close to what Yao got, he wouldn't even be mentioned in ROY race at all. Two thing did Yao out the ROY. 1st, he is a foreigner with too much media coverage. Many players & media were jealous about him, some even hated him. 2nd, the Rockets didn't make the playoff, but the Sun did. --daoshi
Yao does not deserve the ROY.. The reason is simple: His number did not reflect his ability and his potential! His number is below those voters' expection. He could be much better! Compare to Yao, Amer is a surprise and played fully his potential...So, he should get this honor.. But, who care ROY...if Yao can be a MVP contender in the next few years.
What are talking about? The teams accomplishments, or Amare's contribution? Sorry, but he was more consistent. Yao would be hot and cold. Was it because he was singled out, pushed around, and gang tacked? Probably? He'd have to overcome that to win it, if the Suns were to get to the playoffs. If the Rocket got into the playoffs, maybe Yao would have won it. Maybe not. Spare me the conspracy theory. Again, we are just spliting hairs. If you feel so strongly about it, why don't you just send a letter to the NBA commisioner. Geesh!
That's right. But you don't win the ROY because you are targeted by other defenders. You are rewarded on what you DO, do. Not on what you could have done if the defense would have played you less aggressively. We'd be handing out awards baseed on pure foreshadowing and speculation if that was the case.
I dont think you can be a rookie for a decade, but i understand what you are saying but depending on where this hypothetical award would begin i would take shaq,duncan,kg over yao at this point for it
Well, all you would have to do is take this years 10th year players (the 1994 Rookie class). And then list out their acomplisments. Then, vote, and give out a ROD award! Here's the list for 1994's rookie class. Who would be the best of that class after ten years today? http://www.nbadraft.net/1994.htm It's obvous who's the ROD of this rookie class -> http://www.nbadraft.net/1992.htm
It's funny to notice this. So Yao is deaf (left ear), Amare is blind (left eye), while the 2nd draft Jay Walliams is almost disabled on his left leg now. Hmmm....2002 draft class is a really wierd one.
What are you talking about? As a Rockets fan, you claimed Amare deserved ROY over Yao, which I disagree with, just as crash and most of the Rockets fan did. The argument you gave? "Amare was more consistent". That's just too lame. Consistent with what? Their stats are pretty similar, but we all know stats don't really mean anything if look at alone. You have to look at their impact to their respective teams. Amare was the 3rd impact players at most in that team, but Yao was argurably the 1st/2nd options with the Rockets. His impact to the win/lose was much bigger than Amare. It's been mentioned in a lot of threads here, and by the media. It's the nature of ugly human being. The sad part is even his own teammate & some so-called Rockets fans didn't think he deserve it. --daoshi
Again, your argument is too weak. I didn't say Yao deserve ROY because he was targeted by other defenders. I said that Yao posted similar stats line with opponents geared up to stop him. His impact on the Rockets was much bigger than what Amare had on the Suns. If you cannot see this, then there is no sense to talk about it anymore. Use your argument, "you are rewarded on what you DO", and Yao did it with more double team, sometimes tripple team. so he should get the ROY. --daoshi
The reasons are many. It was just too close. It could have gone either way. But because the Suns got into the playoffs, played with more "flash (that does have an effect, even if it's not fair)," dunked with more power (again, more about the spectacular ESPN play) and had stats similar to Yao, gave Amare the edge. Again, it does not matter if Yao had more people defending him. In the end, the last deciding fact was probably the Suns' playoff entry. Now regarding my comment about "more consistent." I don't care if you see that. I saw a lot of Suns games, and he was much more aggressive and consistent. That was a factor. Not the only one, but it did contribute. By the way, you can't quantify this ->>> "His impact to the win/lose was much bigger than Amare." It's just too hard. Not when the the ROY race was so close. What I think you want is that Yao should have gotten the ROY on just effort alone, regardless if the Suns got into the playoffs. Sorry, but you demend too much.
That's why the playoff entry was the deciding factor. Sorry, but that's just the way it is. Yao was not trippled teamed last year. He was doubled sometimes and pushed off the post. Not like this year. Don't get last year confused with this year.
Yes, I do see that. But you are not taking into account the other factors that edged Amare over Yao. Again, you want the award on effort, not results. He'd have to score/rebound more than Amare w/playoffs, in order to substantially knock Amare out of the race. There would have to be a substantial act that would have moved Yao over Amare. Not just effort. Even if the stats were close. Again, playoffs, playoffs, playoffs....
We are talking about who is the better player now, and who deserved ROY last year based on BASKETBALL MERIT alone. Not the highlight ESPN stuff. Those are just for the show. We all know that's the major reason, but you said "If the Rocket got into the playoffs, maybe Yao would have won it. Maybe not" This is debatable, so I won't spend time on it. Let's just agree on disagreement. That's what this thread all about. Crash made the argument that Yao was a better player then because he posted similar stats with the defense geared up to stop him. It's the core of the argument. Casual fan only look at ESPN highlight, maybe the stats too, but the knowledgable fans look at it beyond those surface stuff. Nap! I just think he deserve ROY more than Amare because his impact to Rockets was much bigger than Amare's impact to the Suns, or with the similar stats. The Suns beat the Rockets by ONE damn game, and Straburry had his career year, Marion was an all-star as well. That means the Suns got in playoff mainly because of those two guys, not Amare. --daoshi
