Ming will surpass Shaq? I hope youre smoking something. He has no chance of becoming as dominant as Shaq. Robinson and Ewing weren't dominant? Look at their career stats. Look at their stats when they were in their primes? Ming will be hard pressed to put up those stats. I dont think its a 'big' if for Lebron James to be a great player, because every scout and GM says he will be. Nobody is inbetween in their evaluation of him. What is a big if, is that Ming becomes dominant. Hate on Shaq all you want hes prob the most dominant center in the history of the league and hes got 3 rings and 3 Finals MVP's. Robinson won an MVP/Defensive player of the year/Scoring title. Ewing has led his team deep into the playoffs when he was in his prime but MJ spoiled his playoffs like he did everyone elses. And look at those guys #'s in their rookie years. They were dominant from day one. Ming isnt and he is 22/23. Same age Ewing and Robinson were. I am a Rockets fan through and through but some of you guys devotion to the team blinds you from reality. In one year or two at MAX you same people will be feeling stupid saying you wouldnt trade Ming for James. And by the way...Rik Smits could shoot all day long from the outside and he could move when he was in his prime. But he wasnt physical. Ming has a lot of similarities with Smits...I think he is more athletic and mobile...with a tad more skill, but the lack of physicality is glaring in both. It limited Smits effectiveness and I think it will affect Mings as well. And as far as the clogging of the lane soo much that GP wouldnt 'dare' go to the lane? Didnt seem to stop Stephon from taking it to the rack. And for the those who thought Bird was a PF....There was a guy named Parish playing Center, a guy named Mchale playing PF....that means Bird was a SF. James for Ming? Its a no brainer for me and all 29 teams in the NBA including the Rockets GM's. But I guess its not such a no brainer for some of you rocket fans....wonder why that is. :-/
In last ten years, how many people were said will be "next Jordan"? And who became another Jordan from sprewell to kobe?
I watched serveral Rik Smits game serveral years ago with the Pacers. Nevered remembered him being double-teamed by anyone. Yao is now being double-teamed by everyteam when he gets the ball. Also, I don't remembered Smits had any defensive dominance in the paint, where Yao clearly has. Everybody knows that Ming is not a finished product, and the reason is simply because he has not played in the US College and NBA. It will be a year or two before he matures in NBA and become more consistent. What he can do, when he matures, will be scary. Ming will be no Shaq. He will be another dominant center in his own way. I compare Ming to be similar to Chamberlain and Hakeem, and taller. Did anyone notice that Ming has bested one of Chamberlain's record, the best field goal percentage over 6 consequtive games?
you are definitely a James' fan,not Rockets'. maybe your feeling is right. but I dont think you will have any chance to make choice.
This is a response to <B>Franchise4Life</B> who said he would choose Lebron James over Yao Ming. First of all, very good story. I enjoy fairy tales but this was extraordinary. Next time start with <I>”Once upon a time.”</I> I would like to formulate a rebuttal to your obviously well thought out statement. First, let’s examine what we know from what we don’t know. <B><U>What we know of Lebron James</U></B> 1. 6 ft 7, weight 215 2. Last Season <B>Highschool Average</B>: 28.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.7 blocks 3. Never played NBA or college 4. Dominates prep summer camps 5. Won 2 highschool state championships almost single handedly 6. Named highschool player of the year as a sophomore, junior and soon as senior 7. Amazing quickness, good decision making, and very athletic, dominates high school competition. 8. Has unofficially played against NBA players 9. Media has proclaimed him as next <B>“Great One”</B> <B><U>What we know of Yao Ming</U></B> 1. 7 ft 5, 296 2. Current <B>NBA Season Average</B>: 9.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, .9 assists, and 1.27 blocks 3. Has shown signs of dominance in NBA games even with limited playing time <I>examples: perfect shooting against Lakers, .65 shooting percentage, alters shots and shot selection of opposing teams time and time again. </I> 4. Has incredible fundamentals and skills for a man of his size 5. Has shown a passion for the game 6. Teams already double/triple team him <B> “he isn’t even number one option yet”</B> 6. Shaq said he will be the <B>“the Man”</B> in a couple of years <B><U>Here is what we DON'T KNOW of James</U></B> 1. How truly good he will be in the NBA <B><U>Here is what we DON'T KNOW of Yao Ming</U></B> 1. If he will truly dominate NBA game on a consistent bases. <B>Conclusion:</B> Based on the facts above, I would choose Yao Ming over Lebron James. Hype is hype and until proven otherwise it is just another story. There are other reasons why Ming is the better choice but I want to formulate my argument around their basketball skills and facts. Here is a info Link to Lebron James http://nbadraft.net/profiles/lebronjames.htm
We should stop this worthless discussion. We already had Yao, then we just need to think how to win the game with him. Think about it, if all NBA scouts are sure James is next Jordan, then Rockets got no chance, since Lakers will use aging Shaq to trade for him first, right?
Hi, I would like to disclose my interest first. I am a yao ming fan and I am no NBA expert. I think when we talk about BEST basketball player, we think about kobe or T-Mac. And when we talk about most DOMINANT player, the only person in our minds is shaq. We are talking about comparative advantage here. The gap between shaq and the average centres is much larger than kobe/t-mac and the average guards. How about if we assume that james is as good as kobe/t-mac, would you trade shaq for him? I dont think so. Then the next question becomes how much would yao ming be better than average centres!!!! dragon
Ming arrived two days before he played his very first NBA game in his life. He did not have 5 years of NCAA experience before his day 1. He did not have a training camp before his day 1. He has never had decent basketball coaching before his day 1. And I am not going to throw in other problems like language barrier, adjustment to life in a new country... etc. Do you honestly believe he could have dominated from day 1? I don't
The answer is pretty obvious if you think about it. James played against what, high school players, and maybe a couple 2nd rate NBA players who won't take him or the game seriously. Let's just think how many "the next Jordan" we saw in the past couple of decades alone, how many of them actually became that? Vince Carter was supposed to become the next Jordan, he really is good, but he doesn't have heart. Kobe tried to become Jordan, but he can't shoot nearly as well, and without Shaq he is nothing (for one thing, other teams would start double teaming him without Shaq, the same they do to Carter and AI). TMac is averaging over 30 pps but the Magic are still an average team that will get slaughtered if they are in the west. And these are the players that have come close (but not become) Jordan. There are absolutely no guarantee James will become even fake Kobe, fake Carter or fake Tracy, let alone Jordan. TMac was in similiar position as James, high school hotshot that came to the league at 18, is he surpassing Jordan? No, in fact I think he already peaked. Yao on the other hand, has already shown signs of dominance. I won't guess whether he will become a hall of famer, but at least we're judging me BASED ON NBA LEVEL COMPETITION, and he definitly helps his team win. The best thing about him is that he is not even close to be at the peak of his skill level yet and he is light for his height. Can you imagine if he puts on more weight, gets more confidence, gets better support from his teammates and get even better? We will be talking championships with Yao and Wink. Even if James really is good and does well in the NBA, can he do better than the already half a dozen baby Jordans? Can he lead his team to a championship? Will he even become that and not a bust like so many other baby Jordans that came down the line? Think about it, it's very simple.
What we know of Lebron James 1. 6 ft 7, weight 215 2. Last Season Highschool Average: 28.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.7 blocks Yao Ming: 30 pts, 19 rebounds 4 blocks against CBA which i am sure is more competitive than US high school kids. and oh, I don't think James can avg 20+ points in world champion game this summer.
Quote from Franchise4Life "I dont think its a 'big' if for Lebron James to be a great player, because every scout and GM says he will be. Nobody is inbetween in their evaluation of him." All the scouts and Gm who had seen Yao play said Yao will be a "great player", no "inbetween in their evaluation of him". Only guys, such as sports commentators, some NBA players, and trolls here and there, started bashing him from Day 1 simpily becasue he is Asian or they had never seen him play before . Ever since he started playing here, more and more people, including many NBA players, have very good things to say about Yao. Just look at the double, triple teams Yao demanded over past few games clearly confirmed my statements. Yao has great potential to surpass Shaq on his OWN RIGHTS. Yao will not play like Shaq because he is not built like or play like Shaq. Yao will dominate with his many offensive arsenals, not like Shaq. Yao would have to concede that he couldnt play like a linebacker as Shaq could. As far as Ewing and Robinson as dominant players, Ewing took his team to the final only once and choked. Enuff said. Robinson might have been MVP for only one year, but choked again in the playoff the same year. For most of his career, he played soft and really has never been an offensive threat on a consistent basis. Need I say more. There is no denying that they were good or maybe even great players, but not dominant by a long stretch. To be dominant, one needs to be excel in many ways. For example, AI might be the scoring champ in NBA, but he is no dominant player. He couldnt elevate the rest of his team on a consistent basis. Could Yao be a dominant player. The answer is Yes. Is it a guarantee, of course not. James might turn out to be as good as he was hyped, but there are way too much risks for me to say James over Yao at THIS STAGE. From what I have read about his attitude and his dysfunctional family, I guess he might sell more shoes than anything else. By the way, would you trade SF for LJ. If so, you might need to change your name here.
Where do I begin? Hmm ok well let me make it clear im not here bashing Yao, I believe he will be a very good pro, maybe a great pro. But from everything I have read/heard/and yes seen, the kid will be something special in the NBA. This is an opinion question and everyone is entitled to their opinions. I am basing mine on what experts have written and what others have said about him. Ming is a very solid center but he hasnt really played any good centers yet this season...Dont give me Bradley please. He got pissed on by Big Z. I like Ming and his potential is there, but James is a do it all player with rare combination of athletic ability, skill, and understanding of the game. Many players got hyped when there were similarities in there games when compared to MJ. But holding everyone up to MJ's status is unfair to them, because MJ was a once in a lifetime player. Kobe/TMAC who knows where they will be in 8 years, but similarities in there games got them to be labeled as 'next jordan' types. Lebron James from what I have read is being compared to Magic Johnson in his style of play with the atheltic ability of an MJ type. Will he be as good as Jordan? Not likely...but will Ming be as good as Shaq? Even more unlikely. Teams win championships, thats why people in here seem to confuse me when they say TMAC's team is average still and Kobe would get smothered if there was no Shaq. The fact of the matter is that MJ would not win a title if he was in Kobe's position with no Shaq or in TMAC's position with no bigs at all and Grant Hill on half an ankle. So please save that no championship talk. TMAC and Kobe if proposed for Ming would be taken by the Rockets right now. They are both young 24/23 and both dominating. And contrary to what one person said "have not" peaked whats so ever. You start a team with the best player and from all reports James is the 'savior' for the franchise that picks him. Not all scouts before Vince came in the league thought he would dominate, not all scouts thought Kobe would be the best, not all thought TMAc would blossom. If they did they would of been getting hype from day one because scouts evaluate these players from a very young age and they wouldnt of been drafted 5, 13, and 9 respectively. You think James hype was started by media types? Its the scouts and GM's raving about the kid is what started this monster. In regards to comparing Ming to Wilt and Hakeem, I dont see it at all. Hakeem was amazingly agile and quick, he had guard quickness and was super active. His moves were soo graceful and quick and the elevation on his shot made him unstoppable because he was physical on top of the finesse. 200 steals, 200 blocks in the same season....26 boards, 13 boards, 3-4 blocks a game...One can only dream Ming can reach that. I find it impossible to see Ming reaching Dreams level. Now Wilt...this is the one that really baffled me. Wilt was dominating in a way Shaq is today...he was simply too big and strong for everyone in the game. On top of that power game that overwhelmed opponents he had quickness and athletic prowess to go along with it....this guy was a high jump champion...he was simply too physical and gifted for players at that time. Ming is 7'6 so hes taller than his opponents but he doesnt jump, move laterally, or have the physical power game that either Hakeem or Wilt had. These players games were honed from the early days of their careers. I really think being physical and aggressive is mental quality that people have, where they like physical contact and look for it. Shaq, Hakeem, Wilt, Kareem, Ewing, Malone, Barkley they all had it from day one. I dont see that with Ming. And scouts and GM's are still very uneven on Yao Mings career potential. Tom Tolbert has said hes going to be an 18 and 12 guy, but cant see him as one of the dominating ones. Dr. Jack said hes going to be a good pro, 'not great'. There have been many expert opinions saying Ming wont be great. So there are definitely some 'inbetweens' when evaluating him. Again this is an opinion question and I have stated my opinion I can respect what you guys have to say. But I would take James over Ming. I am a Rocket fan for Life but im also a realist.
From Franchise4LIfe "He got pissed on by Big Z. " So much for your observation. These were the stat from that game. Yao: 18min, 4/5, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 to, 3 pf, 9 pts. Big Z:34 MIN, 9/19, 7 rebounds, 1 block, 3 to, 5 pf, 24 pts. Rudy, for some reasons, decided not to play Yao much that night, probably because the rest of the team were doing OK. Besides scoring more points only in MORE minutes by Big Z, I wouldn't say Yao got his ass kicked in that game. I was wrong to say that everyone who has seen Yao play praised on him, that shouldnt include Cuban who still says Bradley is better Yao. "Now Wilt...this is the one that really baffled me. Wilt was dominating in a way Shaq is today...he was simply too big and strong for everyone in the game" Now, let look at this with perspective. If Wilt was playing today, do you really think he could have dominated as much as he was. The skills of NBA players and the game itself have changed so much through out the years, I doubt it very much. Even our all stars got their asses kicked more than once in the World Games. "Ming is 7'6 so hes taller than his opponents but he doesnt jump, move laterally, or have the physical power game that either Hakeem or Wilt had." Nobody says Yao is at Hakeem's level at this stage of his game. Time will tell if Yao could be as dominant as Hakeem. Again, I believe he will on his OWN RIGHTS. Yao will never be as agile as Hakeem, just like Wilt wasnt. For God sake, Yao is 7' 5" and Hakeem is only 6' 10". Yao has other arsenals that Hakeem didnt have, such as better passing, court visions and the height advantage. By the way, Yao does jump and has good footwork for someone his size, albeit he is not a quick jumper. He will improve on that. By the way, let me ask you again, will you trade SF for LJ?
First let me say I would not trade Steve Francis for Lebron James. Why? Cuz I love Steve....maybe not a very intellectual decision but Steve is my favorite player of all time so I wouldnt trade him for MJ in his prime. I got nothing but love for Stevie. If you read my comment about Wilt again it is clear that I am saying Shaqs domination today is much the same way Wilt dominated in his time. I made no indication that Wilt would dominate in todays game. Ming is 7'6 and he moves pretty well for 7'6. But hes not as quick, strong, or fast as a Shaquille/Hakeem. And he doesnt have near the mobility or jumping ability that either two had. I do think Yao will be good. But the fact he doesnt have that dominant/physical personality or nature in his game, is the main reason I dont see him dominating in the NBA. No Big guy has completely dominated the league at 7 foot+ with a completely finesse style game. Like Ming....would trade him for James though.
what do you think about coolpet's message? "What we know of Lebron James 1. 6 ft 7, weight 215 2. Last Season Highschool Average: 28.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.7 blocks Yao Ming: 30 pts, 19 rebounds 4 blocks against CBA which i am sure is more competitive than US high school kids. and oh, I don't think James can avg 20+ points in world champion game this summer."
I would actually trade Francis with Gilbert Arenas. In order to go all the way in this league in this big man dominated era of NBA you'll have to build a team on a dominant center. Yao Ming has all the qualities to develope into such a player within a few years. I would trade for players to fits Yao Ming's game better. That entails a great pg that looks to dish the rock first and gets his team involved than a player that looks to pat his stats. If steve's willing to move to the 2 spot that's great otherwise Gilbert Arenas would be a great complement to this big man oriented game. Gilbert has a great court vision, he's unselfish he passes ball great and a good team player over all. The rockets is going to do well by play a half court set and dump the ball down low to Yao each and every single trip on the offensive end. Let Yao distribute the rock as he see fit. Yao can either pass out of a double team or take to the hole himself. Make yao take at least 18 attempts a game. (look at how many attempts Z's been getting and Z's fg% is now where close to that of Yao.) At this point, I would only trade Yao with da Shaq Daddy.
