I don't know if anyone else has thought about (meaning posted) this, but I see similarities between Ichiro & Ming's arrivals on our shore. I remember that a variety of media outlets, commentators, and fans thought that Ichiro would only have a minimal impact on MLB because he wasn't strong enough to perform at our level or that he'd have trouble adapting to our style of play. The consensus seemed to be that he'd be a good player, but never an all-star and certainly not MVP. Now, I'm not saying that Ming is going to be ROY next season or an MVP. But I do think that a lot of the questions about him evolve out of a cultural bias. Think about it: If Hakeem hadn't played 3 years in college, but instead was just drafted straight out of Africa, wouldn't people have the same questions about him? To me, watching Yao play against fellow Chinese is the same as watching Kevin Garnett or Lebron James play against fellow high schoolers - you can't dismiss their talent just because they've been matched against inferior competition. If high school players can go #1 just on their size & skill alone, then there's no reason why Ming shouldn't be taken either.
Exactly right on the high schoolers! Where was all this criticism last year for using high picks on Curry,Chandler and,of course Brown? Chandler and Brown are just as much or more "toothpicky" than Yao and dominated at an even lower level than Yao has,but somehow they're not as much a risk as Yao is!?!?!? Judging the risk factor on talent alone,which of those four has shown the most and has the highest ceiling. Gotta be Yao.
1. Ichiro was the best baseball player in Japan for a long time. 2. If you Ming doesn't make more of an impact in his first year than Chandler, Curry, or Brown, I think that is exactly what concerns people like Cuttino.
I think that Yao Ming's height does make him more of a risk than Curry, Brown or Chandler. It also makes for an even better payoff if things work out well. The taller you get, the harder it is to control your body. That's why guards usually lead the league in free throw percentages. The probability of injuries to feet, ankles, knees, etc also goes up. If Ming eventually becomes an all-star, that would make him the tallest person to ever become an all-star. That has to say something.
Great point Dr. Do you know who the tallest All Star has been? Hrm, was Mark Eaton an All-Star once? Ralph Sampson?
sampson was an all-star something like 4 straight years i believe. if ming becomes any good at all the possibility of him being an all-star is huge due to the lack of centers.
Okay. I like Yao as much as the next guy, and I am sure that he will attract media attention like Ichiro. But you can mark my words, talent-wise, Yao will never be to basketball what Ichiro is to baseball.
The things that excites me about Ming is that he doesn't appear awkward at all, despite his height. He runs well & has an excellent shooting touch. When I think of him, I think of a young Sabonis - massive size with a finesse game. Incidentally, I'm not so concerned about there never having been a 7'6 all-star before. I mean, how many 7'6+ guys have there been in the NBA anyway? 3? That's not a good sample to judge from.
Of course, I never said in my original post that Ming would enjoy the same kind of success as Ichiro (so much, so fast). Ming may take a few years to reach his potential and may never be MVP, but I have faith that the skill, speed, and strength of the NBA game won't overwhelm him. He seems to run as fast as any 7 footer, shoot as well as any 7 footer, and, as he climbs past 300 pounds, no one this side of Shaq will be able to push him around. I still say that, if he had been playing in America for the past 2 years, there would be no doubts about his future as a star (well, at least no more than any other 21 year-old prospect). I maintain that most concerns about him stem from his nationality, not from his size or his game.
