Here are some stats that will allow folks to have a more objective look at Yao's performance this season. http://www.nba.com/statistics/efficiency.html http://www.nba.com/statistics/default_regular_season_leaders/LeagueLeadersEFFQuery.html http://www.nba.com/statistics/default_48_minute_leaders/LeagueLeadersEFF8Query.html Ultimately, I believe Yao is going to be important piece of the puzzle for Van Gundy's defense-first, ball-control coaching style. Whether or not he becomes a go-to guy is not of consequence to me because I think all teams need great roleplayers to succeed. If the team has enough good roleplayers like the Kings and Mavs, success is possible even without a dominant go-to guy.
Those #'s are quite impressive, for Yao, actually. For those who haven't looked, he's 22nd in the NBA in effiency. Several of the players above him feed mostly off of taking advantage of double teams on other players. Almost all of the others are either elite... or have played on really terrible teams for whom games don't matter.
