I'm not disagreeing with you, but weren't you criticizing others for ignoring defense in the recent Dirk vs. Duncan thread? Looking at Yao vs. Dwight, DH is the obviously superior defensive player and rebounder. He also scores just as much as Yao on a higher field goal percentage. DH is a horrible free throw shooter, so you can't go to him at the end of games, but Yao often has issues in late game situations as well (fatigue, turnovers). I think DH is the better player, but I understand that you can't build an offense around him like you can with Yao.
I dunno. The Magic have a solid offense built around Dwight with the spacing. It's all about personell IMO. Yao is clearly a better offensive player though.
Yao is a lot better on offense. Dwight is better on defense. Yao does dominate Dwight 1v1. This is a pretty much an opinion of who is better because they are both different kinds of players.
I meant that you can't have Dwight as your go-to guy offensively. The Magic offense is built around him in the sense that they depend on the attention he commands inside. But they don't run an inside-out offense like the Rockets do around a healthy Yao.
By the time Howard leaps 5th time, Yao hasn't started jumping yet. However Yao is better, b/c he doesn't need to jump.
Dwight Howard every year is getting better and better offensively , the guy is best big man in the game hands down .
There's no doubt in my mind that Yao has been a better player. Their head to head matchups reflect that, but Dwight Howard has been healthy, always, a player can't help his team wearing a suit. Nobody knows how close Yao will be to his old self. So Dwight Howard
Assuming that, it would have to be Yao. While Dwight has been improving, his offensive game is still very limited. His defensive caliber makes it close though.
I can't believe it is this close. Dwight Howard is now light years ahead of Yao. Every GM in the league would take DH over Yao.
Right that's why his PPG went down this year, and is still incapable of making a basic jumpshot ... Dwight Howard = The most overrated player in the game! --RB
Cant blame Howard fewer PPG , Orlando is deepest team in the NBA. When you have Lewis , Nelson , VC , Barnes, Pietrus ,Redick, scoring . Gortat ,Anderson,Bass,J will give you pts also .
head to head battles between yao and dwight dont matter unless they meet up in the nba finals. what does matter is dwight leading his team to the finals last year and leading his team to the eastern conference finals this year off back to back defensive player of the year awards while leading the league in rebounds, blocks, and fg percentage compared to a 7'6" center who cant stay healthy who JUST got out of the first round last year.
It's meaningless in most cases to say player xx leading a team to yy ... Paul Piece led the Celtics to the NBA championship, but he's still far behind James. Yao led the Rockets to the second round, but he's the same player in the previous playoffs who failed in the first round. Wade led Miami to the NBA championship, why could not he do it again?
kevin garnett led that celtics team imo. pp34 was clutch down the stretch tho. the point is dwight has done more last year than yao has done in his entire career. and i dont see how wade leading the heat to an nba championship has anything to do with his topic. wade has proven himself already. yao hasnt. even this year losing in 5 to the Celtics wade played outstanding even tho his team was outclassed. yao had poor performances vs. the mavs and the jazz.
Fly in Dwight for the first three quarters (he can still be on the Magic). Sub in Yao for the 4th. Git 'er done, Morey!
