i don't need a bunch of sophisticated formulas to tell you that hakeem had ENTIRE seasons and playoff series BETTER than what yao is doing over the last few weeks in the middle of a losing season. don't get me wrong, i'm one of the happiest guys on here that yao LOOKS to be turning the corner to becoming the dominant force that he can be. however, to compare him to hakeem with some strange statistical system over a 9 game stretch, is ridiculous. to truly be compared to hakeem, which really isn't fair to begin with, he's going to have to keep up this pace over the last 9 games for another 6,7 years.
Who can tell me, is that time NBA allow double team or tripled. I heard they change the rule cause shaq, am I right? If no front and no double allowed, yao will put a much better state I think.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/olajuha01.html There are Hakeem's career and game by game stats (click on the G link to the right of each season). He had some amazing stretches. There are plenty of periods of what you referenced. Check out 3-13-89 through 3-16-89 (3 games, all above 30/10). On the middle game, second night of back to back, 40 points, 24 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks.
Like Tango said, my point wasn't to say Yao is as good as Hakeem, or is even close to Hakeem. Hakeem was consistently great over the course of several seasons. More importantly, he was had was a legendary playoff performer. I just wanted to put his last 9 game stretch in perspective and show how it compares (statistically) to some of the stretches Hakeem had in his best years. Don't take it as a slight on Hakeem's accomplishments. What he did for the Rockets can't simply be reduced to stats on a page, after all.
I think Durvasa made a valid point here, that we are not directly comparing Yao to Hakeem. I guess he's trying to say what we can expect from Yao in the next few years when comparing to Dream. As we all know, the expectation of Yao has greatly been raised since All-Star break.
1995 western conference finals against the league mvp David Robinson in series: 23.8 points 11.3 rebounds 2.7 assists 1.5 steals Hakeem Olajuwon in series: 35.3 points 12.5 rebounds 5.0 assists 4.1 blocks 1.3 steals Game 1: Olajuwon: 27 pts - Robinson 21 pts Game 2: Olajuwon: 41 pts - Robinson 32 pts Game 3: Olajuwon: 43 pts - Robinson 29 pts Game 4: Olajuwon: 20 pts - Robinson 20 pts Game 5: Olajuwon: 42 pts - Robinson 22 pts Game 6: Olajuwon: 39 pts - Robinson 19 pts
When Yao can do this to a team with 2 of the best players in history, then I will start comparing him to Dream. Also remember that dream was ejected in the last game so he didn't play the whole game.
I don't buy the theory that it's tougher to play against other big name, high offense centers, most of whom did not play great defense and could not afford to foul out defending. If anything, the centers of Hakeem's days were more offensively minded, while the centers of today are more defensively minded. Seriously, do you think you'd have an easier time trying to score and rebound against Patrick Ewing or against the 3-headed monster like the one Indiana puts out there? When your center(s) is not counted on to score, you can allow them to defend and foul with impunity.
I'd say going against David Robinson, Dennis Rodman, J.R. Reid rather than Jeff foster & co. is appreciably more difficult given the much higher skill level of those guys, which I think more than compensates for Robinson's unwillingness to get into foul trouble.
Zone defenses, I think, more than makes up for the "higher skill level" you're talking about. It's harder for centers today to score than 10-15 years ago. That's part of the reason you don't see as many dominating post players the past few years.
Agreed. But everyone knows we're doing an apple to orange statistical comparison. But there is that hard core memory I have about that legendary Lakers series that seems relevant. Game 1 was on Mother's Day and I watched it with uncles and cousins at my grandmother's house. We lost. But that was the game when I honestly thought that if Dream eventually be a great he'd have hell topping that performance. And I'd followed him since his freshman year at UofH. Sampson got the glory of course, but the Lakers to a man came away from that series thinking "Oh bleep, he's even better than Ralph". And I was deleriously happy but just as stunned as Riley & Co. It was legendary if for no other reason the Dreamshake became a reliable/impossible shot. But it was also Dream as his most impetulant, as if he wan't just grabbing his Dad's car keys, he was taking over the entire estate. We all know what happened immediately afterward, and the road to his true greatness was a personality 180 and intensely personal. Yao's looking like the inversion of Dream right now at 26 (almost?). Dream had to calm down, Yao needed to really get pissed off. Dream had played with numerous great players since he set had foot in Houston and subsequently got very confused. Yao wouldn't believe he's the best player on his team even if Thibodeaux hit him with a sledgehammer. But Yao's doing very much what Dream did at 26 right now. Only much quieter and more humbly. And if that's blasphemy (statistically or otherwise) fine. But we fans only recognize greatness after the player realizes it in himself first. This might be a good time for Les to chunk a million at Dream for a couple of weeks (out of gratitude, of course) because Hakeem is partial to money, but there's this guy who plays center here now that's looking like he's about to go nuclear (ho hum, 40 year old news) and could use some fashion tips. Ah, to see Dream smile in JVG's face. Pure ecstasy and probably highly instructive.
Look Yao is still nowhere close to Dream but man I love what the big fella is doing last night was frigin bad ass I was at the game and he was just bringing it! I mean calling for the ball, reposting when pollard pushed him or the gaurds could not get the ball into him, blocking shots, rebounding, moving well without the ball and just having all around high basketball iq! This Yao is hear to stay and I love it I am so pumped up because this guy plus a healthy T-MAC will bring us titles!
Man, another Dream vs. Yao thread. I don't think the OP was trying to draw any conclusions from these numbers. Only to say that Dream set a particular standard when he was playing, and for the first time in Yao's career, he was able to reach it, even if it is over a short period. It's not, "Wow, Yao is as good as Hakeem now". It's more like, "Wow, Yao is currently putting up numbers that Hakeem used to". Can we all just conclude that Dream is awesome and so is Yao, instead of categorically charting and comparing their awesomeness.
Man I could not agree more they are two different guys and lets just see how Yao's career plays out. I personally think he is about to enter his prime which is great news since T-MAC is gonna still be an elite player for years to come. There was only one dream like there is only one Yao and lets hope Yao has the great career that he has the potential too!
