When will the Ming Dynasty Begin? (By Sit)

[Fresh8]

When will the Ming Dynasty Begin?

Yao is critisicised for his game and style. The man has his flaws but sometimes he is oftn overlooked in terms of his skills. His footwork, passing and shooting touch are often overlooked by everyone... when he gets dunked on, isn't aggresive enough and doesn't grab rebounds in double digits... we don't respect him and only talk about the bad things.

But after a bit of analysis... I can see that there are a few things that limit Yao's stats and productivity on the court and despite these factors, he is actually a bit closer to the other big men in the league.

I chose Tim Duncan, Shaqulle O'neal and Ben Wallace to compare to Yao. Let's see how we go.

Yao Ming

04-05 Stats 18.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.84 bpg, .537 FG% in 32.8 mpg
Stats per 48 mins 26.9 ppg, 12.6 rpg, 2.7 bpg

Shaquille O'neal

04-05 Stats 23.0 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 2.54 bpg, .597 FG% in 35.2 mpg
Stats per 48 mins 31.4 ppg, 14.6 rpg, 3.5 bpg

Tim Duncan

04-05 Stats 21.3 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 2.77 bpg, .502 FG% in 34.9 mpg
Stats per 48 mins 29.3 ppg, 16.2 rpg, 3.8 bpg

Ben Wallace

04-05 Stats 9.4 ppg, 12 rpg, 2.55 bpg, .440 FG% in 37.1 mpg
Stats per 48 mins 12.2 ppg, 15.5 rpg, 3.3 bpg

Amare Stoudamire

04-05 Stats 26.0 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.58 bpg, .574 FG% in 36.0 mpg
Stats per 48 mins 35 ppg, 12.6 rpg, 2.1 bpg

Sats per 48 minutes doesn't really prove much... but it is able to compare the basic skills of the players. You can see that the latter three big men all rebound the ball well. Yao is behind all three of them but one thing that is misunderstood is the fact that people think Yao is tall- he can rebound with ease. That is not correct. Rebounding takes skill, you need the right position and to time your jump at the time where you can get the ball before anyone else. This in turn goes back to Yao... the reason why he can't rebound is that maybe he is boxed out by opposition players. It is known that Yao isn't very strong when it comes to his upper body. Something that he should work on is getting some extra muscle which could help him prevent being boxed out.

Yao's aggresiveness has been questioned at times. But it is something we cannot change overnight. However, it is also something that may never change. We need to understand that when it comes to people's minds, you can't force a change in someone's attitude. You could say, 'you need to be more aggresive.' But if the person isn't any bit aggresive to start off with, how are you going to get that attitude out of them?

When it comes to shot blocking, Yao isn't doing as bad as a lot of the critics may think he is. In terms of blocks per 48 mins is concerned Yao isn't far behind Shaq, Duncan or Wallace. He's only one block a game behind those three in blocks per game per 48 minutes. Sure, he is 7'6" but blocking is also a skill you learn and Yao's style of basketball might not suit what people want him to be like.

Take Wallace for example... at 6'9" you might not think he is a great center after putting the stats aside... but his game is aggresive when he gets on the glass and swats shots whereever they are coming from. And he can swat shots becasue that's his talent. Thats why Wallace is a great defensive player. Yao doesn't play that style of basketball. We want him to but he's not changing overnight as I've said and we can't do nothing about it!

Why doesn't Yao score as much as the other guys? 1) He's playing under Van Gundy's defensive system and 2) He had Tracy Mcgrady who is shooting at 43% scoring 25 ppg. Van Gundy's style is slower than most NBA teams... the Rockets don't score a high point total and therefore, the top two scorers son't score as much as many would wish for. He's also got Tracy Mcgrady on his team.

Some may say, 'yeah, so? Shaq has Wade.' Think about it this way, Shaq is still a dominant center in this league and on many nights- Shaq is still the number one option on offence. Wade is also shooting a higher percentage of shots at 47% from the field. What does that mean for Shaq? It means that since Wade is more efficient from the field, Shaq will get more shots than Yao does with Mcgrady. Maybe that philosophy is wrong but I see it as a reason why Yao doesn't score as much.

The key for Yao to become a great player is to become much more aggresive on defence and offence. It's something which he needs to improve on. Yao needs to go for every block he can get and get every board he can get his hands on. It's harder than it sounds though.

Yao isn't a true born leader. He needs direction and to bring out the best of him, Yao needs a veteran who will push him. The Rockets have already had Patrick Ewing and Dikeme Mutombo part of their orginisation, no doubt to try to have Yao to develop quicker. But one thing they need to understand (And I have come to understand) is that big things take time to develop into their full potential.

Yao's court time is limited as the team saves his energy for the playoffs. However, endurance does become an issue in seperate games. The Rockets last playoffs slowed down play to accomodate Yao's fatigue as he is tired from the long wreary stretch of games and the busy offseasons he has with National Team duty. Yao has to try to be as fit as he can because right now, he is not able to withstand a full NBA pace match.

Yao is only 23, he's still got at least 10 seasons in the league... there is so much time for him to improve into something which revolutionlises the NBA as it is today. The league has never seen a 7'6" guy as talented as he is... and someone who has such great potential.

Amare and Yao

The two enetered the NBA in 2002. Right now, it looks like Amare is the better player. Well, Amare has an edge in scoring but that is undertandable to me. Amare is part of a fast offence which averages close to 110 ppg. He is aggresive when it comes to offence and with a PG in Steve Nash who never fails to spot the open man, Amare benefits from all of this. However, on defence the two have quite simialr stats. What sets the two apart are their teams.

If Yao was in Amare's shoes, I have no doubt he could be averaging more than 20 ppg... but we'll never know! However, Amare has really risen to that 'the man' role more... he wants to lead and thats what hs doin... even if Nash is the 'real' leader of the team. Yao basically has the team at his hands.. yet he's not doing anything with that power!

[kibaxx7]

Really really great article.
I agree with you there. Amare is better than Yao...

[The GOAT]

This was a great read. Almost as good as last week's Jordan one.
One more of these and you'll be the first ever back-to-back poster of the Week in Jae's Weekly Thread.

[Fresh8]

man... i'm working on my masterpiece... 'Kobe and MJ: Who will end up as the better player?'

Stay tuned for it ok fellas?

And I want to see ur feedback on ur opinions! Thanks!

Sit

[cyanide]

Nice work with the stat comparisons!

man... i'm working on my masterpiece... 'Kobe and MJ: Who will end up as the better player?'

That will not work, my friend! Kobe will not end up as the better player, ever.

[Fresh8]

oh man.. thats why im writing about it!

[cyanide]

This I gotta see. Be ready to defend that one!

[Fresh8]

Oh yeah man... but I promise i'll try not to be bias... cause im a kobe fan and not really much of mj's but i do know that MJ is definitely... Greatest Of All Time!

[Jona]

man... i'm working on my masterpiece... 'Kobe and MJ: Who will end up as the better player?'

Stay tuned for it ok fellas?

And I want to see ur feedback on ur opinions! Thanks!

Sit

You just cannot put the name Michael Jordan, the word better, and a question mark in the same sentence. That's just crap.

[Fresh8]

Yes i can man.... the title says who will end up better man... not that kobe is already better!

[-BHZMAFIA-]

I have to agree on you with the shot blocking thing. Because sometimes people can elevate alot higher than Yao and Yao can barely jump. You also have to time the block as well, so that's just something he has to work on, but rebounding wise, I think he should be able to easily get 10+ rebounds a game. If he is standing in the middle when the ball is released, and not around the perimeter anywhere, he should be able to get alot of rebounds. Good article either way.

[Fresh8]

But hes not standing in the middle becasue hes being boxed out right? If he got a bit more stronger he'd be able to be in the right places... it also depends on ur experience... Yao will learn to rebound one day!

[The GOAT]

Oh yeah man... but I promise i'll try not to be bias... cause im a kobe fan and not really much of mj's but i do know that MJ is definitely... Greatest Of All Time!

That will be a great one, I can't wait for you to crush all of the Kobe fan's dreams

[Null17]

great read, although i just quickly browsed through it. just like the jordan. i'm kinda lazy when it comes to reading nowadays

[Ataraxia]

u seriously should become a writer dude....seriously !

MJ vs Kobe....interesting although Ill go with MJ

[Fresh8]

well... its been delayed... i got too many assignments... maybe tomz fellas!

[kevC]

Also, I'm tired of all this hating on Yao Ming.

In case you're wondering, hating on Yao is the quickest way to reveal the fact you know nothing about the league. Nothing.

In his third season -- I repeat, third season -- Yao is averaging 18.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and .537 percent from the field.

What's to hate about that?

Freaks, publicly hating on Yao doesn't make you cool or hard or different -- it makes you look stupid…and ethnocentric. It's akin to breaking the ice with a beautiful woman by asking if she wants a drink…or a dance. How lame is that?

Stop hatin' on Yao.

[Fresh8]

U think the same way as Kick?

[Old School Fool]

Fuck Rick Kamla, I like the guy, but he says I don't know shit about the league cause I don't dig Yao.

I don't dig Yao because he was Garbage when he first came into the league, Garbage then, Garbage now.

He needs to show me he can put up kick ass numbers instead of playing like a softcore porn actor.

[Fresh8]

man.. Yao is the 'Gentle Giant'... maybe one day he will be a monster. u never know!

but i'll tell u wah rubbish is... Shawn Bradley. now thats rubbish!

[Old School Fool]

man.. Yao is the 'Gentle Giant'... maybe one day he will be a monster. u never know!

but i'll tell u wah rubbish is... Shawn Bradley. now thats rubbish!

Shawn Bradley is the definition of Wack and Irony.

[Fresh8]

ok...

[Andrew]

Having seen a few Rockets games this season, I've been both impressed and unimpressed by Yao. His shotblocking definitely needs work - even if the numbers are decent, there's room for improvement. A few times I've seen players more than a foot shorter than him score easy layups against him while he sort of stands back, arms raised but not really challenging the shot.

It's a similar situation with his offensive rebounding. Height isn't the only factor - as we know, some of the most talented players have been below or slightly above the average height of 6'7" - but it remains a tremendous advantage, one that Yao doesn't really seem to utilise. He sometimes seems to have trouble finishing around the rim; at his height, he should be just dunking or dropping the ball in. Anything with an arc is kind of dangerous as at 7'6", it's very easy for him to overshoot the rim.

I see Yao as an All-Star player, but not a true star like some of the great centres we've seen. I think he can be really good as the Inside in an Inside-Outside duo. Houston seems to be coming together after a sluggish start. I'm more inclined to believe he'll be a top five centre during his career, a perennial All-Star and a guy who can put up good numbers, but his role is #2.

[Fresh8]

Yao doesn't have the attitude of a true leader. It will be hard for him to prove that he can be a future HOF... but we all know he's the best Asian baller so far in history!

[Sauru]

the number 1 problem yao has against him is the hype. when he came over here he had tons of hype surrounding him and everyone and thier mother was saying how he was gonna change the game. i dont think any of you could honestly say you would not want a 18 and 8 guy who makes more shots than he misses on your team. infact if you did say that i would have to call you a liar or an idiot. people expected yao to be the greatest thing since sliced bread but instead is he just a good player.

i think a problem most people have with the nba is they either consider people great or junk. there is no inbetween. also stats dont say everything about a player anyway. for instance marbury. guy constantly puts up damn good numbers whereever he goes yet his teams are always junk. yao is not hurting the rockets right now, if he goes out and tries to be more assertive maybe he starts to hurt them. maybe he gets into foul trouble damn early every night. maybe he starts taking to many shots and disrupting his teams flow. bottom line is 18 and 8 from a 3rd year player is still good no matter what anyone says about it.