Yao Ming retires from the NBA

[QUOTE=Joey Zaza]Less of one...less expectations surrounding him.

Well, there's a thing in the NBA (or there was) called a salary cap. No matter how much $$ a player brings in, the team still has to work within it. So, by taking up 12% of Hou's cap, while only playing a limited number of their games, his value is diminished--from a basketball standpoint, not a franchise value standpoint.

Use a different example because Hakeem is the picture perfect #1 pick.[/QUOTE]

No the expectations would have been the same. Kyree Irving's expectations would be the same if he went 2-5. It's about skill set not position. If he was highly touted it wouldn't have mattered would it?

Also to be fair then you'd have to call T-Mac a bust for that team too. Which you may or may not be prepared to do I don't know your stance on that.

You yourself continue to call Yao an A player. How is that not one deserving of that pick. How many other A players would you say came from that draft? Maaaaaybe 3? Any of which going one would have been reasonable.

My argument is that you're taking it to an extreme. Yao is not a bust. He was def top-2 centers, and I personally think that with some luck he may have won an MVP. It's sad to see injuries derail what was an extremely promising career.

Terrible news. It's unfortunate the McGrady/Yao duo never reached it's potential. No way they should've lost to the Jazz in 2007.

[QUOTE=Timmy D for MVP]No the expectations would have been the same. Kyree Irving's expectations would be the same if he went 2-5. It's about skill set not position. If he was highly touted it wouldn't have mattered would it?.[/QUOTE]

Expectations are impossible to measure...but #1 pick means -- you can pick anyone in the world you want. No.2 pick means, you pick whomever the #1 picker didn't want.

[QUOTE=Timmy D for MVP]Also to be fair then you'd have to call T-Mac a bust for that team too. Which you may or may not be prepared to do I don't know your stance on that.[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't be the first one...T-Mac did not live up to expectations (set by his play) I think we ca nall agree on that.

[QUOTE=Timmy D for MVP]You yourself continue to call Yao an A player. How is that not one deserving of that pick. How many other A players would you say came from that draft? Maaaaaybe 3? Any of which going one would have been reasonable.[/QUOTE]

I call him A-/B+. Amare is an A. Booz is an A-/B+. Nene is a B/B+.

[QUOTE=Timmy D for MVP]My argument is that you're taking it to an extreme. Yao is not a bust. He was def top-2 centers, and I personally think that with some luck he may have won an MVP. It's sad to see injuries derail what was an extremely promising career.[/QUOTE]

All it would have taken was a little luck and alot better play.

[QUOTE=gyu]You've obviously never seen Yao play if you don't think he was an above average defender, Rockets was one of the best defensive teams a few years ago mostly due to him... :facepalm

If NBA.com didn't remove most of their content off their site I would show you the article near the end of the 08-09 season where Yao was ranked 2nd for DPOY after Dwight Howard.[/QUOTE]

Rockets had a few years where they allowed less points in the paint than anyone else.

so from basketball overall or just the NBA? what does china and their basketball association have to say about this?

Yao in his prime was a great player, a true all-star and he was top 2-3 among centers in his own era for the most of his career.

Now when it's all over he accomplished pretty much;

[U][B]
8

top25

J. Rose pointed out on ESPN that thru the 2002-2007 seasons Yao even with all the injuries was the most effective scorer in the league.
That showed how effecient he was , and how weak the position in the league was.

I was asked once , who was better Yao or Howard.
Yao was my answer ... and it's a sad day that we could not of seen these two great talents match up against each other for years and see the battles. (Because I think if Yao would of been healthy - they would of been epic battles)

Now we see hopefully the Jordans, Bogut , Howard , and Gasol and maybe Bynum find their nitch and award us with some great confrontations.

RIP Yao the giant :cry:

I became a fan of Yao when he played in the 2000 Olympics. He's the best Asian player in NBA History, and a genuinely nice guy. We are going to miss him. It sucks that injury prematurely ended his NBA Career. God Bless Yao Ming.

[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0Ve5j7w26I[/url]

The Yao Ming Song.

Top 15. I'll take Yao's prime over Mourning's prime any day of the week.

Top 15, sad bc he had a chance to make a much bigger push. At one point he was averaging around 27/11 for the second half of a season then broke his leg or foot. I can't remember.

I still remember this Article.

[url]http://www.cbssports.com/u/ce/recap/0,2405,NBA_20021030_HOU@IND,00.htm[/url]

It's sad, imagine what could've been.
Injuries ruined his career.
When healthy, this dude was a legitimate force, easily a 20-10 guy with great free throw shooting. I would take him over Dwight Howard back then.

Never knew Shaq and Yao were good buddies.
[QUOTE=Shaq]"We're going to miss you, bro," O'Neal said. "You're one of the greatest players ever to come out of China. You're one of the greatest players, period. I'm going to miss you, brother. Enjoy retirement. Let's go on vacation, bro. Me and you."[/QUOTE]

Man, sucks to see him go. Always wanted the guy to do good.

Houston, we are in our dark days again, like it was in the early part of the 2000s.