| Can Houston lean on the Great Wall of China to a Championship Authored by Johnny Wu - August 28, 2006 - 4:55 pm
From Hakeem Olajuwon to Yao Ming, the great lineage of Houston centers has been carried on. In the 1984 NBA Draft, Houston selected Nigerian born center Hakeem Olajuwon with its first overall choice; eighteen years later they will again use their number one pick to select another International center in Chinese-born Yao Ming. The impressive legacy left behind by the great Olajuwon has placed a enormous amount of pressure on the 25 year old Ming. Yao's own path to superstardom will only be complete and fulfilled by bringing a championship to Houston.
During the 2005-2006 campaign, Yao filled the sheet with 22 points and 10 rebounds per game, both career highs. Not bad considering he was touted as the worst number one pick in NBA history before the draft. Houston's selection of Yao Ming at first overall has been compared to the selection of Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan in the eight-four draft. However, Carroll Dawson clearly saw something in Ming that the critics did not.
NBA history has dictated that having a dominating center can mean the difference between regular season success and championship glory. In retrospect, where would San Antonio be without David Robinson, a Lakers squad missing Wilt Chamberlain, or a Celtics dynasty without Larry Bird. A more recent example is whether Kobe Bryant wins three consecutive championships without Shaquille O'Neal (probably not.) Big men who can play an imposing style and can also rebound and block are rare commodities. Yao has become that type of player, he is as important to Houston as Shaq was to Los Angeles. He can rebound, block shots, and pass the ball out of the post with absolute ease. In today's league you cannot underestimate the importance of quality star centers. Look at Miami this year with Shaq, Detroit with the recently departed Ben Wallace, and the three-time champion Lakers with O'Neal before that. All three teams possessed prime time all-star centers who know how to get it done when it counts. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that Houston's championship hopes rests squarely on the shoulders of their rising big man. With T-Mac's ailing injury, Yao un-equivocally will be the most important Rocket for the next decade and beyond.
Entering the NBA draft as a clean cut young twenty-one year old, Yao quickly became the consensus number one choice out of a very weak 2002 draft class. Once a transfer agreement was worked out between the Rockets and the Shanghai Sharks, Houston proudly stated that they would utilize the number one selection on the rugged agile 7'6" center from China. Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich had already seen enough of Yao pre-draft and knew he was getting a young player who would likely not make a impact until his fourth or fifth year. Looking at Yao's play this year, it is hard to imagine that a 7'6" International big man would have progressed as much as he did in such a short period of time.
Prior to coming to the NBA, Yao was an established international star, highlighted by some marvelous seasons with the Shanghai Sharks. His rise to the NBA became inevitable, however his success was not guaranteed. Ming's first steps into the NBA has not come without scrutiny and ridicule. Many basketball critics already hailed him as the biggest over-hyped bust to go number one in NBA History.
ESPN columnist Bill Simmons proudly predicted Yao Ming would be a bust, stating "I think he will make a career backup, not someone worth to be a top ten pick…" Furthermore Animated college hoops commentator Dick Vitale remarked "I still feel that Yao Ming could be the second coming of LaRue Martin, the big man who was a first-round bust of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1972." Retired Rocket Charles Barkley exclaimed "Yao Ming makes Shawn Bradley look like Bill Russell" stating that Houston should have used there pick on current rising star Caron Butler. Many from the basketball community shared an opinion that the Rockets made an astronomical mistake drafting him and would regret it for years to come. Never has a player endured so much criticism and ridicule before or after the draft, his coming of age this year finally put an end to all the harsh comments he received in the past.
Using the ridicule to fuel his inner fire, Yao quickly established himself as a dominant force in his first few years in the league. Ming is one of the quickest, most agile centers in the league, who is a nightmare for opposing centers to guard. For a man of his size, his agility and footwork is uncanny and impressive. Yao also shot a career-best 85 per cent from the free throw line, which topped all centers in the league. His sweet turn around fade and soft hands are reminiscent of Hakeem's patented dream shake. Simply said, Yao Ming has become a beast in the league. What remains to be seen is whether Yao can bring a championship to Houston, the one thing which has eluded him over the years.
In order to win now, Houston needs to bring in the remaining pieces. Clearly the skill and talent is there, a healthy Mcgrady is good as any other player in the league. The real need in Houston is to bring in a capable power forward who can bang and hustle for boards and blocks. Chuck Hayes and Juwan Howard?? They will not get the job done. Houston's number priority this summer is to find a big to help Yao down low. Someone like Reggie Evans or Melvin Ely can help this team do the dirty work. A capable backup who can play 12 to 15 minutes per game can give Yao a much needed break. Come playoff time this becomes even more important. Players who can also alleviate some of the offensive load of T-Mac and Yao will also be beneficial, hopefully Shane Battier can put up decent numbers here and drop open threes created by Yao.
The time for the Rockets is now, both Yao and McGrady are in the prime of their careers, with a better supporting cast this team has the chance to go far. Houston is not one or two years away from contention, they can contend now. Whether Houston management brings in the right personnel remains to be seen. The additions of Stromile Swift, Derek Anderson, and Rafer Alston failed last year and they need to do much better.
It is clear that Yao has fully recovered from the foot injury that sidelined him last season, his current play in the FIBA World Championships shows it. For those who are not watching it, you're missing out on some good international basketball.
In the minds of the Houston faithful there is no doubt that Yao Ming is good, but many feel this man has the opportunity to be great like the man before him. Yao is a star, and with him in Houston a championship is very within there grasp.
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