Basket Case: Is Yao tops now?

[b]Staying centered on Ming hype[/b]
Randy Hill / FOXSports.com


A basketball nation turns its lonely eyes to Shaquille O'Neal.

Where have you and all of the other centers gone, Shaq? Well, Shaq's been on another tour of the injured list. And even when he returns to the Miami Heat, his aging physique could remain the prisoner of an inability to finish those commercials for Nestle and Burger King in anything near one take.

Into O'Neal's considerable wake steps Yao Ming.

Yao, now a spry 26-year-old, generally is considered the top center in basketball (at least until Ohio State's first game under the courtside analysis of Dick Vitale). Shaq forfeited the crown by providing a relatively pedestrian 20 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last year ... a championship year.

While leading the Houston Rockets to 11 victories in 16 games, Yao has demonstrated across-the-board improvement that would suggest his worthiness. But before the coronation, some NBA watchdogs are wondering if he's reached center stage by default.

Due to semantics, challengers to the throne may include Sacramento's post-avoiding Brad Miller and Utah's number-producing Mehmet Okur. Forward tags have eliminated San Antonio superstar Tim Duncan, who's really been playing the center position his entire career. Orlando Magic 20-year-old Dwight Howard also is referred to as a power forward, but generally lines up in the middle.

Among card-carrying centers, the top rank has been bestowed upon Yao, whose rise is marked by swell numbers — 25.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game on 52.8-percent shooting.

"He really has taken his game to the next level," said a cliche-flipping assistant coach currently employed by another Western Conference team. "Yao's always been a solid scorer in the paint and facing up, but I think his strength, focus and understanding of the NBA game are reasons for the improvement."

Yao, now listed at 7-foot-6 and a sturdy 310 pounds, has turned this added strength and stamina into increased productivity in the fourth quarter.

"In the old days, you could count on him to fade down the stretch in big games," said our first coach.

Our second coaching witness is here to offer critical balance.

"Sure, he's really good, but Yao needs to show consistency over a period of time before I'll call him great," said assistant coach No. 2.

OK, where are the consistency issues?

"The Rockets live and die on his scoring. He gives 'em 27 in the wins and 22 in the losses. This shows he's their MVP, but also shows that he needs to raise his level in every game.

"And he seems in better condition, but his scoring drops six points on the second night of a back-to-back situation. Now that's an average over a small sample of games, but great players get it done in those deals."

A review of Tim Duncan's numbers, for example, shows the superSpur has averaged more points and a higher field-goal percentage in Game 2 of his team's first five back-to-back challenges.

In addition to consistency of production in back-to-back situations, coach No. 2 has other Yao nits to pick.

"He still needs to improve his passing out of the double team. Yao's improved his timing at shot blocks, but Houston's defensive improvement is more because they now have (Shane) Battier.

"Yao also needs to rebound better than about 10. That numbers sounds good, but the guy is 7-6 with a really strong lower body. He's been really outstanding on the boards in some games and not so hot in others. He also may never be great on screen-roll defense, but he needs to be able to recover on the boards after showing hard on the pick."

Let's see ... better passing, increased stamina, more defensive tenacity. Do these lessening liabilities add up to a player coach No. 2 would prefer not having on his side?

"Of course not. What am I, an idiot? Hey, the guy has been a force, is a force and will be a force. If there's some anti-Yao thing out there, it may be because he's not flashy, not because he's Chinese. He doesn't have many highlight dunks.

"Remember, the best low-post guy in the league for a while has been Duncan. And he doesn't get nearly enough props."