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Yao Ming: Bust? No.

There have been endless discussion about whether or not Yao Ming is a bust and/or if he’s as good as he’s going to get. Personally, I’m a fan of Yao. He’s big, he can catch a ball, and until next season when Andrew Bogut hits the NBA, he’s the best foreign center in the league.

What people need to come to grips with is Yao is not Shaq. He’s not Patrick Ewing. He’s not Hakeem Olajuwon. But what Yao needs is something all those guys had during their careers – a power forward who will do the little things that lets the superstar center do everything else. Shaq had Horace Grant, Ewing had Charles Oakley and Hakeem had Otis Thorpe. They also had complimentary players who were built around the big man (eg. Kenny Smith, Mario Elie, Dennis Scott, John Starks).

The Rockets, for most of the season, have been a team without an identity. Jeff Van Gundy seemed like he’s trying to make them NY2K5 but they’ll never be that. I’m not a T-Mac fan either so it remains to be seen what he can do with the Rockets when it comes playoff time (it’s even money he’ll be “injured” by then). Yao deserves a break. Not just from the fans’ criticism, he needs a break from basketball. Playing for China during the NBA offseason can’t be good for a 7’5” body in need of rest.

And at press time, the Rockets have won eight games in a row. They're clicking now.

Screamin’ A Smith

There have been a lot of theories tossed around as to why Rudy Tomjanovich stepped down as head coach of the Lakers. Most have been focussing on his relationship with Kobe Bryant and Rudy’s health (as most of us know, he recently battled cancer). And until Rudy actually comes out and says what the problem was, it’s hard to figure out the real reason.

So how the hell can ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith come out and say: "I have no factual evidence to base this on ... but I personally believe that drinking played a part (in his retirement)."

If I was Rudy (full disclosure: I’m not), I be furious with Screamin’ A. If SAS played his cards close to his chest and suggested he had some inside information but couldn’t reveal a source, then yeah, maybe throw the drinking suggestion out there. Treat it like a game of poker – you’re bluffing (reporting false information) to try and win a pot (in Screamin’ A’s case, more publicity). If no one calls your bluff (Rudy T doesn’t sue you), then you get the money (more exposure) and you had nothing (baseless information) to begin with. Smith has basically come out and tried to bluff while displaying a pair of twos on his forehead. You can’t just come out and say you have no facts to base a slanderous statement on. Or maybe you can. What if someone accuses crack usage being responsible for Smith's accusation?

InsideHoops.com Editor's Note: Aside from the above example, I like Screamin A. Smith. He's amusing to listen to. My two cents.

Baller: Rafer Alston

Alston has skills for days, but what the hell is going on up there in Toronto? You have to reason that while it’s not all Rafer’s fault (he did play well in Miami under the watchful eye of Pat Riley, and he don’t play no games), he’s obviously doing something that’s getting Raptors’ coach Sam Mitchell fired up. Maybe it’s just an adjustment thing and in five years Sam and Skip will be attending BBQs together and splitting a plate of wings.

Not a Baller: All Knicks other than T. Ariza and K. Thomas

Stephon Marbury might get a pass, but it’s getting a bit ridiculous the way teams he leaves thrive and teams he joins fail. In fairness to “franchise player” Marbury, everyone else on the Knicks roster might be worth a first round draft pick. And that’s COMBINED.

What I Want to See

Denver coach George Karl wearing a white business shirt (no tie), black-framed glasses, and laughing like Peter Griffin from “Family Guy”.

Thank You

To Karl Malone for retiring. He was obviously thinking of coming back until he read my column last week. But like I also said last week, don’t be surprised if he makes a comeback with whatever team hits three wins first in the NBA Finals. Karl was always about “earning” that ring.

In other retirement news, it genuinely sad to see Reggie Miller call it quits, especially with how this season has panned out for the Pacers (having said that, Stephen Jackson is my boy, RIDE OR DIE FO’ LIFE!). Reggie was the opposite to Malone, in terms of him staying with his original team for his whole career and not joining a stacked squad to try and win a title.

And on an entertainment note:

DJ Leon Smith’s Top Five GOT THE CLUB ON SMASH Tracks

1. Drop It Like It’s Hot (Remix) – Snoop Dogg, Pharell & Jay-Z
2. Sugar (Gimme Some) – Trick Daddy, Ludacris & Cee-Lo
3. Bring ‘em Out – T.I. feat. Jay-Z
4. Halftime – Ying Yang Twins
5. New York – Ja Rule, Fat Joe & Jadakiss

Ewan Corness is the leading Australia-based basketball journalist. He was the editor of Australia’s PBT (Pro Basketball Today) for over four years and has worked for every major basketball publication in Australia. He has also written for Inside Sport, SLAM and XXL. You can email Ewan at ewan99@insidehoops.com (remove the 99).



Backboard Slap #001

February 8, 2005

Steve Nash: Overrated?

Every few years it seems like the criteria for MVP changes. Sometimes it’s the best player in the NBA, sometimes it’s the guy putting up the best numbers, sometimes it’s the best player on the best team, regardless of that player’s stats. However, the (very trendy) choice this season of Steve Nash for NBA MVP is out of line.

This isn’t to say that that Nash isn’t one of the NBA’s top point guards. In fact, he might be the most valuable player in terms of Phoenix’s win-loss percentage with and without him. But this doesn’t mean he is the most valuable player in the entire league. If the award is the most valuable player on that player’s particular team, then what’s to stop the award going to Milwaukee’s Michael Redd? Yeah, their record sucks, but without Redd they may not have won a single game. Or Charlotte’s Emeka Okafor. The Bobcats without Emeka would be like television without electricity.

Steve Nash is in a great situation in terms of his skills and veteran leadership that he brings to the table, but he’s not the MVP of the league. He’s the MVP of the Phoenix Suns.

So who is the MVP of the league?

Ask me in three months.

All-Stars

As always, there are good and bad selections in both the East and the West All-Star starters, but at the end of the day it’s the fans who decide and they essentially pay the player’s salaries so it’s fair enough to let them pick who they want to see. Except for Vince Carter. And Tracy McGrady.

To everyone who voted: Why would you reward two guys who have admitted to dogging it and/or sitting out games? Games that you paid to watch! And two guys who seem to get injured at crunch time and love deferring to lesser-talented teammates.

Hopefully the Nets will end up trading Carter to the perfect team for his skills – Seattle.

(The Seattle Storm that is, where he will be an excellent third option behind Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird.)

(Oh, and a notice to P.Diddy – can we get your VOTE OR DIE! campaign running in conjunction with the NBA All-Star voting next season? Make sure that guys like Steve Nash aren’t snubbed.)

Baller: Danny Fortson

Every team needs a Danny Fortson. He is the great unstablizer. Fortson’s instability occasionally hurts the Sonics; but what Seattle needed was a guy who could grab rebounds and make opponents worry about what a very f-ing focused intimidator would do next.

Fortson is a combination of two former Sonic greats who used to personify the team’s tough mentality – Michael Cage and Xavier McDaniel. Well, if you take away X-Man’s mid-range shot and Cage’s “Let your Soul Glo!” Jeri curls. And because of his contribution, the Sonics are kicking ass for the first time since Shawn Kemp had only 12 children (instead of the 73 he has now).

Although it would have been unreasonable to expect the Sonics to improve as much as they have, the fact that some “experts” predicted them to be the worst team in the league was baffling. The 2003-04 Sonics needed a rebounder. Danny Fortson grabs rebounds. Therefore, said team does not get worse, yes?

Perhaps the NBA’s GM of the Year is Mark Cuban (yes, I know he’s not really the GM of the Mavericks, slow your roll). He’s single-handedly revived two franchises. Phoenix, by handing them Steve Nash, and Seattle, by both giving them Danny Fortson and helping them get rid of Calvin Booth. And speaking of Calvin…

Not a Baller: Calvin Booth

Calvin Booth is the NBA’s equivalent of a broken down Pinto. Except the cost to lease this broken down car could get you a brand new Maybach instead. A Mayback with 31 inch rims, 16 DVD players in the dashboard and 150,000 watts of subwoofers in the trunk.

So if you’re a NBA GM thinking of trading for Calvin Booth, just think to yourself - “Pinto vs Maybach”. I just saved you millions of dollars you can spend on a guy who will do more than look like a tall, black John Kerry while warming your bench.

Andrew Bogut #1?

Please God, save Andrew Bogut from going first in the 2005 NBA Draft. If a No.1 is anything less than a superstar then he’s instantly labelled a failure (see: Smith, Joe. Brown, Kwame. Olowokandi, Michael. Actually, scratch that - Olowokandi would be a failure for a second round pick).

Bogut has the entire Australian basketball community watching his every move. It’s like he’s Suge Knight and Australia is the FBI. If he goes mid-lottery then the expectations will be low as a rookie – but we’ll still expect him to kick ass (or “ARSE!” as a true Aussie would say) within three years.

Wanted

If anyone has a Lauren Jackson Seattle Storm jersey in 4XL, I will pay any price for it.

Not wanted

If anyone has a Jerrod Mustaf New York Knicks jersey, good on you!

Memo to Karl Malone

Retire. Even if you win a ring you’ll be doing it on one leg while wearing a cowboy hat and sitting on Tim Duncan’s shoulders. Not a good look for a 55-year-old. Karl, maybe you should wait until one team wins three games in the NBA Finals and join them. Then you might “earn” that ring!

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Ewan Corness is the leading Australia-based basketball journalist. He was the editor of Australia’s PBT (Pro Basketball Today) for over four years and has worked for every major basketball publication in Australia. He has also written for Inside Sport, SLAM and XXL. His contact email address will be posted later today.