<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Why write a two-part NBA Preview when you can just make lists? For instance... THREE GUYS WHO HAVE REACHED THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON EXCUSES 1. Yao Ming After three straight years of playing for the Rockets and his Chinese team without a vacation, Yao took much of the summer off to recharge his batteries. I know this because I have read it in every single "Look out, here comes Yao!" piece written over the past six weeks, which is starting to sound like the "Look out, this could be the season that 'Scrubs' becomes a smash hit!" campaign. So fine, his regular-season stats should climb this season ... but does that mean he won't disappear in the playoffs again? Personally, I think he's too nice -- Yao seems like the kind of guy who would take a cheap-shot elbow, then apologize for hitting the guy's elbow with his teeth. Don't you need a little bit of a mean streak to be a franchise center? Remember, even Kareem had a nasty side at times, and he was an absolute ninny. At the very least, couldn't Yao grow a wispy fu manchu or something? 2. Carmelo Anthony Not only are LeBron and Wade leaving him in the dust, but even Darko Milicic is getting some "Leo the Late Bloomer" buzz lately in Detroit. Meanwhile, 'Melo is the Marissa Cooper of that 2004 class -- a strong first season with a ton of promise, followed by a disappointing second season when everything possible went wrong. Of course, Marissa took a major leap in Season 3 of "The OC," suddenly started looking like a woman and seems headed for the Jaclyn Smith Hall of Fame for TV Babes. Good sign for 'Melo. And yes, I think he springs for 25-plus a game this season. 3. Paul Pierce Statistically, he had his best season since 2001 ... although stats don't reflect things like "Number of scowls," "Number of times the coach was shown up" and "Number of legitimately bizarre decisions that made you question how late he stayed out the previous night." This season? He seems healthy, he's in shape, he's in good spirits, and his first step has mysteriously returned from a two-year sabbatical. What happened to the black cloud that followed him around for the past two seasons? You got me. As the Sports Gal randomly said while watching two minutes of an exhibition game last week, "He seems happy, he looks like the old Pee-Pee again!" (Yes, my wife calls the best player on the Celtics "Pee-Pee." Don't ask.)</div> http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story...=simmons/051102
Garbage...Trash.....Doo-doo....... Yao Ming's stats his first couple seasons would be considered pretty damn good for any other player, but Yao gets the 3rd degree because he's bigger than most players, which sux. People say he "disappeared" in the playoffs, but the guy averaged a freakin 21pts and had some of the BEST games of his career. This article belongs in the toilet with most of the crap........
