Horrible news broke out of the first day of camp for the Houston Rockets.

Center Yao Ming twisted his ankle.

I said horrible, but definitely not surprising – especially if you are among the Houston Rocket faithful. 

Prior to him being drafted, Ming was regarded as the next great center in the NBA.  He was touted as a giant, with a strong base and gentle hands.  Scouting reports also harped on Ming’s shooting touch - characterizing it as extraordinary for a player on his size and stature.  And each of these assessments was dead on.

Ming has career averages of 19 points and 9 rebounds, which is nothing to scowl at.  Those represent very respectable numbers that very few can even think of posting. 

But all respectability aside, Ming, literally, has to be the biggest disappointment in the NBA.  He’s 7’6″, and yet, somehow he fails to dominate the flow of the game.  To see the effect that we would expect from a player of his stature, one would have to look no further than the Rockets’ first preseason game of 2010.  The Rockets were hosting an exhibition in their home state against the Orlando Magic and that other perennial All-Star center, “Mr. Superman” himself – Dwight Howard.

Ming played an extremely short stint in this game, so there was not much to analyze.  But what he did give us to examine was the same old thing that we’ve become accustomed to witnessing from the Chinese import.  But matching up with Howard, Yao only scored 3 points (on 3 free throws).  Now aside from his recurring injury issues, Yao’s most pressing weakness is his lack of mobility – and it was clearly exposed by the Magic superstar. 

Ming and McGrady never lived up to the hype of their co-existence on the Rockets.

Howard’s quickness, paired with his athleticism and lightning-fast leaping ability, negated any height and size advantage that Ming had.  Offensively, Howard could easily blow by Ming.  On one possession, Howard executed a fake in one direction, drove the other direction and converted a reverse layup.  Throughout the play, Ming’s feet remained in practically the same spot.

Offense impact withholding, Ming’s lack of mobility really hurts on the defensive side of the ball.  Any player in the seven-foot range typically shuts down the painted area with a shot-blocking presence that deters the opposition from driving toward the bucket.  Being seven-and-a-half feet tall and not being able to block shots is kinda like having wings and not being able to fly.  Simply stated, it doesn’t make any sense.

The excitement around Ming’s arrival on the Rockets was met with great enthusiasm.  It rekindles memories of another former Rocket of whom big things were expected – Ralph Sampson.  We all know Sampson’s story.  He, along with Hakeem Olajuwon, lifted the Rockets to a surprising 1984 NBA Finals appearance.  That would be the pinnacle of Sampson’s NBA career, as injuries and trades derailed the remainder of his professional basketball existence.

Before entertaining any criticism regarding this comparison, consider this:  Sampson took the Rockets to the Finals…a venue that Ming has yet to see. 

Will Ming ever be able to say the same?

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