NBA scouts, GMs eye Chinese center

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Posted 10:01AM on Thursday, May 2, 2002

CHICAGO - Yao Ming has a sweet outside shot, hitting 15-footers with ease. He can push the ball up court with fancy dribbling, taking it behind his back in a move that would make Allen Iverson proud. Try that, Shaq. The 7-foot-5 Chinese center worked out for NBA scouts and team officials Wednesday, showing just why people have been raving about him since the Sydney Olympics. ``He's more than what I would have anticipated,'' said former NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo, who ran the workout at Loyola University. ``Somebody with that kind of size, and the basketball skills he has are impressive.'' So impressive he could be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft June 26. And if he doesn't go first, he'll go soon after. ``I don't think it's a roll of the dice because there will be a place for him in the NBA,'' said Jerry West, the Memphis Grizzlies' new president of basketball operations. While 7-5 players don't come around often, Yao is more than just the latest incarnation of Shawn Bradley or Gheorghe Muresan. He's a once-in-a-generation player. A huge man with the skills of a smaller player and the potential to change the game like O'Neal has. He's also has an air of mystery. Rarely seen outside Asia since the Olympics, he was given permission to enter the NBA draft only two weeks ago. So when Yao showed up for Wednesday's workout, there were 65 NBA scouts and team officials waiting, including West, Miami Heat coach Pat Riley and New Jersey Nets general manager Rod Thorn. And there were another 200 people upstairs, hanging over the balcony hoping to catch a glimpse. ``I am humbled and grateful for the experience of the past few days,'' Yao, who turns 22 in September, said in a statement. ``I would ... like to express my sincere gratitude to all NBA teams for showing interest in me. I am honored by your presence. And I hope I have not disappointed you with my performance today.'' Sporting a pair of blue-and-white Nikes with ``Yao 13'' on the sides, Yao began the workout with some jogging and stretching drills. He looked serious at first, but was soon joking with the three practice players: Oregon center Chris Christoffersen, Marquette guard Cordell Henry and Mitch Henderson, an assistant coach at Northwestern who played at Princeton. Carlesimo put the players through almost an hour of shooting and running drills, doing just about everything except playing a game. Yao made 15-footers and jump hooks. He did full-court layups with and without a defender. There were even a few pick-and-rolls and post-ups. He dunked and blocked a few shots, swatting one of Christoffersen's layups into the corner of the gym. He moved well and showed a smooth outside shot more befitting a shooting guard. ``For a guy this size, he can shoot the ball,'' West said. ``He has a wonderful feel for the game.'' Yao wasn't that quick - the flight from China two days earlier might have had something to do with that, though - and his defense was a little shaky. He got posted-up by the 7-1 Christoffersen, and Henry made a couple of jumpers over him. He also is going to need to get stronger, particularly in his upper body. Listed at 236 pounds, his legs looked solid but his arms weren't very muscular. He will take a physical Thursday to be measured and weighed. ``The things that struck me (as weaknesses) are easier things than the things you have to teach,'' Carlesimo said. That doesn't mean Yao won't have some growing pains. He's widely viewed as the best player in China, but the competition there isn't close to what he'll face in the NBA. Still, what he showed Wednesday proved he's ready for the challenge. ``The way he shot the ball from outside, that was something,'' Christoffersen said. ``He's kind of like a Dirk Nowitzki, but maybe a little slower. He can definitely be that type of player.''