2002: Amare vs. Yao for Western dominance

Originally published: June 27, 2005

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Editor's note: We asked ESPN Insider John Hollinger to evaluate every NBA Draft pick since 1995 and tell us what the lottery teams during those years should have done, based on what we know now about each player. For more on John's methodology, click here.

For the Houston Rockets, taking Yao Ming was nearly a no-brainer.

But while Yao's done a fine job as a traditional center, what we didn't see coming was a player who might, far more than Yao, reinvent post play.

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