Yao Ming vs. Derek Strong Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Derek Strong and Yao Ming, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

Yao Ming played 8 years in the NBA, 2 less than Derek Strong, who played 10. Yao Ming had the first of his seasons in 2002-03, while Derek Strong had his rookie season in 1991-92. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achivements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Their Careers

Player		 Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Yao Ming 8 4 2002-03 to 2010-11
Derek Strong 10 3 1991-92 to 2000-01

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Rookie Season
Yao Ming Derek Strong
Season 2002-031991-92
Team Houston RocketsWashington Bullets
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 82 29.0 13.5 2.4 5.8 8.2 1.7 0.4 1.8 2.1 2.8 4.9 9.8 .498 0.0 0.0 .500 3.7 4.5 .811
Derek Strong 1 12.0 3.0 1.0 4.0 5.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 4.0 .000 0.0 0.0 - 3.0 4.0 .750
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Derek Strong ------- --- ----------

Season 2
Yao Ming Derek Strong
Season 2003-041992-93
Team Houston RocketsMilwaukee Bucks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 82 32.8 17.5 2.4 6.6 9.0 1.5 0.3 1.9 2.5 3.3 6.5 12.5 .522 0.0 0.0 .000 4.4 5.4 .809
Derek Strong 23 14.7 6.8 1.7 3.3 5.0 0.6 0.5 0.0 0.6 0.9 1.8 4.0 .457 0.2 0.3 .500 3.0 3.7 .800
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 5 37.6 15.0 2.2 5.2 7.4 1.8 0.4 1.4 2.6 4.0 6.2 13.6 .456 0.0 0.0 - 2.6 3.4 .765
Derek Strong ------- --- ----------

Season 3
Yao Ming Derek Strong
Season 2004-051993-94
Team Houston RocketsMilwaukee Bucks
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 80 30.6 18.3 2.6 5.8 8.4 0.8 0.4 2.0 2.5 3.7 6.7 12.2 .552 0.0 0.0 - 4.9 6.2 .783
Derek Strong 67 16.9 6.6 1.6 2.6 4.2 0.7 0.6 0.2 0.9 1.0 2.1 5.1 .413 0.0 0.2 .231 2.4 3.1 .772
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 7 31.9 21.4 3.3 4.4 7.7 0.7 0.3 2.7 2.7 4.4 7.9 12.0 .655 0.0 0.0 - 5.7 7.9 .727
Derek Strong ------- --- ----------

Season 4
Yao Ming Derek Strong
Season 2005-061994-95
Team Houston RocketsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 57 34.2 22.3 2.6 7.6 10.2 1.5 0.5 1.6 2.6 3.4 8.2 15.8 .519 0.0 0.0 .000 5.9 6.9 .853
Derek Strong 70 19.2 6.3 1.9 3.4 5.4 0.6 0.3 0.2 1.1 2.0 2.1 4.7 .453 0.0 0.1 .286 2.0 2.5 .820
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Derek Strong 4 20.3 2.8 3.3 2.8 6.0 0.8 0.8 0.3 1.3 1.8 1.0 3.0 .333 0.0 0.0 - 0.8 1.5 .500

Season 5
Yao Ming Derek Strong
Season 2006-071995-96
Team Houston RocketsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf 1st RdDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 48 33.8 25.0 2.1 7.3 9.4 2.0 0.4 2.0 3.5 3.3 8.8 17.1 .516 0.0 0.0 .000 7.4 8.6 .862
Derek Strong 63 11.8 3.4 1.0 1.9 2.8 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.3 1.3 1.1 2.7 .426 0.0 0.1 .111 1.1 1.3 .812
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 7 37.1 25.1 3.3 7.0 10.3 0.9 0.1 0.7 4.7 3.9 7.9 17.9 .440 0.0 0.0 - 9.4 10.7 .880
Derek Strong ------- --- ----------

Season 6
Yao Ming Derek Strong
Season 2007-081996-97
Team Houston RocketsOrlando Magic
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Third Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayMagic Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 55 37.2 22.0 3.1 7.7 10.8 2.3 0.5 2.0 3.3 3.1 7.9 15.5 .507 0.0 0.0 .000 6.3 7.4 .850
Derek Strong 82 24.4 8.5 2.1 4.2 6.3 0.9 0.6 0.2 1.2 2.4 3.2 7.1 .447 0.0 0.2 .000 2.1 2.7 .803
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Derek Strong 5 39.0 12.2 4.0 6.0 10.0 0.8 0.4 0.4 2.8 4.0 4.2 8.0 .525 0.0 0.2 .000 3.8 5.0 .760

Season 7
Yao Ming Derek Strong
Season 2008-091997-98
Team Houston RocketsOrlando Magic
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second Team-
Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Rockets Lost West Conf SemisDid Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 77 33.6 19.7 2.6 7.2 9.9 1.8 0.4 1.9 3.0 3.3 7.4 13.4 .548 0.0 0.0 1.000 4.9 5.7 .866
Derek Strong 58 28.2 12.7 2.6 4.7 7.4 0.9 0.5 0.4 1.3 2.1 4.5 10.6 .420 0.0 0.1 .000 3.8 4.8 .781
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 9 35.9 17.1 2.1 8.8 10.9 1.0 0.4 1.2 1.9 3.0 6.0 11.0 .545 0.0 0.0 - 5.1 5.7 .902
Derek Strong ------- --- ----------

Note: Yao Ming didn't play in 2009-10.

Season 8
Yao Ming Derek Strong
Season 2010-111998-99
Team Houston RocketsOrlando Magic
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayMagic Lost East Conf 1st Rd
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming 5 18.2 10.2 1.4 4.0 5.4 0.8 0.0 1.6 1.4 2.6 3.6 7.4 .486 0.0 0.0 - 3.0 3.2 .938
Derek Strong 44 15.8 5.1 1.5 2.2 3.7 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.8 1.5 1.7 4.1 .422 0.0 0.0 .000 1.6 2.3 .717
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Derek Strong 1 16.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 0 0.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 1.0 2.0 .500 0.0 0.0 - 2.0 2.0 1.000

Season 9
Yao Ming Derek Strong
Season -1999-00
Team -Orlando Magic
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Did Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Derek Strong 20 7.4 2.7 0.6 1.7 2.2 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.6 0.8 1.1 2.4 .438 0.1 0.2 .250 0.6 0.7 .786
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Derek Strong ------- --- ----------

Season 10
Yao Ming Derek Strong
Season -2000-01
Team -Los Angeles Clippers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs -Did Not Play
more >>
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Derek Strong 28 17.5 4.2 1.2 2.6 3.9 0.3 0.5 0.0 0.8 1.1 1.6 4.2 .385 0.0 0.0 .000 1.0 1.3 .757
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF FGM / A % 3PM / A % FTM / A %
Yao Ming ------- --- ----------
Derek Strong ------- --- ----------
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