Now, the Houston Rockets are faced with their own questions about a big man toting his own bit of baggage. Will Yao Ming, all 7 feet, 5 inches of him in his bare feet, be worth the legal maneuvering involved in getting him over the Pacific Ocean from China, and then keeping him here?

Better yet, if they do ? and the Rockets appear set on making Yao the top pick of Wednesday's draft ? can he even play? Hardly anyone blames Houston for taking the chance, because if the Rockets miss, at least they'll miss big.

"For his size he's got a very good touch," NBC analyst P.J. Carlesimo told reporters after running a pre-lottery Yao workout in Chicago. "I was even more impressed with his ability to pick things up and his understanding of basketball. He has a lot of things you can't teach. Now, the toughness, the intensity and the experience of playing in the league is another thing. No telling how long that will take."