Vlade4GM
All-Star
They CAN play SF, but normally they don't.
They CAN play SF, but normally they don't.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Jianlian will be a PF -- there is a new 9 minute youtube mix tape of a full collection of highlights from his 06-07 season, and he looks to be filling out considerably since the last mix I saw. As usual, very impressive, as this one shows that he is a force on the offensive glass with his quickness, a major finisher who doesn't believe in layups and just attacks the rim relentlessly, and then defensively, will both block shots, at least on smaller players, and shows excellent lateral quickness out on the perimeter -- in a couple of cases playing the passing lanes, stealing the ball from guards, and then beating them down full court for the dunk. Anyway, certainly appears he wants to linger around the paint, not play the perimeter. Which is a very good thing for a 6'11/7'0 guy. Is going to be able to take just about any big off the dribble outside, and has a post game to punish the little guys if you try to guard him small. Have to see how he reacts to the extra physicality in the NBA, but looks to be a tough tough cover for a big man.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jqd2mEFAZSI (might as well turn off the sound as its awful, except for one hilarious Chinese pop song there near the end)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jqd2mEFAZSI (might as well turn off the sound as its awful, except for one hilarious Chinese pop song there near the end)
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GoGoGadget
All-Star
In all honesty, that soundtrack, complete with its awkward transitions, is like the soundtrack to my nightmares.
And, also, not too far off from the soundtrack to some very low budget porn I saw when I was in high school.
Vlade4GM
All-Star
It's a mix tape, it isn't exactly an objective look at a player.
Thanks for the link. I thought in some of the previous highlight films that Yi was a bit soft - he seemed to go for the layup when the dunk was available - but here he shows a lot more aggressiveness. His offensive putbacks were impressive, he just found his lane and crashed the boards with a lot of good results. He also didn't seem to be intimidated or even affected by the double-team down low. Looks like he'll be a pretty big asset. It's a shame we don't have much of a shot at him, because he'd be a pretty good consolation prize in this draft.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Of course -- that's why I restricted my comments to what you can diine. Mix tapes are always going to be dunk happy, but you can tell by watching where and how the dunks come about whether its a natural part of the game or not. It very much is for Jianlian -- gets the ball, and he's headed right for the rim. In multiple mixes have now seen him repeatedly show turnarounds and drop steps in the post. You either have that or not. The quickness and mobility for a big man is just eye-opening, and this time we got to see that he can use it on defense too. These are things you either have or not.
HighFlyingMonkey
Starter
Some new workouts with Julian Wright and Thaddeus Young just came out on Draftexpress:
Player Evaluations
Julian Wright, 6-8, Sophomore, Small Forward, Kansas
Wright obviously passes the eye test in person, with great size, an excellent wingspan, and plenty of room on his frame to continue to add weight. It wouldn’t shock at all if he measured out slightly taller than the 6-8 Kansas listed him at.
While Wright is clearly a 5 on 5 player who shines with his versatility and basketball IQ more so than with an array of polished skills, there was some things to take away from the drill-work we saw him conduct over two days. His shooting mechanics aren’t all that bad, and the 3-ball actually fell for him at a pretty solid rate with his feet set, even from NBA range. That’s not saying he is going to be some kind of Reggie Miller at the next level, but it is good to know that his shot isn’t broke and that with hard work he will likely become a credible threat from behind the NBA arc down the road. His shot flattens out at times and his elbow has a tendency to float, but Procopio and Grover are working extremely hard with him, and Wright seems to be soaking it up.
In the mid-range drills, Wright showed even more potential—tools that he should be able to use as early as this upcoming season. His footwork here is excellent, looking highly fluid with his jab-steps and step-drags and getting nice elevation on his jumper. It’s here that he looks the part of a 3-man the most, particularly when he decides to utilize a quick spin move to bump his man off and clear some space to get his shot off.
His ball-handling is a part of his game that still looks a little rusty, as his long arms make it a little difficult to keep control of the ball at all times, and he probably doesn’t have much practice, having played the 4-spot exclusively for the past two years.
Probably the most promising thing to come out of here is the way Wright conducts himself on the floor. He is an extremely smart, extremely coachable young man, always encouraging his teammates on during the drills and being very appreciative and responsive towards the coaching he’s receiving here. As I was interviewing him in the hallway of the entrance to the gym, Wright made sure to hold the door for every person that came and left, smiling at the children who stared at him with gazing eyes, greeting everyone, and being extremely polite and respectful. When he wasn’t playing doorman for the “Joy of the Game” gym, you could usually find him on the court, working on his jump-shot. It’s not hard to tell why people see the upside they do in him.
Thaddeus Young, 6-7, Freshman, Small Forward, Georgia Tech
Another player who seems to be working just as hard here is Georgia Tech freshman Thaddeus Young. He also passes the “eye test” even more than Wright does probably, with an unbelievable frame and wingspan, huge shoulders, and solid athletic ability. He also reportedly has a similar attitude, although I did not get the chance to speak with him myself.
Young’s shooting mechanics are coming along very nicely, showing a high release point, good elevation on his jumper, solid arc, and very nice touch. It is a fundamentally sound shot, although a bit on the deliberate side. When pulling up off the dribble, he’s not nearly as fluid as Wright is for example. His shot at times fell very consistently for him, and at times didn’t. If he keeps working on it, it should steady out for him.
Young has been working on his ball-handling skills extremely hard in his time here—that much is not hard to tell. He’s polished up his technique considerably, to the point that he looks very smooth in the drills. There is a big difference between a “workout handle” and a “game situation handle,” when it comes to reacting to unexpected movements and being fluid changing directions and such, but this is something we really weren’t able to evaluate due to the non-competitive structure of the workout (like Wright, he did not play in the 5 on 5). Regardless, Young realizes what his biggest weakness is and is working very hard to improve on it. Procopio and Grover say they are most concerned with getting Young to maximize his excellent physical attributes near the basket more than he did in college, and from what they say, he is responding extremely well to their challenges. (Procopio: “I’m wearing a UNLV jersey Thad…show me what you got!”). They both mentioned on more than one occasion how much they enjoy working with him.
Young’s uncle, Kenneth Carter, is the one who is handling the NBA draft process for him. He does not seem to be rushing into things at all from what we can tell, saying that Thaddeus “needs to be a top 15 pick for him to stay in.” He understands the arguments for and against him staying in, and when we spoke, it seemed like he was still weighing both sides of the argument equally.
http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2078
Sounds like both guys know exactly what their weaknesses are and are improving them. Julian Wright especially it is encouraging that his shot looks so much better.
Player Evaluations
Julian Wright, 6-8, Sophomore, Small Forward, Kansas
Wright obviously passes the eye test in person, with great size, an excellent wingspan, and plenty of room on his frame to continue to add weight. It wouldn’t shock at all if he measured out slightly taller than the 6-8 Kansas listed him at.
While Wright is clearly a 5 on 5 player who shines with his versatility and basketball IQ more so than with an array of polished skills, there was some things to take away from the drill-work we saw him conduct over two days. His shooting mechanics aren’t all that bad, and the 3-ball actually fell for him at a pretty solid rate with his feet set, even from NBA range. That’s not saying he is going to be some kind of Reggie Miller at the next level, but it is good to know that his shot isn’t broke and that with hard work he will likely become a credible threat from behind the NBA arc down the road. His shot flattens out at times and his elbow has a tendency to float, but Procopio and Grover are working extremely hard with him, and Wright seems to be soaking it up.
In the mid-range drills, Wright showed even more potential—tools that he should be able to use as early as this upcoming season. His footwork here is excellent, looking highly fluid with his jab-steps and step-drags and getting nice elevation on his jumper. It’s here that he looks the part of a 3-man the most, particularly when he decides to utilize a quick spin move to bump his man off and clear some space to get his shot off.
His ball-handling is a part of his game that still looks a little rusty, as his long arms make it a little difficult to keep control of the ball at all times, and he probably doesn’t have much practice, having played the 4-spot exclusively for the past two years.
Probably the most promising thing to come out of here is the way Wright conducts himself on the floor. He is an extremely smart, extremely coachable young man, always encouraging his teammates on during the drills and being very appreciative and responsive towards the coaching he’s receiving here. As I was interviewing him in the hallway of the entrance to the gym, Wright made sure to hold the door for every person that came and left, smiling at the children who stared at him with gazing eyes, greeting everyone, and being extremely polite and respectful. When he wasn’t playing doorman for the “Joy of the Game” gym, you could usually find him on the court, working on his jump-shot. It’s not hard to tell why people see the upside they do in him.
Thaddeus Young, 6-7, Freshman, Small Forward, Georgia Tech
Another player who seems to be working just as hard here is Georgia Tech freshman Thaddeus Young. He also passes the “eye test” even more than Wright does probably, with an unbelievable frame and wingspan, huge shoulders, and solid athletic ability. He also reportedly has a similar attitude, although I did not get the chance to speak with him myself.
Young’s shooting mechanics are coming along very nicely, showing a high release point, good elevation on his jumper, solid arc, and very nice touch. It is a fundamentally sound shot, although a bit on the deliberate side. When pulling up off the dribble, he’s not nearly as fluid as Wright is for example. His shot at times fell very consistently for him, and at times didn’t. If he keeps working on it, it should steady out for him.
Young has been working on his ball-handling skills extremely hard in his time here—that much is not hard to tell. He’s polished up his technique considerably, to the point that he looks very smooth in the drills. There is a big difference between a “workout handle” and a “game situation handle,” when it comes to reacting to unexpected movements and being fluid changing directions and such, but this is something we really weren’t able to evaluate due to the non-competitive structure of the workout (like Wright, he did not play in the 5 on 5). Regardless, Young realizes what his biggest weakness is and is working very hard to improve on it. Procopio and Grover say they are most concerned with getting Young to maximize his excellent physical attributes near the basket more than he did in college, and from what they say, he is responding extremely well to their challenges. (Procopio: “I’m wearing a UNLV jersey Thad…show me what you got!”). They both mentioned on more than one occasion how much they enjoy working with him.
Young’s uncle, Kenneth Carter, is the one who is handling the NBA draft process for him. He does not seem to be rushing into things at all from what we can tell, saying that Thaddeus “needs to be a top 15 pick for him to stay in.” He understands the arguments for and against him staying in, and when we spoke, it seemed like he was still weighing both sides of the argument equally.
http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2078
Sounds like both guys know exactly what their weaknesses are and are improving them. Julian Wright especially it is encouraging that his shot looks so much better.
http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2079by: Jonathan Givony - PresidentMay 28, 2007Jonathan Givony: How are you enjoying the training so far?
Julian Wright: It’s been great. These are great facilities and great staff. The staff has really been helping me out so far, just showing me the little tidbits that will help me in my workouts.
Jonathan Givony: What is the difference between training here as an individual as opposed to training at Kansas?
Julian Wright: It’s more rapid at Kansas, you only have an hour or so to work in the off-season, so you’re just trying to get as much stuff in as you can. But here it’s spaced out; there is no time limit, so we can get a lot of things in. We can stay out there and shoot and they can help us individually as well as collectively, so I think that’s really more helpful.
Jonathan Givony: What are you trying to accomplish considering that you started later than a lot of guys here, and also a lot of the guys in the draft. You have a shorter time frame; so what are the things you are trying to accomplish in that period?
Julian Wright: I’m working on footwork. I think just basically the offensive part of the game. Most of the workouts are going to be offensive learning, we’re looking for who can be efficient, who can get their shot off and create shots, create space, and I feel like I’ve got to get good at that, and just try to learn from the guys here.
Jonathan Givony: Was finishing the semester at Kansas something that was important to you?
Julian Wright: I think so. A lot of people may leave early to go to the pros and they stop school once they do that, and I didn’t want that to be my last memory. So I feel like it’s going to give me the urge to want to come back and finish.
Jonathan Givony: How many credits do you have left until you’re done?
Julian Wright: An estimate is about 45 hours or so, so I feel like I can finish by at least…worst case scenario 2011.
Jonathan Givony: Is there any specific part of your game you’re trying to work on the most here?
Julian Wright: I think just spot up shooting. Being able to put pressure on the defense and knock down shots I think is important, especially in the league, you’ve just got to be able to hit open shots, that’s going to be one point of emphasis.
Jonathan Givony: You’re kind of an interesting case study because you played point guard in high school and then power forward in college; so has there been a learning curve in trying to get your ball-handling skills back to where they were maybe a few years ago?
Julian Wright: Yes. That’s part of the reason why I have a chip on my shoulder. I’m trying to present myself as a small forward. It kind of comes down to things I’ve been doing on my own, just trying to keep my ball-handling skills up, just in terms of passing and things like that. Just being able to pick things up fast, and even watching the other guys here has helped me as well, just learning by example. I feel like I’ve picked up a lot in less than a week in terms of all the small things and details that comes with my game.
Jonathan Givony: Do you think you’re going to be strictly a small forward in the NBA. or are you going to be able to slide over to the 4 sometimes like guys like Boris Diaw and Shane Battier do?
Julian Wright: Yeah I do. I feel like my versatility is something I’m not going to let anyone take away from me. My versatility isn’t going to give a coach any choice but to use me in different areas. I feel like I have so many things to give to a team where it would be a disservice to use me in just one spot, so I definitely don’t plan on playing just one position, especially through the course of my career.
Jonathan Givony: What are you hearing right now in terms of where your draft stock is at?
Julian Wright: We’ve been hearing a lot between as high as four or five and as low as twelve or thirteen. So I’m just trying to do as well as I can in workouts to be as attractive as I can to the different organizations.
AP
Jonathan Givony: How important is it for you to get drafted high?
Julian Wright: I think it’s important. You always want to put yourself in that position, but the draft is not a science because it’s all about needs too. With me I know it goes under needs so I will understand if I’m picked lower than I was projected to be, or even if I go higher, I just feel like that comes out of needs. I want to put myself in that position where I’m attractive to everyone and do a lot of things well.
Jonathan Givony: Everybody has an opinion about the type of player you are or your scouting report, but what do you think are your biggest strengths as a basketball player?
Julian Wright: I feel like I’m just able to be a playmaker and make plays, and not just game changing plays, but the types of plays that will get the momentum on our side. Basketball is a game of runs and I feel like I’m usually on the side of helping our team in making a run. Defensively, just being long and really playing the passing lanes well, playing help defense, and just the small things like that I think I can help the team with.
Jonathan Givony: Do you think your rebounding is something that is going to transfer over to the league?
Julian Wright: I think so; especially in situations where I can rebound the ball and bring it up. I think that’s really going to be a strong point, especially in a more up-tempo game. The NBA clock is only 24 seconds, so hopefully I’ll put myself in a situation where the coach can trust me to bring the ball up and things like that in due time.
Jonathan Givony: What are you going to measure out at in terms of your height, weight, and wingspan?
Julian Wright: I don’t think I’m going to grow any more, but I feel like I can put on a lot more weight. I weighed at 228 last off season, so I feel like I can put it on this year and keep it on, especially with all of the training.
Jonathan Givony: What about your wingspan and your height?
Julian Wright: My wingspan when last measured was like 7’2” and my height is about 6’8 ½”.
Jonathan Givony: You’re a little bit different of the court from a lot of guys in this draft. What are some things NBA teams are going to find out when they do their research on you or when they bring you in for an interview in terms of stuff you like to do off the court?
Julian Wright: I like to bowl. I try to tie that in to basketball, and I feel like it’s important to me just as an athlete. I try to take whatever I can from other sports. If you miss a shot you can’t worry about it, you’ve got to hit the next one, just things like that, relating it to basketball. I also play chess, I feel like anticipating keeps you sharp mentally. When you have a scouting report, you have to understand certain things that a team does or that the opposition does, all by anticipation. So I like to go out there and just keep my mind active also.
Reuters
Jonathan Givony: What did you study in school? What were you majoring in?
Julian Wright: Communications.
Jonathan Givony: So what were some of the classes you took last semester?
Julian Wright: Effective Business Communication, I took Rhetoric of American Sport, History of Western Civilization, and Biology.
Jonathan Givony: Fast forwarding two of three years down the road, what do you see your role as in the NBA? What kind of NBA player are you going to be?
Julian Wright: Hopefully a guy that a team can build around.
Jonathan Givony: What kind of team do you think fits you better: an up and down team like Phoenix or a half court grind it out team like San Antonio?
Julian Wright: I think early on in my career an up tempo team would be best, I feel like that would work best with my strong points. But if a team sees me best as a defensive guy, especially if that will allow me to go further and help an organization that is building. But again, as far as the up tempo game, I feel like that is best for me just with my style of play. I’m working hard in the gym though, getting stronger, so the grind it out game would be a good fit for me as well. Like I said, versatility is key. I’m always trying to get better at certain aspects of my game. The end of the game is never as up tempo as the first half is, so regardless, you have to be able to make plays.
He says he's 6'8.5'' without shoes, that's the same height as Amare Stoudemire: http://www.nbadraft.net/2002predraftmeasurements.htm
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
There's a little known rule in the NBA that if your starting lineup does not include at least one 200lb player your franchise is automatically demoted to D-League.
I believe tanking has a time and place, but am not sure OJ Mayo is worth the pain of not only smallballing, but smallballing badly.
Note BTW, 6'8".5 or whatever is also about half an inch shorter than Peja. It does nto make you a power forward sans game and bulk. In fact what it makes you is good sized for a SF, but small, weak, and compeltely outmatched against the true bigs.
Yeah, I guess so. I always assumed he had a shot; must have heard that somewhere. That clip was a little scary to me though. I imagine Joakim Noah's mixtape would look the same if he played in China, and we all how well he did against NBA caliber big men and what Noah brings to the table offensively. I think Jianlin has a higher ceiling than Noah, but I don't see him as a future All-Star. Then again, if we re-tool the Kings to a running team in the image of the Suns or Warriors then he would be a valuable asset, especially if we got a somewhat more traditional big man like Kevin Love next year.
I don't want OJ Mayo at all. Give me Rose or Love next year. Mayo will be the next AI, where we will spend a decade trying to figure out why he can't win the big one and why nobody looks good playing next to him.
And I just want to piggyback on the height thing. Like you're saying Brick, people have got to stop projecting positions based on measurables. Wright is the ideal SF, and his skills/on-court demeanor happen to dovetail exactly with that position. When evaluating talent, watch how they play the game, not what the measuring stick says.
Vlade4GM
All-Star
He's a PF in an extreme up tempo system, but he doesn't have to be a PF to be successful in this league. He just needs to keep improving on his ball handling and jump shot and he'll be a solid to potential all-star and very unique SF. I'll be happy if we get Wright, I think he's a good fit for us.
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Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
He's got a nice shot actually that you see him pop in in other mixes, good to about 20ft or so according to reports. Good form, smooth, solid release point. And with his quickness he figures to be given a lot of space to get it off.
Its just doesn't look like its what he relies on. He wants to get to that rim. The jumper is the counter.
And I know comparing him to Noah was an attempt to denigrate him for not playing in the U.S., but this kid's skills and athleticism are considerably beyond Noah's.
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SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
I was pretty excited about Jianlian until I watched the CBA finals on NBA-TV a few months ago. Man, the kid got punked by Wang ZhiZhi.
I think Julian Wright is going to be a good SF, PF, PG, SG, C I don't care, I think he can do it all out on the court.
I think Julian Wright is going to be a good SF, PF, PG, SG, C I don't care, I think he can do it all out on the court.
Right, according to reports. I'm not trying to denigrate playing overseas. What I am saying is that if Noah played in China we would see nine minute mixtapes of tip dunks and fast breaks from him too, and have no idea how horrible his shot actually is or how inadequately he plays against NBA level big men.
I want to remind you that when Yao was there Wang was still the best player in CBA.
Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
You have practically made a career out of denigrating playing overseas.
And yes, reports from people who have actually watched him play, or alerrnately you could head on over to youtube, and watch the couple of dozen mixes of him doing all those things Noah is famous for, you know, the slashing drives from the top of the key, picking the ball off up top and streaking downcourt for the dunk, the drop steps and fallaways in the post, the wraparound passes, and yes, a smooth and easy jumper from up around the elbows. Man, I can just picture Noah doing all that stuff even as I speak. Or Horford for that matter.
You may be loathe to accept that there is an entire basketball universe outside the US college system anymore, but its out there. And popping up in a thread to try to denigrate a guy as a SF, because he's foreign and therefore must be a 6'11" softie afterall, and then spinning around when you discover that is not true to try to denigrate him now as Joakim Noah set loose on that poor helpless Chinese league -- which BTW probably wouldn't be too far below the level of many NCAA teams -- is just highly transparent. Its not even a sensical predjudice in the modern era when you can directly compare the skillsets of various players via 1000 different media forms. A skillset is a skillset, doesn't matter where its displayed. You can either do things or not.
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Bricklayer
Don't Make Me Use The Bat
Only you guys could find a way to turn this into a Yi Jianlian topic
Oh fine. Back on topic:
If Julian Wright is available...and so is Yi Jianlian, I vote we take Yi.
And Yi won't be available
... Julian might be though. I read somewhere he weighs like 230 now. I don't really see why he can't gain another 10 pounds of muscle. Not like Amare is huge either, I think he only weighs 245 or 240.
Edit: If you look at the link I posted, Amare came into the league at only 233.
... Julian might be though. I read somewhere he weighs like 230 now. I don't really see why he can't gain another 10 pounds of muscle. Not like Amare is huge either, I think he only weighs 245 or 240.Edit: If you look at the link I posted, Amare came into the league at only 233.
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ParniValjak
All-Star
I don't think that would even be a contest. I would take Yi over anyone other than maybe 3 players in the draft.Oh fine. Back on topic:
If Julian Wright is available...and so is Yi Jianlian, I vote we take Yi.
Yi is going to be a player, unfortunately, its unlikely that he will be a King. All we can do is hope that GMs around the league are writing him off like some of the fans.
Vlade4GM
All-Star
While I'd be happy if the kings got him, I think this board and a few publications are seriously overhyping him. He has a lot of question marks that people are overlooking.
ParniValjak
All-Star
Question marks such as?!
When you look at it in context, he has as many question marks as many other prospects in the draft that are forecasted as top 10 players.
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And he won't be there when we pick which is why we are discussing a guy like Julian Wright(who I honestly feel can be just as good).
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