Yi Jianlian

for me, chicago poses the least problem. the one thing the bulls need is a post presence... and yi isnt it. they dont need more runners, slashers, and jump shooters. out of all the picks, the easiest pick to guage imo, is spencer hawes at number 9. he will be available, chosen at that area, and is exactly what the bulls need. unless theres something a lot better left, chicago is the least of my worries
 
agreed on their needs; i've seen both yi and hawes picked at the #9 on different boards. i do feel though that they want yi, and would rather fill the low-post need via an established vet, and not a rookie who may or may not be a bust in hawes (who, in a few of the sites, have slipped beyond the top 10).
 
wait, how did the couch do?
They're keeping quiet about that, they've only talked about how he dones against chairs. So the only way to find out is to get invited to LA.
"Good workout," Ainge said before grinning and adding, "Yi against a chair or a couch. That's how some of those workouts are beautiful."
When asked, Ainge also added, "The chair played good defense a couple of times."
Bloggers have wondered whether he might be better showcased playing against an ottoman, but I don't expect that Petrie will give us any real clues in the matter.
 
Reportedly one reason that Yi Jianlian is moving up on the Kings radar is that the Chinese government has let it be known that of the top 10 teams/destinations available 5 are OK and 5 are NOT. YES - to Portland, Seattle, Boston, Chicago and Sacramento. NO - to Atlanta, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Charlotte. Overall, it's believed they would prefer he go to ANY west coast NBA team. Golden State would like to move up in the draft to get a shot at him.
 
Reportedly one reason that Yi Jianlian is moving up on the Kings radar is that the Chinese government has let it be known that of the top 10 teams/destinations available 5 are OK and 5 are NOT. YES - to Portland, Seattle, Boston, Chicago and Sacramento. NO - to Atlanta, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Charlotte. Overall, it's believed they would prefer he go to ANY west coast NBA team. Golden State would like to move up in the draft to get a shot at him.

Did you read this somewhere recently? Because according to Draftexpress, Yi had worked out for Atlanta.
 
definitely less concerned with atlanta taking him than chicago or boston; i feel like they are going to be ridiculed no matter what choice they make.

if GS (at 19) somehow trades up to get yi, i'll be sorely disappointed that we (at 10) couldn't. :mad:
 
Golden State would like to move up in the draft to get a shot at him.

There are also rumors that someone like Chicago might pick him just to send him to GS for their pick + a veteran... which does make some sense. I don't think we can rule out his being picked by a team that has no intention of playing him.
 
Did you read this somewhere recently? Because according to Draftexpress, Yi had worked out for Atlanta.

My neighbor is Chinese from Nanjing (near Shanghai) and occasionally passes me some info from a website in China. Previously, she (yes, she's a big pro basketball fan) told me it was her understanding that the government was not exercising veto power with the selection of Yi, but just strong preferences. She also said some mock drafts in China had him going to Boston, and then later to Chicago, and later a trade allowing Golden State to enter the picture. Don't you think Brandon Wright or one of the Gator triplets ends up in a Hawks uniform with that #3 pick or they trade it?
 
Outside of the top 5 (Atlanta & Boston seems to be the most interested), Chicago is the most likely team to select Yi for themself. At 9, they would be looking for BPA, since there are no impact post players left. An aggressive GS could mess things up by offering Biedrins, or O'Bryant, and maybe even Richardson with their pick to a team ahead of us. Minny, Charlotte, and Chicago could all bite on such a deal.
 
if GS (at 19) somehow trades up to get yi, i'll be sorely disappointed that we (at 10) couldn't. :mad:

Ditto on this. Although G.S. has more young moveable pieces than we do.

If there are deals to be made moving up into the stud PF area of the draft we've just got to get that done.
 
They're keeping quiet about that, they've only talked about how he dones against chairs. So the only way to find out is to get invited to LA.
Bloggers have wondered whether he might be better showcased playing against an ottoman, but I don't expect that Petrie will give us any real clues in the matter.


Link?:D
 
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/06/08/yi-jianlian-will-only-work-out-against-furniture/
Yi Jianlian Will Only Work Out Against Furniture

Posted Jun 8th 2007 1:22PM by Brett Edwards
Filed under: Celtics, NBA Draft, NBA Gossip
yi-jianlian.jpg
It seems that more and more players who are looking to improve their position in the NBA Draft are putting some sort of restrictions on the types of pre-draft workouts that they will conduct. Agents for these players are trying to improve their clients' positions in the draft, and see little upside in having one of their players embarrassed on the court in any type of meaningful basketball exhibition.

This type of control over the workout process resulted in Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers getting on a plane and flying to Los Angeles to watch Yi Jianlian run through drills ... against a chair. From the Boston Globe:
Ainge and Rivers traveled to Los Angeles Wednesday to watch a workout featuring Yi. According to Ainge, the Celtics have seen Yi play more than a dozen times for either his Chinese pro team or the Chinese national team. Watching Yi run through predetermined drills was far from ideal, prompting Ainge to joke about the workout.

"It was a good workout, Yi against a chair or a couch," said Ainge. "That's how some of those workouts are beautiful. The chair played good defense a couple times . . ."​
If I'm Yi's agent, I may have to reconsider the whole "chair" thing. The chair played good defense? Maybe they should get a smaller chair, or one without wheels so it couldn't guard as well. Personally, I would go with an ottoman. Sure it's a little wider, but it's lower to the ground, can't move as quickly, and would have a really tough time blocking the seven-footer's shot.
 
If Yi falls to #10 Kings will take him reports ESPN Insider

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draf...page=Yi-Conundrum&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab4pos1

Can Yi play at the NBA level? That's a good question

By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider
(Archive)


Updated: June 21, 2007Every player in the draft has a certain risk-reward quotient.
Greg Oden's risk factor went up a point or two this week when word trickled in that his physical from the predraft camp in Orlando was red-flagged with concerns about the long-term health of his wrist and a bulging disk in his back. This could certainly give Portland pause before drafting him No. 1.
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant caused an uproar several weeks ago when he tested as the worst athlete in the draft. No one believes Durant is a bad athlete, but the test results raised questions about his preparation for the draft.
For the teams drafting just below Portland and Seattle, one of the biggest risk-reward questions regards a player some see as the best talent in the draft not named Oden or Durant:
nba_g_yi_275.jpg
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Image
Yi was well-received during a Venice Beach boardwalk stroll last month.


Chinese forward Yi Jianlian looks great in workouts, but can he play in the NBA?
That question has been on the minds of several NBA general mangers as they consider using a lottery pick to draft Yi. With a little more than a week to go before the draft, teams are trying to decide whether Yi is the next international star or just a workout wonder.
A month ago in L.A., I watched Yi work out, and he was very impressive -- in fact, Yi's workout ranked right up there with Oden's among the very best I've seen this year.
Yi has size, athleticism and skill. He measures 7-foot-1 in shoes, with a 7-foot-4¼ wingspan, huge hands and a 38-inch vertical jump. He runs up and down the floor well and is very quick laterally. And he's adding muscle (he's up to 248 pounds).
He's an exceptional shooter from midrange and he's beginning to develop range from the NBA 3-point line. He has a good handle and knows how to put the ball on the floor to get to the rim. He has excellent footwork in the paint and a strong work ethic.
In short, in two days of workouts, it was clear that his athleticism and skills are at the NBA level. From a pure talent standpoint, only Oden and Durant appear to have more upside.
But as we've all seen over the years, what a player does in a workout doesn't always translate to a five-on-five basketball game.
The Celtics, Hawks, Bulls, Kings, Clippers, Lakers, Warriors and Sixers have already watched Yi go through the same workout I saw. They have offered similar praise and raised similar concerns.
Since seeing Yi in L.A., I've been doing more digging on him -- watching more game footage and talking to more scouts. I even got a former teammate of Yi's, American Jason Dixon, on the phone. The picture they paint is one of both untapped potential and uncertainty.

Is Yi The Real Deal?
It really depends on whom you ask. Since I wrote my first story on Yi, I've been flooded with e-mails and a few phone calls from skeptics. While everyone agrees that Yi is an interesting prospect and one of the elite players in China, some think he is being vastly overrated by NBA teams.
Why?
The two common concerns I am hearing are about his age and about his lack of toughness and overall basketball IQ.

The Hawks were the second team to see Yi. They have enough interest at No. 3 that they've requested Yi fly to Atlanta to meet the owners. The word is that Al Horford is likely their target at No. 3, but it seems enough of the Hawks' brass were impressed with Yi to give him a longer look.Danny Ainge insists that Yi may be the third-most talented player in the draft and is getting strong consideration from the Celtics at No. 5 -- but he also is looking at several other players and potentially trading the pick. Ainge sounds like he thinks Yi may be the top talent at No. 5, but he's concerned enough about some of the question marks that he may opt for a more proven product, such as Florida's Corey Brewer or Georgetown's Jeff Green.
The Bulls would take a long look at him at No. 9, but they also have an affinity for Joakim Noah and would likely select him ahead of Yi if he were still on the board.
The Kings may be his backstop. One source in Sacramento told me they are high enough on Yi that he would be a lock at No. 10 if he fell that far.

*(Hit ESPN link at top read article in entirety)*
 
nba_g_yi_275.jpg
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Image
Yi was well-received during a Venice Beach boardwalk stroll last month.


The Kings may be his backstop. One source in Sacramento told me they are high enough on Yi that he would be a lock at No. 10 if he fell that far.
If Yi is there at 10, I think we might see Petrie pull his pants down and do a lap around the table before making the pick official.

If Yi slides down to 10 it would be almost as big a steal at Suns picking Amare at 9.

I hope the teams in front of us have major concerns on the kid and overlook him.
 
Ditto on this. Although G.S. has more young moveable pieces than we do.

If there are deals to be made moving up into the stud PF area of the draft we've just got to get that done.

I keep hearing that after #3 there isn't much of a difference down to 10 or 11. Petrie alluded to that as well. Given the above, given Petrie never trades up, the Maloofs would have to make the deal...;)
 
The Kings may be his backstop. One source in Sacramento told me they are high enough on Yi that he would be a lock at No. 10 if he fell that far.

*(Hit ESPN link at top read article in entirety)*

This jibes with what Jerry Reynolds said in a radio interview - he won't go past #10.
 
Yi has size, athleticism and skill. He measures 7-foot-1 in shoes, with a 7-foot-4¼ wingspan, huge hands and a 38-inch vertical jump. He runs up and down the floor well and is very quick laterally. And he's adding muscle (he's up to 248 pounds).

Yummy!

Can we just draft this kid already? Trade up if necessary, whatever it takes? If he flops he flops, but you'll hear no reproach from me for taking the chance. The upside is as a special 7'1" 250lb uberathletic PF with inside/out skills that could let him spot at both SF and C. Walking into a draft with no frontline at all, what more could you really ask for?
 
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Yummy!

Can we just draft this kid already? Trade up if necessary, whatever it takes? If he flops he flops, but you'll hear no reproach from me for taking the chance. The upside is as a special 7'1" 250lb uberathletic PF with inside/out skills that could let him spot at both SF and C. Walking into a draft with no frontline at all, what more could you really ask for?

I feel your excitement, I hope we have the opportunity, but I doubt we will. Even if he makes it to 9 which is stretching it, that pick would become so valuable that the Bulls could name their price. They could drop down a few spots and still get one of their guys and stockpile some nice talent to go with that.
 
Yummy!

Can we just draft this kid already? Trade up if necessary, whatever it takes? If he flops he flops, but you'll hear no reproach from me for taking the chance. The upside is as a special 7'1" 250lb uberathletic PF with inside/out skills that could let him spot at both SF and C. Walking into a draft with no frontline at all, what more could you really ask for?

If those measurements are true there is no way in hell he's falling to us.
 
As an aside, does anybody know who his PG was for the last year/couple of years on his club team? In the various clips of Yi there is often a rather nifty PG there throwing no lookers, behind the back passes etc.
 
As an aside, does anybody know who his PG was for the last year/couple of years on his club team? In the various clips of Yi there is often a rather nifty PG there throwing no lookers, behind the back passes etc.

I don't know for sure, but Chen Jianghua is a PG and on the Tigers and he's probably the next best Chinese prospect after Yi Jianlian. He's draft eligible next year but I doubt he goes in. He's got passing ability but he's described more as a scoring PG, some say he has an ego/attitude. He's a ways away from the NBA IMO, got a lot to improve on.
 
Hmmm...

So here's what we do... we trade RonRon for some ender and a couple of second-round picks, then tell the Chinese that we'd really like to see Yi and Sun Yue playing together in California, where we have a big Chinese population, not like in icky ol' Boston or Chicago.

I know, it's an idle fantasy, but isn't that what TEAOS/TDOS is all about?
 
i cant believe how bad losing the tie breaker was for us.... we have the worst luck. The freakn bulls ! why do they have to have the same needs as us!?!?

if any big falls to 9......... bulls will grab them.... the bulls should trade for kobe that way i could really hate them when the season starts
 
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