Rockets should pick Yi Jianlian

[sime0n]

Seeing that yi jianlian will be draft eligible, i think the rockets should pick him. it'd help yi to have yao around to teach him and we'd have the only chinese front court in the league! plus he should be around when we pick, most likely late lottery.

http://nbadraft.net/draftbuzz054.asp

[mleahy999]

I wholeheartedly agree. We have Yao and he's Chinese. This guy is Chinese. Let's get it done.

[sime0n]

Word :rolleyes:

[Luckyazn]

Draft Yi and sign Wang Zhizhi :)

[DaDakota]

Maybe we can get the whole CNT, there international record is STELLAR !!

:D

DD

[cwww]

Seeing that yi jianlian will be draft eligible, i think the rockets should pick him. it'd help yi to have yao around to teach him and we'd have the only chinese front court in the league! plus he should be around when we pick, most likely late lottery.

http://nbadraft.net/draftbuzz054.asp

I think the Rockets should sign 3 more Chinese players in addition to drafting Yi to have an All-Chinese starting lineup in NBA...

... :rolleyes:

[allen007]

Yi wants a First round. But Rockets could only give a second round pick because we need an athelet SG/SF as our Lottery pick.

So let other teams pick him.

It is not intersting for 2 chinese big guys in the same team.

[sime0n]

I say we sign Liu Wei to play PG, take Yi in the lottery, then draft sun yue (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Yue) in the 2nd round since he's automatically eligible

This lineup cannot lose.

[Luckyazn]

He might end up in LA at #20

LA can't have YAO so they mind as well draft Yi.

[bejezuz]

Van Gundy is white, and played point guard. We must draft a short, bald, white point guard.

Tracy McGrady is black and didn't go to college. We should draft a skinny, black 19 year old, straight out of prep-school.

Lampe is a foreign stiff. We should draft another foreign stiff, so Lampe will have company on the bench.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

[cson]

Seats look empty? No problem! Draft invisible players!!!

[pirc1]

He might end up in LA at #20

LA can't have YAO so they mind as well draft Yi.

Are you sure? From previous years they were projecting him as a top 5 picks. He is just athletic as swift and taller. He also has a better outside game, to many people that says potential ;)

[Mordo]

That's exactly what we need another 4 year foreign project, so that Yao Ming will be ready to compete in 2010 NBA champsionship. We can pick up more lottery picks for the next 3 years. :rolleyes:

[slickrick]

maybe we can get Ha from Portland

[tinman]

Can we sign Jackie Chan also?

[Old Man Rock]

Can we sign Jackie Chan also? Now that would be good signing. He could play power forward. With his leaping ability he could out rebound howard anyday. Plus he could do the dirty work if inside,

[langal]

That's exactly what we need another 4 year foreign project, so that Yao Ming will be ready to compete in 2010 NBA champsionship. We can pick up more lottery picks for the next 3 years. :rolleyes:

I think Yao was pretty damn effective from the start. Waited a few weeks - not w few years.

[langal]

I think the Rox should consider taking him.

He's a great prospect. Just because he's Chinese doesn't mean they should discount him. It seems that some fans here don't want another Chinese guy on the team - even if he is a great prospect. From everything I've read - Yi warrants a first-round pick. The Wang ZhiZhi comparisons are silly.

The Rox definitely have experience with Chinese players (our center is Chinese) and Yao would probably make a great mentor with his personality and work-ethic. It may make more sense for the Rox to take him than some other team.

[dookiester]

I think this is an excellent idea. Yi actually has potential, but is risky enough that many other teams might pass him up. Yao has a vested interest in seeing Yi improve and get better because he is going to need him in order for China to be successful in the future. Stop hating!

[dookiester]

maybe we can get Ha from Portland

actually Ha isn't even Chinese, he's Korean. But yeah, it wouldn't have been funny anyway.

[Kyrodis]

I don't get why people make these suggestions. Their rationale ALWAYS has something to do with, "Yao is Chinese, so we should get more Chinese players." The Rockets are a basketball team. We recruit players on talent, contribution, and whether or not they fit around our stars.

Just because we have Yao doesn't mean we should go after every Chinese player available. Since we have Ryan Bowen, does that mean we should go after every Caucasian limb-flailing jumpshot-lacking player? We have Rafer Alston, so I suppose we should go after every legendary African-American streetballer with sick handles. :rolleyes:

If Yi Jianlin were a good fit for this team, then I'm all for drafting him, but he's another long-term project. There are many more NBA-ready power forwards available in the draft.

[m_cable]

I doubt he's going to declare even if he is given permission. Let's wait until he officially declares.

And I'm not nearly as high on him as I used to be. He hasn't improved his game much at all in the past two years. He'll be an okay pro (athletic 7 footers don't grow on trees). But I wouldn't take him with a top ten pick if I was the Rockets.

[CriscoKidd]

If he's the bpa when the rox pick, then go ahead and take him.

But I think that is unlikely.

I'd trade Alston or Howard for him. :p

[prv1981]

If this kid is available in the second round I am all for it. Plus if he is ever going to amount to anything in the league Yao will definetly help him contribute sooner by being able to help his transition into the NBA in ways that Yao never was able to benefit from when he first came into the league.

[DeAleck]

Why do you all have to over-exaggerate the Chinese connection here? If he's available at the spot we pick, I think it's a great idea picking him up. Chinese or not Chinese, this guy has talent. From some clips I saw, he has the athleticism and skills to succeed in the NBA.

I think his comparision in the NCAA is LaMarcus Aldridge --- very skilled, can jump out of the building, and tall. If Aldridge is available, we'd be ecstatic to pick him up, wouldn't we? Now, if Yi is available, I say go for it too.

The same thing can be said about Andrea Bargnani. I really like his game. Unlike Skitishvili and Lampe, both Yi and Bargnani actually did succeed in foreign leagues before they came to the NBA.

[Kyrodis]

Why do you all have to over-exaggerate the Chinese connection here? If he's available at the spot we pick, I think it's a great idea picking him up.
I think it might have something to do with the fact that the thread starter said, "We'd have the only Chinese frontcourt in the league" and then making a post later suggesting we pick up Liu Wei and Sun Yue as well. Somehow I really doubt he suggested picking up an entire Chinese starting lineup based purely on talent.

Chinese or not Chinese, this guy has talent. From some clips I saw, he has the athleticism and skills to succeed in the NBA.
I'll agree with you here, but I also agree with what m_cable said. The clips I've seen of him from recent games are pretty much identical to those I've seen from years ago. He doesn't look like he's really developed his game at all. He's all about high-flying dunks and is still VERY raw. Moreover, even though he's put on some muscle recently, he's still too thin. Bottom line is, why would we go after another slightly undersized but freakishly athletic power forward with "potential" when we already have one named Swift.

Besides, even if Yi realizes his potential and pans out to be a good player, the Rockets don't have that big of a window. We can't wait another 4 years for Yi to develop into a solid contributor when Yao and TMac are both more or less in their primes now.

[Jacquescas]

lets bring over another chinese big man.

http://nbadraft.net/draftbuzz054.asp


seems that Yi is coming out. Think how much more fun this board will be, plus they can speak in code (chinese)

[Jacquescas]

simple solution, have Yi and Bargnani Workout the same day

[Yetti]

That's exactly what we need another 4 year foreign project, so that Yao Ming will be ready to compete in 2010 NBA champsionship. We can pick up more lottery picks for the next 3 years. :rolleyes:
What make you think that we will win a NBA Championship before 2010? To me 2010 sounds just about right for Yao Ming to be starting his best years! Not that I am wanting us to draft Yi though!

[m_cable]

I think it might have something to do with the fact that the thread starter said, "We'd have the only Chinese frontcourt in the league" and then making a post later suggesting we pick up Liu Wei and Sun Yue as well. Somehow I really doubt he suggested picking up an entire Chinese starting lineup based purely on talent.


Now if there's one Chinese player i'd like to pick-up it would be Sun Yue. That kid just knows how to ball. He's the proto-typical, all-purpose SF type, like a Shane Battier, Darius Miles, or a poor-man's AK-47.

He's not coming out this year, but considering his US ties (his team played in the ABA this year) and US exposure, I bet he'll come out next year. If he's around late in the first round, the Rockets should really take a look.

[wireonfire]

simple solution, have Yi and Bargnani Workout the same day

They are different players. Yi plays more inside although he does have 3 point range. Bargnani plays more like SF, taking a lot of 3's and doesn't rebound much. Yi is definitely more athletic, probably longer too.

[wireonfire]

IMHO, he actually has added a lot of moves to his package, hook shot, turnaround fadeaway, baseline spin and dunk. And his touches around the rim are much better too -- he used to only have a longer range shot and dunks. Of course, that is not enough in many fans' eyes.

I will add some gifs to show his moves,

http://media.cbaworld.com/gd/images/yjl-fk-1.gif

http://media.cbaworld.com/gd/images/yjl-mk.gif

http://media.cbaworld.com/gd/images/2-al-f/2-al-f.gif

http://media.cbaworld.com/gd/images/2-al-gs/2-al-gs.gif

http://media.cbaworld.com/gd/images/2-al-dd/2-al-dd.gif

http://media.cbaworld.com/gd/images/2-al-ds/2-al-ds.gif

http://media.cbaworld.com/gd/images/2-al-t/2-al-t.gif

http://media.cbaworld.com/gd/images/al-gs/al-gs.gif

[DaDa]

I doubt he's going to declare even if he is given permission. Let's wait until he officially declares.
He's going to declare: http://www.nbadraft.net/draftbuzz054.asp

He may slide down to the 2nd round for obvious reasons, if he available then, Rockets should pick him up, no question about it. This boy has potential to be the complimentary PF to Yao, or at least a solid backup PF. Yao and Yi play great together in international play.

[barryxzz]

Yeah, the fun already started in the GARM. :p

[Oski2005]

Why do you all have to over-exaggerate the Chinese connection here? If he's available at the spot we pick, I think it's a great idea picking him up. Chinese or not Chinese, this guy has talent. From some clips I saw, he has the athleticism and skills to succeed in the NBA.

I think his comparision in the NCAA is LaMarcus Aldridge --- very skilled, can jump out of the building, and tall. If Aldridge is available, we'd be ecstatic to pick him up, wouldn't we? Now, if Yi is available, I say go for it too.

The same thing can be said about Andrea Bargnani. I really like his game. Unlike Skitishvili and Lampe, both Yi and Bargnani actually did succeed in foreign leagues before they came to the NBA.

How can you compare him to Aldridge, Aldridge is like 2 inches shorter and 20 pounds heavier. Aldridge is a banger, the PF of our dreams.

If Yi had developed his game in the last few years, he could have been as good as Pau Gasol, which would be great, but I don't see him being as NBA ready as Pau Gasol was. He reminds, right now, of Tskitishvili and that's based on how little he's developed from the age of 17 to 22.

[wireonfire]

How can you compare him to Aldridge, Aldridge is like 2 inches shorter and 20 pounds heavier. Aldridge is a banger, the PF of our dreams.

If Yi had developed his game in the last few years, he could have been as good as Pau Gasol, which would be great, but I don't see him being as NBA ready as Pau Gasol was. He reminds, right now, of Tskitishvili and that's based on how little he's developed from the age of 17 to 22.

Last time I saw how Aldridge played against LSU, he was certainly not a banger. Instead he was banged up. :) I think there is a knock on him being soft. Yi may be physically weaker than Aldridge at this point, but he doesn't back down from competitions or confrontations.

[gucci888]

This could make out to be a very interesting draft after all.

20.5ppg 9.6rpg 1.3bpg 1.2apg 2.0spg, those are pretty good numbers even thought there just in the CBA.

[gucci888]

If he's available in the 2nd Round, I don't see why we wouldn't take the chance, but I'm sure he'll be gone by then.

[sbyang]

How can you compare him to Aldridge, Aldridge is like 2 inches shorter and 20 pounds heavier. Aldridge is a banger, the PF of our dreams.

If Yi had developed his game in the last few years, he could have been as good as Pau Gasol, which would be great, but I don't see him being as NBA ready as Pau Gasol was. He reminds, right now, of Tskitishvili and that's based on how little he's developed from the age of 17 to 22.

Aldridge is not a banger, he's a channing frye type of player. Yi looks terrible too, if someone drafts him that team's just trying to get more fans from China. We don't need that.

[DeAleck]

I think it might have something to do with the fact that the thread starter said, "We'd have the only Chinese frontcourt in the league" and then making a post later suggesting we pick up Liu Wei and Sun Yue as well. Somehow I really doubt he suggested picking up an entire Chinese starting lineup based purely on talent.


I'll agree with you here, but I also agree with what m_cable said. The clips I've seen of him from recent games are pretty much identical to those I've seen from years ago. He doesn't look like he's really developed his game at all. He's all about high-flying dunks and is still VERY raw. Moreover, even though he's put on some muscle recently, he's still too thin. Bottom line is, why would we go after another slightly undersized but freakishly athletic power forward with "potential" when we already have one named Swift.

Besides, even if Yi realizes his potential and pans out to be a good player, the Rockets don't have that big of a window. We can't wait another 4 years for Yi to develop into a solid contributor when Yao and TMac are both more or less in their primes now.


I agree, picking up Liu Wei is stupid. He just isn't a NBA talent. Sun Yue...? Who knows. I don't know much about this guy, but we need shooters more than a point guard. If we do pick anyone, it had better be for basketball purpose. Having a bunch of Chinese on your team just to have them is stupid. It's not like being Chinese gives you some special power to play basketball anyway.

However, I don't think we can judge a player based on his highlight films. Highlight films are just what they are called --- highlights. In highlights, what do you expect to see? Rebounding? Boxing out? Midrange shots? Freethrows? Swingning the ball? Dribbling? Of course all you can see is high-flying dunks. They are exciting and that's why you put them in highlights. If you judge a guy to be raw from highlights, you can call Lebron James raw too.

Yi is undersized? He's 6'11, and how tall do you want a normal-sized power forward to be? 7'3? 7'6? He might be thin, but he's not undersized.

I used to believe our best pick is Corey Brewer. However, now our draft position has improved due to tanking, and Brewer wants to return to Florida for another year, Yi (if he indeed declares), Bargnani and Roy should be our top choices.

[thetennisyao]

http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/yaoming.htm

here is yao's numbers when he was in the CBA. They are pretty close imo cuz Yi is only 17 years old.

[lalala902102001]

I've seen this Kid Yi play once in an invitational event a couple of years ago. He was a member of an international squad playing against the American high school all-stars. The kid was absolutely destroyed by Al Jefferson in that game (got dunked on for about five times). He may have potentials (haven't seen enough of him to make a comment), but he isn't like a Yao Ming who entered the league ready to contribute. One thing I remember about Yi from that game is that he was extremely weak physically and would require a lot of work in the weight training room. Any team that drafts this kid will be looking at a three-year project. The Rockets are in the rare window of a potential championship run with both T-Mac and Yao in their primes. We can't afford to use a lottery pick to draft a project big man. If you want a foriegn big man a lot of the P word, we already have one in Lampe.

[pradaxpimp]

I wholeheartedly agree. We have Yao and he's Chinese. This guy is Chinese. Let's get it done.

Sh!t, I'm chinese. Let them draft me. Let's get it done

[KeepKenny]

http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/yaoming.htm

here is yao's numbers when he was in the CBA. They are pretty close imo cuz Yi is only 17 years old.

If Yi is 17, then Andrew Bynum is 14 and Dikembe is 37. I watched him play 2 and 4 years ago during the olympics and world championships. I'd say that age is at least 3, maybe up to 5 years too low.

[gucci888]

http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/yaoming.htm

here is yao's numbers when he was in the CBA. They are pretty close imo cuz Yi is only 17 years old.

Yao was doing 32ppg and 19rpg the year he came out. Yi is doing 20 and 9, not too bad for a guy his age but the numbers aren't even close.

[barryxzz]

I've seen this Kid Yi play once in an invitational event a couple of years ago. He was a member of an international squad playing against the American high school all-stars. The kid was absolutely destroyed by Al Jefferson in that game (got dunked on for about five times). He may have potentials (haven't seen enough of him to make a comment), but he isn't like a Yao Ming who entered the league ready to contribute. One thing I remember about Yi from that game is that he was extremely weak physically and would require a lot of work in the weight training room. Any team that drafts this kid will be looking at a three-year project. The Rockets are in the rare window of a potential championship run with both T-Mac and Yao in their primes. We can't afford to use a lottery pick to draft a project big man. If you want a foriegn big man a lot of the P word, we already have one in Lampe.
I am not proposing whether or not to draft Yi, but your argument is not convincing. He is still very young now, so him being physically weak a couple of years ago is not a big deal to say the least. When Yao first entered NBA, he was quite weak too and I believe Yi is as strong or even stronger than Yao was back then. Like Swift, Yi can play both center and PF positions.

As to the window for championship, I agree the window is not that wide. But, we can't rush things, that's what caught us in this season: trying to do a patch-up job with veterans. I agree we cannot wait for a three-year project, but a one-year or even two-year project is worth it (again I am not sure how long will it take for Yi to develope, so I am not proposing either way).

[Kyrodis]

Yi is undersized? He's 6'11, and how tall do you want a normal-sized power forward to be? 7'3? 7'6? He might be thin, but he's not undersized.
Actually, Yi's 7'0". What I meant by "undersized" was weight and muscle mass. He weighs about as much as Swift. Guys like Swift and Kenyon Martin are already too thin/lanky and lack the strength to bang with the elite power forwards in the west.

Weighing in at around 230 lbs with a 7-foot frame implies that he lacks some serious muscle mass. Unless you have a freakish strength/mass ratio like Garnett (who still manages to amaze me with the amount of strength he has in his slender 225 lb. frame), he's going to be "undersized" in my book.

Incidentally, I've watched more than just a few highlights of him play. Granted I'm no scouting expert, but from the clips I've seen, when he tries to get his shot off, he sort of throws his body around and leans into his defender instead of moving away. Something like that really won't work in the NBA seeing as how he won't be able to budge his defender with his thin frame. He'd probably get his shot swatted every time he tries that leaner.

EDIT: Just to clarify, I'm not saying Yi Jianlian can't develop into a good NBA player. I'm just saying he's most likely not going to be NBA-ready as early as the Rockets need him to be. We need solid contribution now, not all-star "potential" 4 years down the road.

[langal]

I don't get why people make these suggestions. Their rationale ALWAYS has something to do with, "Yao is Chinese, so we should get more Chinese players." The Rockets are a basketball team. We recruit players on talent, contribution, and whether or not they fit around our stars.

Just because we have Yao doesn't mean we should go after every Chinese player available. Since we have Ryan Bowen, does that mean we should go after every Caucasian limb-flailing jumpshot-lacking player? We have Rafer Alston, so I suppose we should go after every legendary African-American streetballer with sick handles. :rolleyes:

If Yi Jianlin were a good fit for this team, then I'm all for drafting him, but he's another long-term project. There are many more NBA-ready power forwards available in the draft.

That's the thing. Yi may very well be a good fit for this team. A lot of question marks, yes, but he should be considered.

I don't think anyone here is suggesting we draft him JUST BECAUSE he's Chinese. Many scouts have a high opinion of him.

We should not discount a prospect JUST BEACUSE he is Chinese - as some here do.

[jeremyang2002]

Acturally Yi is 110KG(approx 242 LB).

The biggest problem with Yi should be his age.

If he is only 19(born at 1987), he has the chance to be a lottery pick for sure.

[Kyrodis]

Acturally Yi is 110KG(approx 242 LB).

The biggest problem with Yi should be his age.

If he is only 19(born at 1987), he has the chance to be a lottery pick for sure.
Really....every profile I've read on him has him listed at 104kg (~230 lbs). If he is indeed 242 lbs, then I take back the "slightly undersized" statement.

Just from seeing recent pictures of him though, I don't think he weighs quite that much. He's built more like Kevin Garnett...not Chris Webber. I thought even 230 lbs was a bit on the generous side.

[rocketman1979]

I hope he goes to Golden State. :D
Really....every profile I've read on him has him listed at 104kg (~230 lbs). If he is indeed 242 lbs, then I take back the "slightly undersized" statement.

Just from seeing recent pictures of him though, I don't think he weighs quite that much though. He's built more like Kevin Garnett...not Chris Webber. Even 230 lbs was a little generous for him in my opinion.

[jeremyang2002]

Really....every profile I've read on him has him listed at 104kg (~230 lbs). If he is indeed 242 lbs, then I take back the "slightly undersized" statement.

Just from seeing recent pictures of him though, I don't think he weighs quite that much. He's built more like Kevin Garnett...not Chris Webber. I thought even 230 lbs was a bit on the generous side.

http://sports.sina.com.cn/cba/star/yijianlian/index.shtml

[jeremyang2002]

http://media.cbaworld.com/gd/images/yjl-5.gif

http://www.files.bz/files/7057/yjl-q.gif

http://media.cbaworld.com/gd/images/yjl-t1.gif

http://www.files.bz/files/7057/yjl-kj.gif

[jeremyang2002]

some more clips of Yi's playing in CBA:

http://www.files.bz/files/7057/yjl-dk1.gif

http://www.files.bz/files/7287/dribbling.gif

http://www.files.bz/files/7287/drive%20%26%20initiate%20contact.gif

http://www.files.bz/files/7287/drive%20%26%20finger%20rolls.gif

http://www.files.bz/files/7287/dream%20shake.gif

http://www.files.bz/files/7287/Yi%20JiangLian%2002_2006%20Jump%20hook.gif

http://www.files.bz/files/7287/drive%20%26%20flush.gif

[Nero]

Actually, I don't care WHO they draft as long as they don't make any more stupid decisions.

3 #1's for EG ?? Pure suicide.

Bryce Drew, Mirsad Turkcan?? Treating Rashard like dirt??

Good lord, where would this franchise BE if not for the crazy luck in the Yao Ping-Pong-Ball Challenge? That led directly to TMac wanting to come here. This team actually has done remarkably well considering how little the draft has contributed to the picture.

Now drafting Luther, especially as low as we drafted, was finally a decent move. He should be a decent bench player for a lot of years, but is by no means a vital piece, a-la Dwayne Wade, or someone of that caliber.

That's all fine, but we have been so exposed with the health issues of TMac and Yao. This team has GOT to get it right in the draft, AND in Free Angency.

Hopefully Morey will let us see more clearly than in the past. And if that means Li is the guy, then so be it. But they better be sure as HECK that they are making the right decision, whatever they do.

[rocketman1979]

Which GM did all that? He deserves to be fired. :mad:

Actually, I don't care WHO they draft as long as they don't make any more stupid decisions.

3 #1's for EG ?? Pure suicide.

Bryce Drew, Mirsad Turkcan?? Treating Rashard like dirt??

Good lord, where would this franchise BE if not for the crazy luck in the Yao Ping-Pong-Ball Challenge? That led directly to TMac wanting to come here. This team actually has done remarkably well considering how little the draft has contributed to the picture.

Now drafting Luther, especially as low as we drafted, was finally a decent move. He should be a decent bench player for a lot of years, but is by no means a vital piece, a-la Dwayne Wade, or someone of that caliber.

That's all fine, but we have been so exposed with the health issues of TMac and Yao. This team has GOT to get it right in the draft, AND in Free Angency.

Hopefully Morey will let us see more clearly than in the past. And if that means Li is the guy, then so be it. But they better be sure as HECK that they are making the right decision, whatever they do.

[wnes]

After seeing all these video hightlights, you'd think Yi's stats should be a lot better than 20.5ppg 9.6rpg 1.3bpg in CBA. What's going on with his coach and teammates, not feeding him enough balls?

[barryxzz]

After seeing all these video hightlights, you'd think Yi's stats should be a lot better than 20.5ppg 9.6rpg 1.3bpg in CBA. What's going on with his coach and teammates, not feeding him enough balls?
I haven't followed CBA closely, but my impression is that his club has a lot of offensive weapons just like Wang Zhizhi's club used to be, unlike Yao's club which relied on Yao heavily.

[Cesar^Geronimo]

I know they are just video clips -- and you could have probably put together similiar clips of Shawn Bradley in college.

But that being said -- he can move for a big man.

[arkoe]

After seeing all these video hightlights, you'd think Yi's stats should be a lot better than 20.5ppg 9.6rpg 1.3bpg in CBA. What's going on with his coach and teammates, not feeding him enough balls?

Bob Sura's brother Rob is the starting point guard...

[pirc1]

After seeing all these video hightlights, you'd think Yi's stats should be a lot better than 20.5ppg 9.6rpg 1.3bpg in CBA. What's going on with his coach and teammates, not feeding him enough balls?

He is obviously not attempting a lot of shots. His shooting % is 58% for two pointers and 29% for three pointers. If he want stats, I am sure he can jack up 10 more shots a game, oh he plays 32 min per game which is less than what Yao is averaging this season (due to the 40 min per game international rule I think).

[RocketForever]

So I guess there will be a dabate whether to draft this Yi kid or not at least once a month on this board from now on until he got drafted eventually.

Another long debate on drafting this kid in another forum (http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=107407)

[RocketForever]

http://www.files.bz/files/7057/yjl-kj.gif

The kid is a showboater. This would be a technical foul in the NBA.

[kevinlee]

Yi should be an atheletic player, and he has the shooting capability outside...Another Wang Zhizhi?

[pirc1]

Yi should be an atheletic player, and he has the shooting capability outside...Another Wang Zhizhi?

Have you ever watched Wang play? Wang is no where even close to Yi in term of athleticism, it is like comparing Shawn Bradley to Yao. :D

[choujie]

Have you ever watched Wang play? Wang is no where even close to Yi in term of athleticism, it is like comparing Shawn Bradley to Yao. :D

Wang shoots a lot better from outside though. Even Yao had a better 3 pt percentage than Yi.

[pirc1]

Wang shoots a lot better from outside though. Even Yao had a better 3 pt percentage than Yi.

Unless your name is Dirk, how many PF/C do you see shooting great from three point line? It is not like he will be the second coming of Reggie. There is a reason he is projected as a lotto and at least a first rounder and Wang was not.

[OldManBernie]

Wang shoots a lot better from outside though. Even Yao had a better 3 pt percentage than Yi.

3 pt percentage means very little IMO. If Yi is to be drafted in the first round (much less a lottery pick), we should be able to expect him to be or at least develop into a well-rounded PF. That means he would have to be able to box out opponents, rebound at a decent rate, play defense on bigger and stronger players and find ways to score. He may have all the athleticism in the world and he may be the next young Kemp or Stoudamire, but he won't succeed if he doesn't learn those skills.

[Omer]

If he is available second round we should definitely test him out.

[OldManBernie]

If he is available second round we should definitely test him out.

agreed, he sounds like an intriguing project.

[choujie]

Unless your name is Dirk, how many PF/C do you see shooting great from three point line? It is not like he will be the second coming of Reggie. There is a reason he is projected as a lotto and at least a first rounder and Wang was not.

If Yi is 19, he's definitely worth a lottery pick. If he's 22, I'm not sure if he should be in round 1 or round 2. Yi is currentyl too weak. He needs more time than Yao to gain muscle, But gaining weight in upperbody may affect his jumpin ability etc.

[OldManBernie]

If Yi is 19, he's definitely worth a lottery pick. If he's 22, I'm not sure if he should be in round 1 or round 2. Yi is currentyl too weak. He needs more time than Yao to gain muscle, But gaining weight in upperbody may affect his jumpin ability etc.

I'm not sure I agree with this... Age is not the deciding factor IMO. The thing I would pay most attention to is whether or not he has the body frame to add more weight without losing much athleticism, and whether or not he'll be a competent learner in the NBA.

[ima_drummer2k]

I doubt he's going to declare even if he is given permission. Let's wait until he officially declares.
I agree.

Let's wait til he declares, then let's not draft him.

[topfive]

I agree.

Let's wait til he declares, then let's not draft him.

Like "Basic Instinct 2": Wait til it comes out on DVD, then don't rent it.

[choujie]

I'm not sure I agree with this... Age is not the deciding factor IMO. The thing I would pay most attention to is whether or not he has the body frame to add more weight without losing much athleticism, and whether or not he'll be a competent learner in the NBA.

I think age might be the deciding factor for Yi. Yi needs a lot work on his game and strengh. when Yao came in the league, he was much stronger than Yi because of tree trunk legs, and his game was so much advanced than Yi's. And Yao has a size advantage nobody can match. Yet it still took Yao like 4 years to fully adjust. Yi might need at least 6 years to reach his potential, if his potential is good enough and if he's given the chance. When you are young, you get more chance. So 19 will get him there in time. 22 might be too late.

[OldManBernie]

I think age might be the deciding factor for Yi. Yi needs a lot work on his game and strengh. when Yao came in the league, he was much stronger than Yi because of tree trunk legs, and his game was so much advanced than Yi's. And Yao has a size advantage nobody can match. Yet it still took Yao like 4 years to fully adjust. Yi might need at least 6 years to reach his potential, if his potential is good enough and if he's given the chance. When you are young, you get more chance. So 19 will get him there in time. 22 might be too late.

I understand the time issue, but I mean to say that it takes a backseat to whether he has the ability to learn and develop physically into a serviceable PF. I'd rather have a 22 year old that can develop into something good instead of taking a 19 year old that'll be useless throughout his career. Before the drafting high schooler craze, there were plenty of project players that developed just fine. If he has the aptitude, I'm sure he will too.

[choujie]

I understand the time issue, but I mean to say that it takes a backseat to whether he has the ability to learn and develop physically into a serviceable PF. I'd rather have a 22 year old that can develop into something good instead of taking a 19 year old that'll be useless throughout his career. Before the drafting high schooler craze, there were plenty of project players that developed just fine. If he has the aptitude, I'm sure he will too.

I'd rather have a 22 year old that can develop into something good instead of taking a 19 year old that'll be useless throughout his career too. Heck, I'd take a 25 year old that can develop than a 19 year old who can't. But in reality, you don't know who is going to pan out, but the younger the player is, the better chance he gets, because it's harder to change when a person gets older. Being 3 years younger is a part of potential.

[compucomp]

I haven't followed CBA closely, but my impression is that his club has a lot of offensive weapons just like Wang Zhizhi's club used to be, unlike Yao's club which relied on Yao heavily.

The Guangdong team starts two other CNT members (Du Feng, Zhu Fangyu) who are vets of international and CBA competition and thus those vets probably get lots of touches touches just because of Yi's rawness and their experience.

I remember when Yi was all the rage leading up to the 2004 Olympics, and he sucked horribly there. Del Harris had to bench him b/c he was just not playing well at all. Maybe he's gotten better since then. I certainly hope he has; his athleticism for his size is special anywhere. A high projection is KG (not saying he's this good, this is a high projection). Hopefully he'll land in a good situation where he gets minutes and has a chance to develop immediately, not like Darko or J. O'Neal. If the Rockets draft him I think he has a chance to be their PF of the future based on potential. Of course we could say the same about Stro, but he's had 5 years in the NBA and ample opportunity to develop, so it's harder to make the same claim.

[Sooner423]

It's a no-brainer to take this guy at 32 or 33. He's probably going first round. He's 22 in NBAdraft.net's latest mock. He's not ideal for us but he appears to be a "range shooting 4" that JVG wants. If we could potentially address that need with a 2nd rounder you have to do it.

[choujie]

It's a no-brainer to take this guy at 32 or 33. He's probably going first round. He's 22 in NBAdraft.net's latest mock. He's not ideal for us but he appears to be a "range shooting 4" that JVG wants. If we could potentially address that need with a 2nd rounder you have to do it.

I don't know if he is qualified for "range shooting 4". After all, he's 57% with so many dunks, and his 3pt percentage is 29% with the 3 point line one foot closer to the rim than NBA. He's a athletic guy, not jump shooting guy. That range thing is hyped up.

[thewaterox]

The Guangdong team starts two other CNT members (Du Feng, Zhu Fangyu) who are vets of international and CBA competition and thus those vets probably get lots of touches touches just because of Yi's rawness and their experience.

I remember when Yi was all the rage leading up to the 2004 Olympics, and he sucked horribly there. Del Harris had to bench him b/c he was just not playing well at all. Maybe he's gotten better since then. I certainly hope he has; his athleticism for his size is special anywhere. A high projection is KG (not saying he's this good, this is a high projection). Hopefully he'll land in a good situation where he gets minutes and has a chance to develop immediately, not like Darko or J. O'Neal. If the Rockets draft him I think he has a chance to be their PF of the future based on potential. Of course we could say the same about Stro, but he's had 5 years in the NBA and ample opportunity to develop, so it's harder to make the same claim.

Yi could be a good NBA player because he can put the ball on the floor and seems to have a good understanding of how to attack the basket. For his size there are only two players that have that kind of mobility: KG and Dirk. Besides the strong banger types are a dying breed most bigs these days are face up shooters like Rashard Lewis. Ask yourself how many teams have a big guy like Ben Wallace?

Also the Rockets could develop Yi much faster if Yao worked with him on his game and you know Yao will help him in game situations just by drawing attention away from him. If Yi slides down and the Rockets can pick him up in the second round they should pull the trigger.

[WhoMikeJames]

this guy sounds like a chinese vince carter, if his dunks are really nice?

[WhoMikeJames]

What position does this guy play???

[WhoMikeJames]

ok i found out hes 7-0 plays SF/PF, could be a chinese dirk? probably not

[Stack24]

What position does this guy play???

He's 7 Feet tall and plays Forward

[Kam]

i don't mind this guy.

but wang zhizhi fning sucks.

[YallMean]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5733820517329789196&q=yi+jianlian&pl=true

[barryxzz]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5733820517329789196&q=yi+jianlian&pl=true
Gee...Why is the music Japanese? :o

Edit: Anyway I turn off the speaker while watching the mix. it doesn' help his cause. Most of the highlights are dunks, which are not that impressive anyway. I see he relies on his "explosiveness" to get to the basket. I use quotes because it doesn't look that quick, it's more like his opponents are slower than him. With the NBA players getting more athletic, he is going to struggle for a while.

He looks faster than Yao, but that doesn't say much. Yao has the height advantage while he is just another 7-footer. His best bet would be to play center position since nowadays center positions are pretty weak in NBA, not many players are in the same level as Yao, Shaq, Big Ben and even Big Z.

[Go_Korea]

hmm... if the rockets are intrested in him... they should not waste their draft pick.. instead they should trade down.. maybe to new york.. trade them our draft pick and they give us their two draft picks from denver and san antonio. since several player is going to stay in college... theres not that many chance that we're goign to get brandon roy or sheldm williams or anyone that we need. i don't realy like the idea of getting reddick or someone thats just one dimensional player, so we can do this to get yi and someone else. Well.. if we trade our draft pick to newa york for their denver pick and qyntion woods, i don't think thats a bad idea.

[YallMean]

Gee...Why is the music Japanese? :o

Whoever mixed the tape, the music is really lame and gay regardless what language was in. I knind like Yi's floating jumper, never seen a big man done that. Could be somthing special.

[barryxzz]

I knind like Yi's floating jumper, never seen a big man done that. Could be somthing special.
That's about the only true highlights in the mix. But his release is not that quick, I bet Stro would love to defend him one on one because we all know Stro like to jump out of the building for blocks. :p

[thetennisyao]

draft yi with first rounder, draft sun with second rounder sign wang zhizhi.

Yao
Wang
Yi
Tmac
Sun

how about no? :p

[Nice Rollin]

Can we sign Jackie Chan also?
or jet li

[jisangNY1]

Yi=Darko Milic

Both are projects that will take some years before they develop. Draft a Roy, Morrison, Gay, but don't waste a pick on some project. I will be pi**ed off if the Rockets pick the guy--we need someone who will be an impact player in their rookie year.

[Legendary21]

I watched some High-light videos of Yi, and he looked slow and bad. Maybe it's just 'cause I watched the Rudy Gay videos first.

Of course we should draft him and get another allstar starter :).

[SlamDown]

Can we sign Jackie Chan also?
Also get Zhang Ziyi as on the power dancers squad... :D

[YallMean]

That's about the only true highlights in the mix. But his release is not that quick, I bet Stro would love to defend him one on one because we all know Stro like to jump out of the building for blocks. :p

Well, he has this hang time in the air very similar to Ray Allen. Very old school type of shooting. If he can work on that, he can be really good at it. His athletism probably is not the most impressive qualtiy he has by NBA standard, but he has this soft touch and shooting style you dont see in many NBA big men. He is listed as SF/PF. a 7 footer SF would be interesting.

[terse]

Yi may not look like a 240-pounder, but I think he really is. If you watch the highlights closely, you will see that his legs are much sturdier than KG's. So Yi probably does weigh more than KG, which is 220 lbs.

Starting with a skinny upper body means that Yi has the potential for bulking up quite a bit. If he zooms up to 255 lbs, he will be a monster.

That said, I wouldn't pick him up in the first round. His highlights are good for showing off his physical abilities, but they say nothing about whether he has any basketball sense.

If he dropped to the 2nd round, I would grab him.

[Panda]

Actually Yi is not that explosive. His strengths are good body coordination, good size, good athleticism, and a nice shooting touch. That's a unique combo that'll make him a servicable NBA player, but I'm not sure what his ceiling is. He can end up being a backup pf or a starter. I wouldn't take him with the lotto pick. Maybe late first round and second round.

[CreepyFloyd]

just say no to yi

[JuLiO-R-]

I would take him if he's available in the 2nd round, but a big problem I see is that Yi's name is way to short. It looks weird on a Jersey.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y281/jul1oxr/103-2210965-15478055FencodingUTF8wi.jpg

[Nice Rollin]

we'll be over the nba limit for chinese ppl

[jlwee]

One thing for sure, unlike yao, this kid likes to dunk!!!

[thetennisyao]

I've seen this Kid Yi play once in an invitational event a couple of years ago. He was a member of an international squad playing against the American high school all-stars. The kid was absolutely destroyed by Al Jefferson in that game (got dunked on for about five times). He may have potentials (haven't seen enough of him to make a comment), but he isn't like a Yao Ming who entered the league ready to contribute. One thing I remember about Yi from that game is that he was extremely weak physically and would require a lot of work in the weight training room. Any team that drafts this kid will be looking at a three-year project. The Rockets are in the rare window of a potential championship run with both T-Mac and Yao in their primes. We can't afford to use a lottery pick to draft a project big man. If you want a foriegn big man a lot of the P word, we already have one in Lampe.

come on, he is only 17. yao was nothing when he was 17. :o

[slmonky]

Not a bad idea, plus, Yi and Yao maybe able to build some sort of chemistry. I think what every good team need isn't great ball player but Great chemistry.... hope Rockets can have it next season...

[CHC]

This kid looks pretty good. Not NBA ready though, he is too frail. He seriously need to gain some muscle mass. But we still need to address our issue of needing a SG first. Any chance we can pick him in a second round? :D

[SlamDown]

Yi defenitely should be gone in the first round, picked by Golden State. I would bet real money on that. Anyone? :cool:

[MrButtocks]

Yi defenitely should be gone in the first round, picked by Golden State. I would bet real money on that. Anyone? :cool:
With their lotto pick? I doubt it. GS has a sizeable Asian fanbase, but their fan support is stable already. They're not selling out, yet are certainly in better shape than Portland, Atlanta, or Charlotte. They don't need to waste their lottery on a risky project just to sell tickets. And that's what Yi is, a project. He's definitely a Johan Petro type, and those should be picked in the 20's. Yi won't fall to the second round but won't slip into the top ten either. Yi might have gone second round if this weren't such a weak draft.

[umberto]

Using first round pick to draft Yi is clearly not a wise move for Roc desperately needs to draft someone that can make an immediate impact. No matter how you look at it, Yi is a 2-to-3-year project. Nonetheless, since Yi is part of Team Yao, he will probably be recommended to Roc via that connection. But I think it's neither in the interest of Yi nor Roc if he land in Houston. Besides, it is said that the CBA wants an assurance of 10 min playing time from Team Yao. That makes Yi's nba career all the more difficult. I dont see JVG accede to that kind of nonsense.

[vunny1408]

Yi's dunks aren't even that explosive and he looks slow when making moves toward the basket. Don't know how people can compare him to KG!!

oh yes..let's draft Yi and we'll then have a Yi Only Fan base as well as a Yao Only Fan base.

YIOF and YOF ;)

[Turcan5]

The Rockets are in the rare window of a potential championship run with both T-Mac and Yao in their primes. We can't afford to use a lottery pick to draft a project big man. If you want a foriegn big man a lot of the P word, we already have one in Lampe.

I'm not sure about drafting this kid......but wasn't this the same rational CD used to pass on Rashard Lewis for Brice Drew and Mirsad Turcan. I hope he and JVG do a better job of talent evaluation this time.

[m004378]

How about draft Suzuki Ichiro for PG. :D

[sime0n]

There's an article about sun yue in the recent ESPN magazine, its about his entire team.

draftexpress wrote a column about him. he's automatically eligible for the draft even though he's born in 1985 because he's played pro ball in the US, not in the nba (ABA).

link (http://draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1196)

[mleahy999]

oh yes..let's draft Yi and we'll then have a Yi Only Fan base as well as a Yao Only Fan base.

YIOF and YOF ;)

I am appauled at the name calling. You disgust me. So what if I heart Yi and Yao?

Plus, you missed the Wang Only Fanbase!

[m_cable]

There's an article about sun yue in the recent ESPN magazine, its about his entire team.

draftexpress wrote a column about him. he's automatically eligible for the draft even though he's born in 1985 because he's played pro ball in the US, not in the nba (ABA).

link (http://draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1196)

Hold on. Are you saying his draft rights are going to be up for grabs this upcoming draft? If I was the Rockets, I'd sure as hell get him in for a workout. If he impresses like I think he will, picking him up with our 2nd rounder would seem like a slam dunk.

[clutch0734]

If we draft Yi are we going to have another blockbuster movie entitled "The Year of the Yi?"

[giddyup]

If we draft Yi are we going to have another blockbuster movie entitled "The Year of the Yi?"
... and don't forget the arrival of YoYi... :D

[GrapeJuices]

I dunno, Deke at his age of 66 looks more explosive than this kid. Yi can soar no doubt, but he's not "explosive."

He has a lot of raw talent... and i believe will turn into a superstar with intense training and dedication since he has so much raw natural talent but like everyone logical in this thread says, he will take probaly 4 years to become that superstar.

[JuLiO-R-]

Jianlian: Can I write a check?

Cashier: Yeah

Jianlian: ...Yi

Chashier: Yeah

Jianlian: Yi!

[sime0n]

I dunno, Deke at his age of 66 looks more explosive than this kid. Yi can soar no doubt, but he's not "explosive."

He has a lot of raw talent... and i believe will turn into a superstar with intense training and dedication since he has so much raw natural talent but like everyone logical in this thread says, he will take probaly 4 years to become that superstar.

Yi looks more explosive than this kid? have you seen the nike commercial on google video?

vid (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4970613079836271270&q=yi+jianlian&pl=true)

[sime0n]

i mean " Deke is more explosive than this guy", sorry clutchfans. shout out to my homeboy mark chu

[AzCkR]

we should definitely draft yi jianlian if we can. end thread.

shoutout to my boys at 207 and the rest of penthouse.

[GrapeJuices]

Umm have you seen the nike commercial when Lebron made a bunch of half court shots in a row? Can he do that in a game?

"You judge a dog in a fight not the fight in a dog."

[Sooner423]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/19/AR2006041900724.html

China's next Yao Ming says no to NBA draft

Reuters
Wednesday, April 19, 2006; 8:24 AM

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Yi Jianlian, linked with a move to the NBA, says he plans to stay with the national team rather than follow Yao Ming's path this year.

The 2.1 meter forward for the Guangdong Tigers in China's premier basketball league believes he is not ready for the NBA and wants to concentrate on China, a local newspaper reported on Wednesday.

"I see myself as a national team member," the Beijing News quoted Yi as saying. "After all, I haven't yet reached NBA standard."

"As a young player, I must move forward gradually."

Chen Haitao, a spokesman for the Guangdong Tigers, said that Yi's time would come.

"It's a matter of time for (Yi) to enter the draft, but now is possibly not the right time. (Guangdong) won't block him participating in the draft."

While Yi's club might not seek to quell his NBA aspirations, China's basketball officials have voiced concerns about the prospect of China's talent missing national team games while warming benches in NBA teams.

"We have always supported those who leave the country to play overseas," Li Yuanwei, director of the China Basketball Association, was quoted as saying in the Beijing News.

"But they are important talents in our national basketball team. We must guarantee their playing time... We want to protect our players from sitting on the bench after they get to the NBA," Li said.

In contrast to Yao Ming's glittering career, the NBA experiences of Menk Bateer and Wang Zhizhi, the other two towers in China's NBA "Great Wall," were characterized by regular transfers and little game-time.

Wang's NBA aspirations clashed with China duties, leading to his sacking after failing to join the national team during the Asian Games in 2002.

Wang returned to China earlier this month after four years of official ostracism.

While Wang is expected to bolster the national team in the future, China basketball was rocked last week when Yao Ming broke his foot in a Houston Rockets NBA game, casting doubt over his fitness for Tokyo's World Championships in September.

But Yi's patriotism will warm the hearts of China's basketball officials.

"This summer, there are big matches like the World Championships and the Asian Games which are very important to me and I don't want to miss these opportunities," Yi said.