Carlesimo to Run Workout for China's Yao NEW YORK -- Former NBA coach P.J. Carlesimo will run a workout Wednesday for potential top draft pick Yao Ming. Carlesimo, the former Golden State and Portland coach and now a commentator for NBC Sports, will conduct Yao's practice session in Chicago for NBA team officials. The 7-foot-5 Chinese center is viewed as a franchise-type player. "They're going to work him out and conduct some drills,'' league spokesman Brian McIntyre said Tuesday. "They'll run through some things so that scouts, coaches, and GMs can see what kind of skills he has.'' Yao, 22, can shoot, pass, block and hustle down court -- rare agility for a player so tall. He is widely viewed as more talented than the NBA's two other Chinese players -- Dallas Mavericks forward Wang Zhizhi and Denver Nuggets center Menk Bateer. The Knicks will be a part of the NBA's 13-team draft lottery, but have just a 4.4 percent chance of landing the top pick.
