I don't think i need to tell anyone that Dcky V is a joke...incredibly biased against foreign players and HS kids declaring for the draft, basically anything that takes away from the college game. I don't give him an ounce of credibility anymore.
There are many such guys who called Yao a bust before even seeing him play. Sam Smith is one who secretly jumped on Yao bandwagon. yaoming mania com has a page for all the "Hall of Shamers". Pretty funny.
KG at 17 wasn't KG today either. BTW, Yi is a very good rebounder, contrary to Yao, who often bobbles the ball.
Dicky V? See what Vescey has to say about him (though an a$$ himself) asdfdsaf http://www.nypost.com/seven/06292004/sports/24003.htm LOWDOWN ON DICKIE DUNCE: AWFUL, BABY! FAR be it from me to segue into summer without summarily slapping someone. Today's vacuous victim is none other than Dick Vitale, whose credibility lies somewhere between Bill Clinton and Baghdad Bob. For reasons known only to ESPN, the cable claptrap decided Vitale's putrid presence was necessary during the NBA Draft. Evidently the network felt obliged to offer up someone with the same odious opinions (minus subtitles) as Stephen A. Smith, "Fraudulent" Fran Fraschilla and Jay Bilas, whose impropriety regarding Josh Smith (No. 17, Hawks) already was noted in this space, and whose impartiality re Kris Humphries warrants serious questioning. When the Jazz selected the Minnesota frosh at No. 14, Bilas savaged him and his father on what is supposed to be a joyous celebration for the draftees, their kids and their parents. What ever happened to full disclosure? Why didn't Bilas, a former Dukie, inform ESPN's audience the 6-foot-9 forward had bailed on his original commitment to play for Blue Devils? Think Bilas might have an ax to grind? Vitale, meanwhile, college basketball's all-time shill/sellout (Billy Packer and Digger Phelps are demanding a recount), recited from his same tired tome. It's the play-for-pay guys' fault ... from the early entrants to the lack of fundamentals to the poor quality of panty raids. Not to suggest Vitale isn't well-versed to warble on the pros. After impressing only himself (and fooling only Bill Davidson) at the U. of Detroit —where Terry Tyler and John Long carried him like overburdened burros — he coached (for want of a more truthful word) the Pistons when they really were the Bad Boys. Try Vitale's forgettable foray (34-60) in one-plus seasons. How overmatched was Dickie Dunce? The '79-'80 Pistons, an outfit he personally assembled from which he was dutifully dismissed after a dozen games (4-8), wound up 16-66, the toilet paper standard for that franchise's futility. The only banner that spittoon ever lifted was a white flag. Thus, after failing miserably on the sport's toughest terrain, Dickie Dunce was more than qualified for his next gig ... airhead of the airwaves. You know what they say: Those who can, do; those who can't, dolt. Upon further review, Vitale is correct. The NBA is the reason a guy like Bob Huggins (this generation's Bob Boozer) is allowed to run roughshod over the once-proud U. of Cincinnati program. Though give Huggins credit for one thing — he has managed not to get fired, even though his players' GPA and his own blood-alcohol level are apparently at about the same number. The NBA is the reason Ohio State felt compelled to expel revered Jim O'Brien. Illegal payments to student/athletes? Details, details. The NBA is the reason the U. of Georgia had no choice but to turn itself in. That is, after the High Holy Harricks — the father, a long-time Vitale friend, and son — turned the Bulldogs into bullspit with money transfers and "tests" that one could pass while in the womb. The NBA is the reason St. Bonaventure's reputation became so tainted with phony college credits from phony colleges even priests are howling. And on (Baylor's Dave "Ignorance Is" Bliss), and on (St. John's), and on (Missouri). I don't know how David Stern sleeps at night. Having Vitale expectorate about the NBA Draft is like getting Michael Moore as keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention ... 'cept Moore may actually present a substantiated fact or a valid argument or two. For example, Dickie V's criticism of the 76ers' choice (No. 9) of Andre Iguodala was hopelessly nearsighted and simple-minded. ("How can you pick a kid who only averaged 11 points over Luke Jackson [No. 10, Cavaliers], who's a great perimeter shooter, blah, blah, blah..." he bellowed.) Well, for one thing, the 76ers already flaunt a great, young 3-point shooter named Kyle Korver. No doubt this is news to Vitale. More important, Iguodala averaged 12.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and five assists for the self-sacrificing, well-balanced Arizona Wildcats, a recurrent characteristic of a Lute Olson-coached team. The 6-6 aerodynamically sophisticated soph was the first player in the school's storied history to lead the team in rebounding, assists and steals in the same season. He was also the only Pac Ten player to lead his team in scoring, rebounding, assists and assists-to-turnover ratio. Surely this is Vitale's introduction to these stats. More perceptively, when junior Richard Jefferson declared himself eligible for the 2000 draft (No. 13, Rockets) he'd averaged 11.3 that season (one-tenth of a point higher than his average over three years), 5.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists for the self-sacrificing, well-balanced (Gilbert Arenas, Luke Walton) Arizona Wildcats. Does Vitale sense something along the lines of a trend? Jefferson turned out to be a pretty good pro/Olympian/rising All-Star without padding his personals in college. Iguodala is expected to enjoy a similar NBA career by everyone except Dickie Dunce, who doesn't seem to grasp the draft concept of picking the best pro prospect, not the guy with the most seductive numbers. Then again, Vitale is correct in one regard: The sanctity of college basketball. Over the past 25 years, not one institution has sunk to hiring him.
Ha, that is the mystery part. Officially he is 16, but that is probably untrue. He answers the media that he's 17.
Yi is 16. If he really pans out, he and Yao will form the most formidable front court at 2008's Beijing Olympics.
Although most likely he isn't 16, the statement is certainly true. The kid is already often the best performer on some big junior tournaments.
oh, he can fly...that i've seen, but really the most impressive thing about Yi is his body control. How many 7 fters can easily do a 360, and i mean a real 360, not the kind shaq does (or did) when he is already at a 180 and then begins going into his dunk. plus, he runs the floor like a small forward.
Too bad so many people diss Wang Zhizhi, whom Yao grew up looiking up to. Yao actually said Yi reminded him of Wang the first time Yao saw Yi in the CNT training--very fluid game for a big man.
I saw this Yi kid play in the Hoop summit a while ago and wasn't impressed. He didn't strike me as someone who could be a lottery pick in a couple of years. Al Jefferson dominated him in that game. ESPN insider used the word "mechanical" to describe Yi, which I found to be quite accurate (sorry Chad Ford haters).
I am watching NBA TV right now and there is no game on tonight. Bill Russell: My Life, My Way is on from 7pm to 8:30pm cst, then Inside Stuff is on 8:30 to 9, and then a Classic game from Ruckers park is on after that.
It is true everyone agreed he didn't have a good showing at the Summit. But a few days later in the predigous AST tournament in Germany he became the best player. The projected No.1 pick in 2005, Nemanja Aleksandrov, didn't do as well.
I wanted to see Yao play, I'm tired of all the old games they show on NBA TV (unless its a Rockets game) and crappy streetball stuff they have.
He's...16? Don't expect the kid to do well in every single game, especially playing together with unfamiliar players from other part of the world in a foreign country.
