# Agent: Yi to Chicago or GS?



## theanimal23 (Mar 2, 2005)

From the Bucks Real GM Board
Edit: This is a paraphrase from Chad Ford's latest blog.



> Horford has a number of workouts scheduled including the Bucks.
> 
> Yi will not be measured or allow a physical. His agent is trying to make sure he gets to Chicago or Golden State via a trade up by those two teams.
> 
> ...


My list is 1. Yi 2. Hawes 3. Noah 4. BPA. Take the BPA if he is the best prospect by far.

What to take of this? Hmm.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

I kind of figured that Paxson would fall in love with Yi after watching some Yi games on NBA TV. Yi was my guy, but I didn't think he'd be there for us. I made a joke in another thread how if Yi's agent wants him to be on the Bulls, he should make fake passports and stuff saying he is older than he is, and to fake an injury....well...that was a joke...but apparently, his agent is going to try to force Yi to us.

I'd still like to walk away with Joakim Noah out of this draft as well. He'd be a nice little jack of all trades big man for us to have in the rotation. Unfortunately, there probably isn't a feasible trade for us to pick up another top 10 pick to get him.


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## theanimal23 (Mar 2, 2005)

It is interesting that Yi will not be getting measured up or doing the benchpress, etc. 

I wonder how many teams Yi will workout for. That would be something. If Yi only works out for Chicago and a few other teams. Would a team risk a pick on Yi based on tape alone? Yi is arguably the 3rd best talent, or absolutely not. No one knows. It will be boom or bust. 

I talked to my friend today and he asked me a question which I had trouble answering. This may be due to lack of coverage/video of both players.

Why take Yi over Hawes? Both have questions about their D and their rebounding. Hawes solves a problem. While Yi adds to the current makeup of the team. If Hawes is as good as is advertised offensively, why take Hawes over Yi? I did not know how to answer it. Luckily thats the GM's job, but he made a good point. The thing is, people think Yi is one of the best talents. The question is, does he (and Hawes) have the work ethic to get better and the killer instict to take over in the clutch?

I will be happy if we get one of the two. But this sure shakes things up.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

Yi = Ben Gordon 

This is a guy, who isn't necessarily the "best fit", but will end up having the biggest impact on our team.


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## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

Yi's agent isnt going to rope a dope anyone, doesnt take a genius to see he's real tall and needs some upperbody strength. As for Atlanta i wouldnt be so quick to declare what they are going to do because i doubt they know.


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## BDMcGee (May 12, 2006)

Mebarak said:


> Yi = Ben Gordon
> 
> This is a guy, who isn't necessarily the "best fit", but will end up having the biggest impact on our team.


Totally agree. Yi really wouldn't fit on the team because he's not a true back to the basket player, but if the Bulls got him, he'd immediately become their most talented and valuable player. He reminds me a lot of Dirk Nowitzki, but he has much more quickness and explosiveness athletically. He also appears a little bit more willing to play inside than Dirk. He truly has unlimited potential. He's a bit of a project and will really need to work hard on his game to reach his ceiling, but he appears to have the necessary desire to do that. If the Bulls do get him though, I'm not sure what they would do with Tyrus Thomas since Yi plays the same position but has more talent and potential. I don't think they would play well together because neither of them are bangers. Maybe if they added Yi, the Bulls could trade Tyrus for a bigger shooting guard.


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## Frankensteiner (Dec 29, 2004)

I think Yi and Thomas would work well together as a starting frontcourt. Not in the traditional sense, but in the Phoenix-Golden State-the-game-is-moving-towards-a-faster-pace sense. It's still debatable whether or not that is a championship style, but the Bulls would be really good playing that way, IMO.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

Maybe we can make Yi the shooting guard?

PG-Ben Gordon
SG-Yi Jianlian
SF-Luol Deng
PF-Tyrus Thomas
C- Marcus Fizer

sikkk sikkk sikkk


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## theanimal23 (Mar 2, 2005)

> ".......The Yi Jianlian games have begun. Yi is foregoing the physical-only portion of the camp -- the first time I remember seeing that move by a player.
> 
> Yi is not injured and he's not in China. He's pulling out to maintain control of the process.
> 
> ...


I wonder if the agent can convince teams for Yi to not workout with them and keep them away by lack of interest from Yi's behalf.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

Where's that from?


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## theanimal23 (Mar 2, 2005)

Mebarak said:


> Where's that from?


Posted on RealGM. Excerpt from Ford's Blog.


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## bruindre (Jul 18, 2004)

Man am I asleep at the wheel on this story.

And can someone direct me to where I can even check out tape on Yi? I'm still not sold on this guy - but am open for impressions. Where do I find tape on this kid?


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

bruindre said:


> Man am I asleep at the wheel on this story.
> 
> And can someone direct me to where I can even check out tape on Yi? I'm still not sold on this guy - but am open for impressions. Where do I find tape on this kid?


Transplant posted this in another thread
yi


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## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

bruindre said:


> Man am I asleep at the wheel on this story.
> 
> And can someone direct me to where I can even check out tape on Yi? I'm still not sold on this guy - but am open for impressions. Where do I find tape on this kid?


Mixes are not all that great to see a guys game, but go to youtube.com and type in his name and you'll see quite an array of moves and dunks. Take them for what it's worth.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

bruindre said:


> Man am I asleep at the wheel on this story.
> 
> And can someone direct me to where I can even check out tape on Yi? I'm still not sold on this guy - but am open for impressions. Where do I find tape on this kid?


<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kRaXgRlEJkU"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kRaXgRlEJkU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

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<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6fVJpeo7PvE"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6fVJpeo7PvE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

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## Dornado (May 26, 2003)

BDMcGee said:


> Totally agree. Yi really wouldn't fit on the team because he's not a true back to the basket player,* but if the Bulls got him, he'd immediately become their most talented and valuable player.* He reminds me a lot of Dirk Nowitzki, but he has much more quickness and explosiveness athletically. He also appears a little bit more willing to play inside than Dirk. *He truly has unlimited potential.* He's a bit of a project and will really need to work hard on his game to reach his ceiling, but he appears to have the necessary desire to do that. If the Bulls do get him though, *I'm not sure what they would do with Tyrus Thomas since Yi plays the same position but has more talent and potential.* I don't think they would play well together because neither of them are bangers. Maybe if they added Yi, the Bulls could trade Tyrus for a bigger shooting guard.



Ok... I think I get it now... are you Yi Jianlian's agent?

quicker than Dirk? (who is damned quick for a 7 footer)

More upside than Tyrus? (who is a freak of nature)

and immediately the most talented player on the Bulls? (who won 47 games this year...)

Does he leap tall buildings in a single bound? Can he write the lord's prayer on the head of a pin?

How many of this guys games have you seen? How do you know all of this stuff about his willingness to go down low and his "desire" off the court? I'm pretty sure I've read all the major scouting reports on him... checked the tapes...not sure how I missed all of that...


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

Dornado said:


> Ok... I think I get it now... are you Yi Jianlian's agent?
> 
> quicker than Dirk? (who is damned quick for a 7 footer)
> 
> ...


Well, he is definitely quicker than Dirk. 

He has a great jumpshot.

His footwork in the post will be close to the best in the league upon entrance.

He is a mentally strong player.

And he has to have one of the largest standing reaches in the league.

He is a terrific prospect. He seems to be pretty strong. He didn't get pushed around by Team USA in the post too much. (of course they massacred China, but thats more because of the crappy Chinese guards thinking their Allen Iverson than Yi's fualt).


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Sweet, I wouldn't mind Yi coming to Chicago at all.


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## Mr. T (Jan 29, 2004)

Dornado said:


> Ok... I think I get it now... are you Yi Jianlian's agent?
> 
> quicker than Dirk? (who is damned quick for a 7 footer)
> 
> ...


:lol: 

Ok, now I've got one of my own. Ok, it's not mine it's Chad Ford's but it's funny nonetheless. Talking about the Grizzly GM job.

_It looks like Chris Wallace, who serves as the Celtics GM though he actually works for Danny Ainge, might be the favorite for the job. You've gotta love it: Only in the NBA would the the GM of the second-worst team in the league be brought in to rescue the worst team in the league._


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## o.iatlhawksfan (Mar 3, 2006)

Man I got so excited for this Yi guy, but it seems he doesn't want to play for the hawks, the Hawks had him as the third best player in their board. Anyway's I think he's gonna be big-time. He's 7'1 can beat player off the dribble, he's athletcism is overrated though, but he is alot more athletic than most 7footers.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

o.iatlhawksfan said:


> Man I got so excited for this Yi guy, but it seems he doesn't want to play for the hawks, the Hawks had him as the third best player in their board. Anyway's I think he's gonna be big-time. He's 7'1 can beat player off the dribble, he's athletcism is overrated though, but he is alot more athletic than most 7footers.


His athleticism is definitely overrated, but his length and strength is underrated. He has one of the longest standing reaches in the NBA once he enters. He really doesn't jump that high. He is dunking a lot of the times, only jumping like 16 inches, he bends his knees up whenever he jumps, making it seems like he's jumping higher than he actually is.

Yi was originally the #1 prospect for the 2006 draft, Greg Oden the #2 prospect. It would not surprise me if Yi ended up as the best player in this draft class, like he was pegged a few years ago. 

Its nice to see he is trying to jockey to get here, and hopefully he ends up a Bull. He is a legit 7 footer, with long arms, so he helps the Bulls out with their length problem significantly.

I'd still want to move into the top 10 again, and take Joakim Noah as well. Noah/Yi/Thomas is a good frontcourt for the future.


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## bruindre (Jul 18, 2004)

Can the guy rebound?

If so, I wouldn't mind seeing the W's make a play for this guy.


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## theanimal23 (Mar 2, 2005)

If Yi wants to drop himself to 9 for Paxson, I'll be very happy with the choice. 

I do not see why his agent wants Chicago to trade up. Sure you would get a higher salary, but they want him in the right place. Its not like he won't make enough dough in the Windy City.


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## Dornado (May 26, 2003)

Mebarak said:


> His athleticism is definitely overrated, but his length and strength is underrated. He has one of the longest standing reaches in the NBA once he enters. He really doesn't jump that high. He is dunking a lot of the times, only jumping like 16 inches, he bends his knees up whenever he jumps, making it seems like he's jumping higher than he actually is.
> 
> *Yi was originally the #1 prospect for the 2006 draft, Greg Oden the #2 prospect.* It would not surprise me if Yi ended up as the best player in this draft class, like he was pegged a few years ago.
> 
> ...


I think I've heard you mention that before... source please? I find it hard to believe that Oden was not the #1 prospect in his draft class.... I mean, I've been hearing about the kid since he was a freshman in high school...


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## taurus515th (Oct 13, 2005)

im not saying its not true but wasnt their something like this before that said Paxson was going 2 draft Quincy Douby?


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## o.iatlhawksfan (Mar 3, 2006)

Dornado said:


> I think I've heard you mention that before... source please? I find it hard to believe that Oden was not the #1 prospect in his draft class.... I mean, I've been hearing about the kid since he was a freshman in high school...



he was. most mock drafts had Yi taken #1 and Oden #2, but that was a while ago, I think Oden was still a junior in high school.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

taurus515th said:


> im not saying its not true but wasnt their something like this before that said Paxson was going 2 draft Quincy Douby?


No, that was just made up fluff by he anti-Gordon crowd. You know, they just pick some guard and say Paxson should draft him to replace Gordon every single year...like trading Ben Gordon for Corey Brewer...or something like that.

Oh, and the Yi vs. Oden stuff was some discussion over at the draft forum here, and it seemed like Yi was the favorite choice.

Here was nbadraft.net's first 2006 mock draft.

http://web.archive.org/web/20040715141620/http://nbadraft.net/index.asp?content=mock2006

Hey look what team Yi's going to!

This ones interesting. Yi got moved up to the 2006 draft...Rudy Gay AND Brandan Wright ahead of Oden.

http://web.archive.org/web/20050206025855/http://www.nbadraft.net/index.asp?content=mock2006


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## Dornado (May 26, 2003)

Mebarak said:


> No, that was just made up fluff by he anti-Gordon crowd. You know, they just pick some guard and say Paxson should draft him to replace Gordon every single year...like trading Ben Gordon for Corey Brewer...or something like that.
> 
> Oh, and the Yi vs. Oden stuff was some discussion over at the draft forum here, and it seemed like Yi was the favorite choice.
> 
> ...



Yeah... good to see that Yi was up there.... I guess I was looking for some validation of your claim that Yi was ranked _ahead_ of Greg Oden. They had Andrew Bogut going 24th in 2006... and you can tell by the rest of the mock draft that a lot else has changed since it was made. (Plus... this is the same site that had Qyntel Woods as the #2 pick in the draft.)

I guess I am just worried about the bust potential with Yi... its the same thing with the high school guys before the rule change... its just hard to judge someone who has played against questionable competition when the rest of the guys we're considering played in major college conferences that we're accustomed to seeing and evaluating.


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## Ballscientist (Nov 11, 2002)

Ballscientist source:

Bulls and Warriors have made decision to trade up for Yi.

Hawks will draft Mike Conley at 3, it is a mistake. They should trade down #3 and trade up #11.


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## o.iatlhawksfan (Mar 3, 2006)

Ballscientist said:


> Ballscientist source:
> 
> Bulls and Warriors have made decision to trade up for Yi.
> 
> Hawks will draft Mike Conley at 3, it is a mistake. They should trade down #3 and trade up #11.



where did you hear that. From a reliable source, I heard hawks were pretty much sold on Wright (although it early), but as of right now he's the favorite.

EDIT: Yeah it is true that Billy would perfer to move the pick though, but if he's not satisfied (he asking for alot), he will keep the pick and draft Wright. Crittenton will be the 11th pick.


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

Ballscientist said:


> Ballscientist source:
> 
> Bulls and Warriors have made decision to trade up for Yi.
> 
> Hawks will draft Mike Conley at 3, it is a mistake. They should trade down #3 and trade up #11.


Any idea of who with?


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

yi


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## Dornado (May 26, 2003)

darlets said:


> yi


He really doesn't look like he has much in the way of hops... check his head relative to the rim...


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## kulaz3000 (May 3, 2006)

The main reason why Yi and his agent wants him to go to either Chicago or Golden State is obvious. Its because those teams are situated in two of the highest asian populated states in america, minus LA who also has the draft pick right after GS. I think it was the same with when Yao Ming was entering the NBA, i think he would have prefered to go to Chicago also. 

So its clear that he wants to play on the team where he'll be most comfortable in, and to which that will allow him to make an easier transition to living in a different country. But of course, its easier said then done. So random GM could draft him regardless and make a mess of things, or even talk to him directly to make him more comfortable and wanted.


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## Fizer Fanatic (Jun 20, 2002)

kulaz3000 said:


> The main reason why Yi and his agent wants him to go to either Chicago or Golden State is obvious. Its because those teams are situated in two of the highest asian populated states in america, minus LA who also has the draft pick right after GS. I think it was the same with when Yao Ming was entering the NBA, i think he would have prefered to go to Chicago also.
> 
> So its clear that he wants to play on the team where he'll be most comfortable in, and to which that will allow him to make an easier transition to living in a different country. But of course, its easier said then done. So random GM could draft him regardless and make a mess of things, or even talk to him directly to make him more comfortable and wanted.


Good points. I think some of it could also be related to style of play, winning teams, and the need/system for a front-line talented offensive player who plays a fair amount on the perimeter.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

If Hawks want Mike Conley Jr, they should just wait until #11.

Minnesota is probably the only team that would take him between the Hawks picks, but there is a great chance Minnesota takes Spencer Hawes instead. 

No reason for the Hawks to not be able to come out with Brandan Wright AND Mike Conley Jr, without any pick swaps.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

I have a feeling we're going to be moving up for the #3 pick from the Hawks.

Chris Duhon and #9, the 2008/2010 picks for the #3 pick. Apparently the Hawks want a point guard/center for the #3 pick, and want to use #11 on a big man prospect. We are probably going to have to leapfrog Memphis for the guy (similiar to how we leapfrogged Utah for Thabo last year). 

Therefore, I have a feeling the draft would go...

1. Blazers- Greg Oden (apparently this is a done deal now)
2. Sonics- Kevin Durant
3. Bulls- Yi Jianlian
4. Grizzlies- Brandan Wright
5. Celtics- Corey Brewer
6. Bucks- Jeff Green
7. T'Wolves- Al Horford
8. Bobcats- Al Thornton
9. Hawks- Joakim Noah
10. Kings- Thaddeus Young
11. Hawks- Spencer Hawes
12. 76ers- Josh McRoberts
13. Hornets- Julian Wright
14. Clippers- Mike Conley Jr.

Just a feeling. There is a strong chance that Conley FALLS big time. Apparently he can't hit the broadside of a barn in shooting drills.


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## JeremyB0001 (Nov 17, 2003)

Frankensteiner said:


> I think Yi and Thomas would work well together as a starting frontcourt. Not in the traditional sense, but in the Phoenix-Golden State-the-game-is-moving-towards-a-faster-pace sense. It's still debatable whether or not that is a championship style, but the Bulls would be really good playing that way, IMO.


Yeah. I like to think so too. It'd be unconventional and we'd give up some on defense but Yi is 7 feet so who knows.

Regarding Yi's athleticism, FWIW, Chad reported that he can dunk with his elbow level with the rim. Even for a guy with long reach that's pretty impressive.


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## MikeDC (Jul 16, 2002)

I find Yi absolutely scary. To those of you who are sold on the guy, I just don't see how you can be. Unlike Yao before him or Bargnani last year, there are absolutely no tangibles on which to judge the guy. His level of competition hasn't been enough to judge anything, we don't know how big he really is, what he's like, we don't even know how old he is with any certainty.

That's not to say he might not be good. The reports from Ford and some others, along with unofficial reports of his size at least give me some hope that's the case. But the gap of information, coupled with the huge efforts that seem to be being made to manage where he goes suggest that either he'll either be very good or a collosssal bust.

Seems like a huge risk, or at least one that, in my position, I can't really judge.

The one thing I haven't seen talked about that leads me to think he'll probably be good and not a bust is that I tend to think the Chinese wouldn't send a guy over here with such fanfare and then have him fail miserably. They'd just keep him there rather than suffer a big risk of a high profile embarrassment.

-------

Based on his game, or at least what appears to be his game, I don't see why he'd be a bad fit for the Bulls. Long athletic guy who could maybe play like Rasheed to Wallace or Tyrus Thomas. Looks like a potentially ideal fit actually.


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## rosenthall (Aug 1, 2002)

This type of news is exciting, and makes for great message board talk, but I'm still not sure how I feel about Yi.

The only footage I've seen of him are from YouTube clips where he's dunking on 6' Chinese guys. The one draft article I've seen written on him was very positive, but that's it. I'm not against the idea, but there's just not enough info _anywhere_ for me to take a stand one way or the other.


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## DaBabyBullz (May 26, 2006)

Personally, I hope we don't get him. He just doesn't appeal to me for some reason, and I think that if we trade up to #3, we'd damn well better take Brandan Wright. If we're not getting Oden or Durant, we'd better end up with Wright, Hawes or Brewer.


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## jbulls (Aug 31, 2005)

MikeDC said:


> I find Yi absolutely scary. To those of you who are sold on the guy, I just don't see how you can be. Unlike Yao before him or Bargnani last year, there are absolutely no tangibles on which to judge the guy. His level of competition hasn't been enough to judge anything, we don't know how big he really is, what he's like, we don't even know how old he is with any certainty.
> 
> That's not to say he might not be good. The reports from Ford and some others, along with unofficial reports of his size at least give me some hope that's the case. But the gap of information, coupled with the huge efforts that seem to be being made to manage where he goes suggest that either he'll either be very good or a collosssal bust.
> 
> ...


Great post. I don't really know how to feel about Yi, I'm not sure how anybody does given the information we have to work with. For what it's worth, Jonathan Givony is much less high than most on Yi Jianlian than some.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

MikeDC said:


> I find Yi absolutely scary. To those of you who are sold on the guy, I just don't see how you can be. Unlike Yao before him or Bargnani last year, there are absolutely no tangibles on which to judge the guy. His level of competition hasn't been enough to judge anything, we don't know how big he really is, what he's like, we don't even know how old he is with any certainty.
> 
> That's not to say he might not be good. The reports from Ford and some others, along with unofficial reports of his size at least give me some hope that's the case. But the gap of information, coupled with the huge efforts that seem to be being made to manage where he goes suggest that either he'll either be very good or a collosssal bust.
> 
> ...


It was the same thing with Yao though in 2002. Same scare. 

FWIW....

Yi was the same height as Gasol in 2006. He was taller than Dwight and Brad Miller in 2006 as well. Height definitely won't be a problem.

And this guy is LONG. There is no way around that. The way he hardly has to jump to dunk is very encouraging. I wish we could see measurements just out of my own curiousity.

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KyADXpenxzU"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KyADXpenxzU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

There is plenty to like about him.

-Good jumpshot.
-Great footwork.
-Doesn't shy away from contact.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

jbulls said:


> Great post. I don't really know how to feel about Yi, I'm not sure how anybody does given the information we have to work with. For what it's worth, Jonathan Givony is much less high than most on Yi Jianlian than some.


He's also less high on Greg Oden then most...he loves his Durant, and he doesn't want to admit that Oden/Yi are better prospects.


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## jbulls (Aug 31, 2005)

Mebarak said:


> He's also less high on Greg Oden then most...he loves his Durant, and he doesn't want to admit that Oden/Yi are better prospects.


You think Yi is a better prospect than Durant?


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## ViciousFlogging (Sep 3, 2003)

I'm closer to Mikedc and jbulls...I find the idea of Yi interesting, but I'll be very nervous about actually drafting him. There just isn't much to go on. In a lot of the clips he looks like a monster, but it ain't Kevin Garnett he's driving past for dunks.

If through some twist of fate he lasts all the way to #9, I'd give Paxson the benefit of the doubt if he took him - and with later-lottery picks it's probably OK to go high-risk/high-reward if you don't think there's a sure thing on the board. But I'd be pretty nervous about giving up assets that could be used to bring in established help to trade up for him.


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## Pioneer10 (Sep 30, 2004)

Mebarak said:


> Well, he is definitely quicker than Dirk.
> 
> He has a great jumpshot.
> 
> ...


Yi seems pretty athletic on the youtubes but where are you getting some of this crap? His footwork will be in the Sheed, Shaq, and Duncan range? Based on what?

His standing reach will be one the best? Based on what - youtube video? This whole thread is littered with posts about how he's skipping his physical

He is a mentally strong player? Based on playing in a league whose talent would be lucky to match up with a mid major college conference?

I hope he becomes a good player but clearly this guy has a lot of unkowns and we won't know much about him unless actual and accurate info is leaked from some of his private workouts


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

jbulls said:


> You think Yi is a better prospect than Durant?


I think they're about on the same level.

Jonathan juts tries to push Yi down further, and further, and further down to put Durant up as a prospect.


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## rosenthall (Aug 1, 2002)

Mebarak said:


> It was the same thing with Yao though in 2002. Same scare.
> 
> FWIW....
> 
> ...


No offense Sloth, but videos like these are exactly what makes me wary of the pro-Yi crowd. Personally, I find 90 second clips of Yi shooting turn around jumpers over imaginary defenders unconvincing. 

I think there's enough hype around him for me to believe that he's got legit talent, but I also wonder what kind of numbers Kevin Durant would put up if he were in China, and it makes me a little more dour on Yi.


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## McBulls (Apr 28, 2005)

I just watched a bunch of You-tube Yi films.

Some things are obvious. The guy is very quick--much quicker than Gasol. He runs the floor very well. He's got good size, although he's smaller than Gasol and not as strong. He has good hops for a man his size. Good hands. Very nice form on his mid-range shot and free-throws. Seems a bit soft on defense, but is willing to mix it up down low. 

Rosenthall, that turnaround jumper is real. He's going to be tough in the low post.

In short, I can see why folks are high on him. He'll do well in his workouts, and he won't be available at #9.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

McBulls said:


> I just watched a bunch of You-tube Yi films.
> 
> Some things are obvious. The guy is very quick--much quicker than Gasol. He runs the floor very well. He's got good size, although he's smaller than Gasol and not as strong. He has good hops for a man his size. Good hands. Very nice form on his mid-range shot and free-throws. Seems a bit soft on defense, but is willing to mix it up down low.
> 
> ...


Thats the thing though. THERE WON'T BE WORKOUTS.

This is what makes Yi the most intriguing pick for us. He is a potential superstar (Yao once said that Yi was going to be better than him) that we are adding to an already good team.

Tyrus, if he can bulk up, he can potentially be our starting big man next to Yi. Tyrus has that long standing reach...and he might have grown another inch, and it seems he may have grew some already, and added more to his wingspan. If Tyrus can be a physically strong player that holds his spot in the post, him and Yi would be a deadly tandem.

Like if we're looking at:

PG- Kirk Hinrich- 15 PPG 9 APG
SG- Ben Gordon- 24 PPG 4 APG
SF- Luol Deng- 20 PPG
PF- Tyrus Thomas- 14 PPG 10 RPG 2.5 BPG
C- Yi Jianlain- 20 PPG 10 RPG 

We'll be in good shape in the future, with Thabo and Nocioni off the bench.

I think Yi should be the guy we want...now if only, magically, we could pawn off Ben Wallace for a lotto pick and get Noah as well. Too bad thats not happening.


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## BDMcGee (May 12, 2006)

Dornado said:


> Ok... I think I get it now... are you Yi Jianlian's agent?
> 
> quicker than Dirk? (who is damned quick for a 7 footer)
> 
> ...


Dude, I don't know who you are and I really don't care but I'm not going to respond to your smart alec posts anymore. If you want to make fun of someone do it to someone else. You may not agree with what I say but you don't have to belittle it and act like I'm stupid. If you don't like my posts, quit responding to them.


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## BDMcGee (May 12, 2006)

Mebarak said:


> His athleticism is definitely overrated, but his length and strength is underrated. He has one of the longest standing reaches in the NBA once he enters. He really doesn't jump that high. He is dunking a lot of the times, only jumping like 16 inches, he bends his knees up whenever he jumps, making it seems like he's jumping higher than he actually is.
> 
> Yi was originally the #1 prospect for the 2006 draft, Greg Oden the #2 prospect. It would not surprise me if Yi ended up as the best player in this draft class, like he was pegged a few years ago.
> 
> ...


Totally agree. I think he's as talented as Oden, but I'd still rather have Oden because of the way he dominates the paint. I agree though, it would be tremendous if he ended up with the Bulls. I think somehow Pax will end up getting him. Hopefully he won't have to give up too much to do it.


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## step (Sep 19, 2005)

The way Wang Zhi-Zhi managed to dominate him head to head is just one fact I can't seem to shake.


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## DaBabyBullz (May 26, 2006)

I just don't know if I would want a guy named My Dingaling on the Bulls lol. There's a REALLY old song that could be his theme song: "all those snappers, snapping at my dingaling" lmao.


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## JeremyB0001 (Nov 17, 2003)

Mebarak said:



> PG- Kirk Hinrich- 15 PPG 9 APG
> SG- Ben Gordon- 24 PPG 4 APG
> SF- Luol Deng- 20 PPG
> PF- Tyrus Thomas- 14 PPG 10 RPG 2.5 BPG
> C- Yi Jianlain- 20 PPG 10 RPG


Why does Kirk's scoring drop from 16.6 this season and Ben's increases from 21.4?


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## Dornado (May 26, 2003)

BDMcGee said:


> Dude, I don't know who you are and I really don't care but I'm not going to respond to your smart alec posts anymore. If you want to make fun of someone do it to someone else. You may not agree with what I say but you don't have to belittle it and act like I'm stupid. If you don't like my posts, quit responding to them.



Sorry kid, didn't mean to hurt your feelings.


I guess the point that has been made repeatedly in this thread is that all of these claims - like he's quicker than Nowitski, has more potential than Tyrus... comparisons to Tim Duncan... where are they coming from? My post was obviously sarcastic, but really... I want to know if you guys have actually seen the guy play, and against whom. I know about the 13 and 7 against Team USA, but I watched that game and Team USA was killing them the whole time... it was a quiet 13 and 7 (which aren't really great numbers to begin with if you are the prize prospect of the national team) We're all Bulls fans here, and want the best for the team... if the guy is good and we draft him I'll be really happy... but I just feel like I'm being fed propaganda. Its one thing to say the guy is worth taking in the NBA Draft Lottery... its another to say that we should trade up to #3 and pass on guys like Brandan Wright (who scored 16 ppg in the toughest college basketball conference... and is 3 years younger than Yi) to take him.


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## kulaz3000 (May 3, 2006)

If its true that he won't do any workouts for any teams, i assure you Paxson won't draft him unless he can sneak in a secret work out. I just don't see Paxson as the type to not work out a player his about to draft and just go purely from what his scene from the stands or videos.


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## kulaz3000 (May 3, 2006)

JeremyB0001 said:


> Why does Kirk's scoring drop from 16.6 this season and Ben's increases from 21.4?


Did you expect anything more from the Sloth?

You should just be happy he didn't bump Gordons scoring average to 40 points per.


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

There really is a lack of info about this guy.

Ford reckons his 7'0", with a 7.45 wing span.

Averaged: 20.5 PPG, 57.41 FG %, 75.08 FT%, 9.6 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 1.2 APG, 2.0 SPG in the 2005-06 season

That's not alot of blocks. His FT %, you would guess, means he has a decent jump shot. 


an article from 6 months ago
link

I'm just going to keep adding some stuff as I find it

24.8 ppg, 11.4 rpg while shooting 57 percent this year

FIBI world cup last year

```
ACCUMULATED STATISTICS
		     FG 	2pts 	   3pts 	     FT 	   Rbds 						
G 	Min 	M/A 	% 	M/A 	% 	M/A 	% 	M/A 	 % 	O 	D 	Tot 	As 	PF 	To 	St 	BS 	Pts
6 	106 	14/34 	41.2 	14/33 	42.4 	0/1 	0 	9/12 	75 	11 	23 	34 	3 	13 	8 	0 	8 	37
	
	
GAME BY GAME STATISTICS
		   2pts 	   3pts 	     FT 	Rbds 						
Match 	Min 	M/A 	% 	M/A 	 % 	M/A 	 % 	O 	D 	Tot 	As 	PF 	To 	St 	BS 	Pts
vs ITA 	19 	2/6 	33.3 	0/0 	0 	5/6 	83.3 	4 	5 	9 	0 	3 	1 	0 	3 	9
vs SLO 	5 	1/2 	50 	0/0 	0 	0/0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	1 	1 	2 	0 	0 	2
vs GRE 	22 	4/5 	80 	0/0 	0 	1/2 	50 	1 	4 	5 	1 	2 	0 	0 	0 	9
vs USA 	24 	5/9 	55.6 	0/1 	0 	3/4 	75 	3 	4 	7 	1 	4 	4 	0 	2 	13
vs PUR 	28 	2/10 	20 	0/0 	0 	0/0 	0 	3 	8 	11 	0 	2 	0 	0 	2 	4
vs SEN 	8 	0/1 	0 	0/0 	0 	0/0 	0 	0 	2 	2 	0 	1 	1 	0 	1 	0
```
link to better formatted table

link to his complete stats
He shot 81% from the line last season.

Three-point field goals: 
2004-05, (.308); 
2005-06, 5-for-13 (.384); 
2006-07, 11-for-56 (.196). 
Totals: 16-for-69 (.232).


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## Dornado (May 26, 2003)

darlets said:


> There really is a lack of info about this guy.
> 
> Ford reckons his 7'0", with a 7.45 wing span.
> 
> ...



Good info... any idea what Yao's numbers were his last two years in the CBA so we have something to compare it to? How about Wang Zhi Zhi?


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

kulaz3000 said:


> Did you expect anything more from the Sloth?
> 
> You should just be happy he didn't bump Gordons scoring average to 40 points per.


Oh please, stop being such a spoil sport. Unlike you, I enjoy both of our guards in the backcourt, and don't say to dump one of them just for the heck of it. 

How is Hinrich going from 16 points and 6 assists, to 15 points and 9 assists bad?

Of course, I wouldn't expect anything else from someone like you, always trying to stir up drama.


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

Dornado said:


> Good info... any idea what Yao's numbers were his last two years in the CBA so we have something to compare it to? How about Wang Zhi Zhi?


lol I just went an looked. It is quite amusing. 32 ppg 19 rpg

link

If you look at the fibi world cup site. Yi did O.K but not great.

Darko was the one that played well. 16ppg 9rpg v Yi 6ppg 5 rpg. Though they probably tried to run everything through Yao


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

Wang Zhizhi from nba.com

# Prior to joining the Mavericks, led the Rockets to their sixth straight Chinese Basketball Association Championship in 2000-01
# Named a Chinese Basketball Association All-Star and averaged 
*24.9 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.77 blocked shots per game for the season*
# In 1999-2000, named regular season, final and All-Star Game MVP of the Chinese Basketball Association; also won the Slam Dunk contest
# At the CBA All-Star Game in April of 1999, named one of the "50 Top Stars of New China Basketball," a list honoring players dating back to the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949


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## Dornado (May 26, 2003)

darlets said:


> lol I just went an looked. It is quite amusing. 32 ppg 19 rpg
> 
> link
> 
> ...



so Yao tallied 32ppg and 19 rpg in the CBA... and put up 13 and 8 as a 23 year old rookie.

Yi... who is either 19 or 22 depending on which documents you check, put up 24 and 11 in the CBA. I'm just not seeing the clear-cut upside that would make us want to trade up to 3 and pass on Brandan Wright for him. This guy could be a gigantic bust, and that scares me.


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

Dornado said:


> so Yao tallied 32ppg and 19 rpg in the CBA... and put up 13 and 8 as a 23 year old rookie.
> 
> Yi... who is either 19 or 22 depending on which documents you check, put up 24 and 11 in the CBA. I'm just not seeing the clear-cut upside that would make us want to trade up to 3 and pass on Brandan Wright for him. This guy could be a gigantic bust, and that scares me.


I'm really concerned, because China lost most of it's games in the FIBA tournament, and he averaged 6 and 5. There was alot of marginal N.B.A talent there that did better than that.

I know this board may lynch him if he does, but i wouldn't mind Paxson just taken BPA a 9 and sorting it out through F.A.


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## CocaineisaHelluvaDrug (Aug 24, 2006)

Mebarak said:


> Well, he is definitely quicker than Dirk.
> 
> He has a great jumpshot.
> 
> ...


 

he is weak and will struggle to guard any of the leagues premier big men,has no reliable shot outside of 10ft and will take a long time adjusting to the league just like yao,if your looking for a player to come in and make a difference immediatly then taking yi is not the way forward 


and thats based on an actual knowledge of watching him play not youtube
dunk vids


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## CocaineisaHelluvaDrug (Aug 24, 2006)

Mebarak said:


> He's also less high on Greg Oden then most...he loves his Durant, and he doesn't want to admit that Oden/Yi are better prospects.



How are oden and yi better prospects than durant ??

do u watch basketball ?

Durant is the stone cold no 1 pick imo


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## BDMcGee (May 12, 2006)

Dornado said:


> Sorry kid, didn't mean to hurt your feelings.
> 
> 
> I guess the point that has been made repeatedly in this thread is that all of these claims - like he's quicker than Nowitski, has more potential than Tyrus... comparisons to Tim Duncan... where are they coming from? My post was obviously sarcastic, but really... I want to know if you guys have actually seen the guy play, and against whom. I know about the 13 and 7 against Team USA, but I watched that game and Team USA was killing them the whole time... it was a quiet 13 and 7 (which aren't really great numbers to begin with if you are the prize prospect of the national team) We're all Bulls fans here, and want the best for the team... if the guy is good and we draft him I'll be really happy... but I just feel like I'm being fed propaganda. Its one thing to say the guy is worth taking in the NBA Draft Lottery... its another to say that we should trade up to #3 and pass on guys like Brandan Wright (who scored 16 ppg in the toughest college basketball conference... and is 3 years younger than Yi) to take him.


I got no problem debating people who don't agree with me but I don't have a tolerance for a guy like you talking down to me and acting like I have no idea what I'm talking about. I'm also not a 'kid.' You can sit there and whine and whine and whine about how you haven't seen enough of Yi to be sold, but it's really pointless. There are very few 'sure things' in the draft nowadays. No one knows how these prospects are going to turn out, but that's the nature of it. Some of them make it, some of them don't. Teams make mistakes and draft players that turn out to be busts. There's nothing anyone can say or do that will change that. The only player in this entire draft that appears to be a lock to make a significant impact is Greg Oden. If you're not the Portland Trailblazers and you have a first round pick, you're going to have to gamble somewhat on a player that you think can help your team. That's the position the Bulls are in.

I understand why you're questioning how good Yi is. It's fair to critique him and wonder how his game will translate to the next level. There's a chance that he won't improve upon his body strength and low-post game, and won't make a huge impact in the league. But there's also a chance that he could realize his potential and become a superstar. Finding 7-footers with his kind talent is very rare. That's why I think the Bulls should take a chance on him.

I would understand people's objections to taking Yi if we already had good big-men, but really who do we have that's any better than him? The Bulls currently have one of the shortest and least productive front-lines in the Entire NBA. The talent simply isn't there for it to get any better the way it's currently constructed either. At some point, the Bulls will need to take a chance and upgrade their porous front-line. They really have nothing to lose by going after Yi because their front-line is currently horendous. I understand people questioning his game, but as Bulls fans we need to wise up and look at our front-court situation. There's little doubt that Yi would be a major upgrade over what we currently have and there's a chance that he could develop into a special player. He not only could potentially solve our size issues to an extent, but if he reached his full potential, he could develop into the franshise-player that this organization needs. Or maybe he'll fail. Who knows? All I know is that considering the Bulls front-court situation, they're not operating from a position of strength. I think it would be worth the risk to take a shot at Yi and see if he could help them.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

darlets said:


> I'm really concerned, because China lost most of it's games in the FIBA tournament, and he averaged 6 and 5. There was alot of marginal N.B.A talent there that did better than that.
> 
> I know this board may lynch him if he does, but i wouldn't mind Paxson just taken BPA a 9 and sorting it out through F.A.


Thats because the Chinese team has awful guards that like to think they're Allen Iverson or Kobe Bryant.


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## MikeDC (Jul 16, 2002)

ViciousFlogging said:


> I'm closer to Mikedc and jbulls...I find the idea of Yi interesting, but I'll be very nervous about actually drafting him. There just isn't much to go on. In a lot of the clips he looks like a monster, but it ain't Kevin Garnett he's driving past for dunks.
> 
> If through some twist of fate he lasts all the way to #9, I'd give Paxson the benefit of the doubt if he took him - and with later-lottery picks it's probably OK to go high-risk/high-reward if you don't think there's a sure thing on the board. But I'd be pretty nervous about giving up assets that could be used to bring in established help to trade up for him.


Despite my uncertainty, the saving grace of being in the Bulls position is that the Chinese want to push him to the Bulls. While it doesn't look like *we *are going to know how tall or how old he really is, I hope that fact means they'll let the Bulls legitimately put him through their paces privately. If they get that chance, I think I'd feel decent about trading up, since even though we won't know, they will.

It might be just the sort of break we need. Or it could be that they just try to push the guy to us and not let us see anything more than we've already seen. If that's the case, I'd probably run screaming.

It's also conceivable if they Chinese are really set on picking his destination that we wouldn't have to do anything to get him. That's unfair, of course, but the sort of thing that happens to peoples' advantage sometimes and I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.

Of course, we'll probably never know either way


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

Mebarak said:


> Thats because the Chinese team has awful guards that like to think they're Allen Iverson or Kobe Bryant.


I'm sure they're guards aren't great. But their centre Yao did alright getting 25 and 9


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## WhoDaBest23 (Apr 16, 2003)

I can see why the Chinese would want Yi going to a big market like Chicago, but man the guy seems like such an enigma. The fact that they're making everything about him seem so private doesn't help. I'd really rather see Hawes at #9, but if the Bulls take Yi, they better know what they're getting themselves into. I somewhat like his game and I think it's unique to see a Chinese player play the way he does, but that's based off of a couple of clips. It doesn't look like he'll make an immediate impact, but it could pay out in big dividends if he develops nicely.


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## theanimal23 (Mar 2, 2005)

I'm going to give Pax the benefit of the doubt if he is seriously intersted in Yi and it is not a smokescreen. Pax has my trust when it comes the draft especially. I feel that we are in a situation that whomever we choose, we need to take if they will *end up* being one of the better players of this draft. We can afford to let a guy like Yi (or Hawes) develop but still find spot minutes to have them come in and play. Sort of like what we did with Tyrus. But it does seem that foreign players do take a little longer to develop than NCAA players. Is it because of the difference in playing style? 

The idea is intriguing. He could be a huge bust. But he does seem agile for a 7-footer and appears to have a nice shot. I do like how he is aggressive in attacking the rim. But is it because he might be one of the more athetlics players in the CBA? He knows he has that advantage, which won't last year in the NBA. 

If, and that is a mighty huge If, pans out he will cause matchup problems left and right. Otherwise, you go toward Hawes if you feel he is alright. The safe pick is Noah if he is around. You know what you get albeit the lower ceiling.


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## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

To me there is zero risk if you take Yi at 9. The risk comes if you trade up and pass on guys like Wright and Horford and even Hawes.
I'd be willing to take him 3rd but you would leave yourself open to second guessing, no risk no reward.


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## Fizer Fanatic (Jun 20, 2002)

I'm starting to think that Yi might the guy to take, despite my limited knowledge about him. I'm confident the Bulls will make a good choice. Still, when you look for someone who fits in with what we have, it doesn't seem to get any better than Yi. He gives us the height to complement the Body and Tyrus. He appears to be a skilled perimeter-oriented and offensively-talented big man, unlike the Body and at this point at least, also unlike Tyrus. I can't determine what Tyrus' offensive game is going to look like in 5 years beyond the dunks. I'm just hoping it's better than the Body's offensive game, at this point I'm just as impressed with his very raw spinning post move as I am with his jumper, although I think the jumper did work a bit better up until Posey broke his nose at the start of the season. If the Body and Tyrus need to be close to the hoop to be effective on offense, then I'd prefer another big man who can be effective both away from and at the rim. At the top of this draft, the main guy who can do that appears to be Yi. Add in that the Chinese work extensively on drills to improve fundamentals along with his international experience against better players, and I think he could be ready to contribute relatively soon. He doesn't look nearly as raw to me as Tyrus, at least on the offensive end. If we got Noah, he'd be too much of a clone of what we already have--good defensive big men who are very raw on offense. Hawes is the other guy who I think could give us what we need. He seems to have the ability to knock down shots away from the basket out of a pick & pop situation, has the superior post game and nice passing skills. Still, Hawes lacks the handles and speed of Yi. My mind is split between Yi amd Hawes at the moment, with a lean towards Yi as the better long-term player. It'll be interesting to see what actually happens.


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## JeremyB0001 (Nov 17, 2003)

Dornado said:


> so Yao tallied 32ppg and 19 rpg in the CBA... and put up 13 and 8 as a 23 year old rookie.
> 
> Yi... who is either 19 or 22 depending on which documents you check, put up 24 and 11 in the CBA. I'm just not seeing the clear-cut upside that would make us want to trade up to 3 and pass on Brandan Wright for him. This guy could be a gigantic bust, and that scares me.


If Yi's really 19 - and he has a passport that says he is - that makes a world of difference. He'd be a 20 year old rookie not a 23 year old one like Yao so he wouldn't need to show as much immediately.


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## Dornado (May 26, 2003)

JeremyB0001 said:


> If Yi's really 19 - and he has a passport that says he is - that makes a world of difference. He'd be a 20 year old rookie not a 23 year old one like Yao so he wouldn't need to show as much immediately.



I agree it makes a world of difference... if he's born in 1984 like he was previously listed, then he's older than Joakim Noah and his stock plummets in my mind.

For me, at this point, its a big fat PASS on Yi Jianlian. Maybe his limited workouts or further evaluations will change my mind... but I really don't want to pull the old Darko over Chris Bosh move by taking Jianlian over guys like Brandan Wright (assuming a trade up) or Noah.


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## JeremyB0001 (Nov 17, 2003)

Dornado said:


> I agree it makes a world of difference... if he's born in 1984 like he was previously listed, then he's older than Joakim Noah and his stock plummets in my mind.
> 
> For me, at this point, its a big fat PASS on Yi Jianlian. Maybe his limited workouts or further evaluations will change my mind... but I really don't want to pull the old Darko over Chris Bosh move by taking Jianlian over guys like Brandan Wright (assuming a trade up) or Noah.


I suspect that Noah will be world away from someone like Bosh in terms of impact. It'd be hard to say we passed up someone like Wright if the only reason we had a chance to draft him was that we traded up with the purpose of taking Yi.


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## transplant (Jul 31, 2002)

JeremyB0001 said:


> If Yi's really 19 - and he has a passport that says he is - that makes a world of difference. He'd be a 20 year old rookie not a 23 year old one like Yao so he wouldn't need to show as much immediately.


The passport thing doesn't do much for me. The idea that the Chinese gov't might doctor up a potential national hero's documentation to his advantage doesn't seem all that far-fetched to me.

We ain't gonna know for sure unless someone cuts him in half and counts the rings .

As for Yi, I've said that I'm hoping for him, Hawes or Noah, in that order. Why Yi #1? I dunno, the limited stuff I've seen and read is very intriguing. I don't have a whole lot more info on Hawes. Noah, on the other hand, is someone I've seen a lot of, but that's a two-edged sword.

Let's face it, both the praise and criticism of Yi on this thread are largely uninformed.

I'm in the "in Pax I trust" camp at this point...IMO, he's earned it.


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## Bulldozer (Jul 11, 2006)

My guess is that Yi will become a Bull. 95% wishful thinking, 5% speculation.

I like the very little I've seen, *especially his shooting form.* It'd be very nice to have a big with a decent J/FT. Yi might not be the most explosive or fastest, but obviously has fluid enough movement and is by no means a plodder, like Spencer "hee" Hawes looks to be (the type of athlete Im staunchly opposed to).

I'd much rather the Bulls develop Yi over Marty Longassname, and both him and TT need to get a bit stronger, or add bulk by the time Wallace is gone. Yi should contribute right away offensively as well, I love that lil J he's displayed. I think Im getting ahead of myself so Ill stop there lol


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## jbulls (Aug 31, 2005)

Bulldozer said:


> I'd much rather the Bulls develop Yi over Marty Longassname, and both him and TT need to get a bit stronger, or add bulk by the time Wallace is gone.


I'd like to think we're shooting a little bit higher than a replacement for our 14th man with the 9th pick overall. I also think we need somebody to contribute while Wallace is here, not somebody to replace him down the road.


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## MikeDC (Jul 16, 2002)

Dornado said:


> Good info... any idea what Yao's numbers were his last two years in the CBA so we have something to compare it to? How about Wang Zhi Zhi?


I think his FIBA stats are the ones to look at, since the level of competition is a more known, and pretty good quality.

Actually I spent some spare time since my last post looking up his stats from the 04 Olympics and his FIBA stats. A small sample, of course, but it's at least something.

In 04, if he's to be believed, he was only 17. His stats for the Olympics in 04 and FIBA in 06:
<table x:str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 580pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="765"><col style="width: 53pt;" width="71"> <col style="width: 48pt;" width="64"> <col style="width: 35pt;" span="12" width="46"> <col style="width: 32pt;" width="42"> <col style="width: 27pt;" width="36"> <tbody><tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td style="height: 12.75pt; width: 53pt;" align="left" height="17" width="71">*Age*</td> <td style="width: 48pt;" align="left" width="64">*G*</td> <td style="width: 35pt;" align="left" width="46">*MPG*</td> <td style="width: 35pt;" align="left" width="46">*FG%*</td> <td style="width: 35pt;" align="left" width="46">*FT %*</td> <td style="width: 35pt;" align="left" width="46">*PPG*</td> <td style="width: 35pt;" align="left" width="46">*RPG*</td> <td style="width: 35pt;" align="left" width="46">*Blk*</td> <td style="width: 35pt;" align="left" width="46">*STL*</td> <td style="width: 35pt;" align="left" width="46">*AST*</td> <td style="width: 35pt;" align="left" width="46">*TO*</td> <td style="width: 35pt;" align="left" width="46">*PF*</td> <td style="width: 35pt;" align="left" width="46">*RB48*</td> <td style="width: 35pt;" align="left" width="46">*BL48*</td> <td style="width: 32pt;" align="left" width="42">*TO48*</td> <td style="width: 27pt;" align="left" width="36">*PF48*</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl23" style="height: 12.75pt;" x:num="16.81917808219178" align="left" height="17"> 17 </td> <td x:num="" align="left">7</td> <td class="xl22" x:num="12.7" align="left"> 12.7 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="30" align="left"> 30.0 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="58.3" align="left"> 58.3 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="2.7" align="left"> 2.7 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="3.3" align="left"> 3.3 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="0.3" align="left"> 0.3 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="0.1" align="left"> 0.1 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="0" align="left"> - </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="1" align="left"> 1.0 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="2.4" align="left"> 2.4 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="12.472440944881889" x:fmla="=((G2*$B2)/($C2*$B2))*48" align="left"> 12.5 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="1.1338582677165356" x:fmla="=((H2*$B2)/($C2*$B2))*48" align="left"> 1.1 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="3.7795275590551185" x:fmla="=((K2*$B2)/($C2*$B2))*48" align="left"> 3.8 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="9.0708661417322851" x:fmla="=((L2*$B2)/($C2*$B2))*48" align="left"> 9.1 </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl23" style="height: 12.75pt;" x:num="19.013698630136986" align="left" height="17"> 19 </td> <td x:num="" align="left">6</td> <td class="xl22" x:num="17.666666666666668" x:fmla="=106/B3" align="left"> 17.7 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="41.2" align="left"> 41.2 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="75" align="left"> 75.0 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="6.166666666666667" x:fmla="=37/6" align="left"> 6.2 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="5.666666666666667" x:fmla="=34/B3" align="left"> 5.7 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="1.3333333333333333" x:fmla="=8/B3" align="left"> 1.3 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="0" align="left"> - </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="0.5" x:fmla="=3/B3" align="left"> 0.5 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="1.3333333333333333" x:fmla="=8/6" align="left"> 1.3 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="2.1666666666666665" x:fmla="=13/6" align="left"> 2.2 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="15.39622641509434" x:fmla="=((G3*$B3)/($C3*$B3))*48" align="left"> 15.4 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="3.6226415094339623" x:fmla="=((H3*$B3)/($C3*$B3))*48" align="left"> 3.6 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="3.6226415094339623" x:fmla="=((K3*$B3)/($C3*$B3))*48" align="left"> 3.6 </td> <td class="xl22" x:num="5.8867924528301891" x:fmla="=((L3*$B3)/($C3*$B3))*48" align="left"> 5.9 </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
So what's to be gained by looking at this? Well, those are some pretty miserable looking stats, but if we're to believe his official stats he was extremely young. The only sort of telling thing I would try to take from it is the direction the stats are going. And Yi's do seem to be going in the right direction, at least. They seem lower than Yao's 10.5ppg, 6rpg and 2.2 bpg in the 2000 Olympics at age 20, but then again, Yao had about a year on him too. And we don't know whether the ages are legit or not. So there's still some huge question marks.

I guess overall though, I'd say he looks like a guy who's progressing, but he doesn't quite measure up to Yao or anything either.

So I guess on the whole, what I see is nothing that makes me feel better about him, but there's enough uncertainty that I don't feel terrible either.


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## darlets (Jul 31, 2002)

MikeDC said:


> I think his FIBA stats are the ones to look at, since the level of competition is a more known, and pretty good quality.


Thanks for that MikeDC. The more info the better


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

MikeDC said:


> I think his FIBA stats are the ones to look at, since the level of competition is a more known, and pretty good quality.
> 
> Actually I spent some spare time since my last post looking up his stats from the 04 Olympics and his FIBA stats. A small sample, of course, but it's at least something.
> 
> ...


Some things to look at that show some improvement are: Higher Rebounds/blocks. Thats the obvious. But looking at his free throw percentage, it went up to a good number. His jumpshots improved. His free throws were at a miserable 58%...which tends to show that he didn't have much a shot (a lot of highschoolers will be about 1 for 2 in freethrows, so at 17, that might be right in line). But he kept improving his shot. His scoring has increases with his shooting/skills. His fundamentals are great. In addition, the personal fouls decreased, even though he played more minutes.


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## Ballscientist (Nov 11, 2002)

Ballscientist source: Bucks will pick Yi at 6.

If you can not move your pick to 4 or 5, it will waste your time to discuss.


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## Dornado (May 26, 2003)

Ballscientist said:


> Ballscientist source: Bucks will pick Yi at 6.
> 
> If you can not move your pick to 4 or 5, it will waste your time to discuss.


You've got Larry Harris on speed dial?


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## McBulls (Apr 28, 2005)

Ballscientist said:


> Ballscientist source: Bucks will pick Yi at 6.
> 
> If you can not move your pick to 4 or 5, it will waste your time to discuss.


Yeah, but the Bucks are not on Yi's short list of places he wants to play. He could always just stay in China.
So maybe it's waste of the Buck's time to draft him.


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## JeremyB0001 (Nov 17, 2003)

I've been thinking about it and I love stats as much as the next guy but their use is somewhat limited when looking at draft prospects. Some players' games translate very well to the NBA and some translate very poorly. Obviously if Yi's production in China looks sub par then that's a red flag but the question scouts and GMs are mostly asking themselves this time of year is how well a player's physical skills will translate to the NBA. A lot of accounts suggest that Yi's may translate very, very well.

On his podcast, Chad Ford interviewed the guy who is training Yi along with Noah, Brewer, and some other guys. The phrase he used was "probably a lot better than people expect." Nick Young's trainer called Yi "amazing." Young himself said "that dude can play." Noah said "that's something to behold." Chad said that when he dunked in drills, his elbow was often level with the rim. 

This stuff isn't the same as a full fledged NBA game but it's hard to ignore this type of buzz. People like Young and Noah don't have an incentive to be awed by Yi or a reputation for falling in love with workout wonders and/or international players. The fact that he didn't play NCAA ball does make him more of a risk but I'm not sure that should be considered a huge problem.


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