# Chad Ford- Latest Rumors



## austinpowers (Jun 29, 2006)

Here are some of the highlights..........

If Boston is passing on Yi, I think that means we might see a trade coming. There's talk that the Suns -- to slash payroll -- might be willing to take the No. 5 pick, Theo Ratliff's expiring contract and Delonte West for Shawn Marion. That would make Paul Pierce happy. 

With the No. 5 pick, the Suns could replace Marion with Yi, Jeff Green or Al Thornton. In the Suns' system, all three of those guys could play the four. 

Another dark horse in the Yi sweepstakes might be Portland, which is trying to get another top 10 draft pick. As I've mentioned before, the Bulls seem like a possible trading partner, with Zach Randolph involved.

Can you imagine the huge front line of Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge and Yi? Wow.


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## B_&_B (Feb 19, 2004)

I dont want Yi. I think he's more of a project than guys like Thornton, Green, or Brewer.


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## graybeard (May 10, 2003)

Marion 6'7"
Pierce 6'6"
Jefferson 6'10'

Makes for a kinda small front line. On Boston's team Marion is more of a small forward I'd think, which is where Pierce plays.


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## B_&_B (Feb 19, 2004)

graybeard said:


> Marion 6'7"
> Pierce 6'6"
> Jefferson 6'10'
> 
> Makes for a kinda small front line. On Boston's team Marion is more of a small forward I'd think, which is where Pierce plays.


True, but that front line would be fine in the East.


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## PorterIn2004 (Jan 1, 2003)

graybeard said:


> Marion 6'7"
> Pierce 6'6"
> Jefferson 6'10'
> 
> Makes for a kinda small front line. On Boston's team Marion is more of a small forward I'd think, which is where Pierce plays.


Pierce can play SG, Marion can play SF, and Jefferson can play PF. That's not a particularly small line-up (presuming there are two other guys on the floor, one of whom's a center) and it'd work fine for small-ball.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

Perkins at 6'10" and 280lbs is a decent Center for them.


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## meru (Jul 2, 2003)

austinpowers said:


> If Boston is passing on Yi, I think that means we might see a trade coming. There's talk that the Suns -- to slash payroll -- might be willing to take the No. 5 pick, Theo Ratliff's expiring contract and Delonte West for Shawn Marion. That would make Paul Pierce happy.


How old is Marion? Isn't he nearly 30? I guess so is Pierce, but the Celtics would be suddenly quite old, and still a long way from contending. Personally, I see them trading Pierce before they trade the #5. Ainge has consistently been making them younger - to do a sudden about-face now would be a sign of desperation. Of course, Ainge has been rather erratic...



> With the No. 5 pick, the Suns could replace Marion with Yi, Jeff Green or Al Thornton. In the Suns' system, all three of those guys could play the four.


I think the obvious player for the Suns is Noah. He actually IS a four, and he would be PERFECT for their system. He's not the athlete that Marion is, but he's more athletic than any but maybe Thornton of those listed, and he's got the BBall IQ that Thornton reportedly lacks. He plays good defense, blocks shots, and can run all day. He makes much more sense for them. In fact, the Suns are about the only place where he would really flourish. And hey, he even SHOOTS like Marion.



> Another dark horse in the Yi sweepstakes might be Portland, which is trying to get another top 10 draft pick. As I've mentioned before, the Bulls seem like a possible trading partner, with Zach Randolph involved.


"Might"? This sounds like wild speculation. Yi is not a SF. He's a finess big man. We don't need that. We need Corey Brewer. If we get the #5, he's our man. 

BUT: why would Boston want Zach? They've got Jefferson. He could play the 5, but he'd be little better than Zach at it. It sounds an awful lot like our friend Chad is pulling stuff out of his arse.


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

There are alot of rumors about portland trying to get into the top 10 to get conley or yi, yet 99% of them involve the celtics, bulls and hawks. Is there any rumors going around the portland area about possibly going after the 6th pick from the bucks, their GM is on his 3rd head coach and is desperate need of some veteren help rather then a 19 year old that takes 3 years to developand i think he may be looking to deal out, this is just out of curiosity so any respnses would be cool. I mean the bucks-blazers "blockbuster" last year of Magloire for skinner and blake must mean that the two teams are at least on speaking terms.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

roux2dope said:


> There are alot of rumors about portland trying to get into the top 10 to get conley or yi, yet 99% of them involve the celtics, bulls and hawks. Is there any rumors going around the portland area about possibly going after the 6th pick from the bucks, their GM is on his 3rd head coach and is desperate need of some veteren help rather then a 19 year old that takes 3 years to developand i think he may be looking to deal out, this is just out of curiosity so any respnses would be cool. I mean the bucks-blazers "blockbuster" last year of Magloire for skinner and blake must mean that the two teams are at least on speaking terms.


I haven't heard anything specific, but I have wondered if a deal of Zach for Simmons filler and #6 would work.


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## roux (Jun 20, 2006)

Schilly said:


> I haven't heard anything specific, but I have wondered if a deal of Zach for Simmons filler and #6 would work.


I was thinking randolph and jack for Simmons, Gadzuric and the 6. I guess the only reason i was asking is because every other team picking 3-10 is rumored to be possibly be moving their pick, except for my bucks.


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## o.iatlhawksfan (Mar 3, 2006)

I wish this Yi talk would stop. Yi isn't going to Portland, Boston, or Pheonix, the Hawks have made it clear, he's the top player on their bored and unless anything drastic happens their taking him at 3.


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## PhilK (Jul 7, 2005)

Ohh that's great..

We've got the Chad Ford rumors.. Now all we've gotta do is Reverse those, and then we'll get something that's close to reality.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

roux2dope said:


> I was thinking randolph and jack for Simmons, Gadzuric and the 6. I guess the only reason i was asking is because every other team picking 3-10 is rumored to be possibly be moving their pick, except for my bucks.


If Simmons had played at all this season then I migh think Portland would have to include more as it is we would be taking back his relatively sizable contract as well as Gadzurics hefty sum along with the pick...I see it more as Zach for #6 and Filler.


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## c_note (Jan 30, 2007)

o.iatlhawksfan said:


> I wish this Yi talk would stop. Yi isn't going to Portland, Boston, or Pheonix, the Hawks have made it clear, he's the top player on their bored and unless anything drastic happens their taking him at 3.


So the Hawks are bored with Yi? Why would they pick him then? :biggrin:


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## PorterIn2004 (Jan 1, 2003)

I'm ready for the Yi talk to stop as well -- he's like the third or fourth player I'd want out of this draft, at least for this team.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

PorterIn2004 said:


> I'm ready for the Yi talk to stop as well -- he's like the third or fourth player I'd want out of this draft, at least for this team.


3rd or 4th player....

1st Oden
2nd Durant
3rd Maybe Yi
4th Maybe Yi

SO if we had the 5th or 6th pick and he was there wouldn't that be pretty safe to take him?


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## Samuel (Jan 1, 2003)

If KP likes him, I'll like him.


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## SamOwie (Jun 6, 2007)

Schilly said:


> 3rd or 4th player....
> 
> 1st Oden
> 2nd Durant
> ...



But we need a SMALL FORWARD, someone who can defend the perimeter, grab some boards and shoot the 3. None of those things seem to be Yi's strongsuit. 

If Al Thornton wasn't already almost 30, he'd be the perfect fit imo. I don't like Green, he's a poor rebounder and poor 3 point shooter. He has PF athleticism in a SF body, not what we need. 

I think Yi falls into the category of "too much of a good thing" and would not be a good fit, wouldn't make a balanced lineup.


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## Utherhimo (Feb 20, 2005)

Ive liked him since i watched him last years championship put the team on his back and won...sadly that didnt happen this year.


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## LameR (Jan 4, 2004)

o.iatlhawksfan said:


> I wish this Yi talk would stop. Yi isn't going to Portland, Boston, or Pheonix, the Hawks have made it clear, he's the top player on their bored and unless anything drastic happens their taking him at 3.


Never heard of a smokescreen huh? Don't trust everything you hear.


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## PorterIn2004 (Jan 1, 2003)

Schilly said:


> 3rd or 4th player....
> 
> 1st Oden
> 2nd Durant
> ...


Sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant 3rd or 4th player outside of Oden, whom I'm ready to assume the team is drafting, and Durant, whom I'm ready to assume the team won't gut the team for.

Don't get me wrong -- I can certainly imagine Yi being the 3rd best player in the draft, so going with the BPA logic, which I usually would, maybe it makes sense to draft him there.

Having already drafted the BPA in Oden, though, I can imagine drafting for need with a second pick, particularly if, for whatever reason, it's looking like Randolph isn't going to be bringing back a veteran SF -- presumably he's used to help gain a pick high enough to draft Yi, yes?

I want a SF starting at SF, not a guy who's such a question mark.

That said, I can imagine drafting him (and even keeping him) while starting Udoka (or D. Mason, or whomever) at SF and seeing what happens. Maybe Yi will prove himself able to really play the position -- if so I'll happily enough eat my words, (especially if he's a Blazer). If not, he, Aldridge, and Oden might prove an interesting 4/5 rotation -- with Zach gone, some depth beyond Outlaw (if he's still around) Przybilla and LeFrentz seems a fine enough idea.

From that angle, though, I'd just as soon pick a bit lower and either get a more sure SF (there seem to be so many good ones who clearly are SFs) or, if someone like Horford falls and the team still has Zach to move for a SF(or if Zach was dealt for Nocioni and the 9th pick, which Pritchard turned into whatever pick is theoretically now drafting Horford) that works, too.

Really, I'm ready for a more balanced roster and I _don't_ like the idea of moving Zach to get Yi if the hope is to start Yi at SF. Thus, I'd take several of the SFs and potentially a guy like Horford or B. Wright ahead of Yi, based on need. I might be a fool for doing so, and I might also draft Yi and trade down -- I might be a fool for doing that as well, I dunno. He's certainly an intriguing player and I suppose the Blazers are in a position to gamble a bit but I'm still pulling for someone like Brewer or J. Wright.


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## Talkhard (May 13, 2003)

austinpowers said:


> Here are some of the highlights..........
> 
> If Boston is passing on Yi, I think that means we might see a trade coming. There's talk that the Suns -- to slash payroll -- might be willing to take the No. 5 pick, Theo Ratliff's expiring contract and Delonte West for Shawn Marion. That would make Paul Pierce happy.
> 
> ...


Source?


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## austinpowers (Jun 29, 2006)

Talkhard said:


> Source?


ESPN Insider......Posted Friday, June 8, 2007


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## rainman (Jul 15, 2002)

o.iatlhawksfan said:


> I wish this Yi talk would stop. Yi isn't going to Portland, Boston, or Pheonix, the Hawks have made it clear, he's the top player on their bored and unless anything drastic happens their taking him at 3.



I think if they keep the pick they'll take Yi and worry where to play him when he gets to camp. Thing is teams are going to come after that pick pretty hard in my opinion, the Bulls, the Celtics, the Warriors, and even Portland.

As for Yi in Portland i think you stockpile talent and then let it sort itself out, he can play all 3 frontcourt postions in some capacity and would probably put Portland even more on the map as far as fan appeal goes around the league.


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## Blazer Freak (Jul 11, 2004)

He didn't say it was even a rumor, he was just saying think of a lineup with 3 7 footers.


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## GOD (Jun 22, 2003)

The three mocks I look at most all disagree on where Yi will be taken. Draftexpress has him going 9th, nbadraft.net has him going 5th, and Chad Ford has him going 3rd. I tend to trust Chad Ford more, but I doubt that it is a certainty that Yi will go 3rd. Lots of things happen, workouts most of all.


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## Utherhimo (Feb 20, 2005)

who is yi working out for?


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## Blazer Freak (Jul 11, 2004)

Utherhimo said:


> who is yi working out for?


He's putting on 2-3 "private workouts" just him, no one else. Boston and other teams have gone to see him, haven't seen anything about the Blazers going to one.


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## graybeard (May 10, 2003)

Blazer Freak said:


> He's putting on 2-3 "private workouts" just him, no one else. Boston and other teams have gone to see him, haven't seen anything about the Blazers going to one.


 That's a red flag. Wouldn't be surprised to see him drop in the draft. What is Yi trying to hide?


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## Blazer Freak (Jul 11, 2004)

graybeard said:


> That's a red flag. Wouldn't be surprised to see him drop in the draft. What is Yi trying to hide?


Exactly what I've been thinking. Yi is the perfect player for those workouts. They will show over his good speed and athleticism for a big man, and the shooting drills will make him look good. They really don't want to show how weak he is defensively, most likely. I pray to god that we don't draft him.


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## BenDavis503 (Apr 11, 2007)

c_note said:


> So the Hawks are bored with Yi? Why would they pick him then? :biggrin:


hahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahah


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

graybeard said:


> That's a red flag. Wouldn't be surprised to see him drop in the draft. What is Yi trying to hide?


Allegedly he's trying to land at a team he wants to go to. He didn't even participate in the pre-draft measurements.

It's a red flag if he wants to be picked as high as possible, but if he INTENDS to slide down some, then it's not really a red flag.

Ed O.


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## Draco (Jun 28, 2003)

Ed O said:


> Allegedly he's trying to land at a team he wants to go to. He didn't even participate in the pre-draft measurements.
> 
> It's a red flag if he wants to be picked as high as possible, but if he INTENDS to slide down some, then it's not really a red flag.
> 
> Ed O.


That would be an odd strategy, give up millions of guaranteed money from being a higher pick.

I can't imagine what team he'd want to slide down to. Chicago at 9 is the only talented team. Sac at 10 is a west coast team. Every team from 3-8 is somewhat pathetic.

Personally I have very little interest in Yi. A 7 footer SF, who is not a great shooter. He won't be that good of a slasher for a SF, not like the leagues elite Melo/Tmac/Pierce types. He doesn't have the big man skills to outplay opponents in the paint. He'll probably have a couple points every game where people say "wow thats really impressive looking for a 7 footer" but it will be more often fluke plays than a dominant offensive attack. Maybe he'll throw in some mid range jumpers from time to time. Then he'll get killed inside by NBA big men on D, or struggle trying to chase the quick SF's. My guess is his lack of workouts are to hide his flaws, so he looks impressive running past a chair on the way to a dunk.


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