Yi JianLian, Working out in the USA Options

[eddog2]

Well I knew he was working out in the US for almost a month. I've been checking here and there and this is the first video I've found. Nothing much but at least he speaks some english. At the very least, it looks like he has a lot of potential.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyADXpenxzU

[madisonsmadhouse]

He would be a nice pick from the sounds of it, but he would not fill our biggest need. We need a back to the basket big man to open up the floor a bit.

[eddog2]

He would be a nice pick from the sounds of it, but he would not fill our biggest need. We need a back to the basket big man to open up the floor a bit.

Everyone thinks that is what we need but maybe what we really need is just someone at the 4/5 who can create their own shot. Our offense is already pretty good. Yi looks like he can hit the jumper, he can beat his man off the dribble and he has a decent post fade away. Not to mention those 3 areas will only improve as he plays in the NBA. That's 3 areas he is better at than what we currently have. PJ can hit the jumper but he's not much of a threat to beat his man off the dribble.

Anything is better than what we have. If Yi can consistently hit that fade away jumper, beat his man off the dribble, or hit the open jumper he's going to get a lot of attention on the floor. Much like Dirk Nowitzki. How wouldn't that be what we need?

[ChWRoCk2]

Consider him a Super Sonic.

I like the fact that hes only 19 but have never liked the idea of drafting foreign players because you never you what your going to get. If he can play the post then Id be fine with it, if not I dont see the point since Deng is our SF.

[eddog2]

Consider him a Super Sonic.

I like the fact that hes only 19 but have never liked the idea of drafting foreign players because you never you what your going to get. If he can play the post then Id be fine with it, if not I dont see the point since Deng is our SF.

I love Deng, but if you get Durant do you keep Deng and Durant? Can Durant play the 2 or the 4? I really don't think he can. I think he's a for sure 3. I like Durant way more than Deng as a scorer and creating his own shot.

[madisonsmadhouse]

The outside shooting is not the problem, at all, what-so-ever. The Bulls problem all year long has been they have no one who can play on the inside and get points in the paint when the jumpshots aren't falling. Adding another jumpshooter does nothing to change this, no matter how well he shoots. Detroit really exposed the Bulls for that exact weakness. Eventually someone has to score on the inside, or this will never be anything better than what we saw this year.

[soxfan3530]

I love Deng, but if you get Durant do you keep Deng and Durant? Can Durant play the 2 or the 4? I really don't think he can. I think he's a for sure 3. I like Durant way more than Deng as a scorer and creating his own shot.

Durant can play the four. He just needs to put a little muscle on his bones. Not interested in Yi at all. I would rather have Horford/Hawes/Wright/Etc.

[Serbbojo]

I doubt Yi will still be on the board when it comes around to our pick. Unless a miracle happens and we move up ahead of pick 9

[ChWRoCk2]

I love Deng, but if you get Durant do you keep Deng and Durant? Can Durant play the 2 or the 4? I really don't think he can. I think he's a for sure 3. I like Durant way more than Deng as a scorer and creating his own shot.

I think he can play the four spot, he is taller than horford another big man in the draft and can shoot. If he bulks up a bit he could play down low.

[Sanitarium]

Well I knew he was working out in the US for almost a month. I've been checking here and there and this is the first video I've found. Nothing much but at least he speaks some english. At the very least, it looks like he has a lot of potential.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyADXpenxzU

Well, since the Yao comparisons are bound to start somehwere, he looks so fast compare to Ming, or most people of that height.

[eddog2]

Good article on Chad Ford's man crush with Yi. I just wish I was there to see it all in person.

"The dude can play," Young chimed in. Then, with a wide grin, he proudly declared he had dunked on Yi in a workout. "When you see him play, you'll know how impressive that is."Different gym, same buzz. At the Home Depot Center, trainer Joe Abunassar interrupted a discussion of the players he's training to say, "Wait until you see Yi. There isn't a drill I could come up with that Yi couldn't excel at."Noah was giving love, too. "Where did that guy come from?" Noah asked when I asked him about his workouts with Yi.

He got great elevation on his picture-perfect jump shot -- high release, elbow in, nothing but net from both inside and outside the 3-point line.Nevada's Nick Fazekas, a draft prospect known for his shooting stroke, followed suit on the set shots, but started to lose ground to Yi once the players moved to shooting off the dribble. For Fazekas, the accuracy started to waver a bit. The needle didn't move for Yi. And Noah? His shaky jumper found the basket, but his form looked even worse when he was matched up in shooting drills with Yi and Fazekas. Yi handled the ballhandling drills with the same aplomb. He got low to the ground, showing impressive balance and control on spin moves to the basket. Fazekas could do some of that too, but at a pace far slower than Yi. Noah kept up the pace with Yi, but without the consistency. Noah was all over the place, for both the good and the bad.

I had to change angles to make sure it wasn't an optical illusion.As Yi finished at the rim, his elbow was often at or just below the rim. His elbow. Whether he kissed the ball high off the glass or finished with a dunk, his explosion off the floor was impressive. Not impressive like Tyrus Thomas, mind you. But for a 7-footer, he could really explode.

Purely in terms of talent and tools, I have no doubt he's the third-best prospect in the draft.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?
section=...&id=5317419://http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?
...&id=5317419://http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?
...&id=5317419

I really hope we get Yi by either trading up. He's going to want to play for a big market team and Chicago is definatley that. I don't think he or China will be too happy with him landing in Memphis.

[sport1016]

memphis is almost a lock to take horford, not Yi

Yi is a lot like pau, versatile, lanky, a ? on D, and therefore pau is better suited to go with horford, whos more beast like and a better defender

if we want yi, and we want yi, we need to trade up to 5. Atlanta is going to take brandan wright or mike conley, and memphis is going with horford

would we trade BG and $9 for Yi? I'd rather give up noc, but oh well.

I would. He isnt the prototypical post scorer, but he DOES score in the post, and talent wise he has the highest ceiling after the big two. He has enough post moves, but because he is such an athletic, versatile 7fter, he is welll suited to play in our up tempo, pick and pop offense. Much better than someone like hawes.

Just think of the versatility of a front line in a few years with yi tyrus and deng

I really want a veteran, but if we stay in the draft Yi could mean a decade of Bulls-blazers finals.

[Steve9347]

We would HAVE to move up to get him... the question I have is... will he be capable of helping this team considerably in 2007-08?

Right now, thats the only season I care about.

[soxfan101]

Id think we would have to give Boston our pick this year and someone like Thabo. And assuming Hawes will be there at 9th I dont know if id really want to part with Thabo. We will see what happens i trust Paxson 100%.

[Steve9347]

...i trust Paxson 100%.

Agreed.