I want al horford. I know he isnt as big as hibbert/hawes etc. But he is athletic and has a good post up game. Plus he is a proven winner who plays big in big games. Something paxson likes.

this is from yahoo sports, i definently wouldnt mind getting horford

If the lottery helps us out at all and we can get a good pick we will be a powerhouse for years to come. Ive really been impressed with the way that Paxson has built this team.

No more guards we need a big man!I would get a closer look on YI!

why trade away one of the best players on the team just to get an 18 year old project?? that makes no sense. Gordon is fine and will flourish once we add a low post threat. Any mock draft that has us picking a SG or SF is complete garbage. There is no way we go into next season without adding a big man who can score. If we get a young PF or C out of the draft to develop that will be fine...but taking a project at SG makes no sense, especially if we dont have a low post threat. Besides, we already have a tall SG and his name is swisse chocolate. He is coming along nicely this year and will earn more playing time next season.

I search every couple days to see if I can find more info on Yi. I love looking at his Youtube clips.

This one in particular makes me salivate. I hate Dirk but wouldn't mind having one on my team. The first clip shows 18 different strengths of his. I think he's going to be the next Chicago Bull if we don't end up with a top 2 pick.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3lF3Vgs53o8&...ted&search=


http://youtube.com/watch?v=TxHjuRoTLxA

He's probably going to take at least a year and a half to develop, but if Oden, Durant and Horford are off the board and we cannot find a suitable player via trade, I'd be all for picking this guy up.

He would be an interesting fit for the Bulls if his outside game is as advertised. The Bulls do like to start their sets with a big man setting screens and rolling off of the top, or by handing off the ball to the big man about 18-20 feet from the basket. Right now none of their big men can hit that shot, so the defender sags and clogs the lane. A guy like this that can knock that shot down would cause the defense to have be honest, and it would bull that defender away from the basket, thus opening up slashing lanes to the hoop for the smaller guys.

If Horford, Oden, and Durant are all off the board by our pick, which is likely, I would love for us to draft Yi. He looks very athletic and I dont think he has the 3 point range yet of Dirk but he can develop that. Also it would clear the lane so maybe Tyrus Thomas and Luol Deng could dominate the paint.

I was messing around with it and actually got the Bulls with the top pick and taking Oden. wow...that would be sweet!

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/lottery2007/mockdraft

It's great that the Knicks are back to sucking.

plus, with the news that the Celts are tanking, the draft lottery could be very interesting

I'd be happy with that one or this one (which I got on my first try!)...

I'd have a hard time taking Jianlian over Brandon Wright...

I got nothing against him personally, I just have a hard time getting too excited about a guy I've never seen play outside of some YouTube clips against weak competition. I stole this from nbadraft.net (usually not a fan of their mock draft, but I do like their profiles):

NBA Comparison: Pau Gasol
Strengths: Good ball handler who has no problem taking opposing defenders off the dribble … Great finisher around the basket as he is capable of making some impressive dunks on the break … Fundamentally sound player with a decent basketball IQ and court awareness … Rarely does Jianlian force the issue, instead he let’s the game come to him … Unlike many players his size, he is a great free throw shooter …Runs the floor especially well considering his size ... His perimeter shooting is very impressive as he can stretch the defense out to 18-20 feet comfortably … While he doesn’t own many back to the basket moves, Jianlian possesses a consistent turnaround jumper in the post … Does a great job of using his long body and athleticism to make an impact on the boards … Passes out of double teams well due to his court vision and awareness … Excels in an open court offense that promotes fast breaks thanks to his mobility and leaping ability … Rarely gets intimidated when physical play occurs … Although he has been on the NBA draft radar for quite some time, and may be a few years older than his listed age, he appears to still have considerable upside … Defensively he is a solid help defender due to his lateral quickness and wingspan … Possesses quick hands that can disrupt passing lanes …

Weaknesses: There is some concern as to what position he will play in the NBA: He lacks the upper body strength and the back to the basket moves at power forward and is a bit long and rangy for the three … Needs to improve his three point shooting to play minutes to be effective at SF … Despite his vast improvement, Jianlian needs to continue to develop his upper body strength … At this point of his career, he’s more comfortable facing the basket than with his back to the basket … Although he doesn’t shy away from physical contact he can get disrupted with rough post play … Struggles to maintain his position in the low post as opposing defenders tend to push him out … Defensively he will not be the huge shot blocking presence that he is in the China, due to his timing and the speed of the NBA game … Has a habit of putting the ball on the floor to achieve rhythm instead of keeping the ball high away from opposing guards …. Confidence can wavier in games when he’s struggling to score … Although listed as being born in 1987 many within China place him between 1985-1986 … Doesn’t always play defensive with great intensity, he won’t be able to get away with it in the NBA …



Honestly, he sounds more like Andrea Bargnani without as much range from this profile, and will need some work inside to reach that Paul Gasol comparison.

He sounds like a gifted prospect, but I probably wouldn't consider him until #5 personally. However, if Pax thinks he's the right answer than I can live with that.

Hopefully the Sonics could beat the 2nd string on Dallas and NY lose to NJ and CHA.

I agree that he's talented. What really impresses me is his mobility. He also seems to have very nice touch on his shots. I really like that turnaround/fadeaway shot he has. He also seems to have the ability to blow by his opponent. PF's will have trouble guarding him. Hopefully, he can bulk up enough to not have much trouble guarding PF's. I think he can.

In the meantime, he could make our offense explosive. With good spacing we'd have 4 guys capable of taking their man to the hole or hitting the open jumper.

I could see the Bulls using Yi effectively in the pick and roll.

Wright would be good but he's too offensively challenged to help the Bulls offensively in the next couple of years if ever. He won't command a double team and he won't create any mismatches.

As for Horford, I like him but I'm not over the roof excited about his abilities. He just seems like a very solid PF. I don't think he'll be a Karl Malone. He just seems to be a fundamentally sound player. That would definately help our team but he won't be an all-star. I think Yi will be an all-star.

Also having Yi on our team means we'll have several all-stars b/c the Chinese fans will vote other players like Gordon, Hinrich & Deng into the starting lineup. We could have a starting 5 next year that included the five starters for the Bulls. Then the NBA would change how all-stars are determined. (Just a thought. Not likely but it would be hilarious).