The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine

[hands11]

Biggest thing I want to see from him offensively is him moving toward the basket more and less of the long jump shots or mid range Js. His driving dunk game and put back game is what we need the most.

First things first.
Defend, blocks, rebound, drive, put backs, free throws.

We don't need a Dirk game from him we have Dray for that.
We already have enough player who can shoot the outside shot.

Your 7-0 and athletic. Get to the rim.

[Ruzious]

Biggest thing I want to see from him offensively is him moving toward the basket more and less of the long jump shots or mid range Js. His driving dunk game and put back game is what we need the most.

First things first.
Defend, blocks, rebound, drive, put backs, free throws.

We don't need a Dirk game from him we have Dray for that.
We already have enough player who can shoot the outside shot.

You 7-0, get to the rim.

That's my general feeling. Shoot the open 15 footer, but other than that - why waste being a long athletic 7 footer and basically turning yourself into a wing player. Now, if you can make 40% of your 3's, that's another story. Then you can make it an occasional part of your game.

[doclinkin]

Biggest thing I want to see from him offensively is him moving toward the basket more and less of the long jump shots or mid range Js. His driving dunk game and put back game is what we need the most.

First things first.
Defend, blocks, rebound, drive, put backs, free throws.

We don't need a Dirk game from him we have Dray for that.
We already have enough player who can shoot the outside shot.

You 7-0, get to the rim.

That's my general feeling. Shoot the open 15 footer, but other than that - why waste being a long athletic 7 footer and basically turning yourself into a wing player. Now, if you can make 40% of your 3's, that's another story. Then you can make it an occasional part of your game.

No doubt this is what you'd expect from your 7 footer. But this is the precise thing that he's failed at, every other stop in the league. Which has led to dissatisfaction from fans and front offices alike. It ain't working. Speaking in a stern voice and shaking a finger in admonishment will get you exactly nothing. Well it will dry off a wet finger if you shake with sufficient vigor.

Only thing I'm noting here is that his inclination fits what Flip asks from his power forward. Check it yourself: we shot the second fewest attempts at the rim of any team in the league:

http://hoopdata.com/teamshotlocs.aspx

A trend that is consistent in all of Flip's teams. You can be angry at Flip and dislike his offensive strategy, but in swapping a useless player small-for-big Ernie was simply adding a system-fit who does what the Coach requests his Bigs to do. Not shoot from outside, but initiate offense from the long midrange and in. Whether that means taking a shot or taking a mismatch slower Big off the dribble, or cutting down the lane off a pick and roll.

Like I said in the championships thread, shooting 'what the defense will give you' in the mid-range all the time is an iffy strategy as afar as I'm concerned. Yes your most efficient shots are dunks and tip-ins, after that your most efficient scoring play is the three point shot. And Flip's system lives without either.

Nevertheless Yi Jianlian has finally found a system that doesn't detest him for his natural habits and Euro-three training. Figures to help him gain confidence in his game, a reset button for a real talent who ahs looked awkward unsure and inconsistent half the time he laces up.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I will say this, there's been several players over the years I've noticed potential out of and Yi is one of them so I'm glad we have him under our team for me to watch him more directly. My pet conception over the last few years has been about prototype players. The type of players for each position that if you team together are able to do everything a team requires to win.

Relevant to Yi is the PF position.
1. My Ideal player is a 7 footer able to play the PF and C position ( to prevent any switches to create mismatches).
2.He has to be able to rebound well. I set my current threshhold using Hollingers player stats numbers as a rebounding rate of 15.
3. He has to be able to defend
4. He has to be a good passer and have about a 1.5 pass to turnover ratio.
5. Has to have a TS% of about .560
6. has to be able to block shots

Players like Gasol, Tim Duncan, KG and Rasheed have been able to do this and have won championships. Players who seemed equal talents, were all stars and produced big numbers like Dirk, Bosh, Boozer, Amare, Brand and our very own jamison have not.

Having experienced Jamison and his inability to defend mostly due to size I looked around to see which young players were there at 7 foot who could play PF and had the potential. It came down to Blatche, Yi, Bargagni, Aldrich and possibly Al jefferson. It's an exciting year because Blatche and Yi are now our players and Al jefferson I get to watch him on a proper team and see if he generates more wins than done in the past. Also I get to watch Bosh and see if he can win a championship on a stacked team without being able to block shots, or pass at the rate I expect or be a good defender. I want to see if his numbers adjust, if they don't I want to see how far they go, if they can win it all.

These players have flaws though. Al jefferson cannot pass and doesn't seem like he will ever be mobile enough to defend. Aldrich seems like he will never be able to defend. That left me with the trio of Yi, Blatche and Bargagni.

I always thought Blatche would be good. He had the most potential to fulfill the prototype and I have been insistent that you don't trade blatche when people wanted the team to put him on the market. Blatche can has that size that can't be coached, the ability to block shots and pass also cannot be coached. The thing Blatche is lacking is he doesn't rebound at the rate I set as a threshold and his Ts% doesn't reach that threshhold as well. These things stay fairly consistent for players but because he is young I am hoping that they can be changed in several ways. Get him to the free throw line more and also have him specialize in his offense. His rebounding he needs to be physically stronger.

Yi has shown in his game logs that he does have the ability to Block shots. He is legit 7 footer without shoes. His Ts% is low but he has been on crappy teams as the focus on offense and as a starter. The positive is he is skilled so it is possible for the numbers to get better. HE has in the past exploded for silly nice numbers same way Blatche did before last year. I call it bubbling. It's like a volcano doing minor eruptions before the major one. The bigger the bubbling the more chance it can be a major eruption. His rebounding has projected at better numbers than Blatche and Bargagni. His defense ahas been atrocious but I hope for him to become stronger, more aware and more fundamentally smart about how he plays that side of the game.

If he is 22 or 25 whatever age he is now, he is still gone a long way for a young player. He and Blatche need to work on the same thing. Strength for rebounding and raising the TS%. BLatche is ahead of him as far as defensive instinct and passing ability. They both have shown the ability to block shots and have the height to make it so.

SO I don't expect a complete explosion from Yi. My expectations are tempered by the reality that he has to get stronger to be a better rebounder. He has to get to the hoop more to become more efficient. He has to be coached along with McGee on understanding the game and having more on court awareness. The thing that's working for him in this case is he is not the focus on offense. At best he is fourth option currently. There will be good point guard play for him, there will be good coaching from a vet coach for a change. HE will be in a vibrant City for a change.

MY goal for the bigs is to have a solid three big man rotation for the playoffs. I'm hoping Blatche can show he can be the number one, and Yi can prove to be a solid 2nd one. Hopefully Javale and Seraphin can prove to be a good 3rd one. Yi was a steal. Expect him to be a wizard for a very long time. This guy is no one year flyer. I also say this like I said for Blatche. You don't trade Yi even if he doesn't show everything this year he has a chance to be special if he puts it together. There's a few things that stand in his way for sure.

BruceO, this post is so good I had to read it again.

Above I am pretty sure you're talking about Lamarcus Aldridge and not Cole Aldrich.

Only reason I really noticed was the part about "Aldrich" and defense. Also, Aldridge is a guy that's comparable to Andray Blatche, and I'm pretty sure he's who you mean.

Bruce, I am the last person to complain about typos. I have to edit a bunch lately. My pet mistake seems to be typing "and" for "an".

[closg00]

Ah, I remember when we had these back on the Nets board... Good times.

We can dream can't we?

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Soup from the Nets board, please don't be a buzz killer.

I know I'm tripping right now but please don't take the Yi crack pipe away.

[doclinkin]

doc, I have tried water aerobics in chest high water. It kicks your butt without jarring your joints. If you don't dog it that can really build your stamina.

Good to know:

AB:As far as the rehab is concerned I’ve been doing a lot of things to keep the strength in my leg and hip. I’ve been able to continue to work on my conditioning with a lot of work in the pool. Other than that I’m just trying to eat healthy.

[hands11]

Well Doc

If I'm reading you right, two of the three options involved the PF moving toward the basket. Is that correct ?

If so, I want him moving toward the basket 2/3 of the time because while the 3 may be the most efficient for scoring, it doesn't do all the other things driving to the basket do. People rarely get fouled shooting a 3. So I want him driving because....

1- You get more fouls on their bigs. Most teams are not deep enough to survive their best big on the bench.

2- Its like a running play in football. You exert your will and that breaks theirs. You break them down, then the pass ( the 3 ) breaks it even more. Can the pass set up the run ? Sure it can but teams that can run do. Teams that pass first, probably can't run. In general I believe that is true.
We watched team beat us over and over by nailing lots of 3s, but we sucked at D. Come the playoffs, all 3s isn't going to get it done so learn to run early in the season so you are tuned up come the playoffs.

3- It make the defense switch and that leaves other players open for close shots or dunks. McGee
That would like a run with an pitch option. You need to practice your interior passing.

So if you can run 5-6 yards a carry, you just do it and break their backs.

Driving to the hoop is the best way to get their bigs in foul trouble and that means sitting on the bench getting cold. I loved watching Wall get 10 free throw attempts a game in LV but litter dudes are going to get beat up doing that a full season. In contrast, Dray wasn't getting enough last year. He could have averaged even more pts if he took it hard to the hoop a few times instead of wiggling around people and it would have put us in the bonus earlier and had the other team in foul trouble.

[hands11]

doc, I have tried water aerobics in chest high water. It kicks your butt without jarring your joints. If you don't dog it that can really build your stamina.

Good to know:

AB:As far as the rehab is concerned I’ve been doing a lot of things to keep the strength in my leg and hip. I’ve been able to continue to work on my conditioning with a lot of work in the pool. Other than that I’m just trying to eat healthy.

I remember back when MJ was hurt and they were slow bringing him back. He is in the pool a lot. Glad to see Dray getting in the pool work.

[Kanyewest]

I was thinking if the Wizards somehow acquired Kwame Brown, if Wizard fans would post up some videos of his highlights. In fact, I was trying to find the highlights of Kwame Brown's best game against the sacramento Kings but I guess it happened in the age before youtube.

[NOODLESTYLE]

Pre-Youtube doesn't matter. It's if people have the footage and upload it onto Youtube.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC-KP4dL98M&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNrrEBY2IcM[/youtube]

[doclinkin]

Ah yes, the old KFB highlight reel. Good times, good times.

[Kanyewest]

Wow, Gilbert had a good game too; 27 points, 10 assists, 8 steals... not bad.

[hands11]

Ah yes, the old KFB highlight reel. Good times, good times.

If we only had a KFC highlight reel we could pull up a bucket and watch the KFB reel and dream of what could have been.

How many times do we need this scab ripped off. I have a scar an inch deep already.


I think this is going to be Kwame's break out year. Hay, maybe he will stick around as long as Joe Smith.

[NOODLESTYLE]

For Kwame's sake, it should be Popeye's.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dy ... Found=true

There was the time they discovered that he was eating Popeyes fried chicken for every meal, including breakfast, because he didn't really know how to grocery-shop. The sports management firm that represents Brown, SFX, assigned Richard J. Lopez, a 36-year-old business manager, to shepherd him. Lopez found that he essentially became a parent.

[Bickerstaff]

[quote="NOODLESTYLE"...
[/quote]

Please reconsider having a racist signature. It's really inappropriate.

[NOODLESTYLE]

Please reconsider having a racist signature. It's really inappropriate.

ok...

[hands11]

Any chance he can defend at center any.

I'm not warmed up to McGee being able to do it.

I haven't seen Seraphin play against NBA players yet so Im a little worried.

If Yi can't do it, then that is putting a lot on Seraphon because all we have behind that is Dray and Armstrong.

I would hate to see another season were Dray has to play center instead of PF.

This is what has me worried about this team until I see them on the court.

[closg00]

Yi Jianlian now carries brunt of China's basketball expectations on his shoulders

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03059.html

Mike Lee's article on Yi in the Post yesterday.

[hands11]

Yi playing right now vs P Rico

Comcast NBA TV 749 4:30. Its the second half.

Yi is 1-6

Yi playing center vs Party John. Ramos finally cut his hair.

Owwww. Yi goes down hard after getting under cut from Ramos while going up for a rebound.


Woo, Yi looking back on a hook. Missed everything.

Yi got stuck covering a guard on the on the rim and got bet.

Next time down pick and roll. Yi gets it on the baseline for a wide open shot and missed.

I think he is 1-8 now. Not good.