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The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine

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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#21 » by Pollinator » Sat Aug 7, 2010 10:02 pm

Thanks for the link fisher, that's a great read that starts to answer one of the big questions about Yi- has he had trouble fitting in and communicating with his teammates and coaches, and has this kept him from getting better? I know from personal experience that going to a foreign country/culture is a huge obstacle to overcome. People explain stuff to you in a foreign language and it's a lot easier to nod and pretend you understand than it is to admit your weaknesses and have them break it down for you 5 times until you get it. Even for a dominant extroverted personality like Manute Bol this is really difficult and takes years, and Yi is probably a guy that needs to be coaxed out of his shell more than Manute did.

I think if he overcomes the cultural barriers and feels at home on the Wizards, that would bring him to about a 15 pt/8 rebound per game player like he is averaging for Team China. Not going to be easy to do with him having just 1 year left on his contract but if he ends up just sleepwalking through another year it won't be because Leonsis didn't try to break the ice and embrace him as a part of the team.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#22 » by NOODLESTYLE » Sun Aug 8, 2010 3:05 am

Halcyon wrote:Too many haters ITT.

Wassists I say!


:lol:


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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#23 » by doclinkin » Sun Aug 8, 2010 6:34 am

My sense on Lian is that he's finding about the ideal situation to rehabilitate his game, or habilitate it in the first place, whatever.

Flip's offense requires a face-up Big who can work the midrange, pass, and set a pick. He'll be playing in an uptempo team which ought to allow him to get ahead of the defense and attack before their Bigs get set to push him around, knock him out of his comfort zone. He'll be playing next to a pass-first PG who looks to set up his players and get them the ball where they feel most comfortable. He won't be a primary focus and will see open shots since his man likely will often collapse in the lane to prevent the dribble attack of the Wiz' outside-in attack. He won't have to battle for minutes early since Blatche will be rehabbing his foot. And with low expectations anything he delivers will be appreciated by a team who gave up little to get him. The pressure's off. We're coming in off two losing seasons, many fans are merely happy for a fresh start.

Damning with faint praise, but when healthy Yi was apparently the best player on his team when considering adjusted plus/minus regressions. (+/- isolated and corrected against which teammates he played with at a given moment). Yes, this is like being the most intact peanut in an elephant turd, but still.

Basically he's got a shot to realize his talents and best potential. It's entirely up to him to make the best of it. I suspect he might start actually having fun out there. Same way I'd bet he'll prove to be fairly fan accessible, with familiar food right outside the building, or a close drive away in Wheaton, NoVa, etc. All things set up to allow him a comfort zone to simply concentrate on his job. Should be a relief for him. We'll see.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#24 » by doclinkin » Sun Aug 8, 2010 6:47 am

Hopefully we get a consistent and steady diet of games like this:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RasRO5oerLs[/youtube]

Kid does look like a pro baller every now and then. Nice moves, good footwork.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#25 » by BruceO » Sun Aug 8, 2010 11:38 am

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.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#26 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Sun Aug 8, 2010 12:53 pm

Single white female is not a hater.

Image[/quote]

swf: "He's going to teach me how to Dougie"
Yi Jianlian: "All the [women] love me." Make that Yi: "All my bitches love me".

Question: What is the Mandarin word for pimp?
Answer: 易建联 (Translation=Yi Jianlian)

Haters wanna be Yi.

Ernie Grunfeld knows which international players have swagger. Yi Jianlian is smooth.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#27 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Sun Aug 8, 2010 1:24 pm

doclinkin wrote:My sense on Lian is that he's finding about the ideal situation to rehabilitate his game, or habilitate it in the first place, whatever.

Flip's offense requires a face-up Big who can work the midrange, pass, and set a pick. He'll be playing in an uptempo team which ought to allow him to get ahead of the defense and attack before their Bigs get set to push him around, knock him out of his comfort zone. He'll be playing next to a pass-first PG who looks to set up his players and get them the ball where they feel most comfortable. He won't be a primary focus and will see open shots since his man likely will often collapse in the lane to prevent the dribble attack of the Wiz' outside-in attack. He won't have to battle for minutes early since Blatche will be rehabbing his foot. And with low expectations anything he delivers will be appreciated by a team who gave up little to get him. The pressure's off. We're coming in off two losing seasons, many fans are merely happy for a fresh start.

Damning with faint praise, but when healthy Yi was apparently the best player on his team when considering adjusted plus/minus regressions. (+/- isolated and corrected against which teammates he played with at a given moment). Yes, this is like being the most intact peanut in an elephant turd, but still.

Basically he's got a shot to realize his talents and best potential. It's entirely up to him to make the best of it. I suspect he might start actually having fun out there. Same way I'd bet he'll prove to be fairly fan accessible, with familiar food right outside the building, or a close drive away in Wheaton, NoVa, etc. All things set up to allow him a comfort zone to simply concentrate on his job. Should be a relief for him. We'll see.




From the video, that player will drop 40 in a game for the Wizards this season. Blatche being injured to start the season is a huge blessing in disguise.

If he plays like he did in that video, who cares about his defense over an 82 game season? Washington's going to have speed at every position. Yi is freakishly athletic, just lacks a willingness to bang. But he does love to back guys down. Likes to use a spin move. What he does really well is move laterally relative to guys his size. The two steps he took to finish nearly flushing the ball after being about 12 feet from the basket are pretty incredible, doc. In that video you posted about Javale where he's 2 feet about the rim we saw a freak. Yi looks like Stretch Armstrong when he dibble drives. That man's a freak.

I sure wish the Wizards had EJ for offense with this bunch. He once put Pecherov, Blatche, and Haywood on the court together. The Wizards could run a frontcourt of Booker, Yi Jianlian, and Javale McGee. Play them like the Showtime Lakers. Run and dunk all game long. Don't worry about being terrific defensively. Just get Wall and Gil and those guys out on the break.

My fear is Flip is a closed-minded, system-driven coach. I don't know if he's got a creative mind to see the possibilities with a guy like Yi. Flip's all about defense but I think with this young Wizard group a frontcourt of Booker (sf), Yi (pf) and McGee (c) and have them try to out run opponents and out dunk them might work with Wall running the break and Gil being relatively open for three all game long. Flip might not see that, because he's a grinder IMO.

Yi's not accurate with the jumper as he thinks he is, but he's a really good offensive player when confident. I see where he's had a career high of 31 points. Career high of 12 offensive rebounds (that's OUTSTANDING). He can block shots, can grab steals, and stats show him to be a good passer. He's also got a good to great handle for a big man.

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/yi_jianli ... stats.html

I think EG's really done a good job getting Yi. Yi's career high rebound game (19) came in a game where he took it to Jamison. I know Ernie saw a confident Yi just dominating out there. I think the whole deal with Yi is he's not into contact. Just like Javale. Yi doesn't have the explosive vertical finish at the rim over traffic, and is thus not as nasty as Javale is on offense. Javale doesn't care who's around the rim because he's going way over their head. But what Yi can do is get up and down the court and he can really move laterally. When he beats his man he loves to attack the rim. He needs space, though.

IMO the keys to how effectve Yi can be are spacing and transition game. If the Wizards can be a lightening fast team Yi is going to be a dunking machine who I predict drops 40 in a game for the Wizards.

He's not a grinder, however. If Flip can let the horse out of the gate and let them run free Yi will have a lot of fun here, doc.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#28 » by CarMalone » Sun Aug 8, 2010 1:34 pm

I watched the Australia and Slovenia games. Yi was clearly the best player in the tournament when he played. He was aggressive and attacked the basket. However, the problem was that he didn't play enough minutes and China blew a 14 point second half lead against Australia while Yi sat on the bench.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#29 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Sun Aug 8, 2010 1:39 pm

CarMalone, I hope the Wizards coach will not have the same issues getting Yi minutes if he turns out to be very good.

Blatche will be the starting PF when he gets healthy. Yi cannot take all or most of McGee's minutes at C. Armstrong is a veteran, the kind of player Flip caters to. Seraphin will be a bruiser.

It is a good problem to have for the Wizards.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#30 » by CarMalone » Sun Aug 8, 2010 1:43 pm

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:CarMalone, I hope the Wizards coach will not have the same issues getting Yi minutes if he turns out to be very good.

Blatche will be the starting PF when he gets healthy. Yi cannot take all or most of McGee's minutes at C. Armstrong is a veteran, the kind of player Flip caters to. Seraphin will be a bruiser.

It is a good problem to have for the Wizards.

Yes agreed. I believe that players should earn their minutes and Yi has to do so as a Wizard. I think part of the reason why Yi played so little during the Stankovic Cup was that it was a friendly exhibition tournament which is also why Sun Yue and Wang Zhi Zhi did not play "starters" minutes and minutes were distributed much more equally like in an All-Star game.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#31 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Sun Aug 8, 2010 2:10 pm

BruceO wrote: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.



Awesome post, BruceO!

You and I are seeing the very same thing. Yi has to get to the basket more to become more efficient.

I don't necessarily think it is that he needs strength, because he clearly looks to be jacked. He's had savage rebounding games (not many guys snag 12 ORBs in a game). I think he's like McGee and just doesn't like the contact. I think the secret to getting Yi to the hoop will be to get him running the court and get him involved in the offense early. The coach needs to not expect a whole lot of tough defense from Yi, but do expect his offense to take off.

I am getting excited about this team's prospects.
Bye bye Beal.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#32 » by doclinkin » Sun Aug 8, 2010 3:10 pm

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:
From the video, that player will drop 40 in a game for the Wizards this season. Blatche being injured to start the season is a huge blessing in disguise.

If he plays like he did in that video, who cares about his defense over an 82 game season? Washington's going to have speed at every position. Yi is freakishly athletic, just lacks a willingness to bang. But he does love to back guys down. Likes to use a spin move. What he does really well is move laterally relative to guys his size. The two steps he took to finish nearly flushing the ball after being about 12 feet from the basket are pretty incredible, doc.

...

The Wizards could run a frontcourt of Booker, Yi Jianlian, and Javale McGee. Play them like th Showtime Lakers. Run and dunk all game long. Don't worry about being terrific defensively. Just get Wall and Gil and those guys out on the break.

My fear is Flip is closed-minded, system-driven coach. I don't know if he's got a creative mind to see the possibilities with a guy like Yi. Flip's all about defense but I think with this young Wizard group a frontcourt of Booker (sf), Yi (pf) and McGee (c) and have them try to out run opponents and out dunk them might work with Wall running the break and Gil being relatively open for three all game long. Flip might not see that, because he's a grinder IMO.

Yi's not accurate with the jumper as he thinks he is, but he's a really good offensive player when confident. I see where he's had a career high of 31 points. Career high of 12 offensive rebounds (that's OUTSTANDING). He can block shots, can grab steals, and stats show him to be a good passer. He's also got a good to great handle for a big man.

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/yi_jianli ... stats.html

I think EG's really done a good job getting Yi. Yi's career high rebound game (19) came in a game where he took it to Jamison. I know Ernie saw a confident Yi just dominating out there. I think the whole deal with Yi is he's not into contact. ... But what Yi can do is get up and down the court and he can really move laterally. When he beats his man he loves to attack the rim. He needs space, though.

IMO the key to how effectve Yi can be are spacing and transition game. If the Wizards can be a lightening fast team Yi is going to be a dunking machine who I predict drops 40 in a game for the Wizards.

He's not a grinder, however. If Flip can let the horse out of the gate and let them run free Yi will have a lot of fun here, doc.


Thing is, everything YJL did in that 39 pt outbreak (on the vid) is a featured play in Flip's offense. These are the KG sets. Granted Yi did a little more from the baseline than from the freethrow line and up (where Flip's modified Hawk offense will commonly post him) and we saw fewer pick and rolls in that vid than we'll see featured with Wall/Gil. But Flip's offense is actually designed to get open shots for a player like Yi in the midrange. You want the space open under the basket for all those baseline Rip patterns and double screens and pin screens while your guards are in motion. If the opponent collapses to help stall for a screened player, guys like Yi and Blatche are wide open.

Yes if we get out and run he'll have fun, look good, and the best way to do that is off a defensive board, which is basically his (and JaVale's) responsibility.

But there are hopeful signs here. I talked about it a little bit in the Championship thread (okay I talked about it 'alot' not a little -- can't seem to type in haiku when instead I can dump an entire dictionary in there, pretty sure nobody read all that) but like his offense, Flip's defense is predicated on giving up that long two-pointer. In his zone concepts the job of the Bigs is simply to smother the lane and prevent penetration/interior passes. Don't bother stepping out to challenge the midrange jumper much. You just need length and quick feet to close off the lanes to encourage them to pull up, not duck their head and drive to the rack. You need sufficient length to discourage them from lofting it over the top to the boxout Big.

The long two tends to lead to long rebounds, which can be picked off by your perimeter players. Gilbert has consistently been one of the better 2nd line rebounders in the game. I suspect John Wall will prove similarly proficient once his coach asks him to go get it. We'll run regardless, we'll run off made baskets as well, and guys like JV/Booker/Yi/Gil will be able to get ahead of their man. John Wall can beat everyone end-to-end off a made basket. All he needs is a trailer or two that are ready to run with him for the dump-off pass or putback.

We'll run regardless. I just want us to have the best conditioned team in the league. I wish our training staff had a pool, there are a ton of low-impact high-aerobic resistance fitness drills you can do while chest deep in water.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#33 » by Chocolate City Jordanaire » Sun Aug 8, 2010 3:31 pm

doc, how good is Yi's midrange shot? I think I want him dunking, where the percentages are, ya know, higher.

Also, speaking of Rip patterns, the Pistons are shopping Rip. I don't want to see a Rip/Gil trade, as Rip is only a year younger than Vince Carter. But it might be something the Wizards might consider. Rip's game might mesh well with what the Wizards are trying to get done.

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.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#34 » by doclinkin » Sun Aug 8, 2010 4:28 pm

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:doc, how good is Yi's midrange shot? I think I want him dunking, where the percentages are, ya know, higher.


Yeah his Midrange shot hasn't been that great in NBA play. (Vs international play). I'm just saying in Flip's offense he'll get open midrange shots, in good timing, with the ability to step into them.

Also the roll to the basket will help feature him. He's got average hands so his dunk is most reliable when he can keep both of 'em on it, but reliably gets high enough to finish that only when he has a little momentum behind it. So if he's got a PG who can hit him in motion he'll be better. You can't pound it into him in the low post and expect him to both clear space and finish. He needs a little room to work, then he can reliably shake a strong opponent with that nice low snake dribble and lateral move.

Flip's offense will let him initiate from the midrange where he will have room to operate. That includes the drive with the ball, as well as any wide open jumper. He's near seven feet but doesn't have octopus arms, relatively proportionate to his body length. I like that he will re-set and keep his hands up to provide a target, even in the midrange. He sets fundamentally sound picks (if not punishing ones). And as a 3rd-4th option he won't be the focus of the defense. The key is for him to become efficient enough in his role to force teams to guard him.

Alls I'm saying is that role already exists for him, and it takes advantage of the the things he is already most comfortable with, whether or not he's been alllowed or encouraged to consistently do them in the NBA. Flip's system is a good fit for him. Same way it proved a good fit for KG and 7Dray (and to a lesser extent, McDyess who may not have put the ball on the floor from the midrange, but who hit every wide open jumper you gave him there).

Again, check the shot location charts of Flip's teams, iso'd by FG attempts from 16-23 feet:

http://hoopdata.com/teamshotlocs.aspx

Then check the shot locations for PFs in his system. Here in 2010, but you can check 2008, 2007 as well.

That shot is available to you in his offense. Nobody is pissed at you from the sidelines if you take it. No need to get gun shy about it. Just work it in rhythm and hit it. It's not an after thought, or a bail out on a broken play, it's a designed 2nd option in many reads.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#35 » by fishercob » Sun Aug 8, 2010 7:00 pm

doclinkin wrote:Hopefully we get a consistent and steady diet of games like this:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RasRO5oerLs[/youtube]

Kid does look like a pro baller every now and then. Nice moves, good footwork.


The move Yi makes starting around the 46 second mark is ridiculous. Just nasty. That's shockingly athletic the way he gets all the way to the rim from there. If Blatche could learn that move -- and finish strong -- he'd be an all-star. Seriously, how many guys in the NBA today can make that move? Dwight Howard can't because no one is running at him in fear of his jumper. KG's lost the requisite explosion. That's special.

CCJ and doc -- as to Yi's jumper, Weidie writes about how Thorpe and co think they have found and corrected a small glitch in Yi's J that was having a big impact by causing him to miss short a lot. The release is a thing of beauty. If they really did flip a switch to significantly improve his shooting, that would be awesome.

Bruce, doc, CCJ, thanks for your thoughts. All interesting reads. My how I do love this board.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#36 » by doclinkin » Sun Aug 8, 2010 7:44 pm

fishercob wrote:CCJ and doc -- as to Yi's jumper, Weidie writes about how Thorpe and co think they have found and corrected a small glitch in Yi's J that was having a big impact by causing him to miss short a lot. The release is a thing of beauty. If they really did flip a switch to significantly improve his shooting, that would be awesome.


Yeah, I read that. Great article, thanks for the link. It's a hopeful sign that Yi is working with a Big Time game trainer, not hiding out overseas on the China team.

Taking a step-back jumper will tend to make you miss short. Flip's offense won't require him to step back to make his own shot. That's partly out of fear and discomfort. He needs a little bit of a wind-up to get his shot off. Doesn't matter, Flip will rely on Wall to get the ball to him primarily when he's already open, or when he's the relay passing option. A ball fake to the motion guard coming off that curl pattern should be all it takes to get enough room to spin into your drive or take that open shot. With Dray out he'll get the majority of the reps to find his role integrated in the offense, and should develop the confidence to both pass and call his own number as needed. If he needs backpats and encouragement I can see both John Wall and Sammy in this role.

Also he too will be the beneficiary of Sammy's tutelage on how a skilled agile Big Man can efficiently work the two man game with a mid-range ballhandling guard. Yi does have the raw agility, footwork and body control to pull off a few Hakeem replica moves. If Sammy drills him to death until he's grooved a couple, he'll be much the better for it.

FWIW I like sequence leading up to the spin move after that dribble drive (and the replays). Doubled in the midrange he passes out quick to the guard and sets a solid base for a pick. Guard declines and swings the ball to the other side. YJL shifts to that side, posts in the midrange (inside his range of utility) and makes a large target for the pass, preventing the defense from taking it. Then ball delivered he makes an in-rhythm spin move to a baby hook, using the defense as a pivot point for balance. Really beautiful footwork on that move. That's where I see the potential for Hakeem-mimicry with Sammy riding him to perfect it. Replay that footwork a couple times. Variations of that shot is available all game long in Flip's system.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#37 » by NOODLESTYLE » Sun Aug 8, 2010 11:37 pm

If you all are wondering how's Yi's jumpshot is, there will be times where he'll completely be having a horrible shooting game and times where he looks on fire. Yi can shoot, there's no question about that and in his NBA years that's really his signature move, other than trying for the dunk from the baseline. There can be so many excuses for Yi to be made, whether if it's confidence, coaching, coming back from injury, etc as to why he has been struggling to have a consistent game.

However, like people have mentioned before this might be the best situation Yi has been placed in since being in the NBA. Now he gets to play for a experienced NBA coach, with a system that compliments his game.

Here are pictures of Yi in his most recent practice with Team China:

Image
Image
Image
Image

But we saw Yi improve his physique last year as well. The main thing that might be going in Yi's favor with the Wizards is also that the expectations seem to be low. With Milwaukee he was a lottery pick, then NJ gave up Richard Jefferson for him, while the Wizards didn't give up much value.

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on Yi's play in international competition. With a Yao-less team, Yi has always looked as the best player on that team because he is the focal point and his athleticism and size are superior.

The real question is can Yi play against NBA level competition and stay consistent at it? People who still remember the hype over Yi will expect all-star numbers from him to ever get respect. If you guys don't expect Yi to be the next Yao and hope that he becomes a star, then Yi's game might not drive you crazy. At the same time though, he is going to struggle but I would expect the same from the Wizards team in general.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#38 » by verbal8 » Mon Aug 9, 2010 11:09 am

I think I may have started drinking the Yi kool aid. My optimistic scenario is that Yi can fill the role that Jamison should have been last year. He can back-up the more complete Blatche at PF and play some SF to create mismatches.

Initially his rebounding was terrible, but has improved to a passable level. He also seems to be on the verge of becoming a consistent 3 point shooter.

I think the combination of lowered expectations, improved team culture(it can't be any worse than NJ) and a hopefully up-tempo team could lead to this being the perfect situation for him.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#39 » by nate33 » Mon Aug 9, 2010 11:42 am

I'll believe it when I see it. For now I have no expectations. I consider Yi an historically inefficient offensive player and a poor defender.
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Re: The Official Yi Jianlian Shrine 

Post#40 » by SOUP » Mon Aug 9, 2010 12:12 pm

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

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