Can Yi Answer The SF Question?

[europa]

One of the main focuses on this team has been the horrible SF situation. Dez has been awful and Simmons hasn't even been that good. Harris reportedly is looking to trade for a SF to fill the glaring void that is easily the team's biggest weakness at the moment. But is that really the way the team needs to go? Is it possible the answer to the SF problem already resides on the team?

Could Yi be the guy to take over the SF position?

In theory, Yi is a PF by virtue of his height. But everything about his game right now screams SF to me. As advertised, he's a perimeter-oriented player who rarely shows much interest in playing in the post. Although he lacks the upper-body strength to finish consistently at the hoop, he can beat defenders off the dribble, so like a SF he can be effective offensively on the perimeter and by using his athleticism off the dribble. Defensively, he isn't physical enough at this time to be consistently effective in the post but what he does do well is move laterally and use his quickness and athletic ability. That gives him the ability to defend on the perimeter - and that's vital against SFs.

I'm not sure how Yi and his handlers view him in this regard. Would they take offense at moving him to SF? I don't see why as long as he's starting and getting big minutes. But from the team's perspective, maybe moving Yi to SF and then trying to find a more physical, defensive-minded PF (yes we may be back to that issue again) is the way to go instead of trying to find a SF. Perhaps a frontcourt of Yi-Physical PF-Bogut is something to consider going forward.

Now if a standout SF could be acquired, that'd be one thing. But if that isn't possible, maybe Harris needs to expand his search and see if a PF can be acquired instead with the idea of making Yi the starting SF. If the right PF was acquired you'd certainly improve defensively given the promise we've seen from Yi and Bogut's improvements and you could potentially have three strong rebounders in the frontcourt as well - again assuming the right PF is acquired. To me, the ideal guy would be Haslem and given the way their season is falling apart, maybe the Heat would be inclined to deal him. But that's just a guess.

In any event, I'm wondering if maybe this is something the team needs to consider - especially if the right SF can't be found at this time but a good PF could be.

[europa]

To add onto my thought at the end: Villanueva/Voskuhl for Haslem would work. I can't see any reason why the Heat would even consider this trade but maybe Riley is as delusional as Harris was and believes in Villanueva's "potential." If nothing else, this could serve as a starting point to see if a deal of some kind for Haslem could be worked out.

[msiris]

One of the main focuses on this team has been the horrible SF situation. Dez has been awful and Simmons hasn't even been that good. Harris reportedly is looking to trade for a SF to fill the glaring void that is easily the team's biggest weakness at the moment. But is that really the way the team needs to go? Is it possible the answer to the SF problem already resides on the team?

Could Yi be the guy to take over the SF position?

In theory, Yi is a PF by virtue of his height. But everything about his game right now screams SF to me. As advertised, he's a perimeter-oriented player who rarely shows much interest in playing in the post. Although he lacks the upper-body strength to finish consistently at the hoop, he can beat defenders off the dribble, so like a SF he can be effective offensively on the perimeter and by using his athleticism off the dribble. Defensively, he isn't physical enough at this time to be consistently effective in the post but what he does do well is move laterally and use his quickness and athletic ability. That gives him the ability to defend on the perimeter - and that's vital against SFs.

I'm not sure how Yi and his handlers view him in this regard. Would they take offense at moving him to SF? I don't see why as long as he's starting and getting big minutes. But from the team's perspective, maybe moving Yi to SF and then trying to find a more physical, defensive-minded PF (yes we may be back to that issue again) is the way to go instead of trying to find a SF. Perhaps a frontcourt of Yi-Physical PF-Bogut is something to consider going forward.

Now if a standout SF could be acquired, that'd be one thing. But if that isn't possible, maybe Harris needs to expand his search and see if a PF can be acquired instead with the idea of making Yi the starting SF. If the right PF was acquired you'd certainly improve defensively given the promise we've seen from Yi and Bogut's improvements and you could potentially have three strong rebounders in the frontcourt as well - again assuming the right PF is acquired. To me, the ideal guy would be Haslem and given the way their season is falling apart, maybe the Heat would be inclined to deal him. But that's just a guess.

In any event, I'm wondering if maybe this is something the team needs to consider - especially if the right SF can't be found at this time but a good PF could be.

If you were the coach it might work. I do not think Larry K has the balls to try it. They really has nothing to lose, but is LK stuck in his ways already?

[Chapter29]

I think many of us would like to see a front line of Yi-CV-Bogut.

Not sure about starting at this point, but I would like to see it for at least periods of time.

Looking on 82games they do not show a line up where either CV or Yi where used at SF. Maybe it has been tried in practice and neither can handle the SF position.

I would agree that of the 2 Yi is more suited to be a SF than CV. I would guess him to do well for the very reasons you site europa.

[Andrew34r]

I would be all in favor of Yi playing SF. He would create major matchup problems and he is quick enough to play that position. I really thought when I saw him first play that he was a SF. I understand that there are all different types of PF's in the league and that the days where every PF is a big body are over and that there are more versatile power forwards but this team really needs someone who opponents are afraid to drive to the hoop on.

[Wise1]

I agree with your premise that Yi could be a viable small forward option for this team. Once he matures physically and hits his stride, he'd give the Bucks a matchup advantage at that position against a good percentage of the league's starting threes. However, as you've noted, getting the appropriate four man would represent the fly in the soup.

I don't see Haslem as a guy Miami would cut loose or as a guy that would be happy leaving his home state to play in Wisconsin. Theoretically would he fit? Sure.

All things considered, the Bucks will probably leave Yi at the 4 since it should be much easier to find players better than Mason and Simmons at the 3. David Noel may be as good as those two guys at this point.

Above all of this, I think the Bucks have to find a brain on the court. A leader that has a good feel for the game and a willingness to make sacrifices for victories. It'll be difficult to find players like Billups, DWilliams, James, Nash, Duncan, and Ginobili but those are the type of thinking man's players that the Bucks need. If we had that kind of a player in the backcourt, guys like Yi and Bogut would be even better in the frontcourt.

We could legitimately ask if any player on the Bucks even knows how to win. I suppose the same could be asked of the management team and ownership at this point.

[europa]

As you know, Chapter, I don't think Villanueva is the answer at PF. He's such a horrible defender and he isn't the standout rebounder many people here make him out to be. We have seen that lineup a bit since Mason's injury but I can't recall who's been guarding the other team's SF - has it been Yi or Villanueva?

[europa]

I don't see Haslem as a guy Miami would cut loose or as a guy that would be happy leaving his home state to play in Wisconsin. Theoretically would he fit? Sure.

I agree they likely wouldn't trade him - and especially not for the offer I proposed. I think he's the best player in the deal and there's no real incentive for them to make the trade unless Riley just loves Villanueva to death. But again, maybe it could be a starting point to see if the Heat would trade Haslem for something else. In any event, I think he's the kind of guy who would fit in perfectly. If you could get a better version of that, wonderful, but a solid, defensive-oriented PF who can rebound well would be a great addition to this team.

All things considered, the Bucks will probably leave Yi at the 4 since it should be much easier to find players better than Mason and Simmons at the 3. David Noel may be as good as those two guys at this point.

It's regarded as the easiest position in the league to fill which makes the Bucks' incompetence at the position all the more glaring.

We could legitimately ask if any player on the Bucks even knows how to win. I suppose the same could be asked of the management team and ownership at this point.

Agreed. That's why I want Harris gone and why I'm not sure the answer is more trips to the lottery. I think this team badly needs proven vets who know how to win. I just don't think getting any younger is the answer.

[fam3381]

In theory, Yi is a PF by virtue of his height. But everything about his game right now screams SF to me. As advertised, he's a perimeter-oriented player who rarely shows much interest in playing in the post. Although he lacks the upper-body strength to finish consistently at the hoop, he can beat defenders off the dribble, so like a SF he can be effective offensively on the perimeter and by using his athleticism off the dribble.

He might scream SF when he's playing against bigger players that a) allow him open looks outside and b) are slower than him, but his game would have to change if he played SF.

I certainly think giving Yi burn at SF is worth a shot, but I think that matchup necessarily changes the way he can/should play. He can occasionally put the ball on the floor against bigs, but can he do that against smaller, quicker players? He struggles with his handle whenever he's anywhere near traffic. I don't mind letting Yi put the ball on the floor more but it might not always be pretty.

I think if you want Yi to use his perimeter shooting ability and not post up, then you keep him at PF. If you want him to try to take advantage of his height more then you move him to SF and have him look to post more. He looks to post pretty regularly but rarely gets the ball when he does, so he is trying to do that. But he looks tentative when establishing position and obviously doesn't have the feel of the NBA post game yet.

Defensively, he isn't physical enough at this time to be consistently effective in the post but what he does do well is move laterally and use his quickness and athletic ability. That gives him the ability to defend on the perimeter - and that's vital against SFs.

Obviously Yi's not a great post defender but for teams don't seem to test him much there. Bogut handles the post threats, and sometimes Yi gets abused a bit like in the Minny game, but at this point I don't see it as tangibly affecting us.

I really liked the way Yi played against Artest in the second Sacramento game, but I also think his lateral quickness will be greatly tested against smaller SFs.

I'm not sure how Yi and his handlers view him in this regard. Would they take offense at moving him to SF? I don't see why as long as he's starting and getting big minutes.

I'm not sure Yi and his handlers are very relevant now that he's signed and playing a lot. A few years from now we can think about them again, but for now I wouldn't worry about them.

[paulpressey25]

I don't think Yi can play full time SF right now.....The last month has shown me that Yi right now has some bad handles. His moves are essentially the open spot up jumper and the one where he tries to drive and dunk. But both are somewhat robotic and subject to turnovers.

If he's matched up against quicker SF's, those guys will strip the ball from him faster than the PF's are now doing.

I don't think Yi has the speed or game to make the cuts on offense and defense like a good SF needs to do.....

I think he could play effective SF at times in the future as he hopefully develops....

If team management is going to give up on the season and not make any type of major move (front office or on the court) then I would force feed Yi on offense. See if that helps him develop faster.

[BrewersGM]

Yi can play the SF without a problem. He really doesnt need to worry about size at that postion. He is quick enought to guard almost any SF in the league. Might even be a lttle easier to score as well playing the SF...

Bucks are going to trade for a SF or PF, whatever they can do. If we get a PF Yi will move to SF. CV is on the way out!

[europa]

fam, he just looks like a 7-foot SF to me. That's not a bad thing and I agree his game could change against SFs but he'd also have a height advantage against them which would work to his advantage on the perimeter - which is where he resides most of the time anyway. Defensively is the key and the only reason I'm even considering this is he - unlike Villanueva, for example - has the lateral quickness and smarts to defend on the perimeter. He's shown that already. Can he do it against smaller, quicker players? That's the question - but I think it's worth looking into if it means the Bucks could bring in a more defensive-oriented PF with strong rebounding ability.

[Wise1]

I don't think Yi can play full time SF right now.....The last month has shown me that Yi right now has some bad handles. His moves are essentially the open spot up jumper and the one where he tries to drive and dunk. But both are somewhat robotic and subject to turnovers.

If he's matched up against quicker SF's, those guys will strip the ball from him faster than the PF's are now doing.

I don't think Yi has the speed or game to make the cuts on offense and defense like a good SF needs to do.....

I think he could play effective SF at times in the future as he hopefully develops....

If team management is going to give up on the season and not make any type of major move (front office or on the court) then I would force feed Yi on offense. See if that helps him develop faster.

While these are legit concerns, I see those liabilities in Yi's game diminishing with more seasoning. Let's face it, Yi has all of the physical tools to be outstanding on both ends against both 3's and 4's. What I'm not sure, scratch that....what I know he doesn't have right now is a peer leader on the court that can teach him obstensively, offensive and defensive principle conducive to winning basketball games. Yi is basically on his own out there in that regard. Vlade Divac become an extremely intelligent NBA player in large part because Magic Johnson coached him on the floor.

[europa]

As far as his handle goes, I agree it's a bit weak at the present time but let's not forget the last Bucks' SF to make the All-Star team had arguably the worst handle in the entire league at his position for his entire career.

[fam3381]

I would agree that of the 2 Yi is more suited to be a SF than CV. I would guess him to do well for the very reasons you site europa.

I think LK might prefer CV as SF because he's a better ballhandler and passer. Obviously CV has often been sloppy, and in general I've never seen him as a real solution at SF, but I think the Bucks are also wary of putting Yi at SF because a) they don't want to throw too much at him at once and b) his long-term future is at PF.

Again, I'm sounding very contrarian but we've only seen the big frontline for about 5 minutes all year so it's certainly worth taking a look at, as is trying both CV and Yi at the 3.

[paulpressey25]

I guess I'd want my SF to be a guy who could run a quick backdoor cut and the like and don't see Yi with that type of footspeed. He seems to need a bit of a methodical setup with his moves that most bigs need. CV is actually smoother with those offensive moves with the major exception that CV is a complete head case you can't rely on.

In any event, if the team is 15-29 come a month from now, I don't want to see Mo and Redd chucking.....I want to see Yi getting 20 shots a game whether he's ready for them or not and wouldn't care if it was at the SF or PF position.

[BrewersGM]

As far as his handle goes, I agree it's a bit weak at the present time but let's not forget the last Bucks' SF to make the All-Star team had arguably the worst handle in the entire league at his position for his entire career.

We had one of the worst center's too with no handle... Ervin Johnson! It looked like he puched the ball when he dribbled!

[Chapter29]

As you know, Chapter, I don't think Villanueva is the answer at PF. He's such a horrible defender and he isn't the standout rebounder many people here make him out to be. We have seen that lineup a bit since Mason's injury but I can't recall who's been guarding the other team's SF - has it been Yi or Villanueva?

I don't like CV for this team either. Not given the acquisition of Yi.

But starting Yi at SF makes CV at PF a no brainer given our current roster.

Hence why I keep wishing for CV for TT.

Mo-Redd (hate the Mo/Redd BC)-Yi-TT-Bogut just might work.

To be honest I would do whatever it takes to get Mo back into his 6th man role. Mainly because of his poor defense coupled with Redd's. The point of attack is just too important.

I would sooner start Sessions or Bell at PG. And yes I understand how he's played both lately and the Detroit game. Hard to be a good PG when the entire team has given up.

[superemxguy]

If Yi is playing forward, 9 out of 10 times , he is gonna post up on the defender !!!! He would just shoot over them from 10 feet.

Remember, Yi has lots of post moves, its just that he has not use it a lot with NBA yet. He post a lot back in China.

He's got inside moves and outside moves. Just like Kobe Bryant. Except he need to work on his ball handling and build stronger hang grips when he drives to the basket.

This is my starting big man lineup.

5 = Bogut
4 = Jack Voskhul
3 = Yi
2 = Redd
1 = MO

I would like to try this starting lineup, since we are loosing anyway.
No harm trying something different.

The missing puzzle of this team is someone like

1. Andrea Iggua Dala of sixers
2. Josh Smith of Hawks
3. Chris Wilcox of Seattle
4. Rudy Gay of memphis
5. Craig Smith the rhino of minnesota.

We should package Charlie V + something for the someone like the above

I prefer Rudy Gay as we lack perimeter defense !!!! Only Yi can contest shots out in the perimeter.

Both Redd and MO sux on defense !!!

[winterforever]

Yesterday Yi did a good job on Rasheed Wallace. Wallace was held 4 point on 2-7 shotting, 3 rebound when Yi was on the court. He scored a three after Yi went to bench at the end of third quarter.

Yi played SF for a while with Bogut and Gadz on the court. I thouhgt Yi struggled when he faced Prince. Yi tried to post Prince up but Prince just fronted him and prevented Yi getting the ball. On the defence end Yi did OK but Prince still scored a three over Yi.