Yi and our PF Situation

[magpies]

Been looking at our Jazz game and saw Yi will be on Boozer and then I started to see how Yi has gone against good quality PF and we have a issue.

Yi will be a good NBA player but at the moment he is too light and since we really don't have a hard nose PF to take some pressure off him.


The more games I see and stats I read I believe he should be playing SF, so he can develop his game, similar to what the Mavs did in Dirk's first season.

[okanoho]

that's why Yi - will be guarding your okur

[okanoho]

but thanks to coach K
Yi, CV and Bogut have been guarding Nash yesterday

[CBUCK06]

Yi on Okur and Bogut on Booz makes a great deal of sense.

[fam3381]

Typically it's not that hard to protect Yi from having to defend physical post guys; Bogut's rugged enough to do that and few teams play two of those guys together at the same time. I wish Yi's rebounding was better but otherwise I'm not that concerned with his PF defense.

[Simulack]

Yi's stats over the last 5 games:

6.8 ppg (32.5%), 4.4 rpg 1.2 apg in 25.4 minutes per game.

Frankly he's been one of the worst starting 4's in the NBA lately.

As much as Bogut's picked it up recently, Yi's really tailing off. These stretches of poor games always bring me back to the never-ending age question. If he is only 19, this kind of inconsistency is much less meangingful in terms of future projections...

[stellation]

I wish Yi's rebounding was better

His rebounding has been a big let down for me, I know he wasn't noted for it (and a lot of it is to do with lack of strength) but it just seems very poor- he comes across as a very opportunistic rebounder that picks up his boards from other guys boxing out/defenders not boxing out for offensive boards/missed free throws etc- that's great and that is team rebounding, but I swear he only seems to get about 1 board a night where he has fought for it and he doesn't contribute to team rebounding for others... if Yi could box out then I think Bogut might be about +1 on his rebounding average.

[BucksRuleAll22]

I love Yi but CV should be starting unless the team doesn't care about winning and just wants to give Yi more time and minutes.

[tidbit]

that's why Yi - will be guarding your okur

he can guard okur well as months ago.


but boozer is a big question for Yi.

[europa]

Yi's stats over the last 5 games:

6.8 ppg (32.5%), 4.4 rpg 1.2 apg in 25.4 minutes per game.

Frankly he's been one of the worst starting 4's in the NBA lately.

Yup. The problem is Villanueva's done nothing to step up and make a case for starting. His defense against the Suns, for example, was deplorable. Yi clearly isn't ready to be a starter in this league but he's still a better option in my opinion than Villanueva.

What really stinks is when you combine the weak PF play with the weak SF play it means the Bucks spend a lot of time playing 3-on-5. Hard to win doing that.

[fam3381]

Yup. The problem is Villanueva's done nothing to step up and make a case for starting. His defense against the Suns, for example, was deplorable. Yi clearly isn't ready to be a starter in this league but he's still a better option in my opinion than Villanueva.

Yi is the PF of the future and I'm not sure what starting CV accomplishes. Even with Yi struggling our first quarters have been better. CV can still close out games if he's playing well. I don't think changing things up does much of anything to improve the short term fortunes of the team nor does it do anything for us long term.

I expected CV would win the job in camp, but since then I see no reason to change things up. CV has nice games here and there, but with Mo/Redd/Bogut in the starting lineup there just aren't that many touches for the starting PF anyway. I'd rather have CV being aggressive and getting touches coming off the bench; I imagine we'd see more of CV standing around waiting for three pointers if he played more with the starters. Even the best teams tend to have one starter who's below average, that's just how it works. Yi's defense is respectable so even if he's not scoring he's not going to kill you.

Yi's 12.9 rebound rate is certainly mediocre. He ranks 32nd out of 54 qualifying PFs in that department. CV has actually dropped a bit too, and is now at 13.9, which is 25th among PFs.

[Rockmaninoff]

The answer is Michael Ruffin.

[BankIt]

Gadzs is the answer at PF. Doesn't demand the ball on offense from those who wouldn't pass it anyway. Can defend the PF spot admirably and can rebound and block shots. CV, YI and Simmons should man the SF spot with Mase moving to the back up two guard. CV can back up Gadz and Ruffin at the PF. CV, YI and Simmons just shoot three's anyway. That's a small forward. YI, right now is to weak to finish his shots up close. LK should stop putting the kid in a position that's embarrassing him. Not good for his psychic.

[Rockmaninoff]

Gadzs is the answer at PF. Doesn't demand the ball on offense from those who wouldn't pass it anyway. Can defend the PF spot admirably and can rebound and block shots. CV, YI and Simmons should man the SF spot with Mase moving to the back up two guard. CV can back up Gadz and Ruffin at the PF. CV, YI and Simmons just shoot three's anyway. That's a small forward. YI, right now is to weak to finish his shots up close. LK should stop putting the kid in a position that's embarrassing him. Not good for his psychic.

No, it's not good for his psychic, or his psyche.

His psychic told me that you would say that about CV, Yi, and Simmons. You are correct, they are all very similar, with Simmons having the edge due to experience. Thus, we receive Larry K's latest revelation via the Journal Sentinel.

Ideally, we would have one banger/rebounder/inside scorer and one perimeter or high post/finesse/shooter but can also rebound a little, getting all of the power forward minutes. Ideally.

[Cold Crush 24]

It makes more dollers...I mean sense to start Yi. Coach Kohl knows what he is doing.

[magpies]

Yi should spend the rest of the season playing mostly SF, So he gets a feel for the game and has a chance o build up his strength, The Mavs did this with Dirk and it worked for him

[tidbit]

Yi have 2 steals and 2 blocks in the first half, 2 points from 1 for 3 shooting.

[magpies]

Yi have 2 steals and 2 blocks in the first half, 2 points from 1 for 3 shooting.

He will be but isn't the PF we need on the court and neither is CV

[tidbit]

It's not the problem of Yi or CV, but the whole team...

LK is a rookie coach, and the team is adjusting in every game

[MilBucksBackOnTop06]

magpies

You are the only one who sees what I see.

You need someone to complement Bogut and to relieve him in the 4th qtr to provide some low post presence in the blocks and get to the free throw line to offset all these silly jump shooters who won't make the extra pass, mix up the jumper with a drive, cut off the ball to get open or defend on the ball!

It is incredible...how other teams can do it and not the Bucks'. So it has to be personnel. Has to be. And then it has to be Basketball IQ or the lack thereof.

When those jump shots stop falling in the 4th qtr like they always will do you need to be able to go to something else.

Bogut will run from the ball in the 4th qtr because he is afraid to miss free throws with the game on the line. He must tighten that up in his game.

So is Redd so he and Mo start jacking up late in the shot clock, and off balance jumpers that clank long off the rim and teams get out and run on them and get them to foul them!

They play just like a dumb high school team at times. They are so darn predictable which makes me even more mad. The same thing over and over again. At least lose in a new way.

When you all go to this thursday night with Larry Harris ask him to get off his brains and get some players on this team that complements what he has and stop playing games!