Yi JianLian Given Permission to join 2007 NBA Draft

[BBallfanJ]

Yi has been given the green light to enter the 2007 NBA draft. He had a 38 point game recently and has scored at least 20 in almost every game so far this season.

[sinobball]

Yi is too good for CBA. That being said, he still has a lot of improvement to do. He's improved his mid-range jumpers and became more aggressive, but offensively he is still not at Wang Zhizhi's level (who has a couple 40/50 pt CBA games so far). For example, I wish Yi could learn to fake, do a shake like Yao, learn a baby hook, or learn to dribble, turn and pump like Wang ZZ. He needs to go to the NBA, as winning almost every CBA game easily is really not very motivational to a player.

[stuart]

Yi Given Permission to join 2007 NBA Draft

Right, he is in the middle right now, too good for domestic leagues, and not ready for the NBA. He has the talent, athleticism and fire, but from an experience standpoint, he has a lot to learn before becoming a 7-8th man in the NBA... From FoxSports: source

Is Yi NBA's next big thing from China?
Chinese forward Yi Jianlian, a 19-year-old rising star touted by many as the next Yao Ming, has received permission from his club to enter the 2007 NBA draft.

Yi, who lead the Guangdong Tigers to three straight national championships, was given the backing of his club to enter the draft, the China Daily reported Friday.

The 6-foot-11 Yi has attracted attention in basketball circles for several years and had been promoted as a 2006 daft prospect, but his club said he was too young and inexperienced.

"But now he is different, he is getting stronger mentally and physically," Guangdong general manager Chen Haitao told the newspaper. "I think next year will be a big chance for him, so for us, it's time to let him go."

"This is a great opportunity and also a test for me," said Yi, whose height and on-court moves have brought comparisons to Yao, the 7-foot-5 Houston Rockets center.

Yi, who averaged 20.5 points and 9.6 rebounds last season, still needs the approval of the Chinese Basketball Association and an exemption from a CBA rule that Chinese players are not eligible for the NBA draft until they turn 22.

"We always support our players in joining high-quality overseas leagues," said vice president Hu Jiashi, who added it was important for Yi to get a lot of playing time.

"If he is going to be stuck on the bench, it would be better if he stayed at home."

Yi says the prospect of playing in the NBA is not as exciting as people expect.

"It is too early to predict my future in the NBA, because I am still improving all the time," he said.

[Phantim3dx]

imho he should go to a european team for at least 1 year and develop there then head to the NBA. i jsut would feel bad for the guy if the big fish that he is in the CBA ends up drowning in the bigger sea in the NBA

[avolbert]

imho he should go to a european team for at least 1 year and develop there then head to the NBA. i jsut would feel bad for the guy if the big fish that he is in the CBA ends up drowning in the bigger sea in the NBA

He should go to the NBA next year because playing in the NBA, even if just as a reserve, is his best way to prepare for the 2008 Olympics. And the 2008 Olympics in Beijing is what currently matters most to China.

[CHINA TEAM]

He must develop his power！~

VS brand

[sinobball]

from espn

Updated: Nov. 8, 2006, 3:55 PM ET
Fegan will represent Yi for contract, marketing

By Chris Sheridan
ESPN Insider

Agent Dan Fegan will represent Chinese basketball star Yi Jianlian, one of the top international players available in the 2007 NBA draft.

Fegan flew to China last week to sign an agreement to represent Yi in both marketing ventures and in his negotiations for his first NBA contract. The signing is considered somewhat of a coup for Fegan, a longtime NBA agent whose present clients include Jason Richardson, Troy Murphy, Nene, Anderson Varejao, Stephen Jackson, Rafer Alston, Matt Carroll, Erick Dampier, Austin Croshere, Reggie Evans, Melvin Ely, Kris Humphries, DerMarr Johnson, Shawn Marion, Eduardo Najera, Ruben Patterson, Joe Smith and Jason Terry.

Yi has been a member of the Chinese senior men's national team since 2004, when then-coach Del Harris made him a starter at the Athens Olympics despite his relative inexperience and youth. Yi is listed by the Chinese federation as being born Oct. 27, 1987, though there is a widespread belief that he is actually at least a couple of years older -- a mystery so deep that even Yao Ming has said publicly that he does not know Yi's true age.

One NBA scout recently told ESPN.com draft analyst Chad Ford that the 6-foot-11 Yi (pronounced Ee) could be a top-five pick in the 2007 draft. Yi's game is sometimes compared to that of Utah's Andrei Kirilenko.

Yi's Chinese Basketball Association team in Guangdong has won the past three league championships, and the team's owner recently gave his approval for Yi to enter the 2007 draft. Yi is one of the biggest marketing icons in Asia for Nike, which is believed to have Yi under contract through 2012.

[sinobball]

Chad Ford's blog (Insider)

Yi Jianlian: China's next big thing?

CHAD FORD
WEBLOG | RSS

NBA INSIDER

posted: Wednesday, November 8, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry

News that Chinese big man Yi Jianlian will enter the 2007 NBA Draft was met by serious buzz among international scouts.

"Depending on who's in the draft, I think he could be in the mix for a top five pick," one NBA scout who recently returned from China told me.

"I've been watching him practice and play. He's really improved. He's got to the chance to be pretty special," the scout continued. "He's got a lot of tools. Everyone's going to think Yao, but this kid is totally different in a good way."

Another scout said he'd be a lock for the lottery, but wouldn't go as far as a top five ranking. A general manager who's been to China to watch him play thinks he'll be one of the most intriguing international prospects to come into the draft in several years.

With the exception of Yi and Brazilian big man Tiago Splitter, there aren't any top international prospects for the 2007 draft, which is expected to be dominated by college underclassmen.

Splitter has zero sex appeal. He's entered and withdrawn from the last three drafts because he's been unable to secure a promise in the lottery -- now, according to the rules, he's in to stay. While he's improved every year he's played in Spain, his upside isn't huge. He's a talented big man who will probably make a bigger impact on defense than on offense.

In a draft with so much upside, that's hard to fall in love with.

Yi, however, has the right ingredients to be in consideration for the high lottery. He is about 7-feet tall and athletic, has quite a bit of international experience and had a good showing against Team USA in the World Championships this summer in Tokyo, posting a line of 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 24 minutes.

The inevitable comparisons to Yao Ming will surely come, and Yi is the best prospect to come out of China since Yao. But that's where the comparisons stop. Yi plays more like Toni Kukoc than like Yao. He runs the floor, shoots the J and, unlike Yao, has a real bounce to his step.

Agents are lining up to get their shot at Yi. Yao's agent, Bill Duffy, has been considered the front runner for years, but he may get resistance from Yi's camp, which wants to make sure Yi gets a separate identity from Yao.

[stuart]

From AP/Yahoo! source

While NBA prospects beckon, China's Yi Jianlian just one of the team at Asian Games
DOHA, Qatar (AP) -- NBA prospect Yi Jianlian has been hailed by some as the "next Yao Ming."

For now, the 19-year-old is just another member of China's national team. And his coach is less than pleased with him.

"He needs to understand that it's not enough to be very talented," Lithuanian-born Jonas Kazlauskas said of Yi following China's 89-76 win over Kazakhstan at the Asian Games. "He needs to fight for every step, for every position, for every ball."

Kazlauskas' words typify much of the buzz surrounding the 19-year-old Yi: That he is a great athlete whose basketball skills and on-court presence still have a long way to go.

The 7-foot power forward had 14 points and six rebounds against Kazakhstan, but just as notable were his turnovers and flubbed shots.

On defense, Kazakh players scored over him easily, and he was outshined at both ends of the court by former NBA player Wang Zhizhi, who scored 22 points and had five rebounds.

"He was like a 'good boy'," Kazlauskas said of Yi. "Everyone could push him, could kick him out of the three-second zone. And he was happy with everything going on around him."

Yi, who won a six-figure deal from Nike, had some impressive moves as well, including a massive jam in the third quarter and a fade-away jumper reminiscent of Dirk Nowitzki.

While much work is ahead for Yi -- he especially needs to gain upper-body strength and build on-court intensity -- he has piqued the NBA's interest with his height and athleticism and is expected to be picked in the high rounds of next June's draft.

Kazakhstan starter Yevgeny Issakov said Yi's height and quickness make him formidable.

"He's very good and it's very hard for us to play over these tall Chinese guys," Issakov said.

And China's captain, Liu Wei, cautioned against judging Yi's performance too harshly.

"It's the first game and there's always a degree of adjustment that needs to be made," Liu said. "We'll be getting better and better."

Yi's true age is a subject of some controversy. Reports put his birth year as early as 1984, partly because sports authorities are known to report their players as younger than they actually are to keep them eligible for junior competitions.

Recruited into one of China's demanding state sports schools, Yi trained hard, eventually joining the Chinese Basketball Association. He led his native province's Guangdong Tigers to the CBA title last season, recording 20 double-doubles during the regular season and topping the 30-point mark eight times, including a 43-point performance in the regular season finale.

And despite a lackluster showing in last summer's world championships at which China finished 11th, Yi won praise from no less an authority than U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski.

"The kid Yi ... he'd be in the NBA. He'd be a lottery pick. That kid is really good," Krzyzewski said. "He'd probably be starting for some teams in the league. The kid's just got it."

Yao, the Houston Rockets star center who has not joined the China national team in Doha, said his own progress since joining the NBA reinforces the need for Yi and other Chinese players to go abroad as preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

Despite his multiyear Nike contract and NBA prospects, Yi presently enjoys few extra privileges at home with the Tigers or traveling with the national team, living and practicing with his less-heralded teammates. He's kept a low profile at Doha, letting others do the talking for the team and shying away from interviews.

"I am not thinking too much about the draft, now I am focusing on helping China win the gold at Doha," Yi said on arrival. "The Asian Games is a very big event and it's very important for me."

[rikhardur]

Yi targeted by NBA teams

NBA scouts from the Sixers, Suns, Nets, Warriors (Chris Mullin) and Bulls (John Paxton) were present in the first game of the CBA play-off finals to watch Yi Janlian, who had 24 pts + 8 rebs.
Yao already compared him to Amare Stoudamire, adding that Yi is taller, has a good shot and is very athletic.
It's expected that Yi is selected in a top position in this year's draft.

[bobo81]

I watched him in some games on TV, as well as live China games when he was here in 2005 and 2006. I am not sure if entering this year's draft is a smart choice. I really think he needs more time. Like his Coach says, Yi really needs to become more aggressive and a lot of times he disappears from the game and you forget he is even playing.

[karim]

i watched him against Lebanon in the asia championship final in 2005...he has some excellent highlights like wen he dunked over both vogel and khoury at the same time....but wen it comes to proving himself on the court hes not always scoring points and sometimes he doesnt even do anything wen hes on the court u sometimes forget he is even there

[sinobball]

I am not sure if entering this year's draft is a smart choice. I really think he needs more time.

That's nuts. First of all Yi's 23 already (born 1984), pretending to be 20. It's no secret in the scout circle, in other words he has missed his draft already. Secondly, Yi has won 3 straight CBA championship and even if he loses this '07 finals it doesn't deny his dominance. Granted, his dominance probably was not as impressive as Wang Zhizhi at the same age (or Yao Ming) but the CBA simply does not offer any good competition save for 1 or at most 3 teams. Granted Yi cannot defend 260lbs Tang one on one, but he didn't need to. He doesn't need to stay in the CBA just to push slower-than-turtle giants (Tang, Bateer etc.) out of the paint. Even in the NBA he won't have to defend C's. As far as stepping up every game and delivering, keep in mind he's not gonna be a scoring machine to contribute. Yi can deflect shots, put back missed shots, pass by defenders, put down slams. At worst he's Stromile Swift, and I don't think anyone said Swift entered too early.

[Mightytoo]

That's nuts. First of all Yi's 23 already (born 1984), pretending to be 20. It's no secret in the scout circle, in other words he has missed his draft already. Secondly, Yi has won 3 straight CBA championship and even if he loses this '07 finals it doesn't deny his dominance. Granted, his dominance probably was not as impressive as Wang Zhizhi at the same age (or Yao Ming) but the CBA simply does not offer any good competition save for 1 or at most 3 teams. Granted Yi cannot defend 260lbs Tang one on one, but he didn't need to. He doesn't need to stay in the CBA just to push slower-than-turtle giants (Tang, Bateer etc.) out of the paint. Even in the NBA he won't have to defend C's. As far as stepping up every game and delivering, keep in mind he's not gonna be a scoring machine to contribute. Yi can deflect shots, put back missed shots, pass by defenders, put down slams. At worst he's Stromile Swift, and I don't think anyone said Swift entered too early.

That is interesting. I always thought Yi was 20. Where did you get this information from?

I've watched him play before and I must say for an Asian of his height, he is very athletic indeed.

[bobo81]

Sino makes a great point. He obviously won't grow much staying in the CBA. I wish they would have sent him to the under leagues in the US before. I know he will be drafted by an NBA team if he enters, but I won't expect him to make a big splash in the beginning. Yes he is very athletic for his height but is likely to get out muscled and resort to outside shots more often. We'll see.