This week’s quick international roundup of the player performances during the last few days. This post includes discussion about Yi Jianlian’s return to the New Jersey Nets, Pau Gasol’s extension, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah’s contributions to the Chicago Bulls, J.J. Barea’s career year, and Žalgiris Kaunas fills their head coach position.

• Yi Jianlian returned to the New Jersey Nets last night. The 7-0 Chinese forward came off the bench and scored 22 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, in 30 minutes.  Even with Yi, the Nets weren’t able to pull out their third win this season, ultimately losing their 27th game to Minnesota 103-99.

• Is the Jordanian basketball league going to be cancelled? The Premier league may be cancelled so as Jordan can properly prepare their National Team for the 2010 World Championships (discuss).

• Pau Gasol agreed to a three-year extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. No doubt the league-leading Lakers understand the importance of the 7-0, 29-year old Spanish superstar. The Lakers started out 8-3 without Gasol, and are 15-1 since Gasol returned to the lineup. For the season, he is averaging 17 points and a career-high 12.6 rebounds per game.

• Joakim Noah grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds against the New York Knicks, unfortuanately the Bulls lost their second straight 88-81.

• In the last five games Luol Deng has averaged 23 points on 51% shooting, almost 9 rebounds, and 3 assists, all are above his career averages. Deng scored 21 or more points in each contest. The Bulls are 2-3 in the last five.

• Iranian Superlague club Pasargad Shiraz hired Hossein Owji as their new coach (via Basket-Spot).

• José Juan Barea is having a career year for the Dallas Mavericks. The 6-0 guard from Puerto Rico is averaging 9.9 points, 4.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and shooting 44.6% from three. Barea has started the last 8 games and the Mavs have won six of those games.

• Žalgiris Kaunas filled the open head coach position left by Gintaras Krapikas with former Lithuanian national team coach Ramūnas Butautas. The 45-year old Lithuanian is the son of Stepas Butautas, former Soviet player that won silver in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.