Yi Jianlian

by JackSeeley on Jun 22, 2011 1:51 PM PDT

Could the W's use a free agent 7 foot tall chinese power forward for $2-$3M? Yi has been injury prone for the past four years, but he's a cheap risk, and could perhaps back up at 4 and 5. Very little downside, and you can't coach size. Even with his injuries, he's averaged 8 points and 5 rebounds in 24 minutes. Far from great, but he's still 7', 260 lbs.

This FanPost is a submission from a member of the mighty Golden State of Mind community. While we're all here to throw up that W, these words do not necessarily reflect the views of the GSoM Crew. Still, chances are the preceding post is Unstoppable Baby!

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Comments

I just woke up in 2007. Where are Baumerworld, Coma and Zorgon?

There will be no extra point!

by Sleepy Freud on Jun 22, 2011 1:54 PM PDT reply actions 5 recs

Zorgon

is enjoying winning with the Thunder.

by saint.dee on Jun 22, 2011 3:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Very little downside, and you can’t coach size.

Downside is that he’s been almost worthless as a player. It’s unfortunate that size can’t be coached. He appears to require a considerable deal of coaching.

by jae on Jun 22, 2011 1:55 PM PDT reply actions 3 recs

LOL

Downside is that he’s been almost worthless as a player.

but…other than that, I mean, he’s ok, right?

"There’s no such thing as off the charts, just get a bigger piece of paper. If you can’t figure that out you shouldn’t be charting anything" - Skep

by Duby Dub Dubs on Jun 22, 2011 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah I know and as for the "can't coach size"

Biedrins is pretty tall himself…

by Yii on Jun 22, 2011 6:48 PM PDT up reply actions

It;s okay..Everyone has one or two failed posts

The Warrior era has begun...

by Moneer Mujaddidi on Jun 22, 2011 2:28 PM PDT reply actions

In the NBA you don't play against chairs

if they did, I would definitely sign him.

by dsham001 on Jun 22, 2011 3:40 PM PDT reply actions

We already have a Yi

His name is Radmanovic.

by ERock386 on Jun 22, 2011 3:48 PM PDT reply actions

dont be silly

vlad is much better than yi

by bigkino217 on Jun 22, 2011 3:56 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't know

I’d have to see some tape on Vlad vs. the chair that Yi tore apart during his pre-draft workouts.

by ERock386 on Jun 22, 2011 4:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Radman is a free agent.

by bObaBaLLa on Jun 22, 2011 4:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Yes he is

by ERock386 on Jun 22, 2011 4:04 PM PDT up reply actions

So we do not have him…fortunately.

by bObaBaLLa on Jun 22, 2011 4:35 PM PDT up reply actions

Have you ever seen him play?

He’s horrible.

He settles for outside shots because he’s a puss. Won’t take it down low and bang.

Do not waste money on this dude.

by sauceycor on Jun 22, 2011 5:13 PM PDT reply actions

Wow that Yi bandwagon sure crashed and burned didn't it?

Hope everyone got off of it alive.

"That was very funny about the old man basketball skills. One is lucky to escape injury when playing against those crafty, crusty sumbitches. And it’s just demoralizing when they demonstrate yet again how to use the backboard from range." - Charlie Custer

by SmittytheCutman on Jun 22, 2011 5:36 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Yi Ha...

by Only In Fairfax on Jun 22, 2011 10:45 PM PDT reply actions

Of course we should sign him. Lock him up. He would have tore it up in Jersey and Milwaukee if he wasn’t playing behind juggernaut power forwards. I definitely want Kris Humphries’ backup.

by Uwe Blog on Jun 22, 2011 11:17 PM PDT via mobile reply actions

Let's Compare Yi to Udoh

Yi has four years experience vs 1 year for Ekpe, 2 inches more height, and has averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds per 36 minutes, while Udoh has one year with 8 points and 6 rebounds per 36. Plus Yi is still younger than Udoh, and cheaper, and has been hindered by injuries, so maybe there’s some upside. Are there a lot of 7 foot forwards with Yi’s experience and stats that the W’s could sign for $2-$3M per year? Maybe name a few? No one’s saying he’s a stud, but if there’s a salary cap squeeze, who else better can you find for the money? Plus, if you’re Lacob, Yi would fill a few seats like Lin.

by JackSeeley on Jun 23, 2011 9:40 AM PDT reply actions

Udoh does one thing exceptionally well - block shots.

Yi does nothing exceptionally well.

Yi’s TS% in four years is .476, with no particular reason to improve.
Udoh’s is .472, and, while he’s older, that’s in his rookie year (and I believe there’s a rookie-year learning curve regardless of age for most players) in a season where he had no training camp – he had to learn on the go.

In other words, it seems like the worst-case scenario for Udoh is that he ends up being about the offensive player Yi is – somebody who should never shoot the ball unless they’re all alone, underneath the basket.

Yi appears to be a better rebounder. Udoh is probably a better man defender – again, we’re not going to know who Udoh really is for another six months, probably (something I said, incidentally, when his injury was disclosed). But the worst-case scenario for Udoh is as a defensive specialist role player off the bench.

Yi hasn’t even reached that level.

by Ronaldinho on Jun 23, 2011 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions

Udoh blocks shots, but isn't a good defender

Yi and Udoh have the same TS%, but Udoh only scores about 2/3 of what Yi does. Yi outrebounds him by the same margin. Udoh’s only skill is as a shot blocker, not as a defender – there’s no evidence that Udoh is a better man defender than Yi. Udoh is probably 3-4 years older than his stated age, so less likely to improve. Yi has played with injuries for four years, played in three different systems, and is probably quite a bit younger. I’m not necessarily making a case that Yi is a better player than Udoh, but I would say that he’s not a worse bet than Udoh, is younger with more experience, and can be obtained for a lower salary.

by JackSeeley on Jun 23, 2011 11:37 AM PDT up reply actions

Udoh blocks shots, but isn’t a good defender

I am not sure what drives you to this conclusion. Udoh’s effect on the GS’s defense was rather pronounced and strongly favorable. It’s possible that some of that was small sample size and that there’s a big effect of him simply being better than the pathetic defenders he subbed in for, but the team went from being incompetent on defense to being a better than average defensive team when he’s in. It’s a power change that one wouldn’t expect if he isn’t a good defender as you’re asserting. That suggests that your statement that he’s not a good defender is, for no need of a more complex description, wrong.

by jae on Jun 23, 2011 11:47 AM PDT up reply actions

I haven't made up my mind on Udoh's post defense yet.

I certainly saw him get badly schooled on some occasions – including multiple possessions in a row by Kwame Brown – but I also saw him play good post defense. I’m taking a wait-and-see approach, because unlike shot blocking, which is largely instinctive, post defense is a skill which players have to adjust to in the NBA – so it’s possible that the bad defense we saw from Udoh at times was a function of his post-injury learning curve.

In any event, he was a HUGE net positive defensively for the team, so much of one that it seems very unlikely that it’s a sample size fluke. So even if he’s as bad a post defender as Yi (who’s horrid at it) his shot blocking has a huge overall impact on the team.

Yi and Udoh have the same TS%, but Udoh only scores about 2/3 of what Yi does.

That’s actually an argument in Udoh’s favor. If your TS% is that bad, you shouldn’t be shooting the ball. Both players hurt their team – substantially – when they shoot. Yi shoots more. That makes Yi’s offense a bigger problem.

Udoh is probably 3-4 years older than his stated age, so less likely to improve.

What are you basing this on?

Honestly, I don’t expect improvement from Udoh beyond getting past the rookie learning curve.

But I don’t expect improvement from Yi, either. And Udoh is currently a better player.

The rebounding difference is the only advantage Yi has – and I’m not sure it’s meaningful because Udoh didn’t appear to have a negative effect on the TEAM’S rebounding – although we’re dealing with small sample sizes here.

by Ronaldinho on Jun 23, 2011 11:54 AM PDT up reply actions

Udoh is probably 3-4 years older than his stated age, so less likely to improve.

That’s hilarious. I assume you meant Yi. Udoh went to college in America and is well documented at his age. Yi is probably the only player in the league that has actual age concerns right now. There are a lot of people who believe he’s actually like 28 right now.

You are not a warrior; you're a beginner!

by Reverend_Randy on Jun 23, 2011 12:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Indeed I’ve never heard the “Udoh is actually 3-4 years older before.” I wonder if this is based on some notion that he’s foreign and there’s a history of foreign born players having fake ages. Of course that ignores that he was born in Oklahoma and went to HS in Oklahoma (and to the best of my knowledge lived there between being born and going to HS). And while OK pretty foreign to me, it’s still part of the US and they’re pretty good at things like birth records throughout the US (birther lunacy notwithstanding).

by jae on Jun 23, 2011 1:31 PM PDT up reply actions 4 recs