Mock Lottery Up at ESPN-Dubs Get Yi!

by Dubbadown on Mar 5, 2007 2:44 PM PST

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/index

Yes its time to look forward to the lottery now and ESPN.COM helps us out with their Lottery Generator. I just did it about 20 times and no matter how you slice it, the Warriors, who right now have a 1.7% chance to win the lottery, always ended up with the 9-10 pick and Chad Ford had them taking Yi. This is what he said about Yi in his blog.

* China's Yi Jianlian continues to dominate in the Chinese Basketball Association playoffs.

Last week he scored 38 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Shanghai in the first game of the playoff series. He followed up with a 20-point, 15-rebound peformance in Game 2. Then Yi helped Guangdong clinch the series with 32 points and 17 rebounds on an amazing 14-for-19 shooting performance from the field.

Lots of teams are interested in him, but watch the Warriors closely. Don Nelson loves Chinese players, and Yi has a game reminscent of Dirk Nowitzki. Plus, he'd be a huge draw for the Bay Area's large Asian population. He remains our top-rated international prospect, currently sitting at No. 10 on our Big Board.

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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eh?

"Don Nelson loves chinese players"? are there even any out there for him to love? or is he talking about them happy ending chinese players..hallelujah hollaback.

by WhoreRIORS on Mar 5, 2007 3:03 PM PST 0 recs

I laughed at that too

Not much to love but Yi and Yao

by Zig on Mar 5, 2007 3:49 PM PST up 0 recs

I remember there used to be a guy

named Wang on the Mavs. He didn't turn out so well. Maybe that was Nellie's doing...

by racsan on Mar 5, 2007 4:18 PM PST up 0 recs

The Yi Movement's Getting National Play

http://goldenstateofmind.com/story/2006/7/5/115754/7048

Regardless of what goes down for the rest of the season, live blogging the 2007 NBA Draft and our annual draft poll are going to be nuts. For the GSoM newbies- the winner of the GSoM poll has been selected by the Warriors for 2 straight years. Coincidence? I think not!

by Atma Brother ONE on Mar 5, 2007 3:31 PM PST 0 recs

i'm not sold on Yi

i mean i love the movement and all that but i want a sav who is gonna block shots, get boards, and be an inside presence...and i don't see Yi as the complete solution to any of those needs. but then again, there's probably only a handful of players who are.

but if we get the #9 pick again, Yi might be the best option available. I just want somebody who can make some sort of impact on the game now, not another project who is years away from doing anything of worth (POB). i'm not expecting someone with a completely polished game, but at least grab some boards and block a shot or two while your game develops. get on the court and do soemthing.

anybody seen this kid Hasheem Thabeet out of UConn..nbadraft.net has us picking him in the current mock draft..this guy sounds like the kind of beast we could use. sure he's somewhat of a project, but this guy could really be something sick.

http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/hasheemthabeet.html

the crowning achievement of ira newble's illustrious career

by JudBooshlur on Mar 5, 2007 5:09 PM PST 0 recs

project

he has project written all over him. if u don't want a project u probably shouldn't draft him. although i wouldn't mind too much since he's 7-3

by AJC3317 on Mar 5, 2007 5:19 PM PST up 0 recs

doubt hes coming out

he and his team have laid an egg this year, so he hasnt gotten much national attention. my guess is that hes a bigger project then POB, but he can blok shots. id rather hav noah or horford. someone i thnk who will be interesting come draft day is nick fazekas. well see how he does in the tourney but hes a beast on the glass. by the way is GSoM doing a tourney pool or anything?

the good/bad about being a warriors fan: bad: 13 years...nuff said good: there GSoM

by mydedgerbil555 on Mar 5, 2007 5:23 PM PST 0 recs

Come on yall...

Haven't you all seen the past few years for our GS Dubs? We are the quintisential #9-12 draft pick lovers. Seems as if we always are 5-6 games behind in the playoffs near the end of the year and with a marginal increase in play, we get a little better and we think, "oh are we gonna do it?" Well as history has repeated itself, we go back to playing like dump and get the 9-12 pick. I can hear it already, guys like Amare, KG and Kobe were in that range, but we pick guys like Joe Smith and Dump-leavy in the 1st round. We own the shwag zone of the lottery. How in the hell are we gonna get #1 or 2? If my memoirs are correct, doesn't Philly get our pick if its a top 5? Even if not, we still have a chance for the playoffs as I type. The Dubs are up 5 at the half vs the Deeeeetroit Pistons-come on Dub's, finally take the turn and push it man. Lets actually get into the fu...ng zone!!!

by gabezgsw on Mar 5, 2007 5:59 PM PST 0 recs

little thought

joe smith and mike dunleavy were top 3 picks.
So gs is better in picking when they have lower picks. In fact, gs is the best in picking 2nd rounders, arenas, ellis. The best picks by gs of the last 20 years:P

by Jacque on Mar 6, 2007 10:34 AM PST up 0 recs

yeah

but that's why they needed to stink during the so-called "can't miss" draft years. but who knows. the coach & player may not get along and the team might end up trading the player away for some magic beans..

by the evil monkey on Mar 11, 2007 8:56 AM PST up 0 recs

I say...

that he's a lot better a pick than patrick o'bryant!

by bradyk2 on Mar 5, 2007 7:07 PM PST 0 recs

yeah

ur probably rite, i overexaggerated. by the way, anyone who'd consider taking a center and letting AB become a PF? i think thatd be good for AB cuz he woodnt be oversized at the 5 and it stills allows TMNT to move the 3. Myabe a legit center like splitter if he comes out or one of the hoyas forncourt guys? by they way, besidEs fazekas im also really high on jerod dudley. both of those guys could slip, and i would love to egt them in the 2nd or sumthin. theyre bothe physical and scrappy. wood anyone consider trading our first and a wingman (we have an overload of em) for a later first and a second or sumthin?

the good/bad about being a warriors fan: bad: 13 years...nuff said good: there GSoM

by mydedgerbil555 on Mar 5, 2007 7:25 PM PST 0 recs

extension of previous post

someone like the cavs or wizards are perfect for the trade i mentioned becuz they are teams who are gonna have good records, but have glaring need, pg and big man respectively. the cavs might trade up to get augastin or conley and the wizards would want any of the big men i mentioned

the good/bad about being a warriors fan: bad: 13 years...nuff said good: there GSoM

by mydedgerbil555 on Mar 5, 2007 7:28 PM PST 0 recs

Funny

After clicking the "Play Lottery" button about 5 times, the Warriors ended up with the 3rd pick. Haha, let's hope our chances in the actual lottery are that good.

by The City Warjorz on Mar 5, 2007 7:48 PM PST 0 recs

wow...

I probably clicked that button for ten minutes before the Warriors got the #1 pick. If only I was in charge of the NBA lottery. Uhh do over...uhh do over... uhh do over... And the warriors get the first pick in the Draft!

by olympicmike on Mar 6, 2007 1:20 PM PST up 0 recs

Yao took a few years to become a presence..

The general consensus is that Yi isn't as skilled as Yao. He seems to rely on his athleticism more than Yao. His jumper is on/off. With Yao the skill set was already there and he came out polished. Yi, while being more athletic, isn't methodical like Yao. And they're not sure how his athleticism will translate in the NBA level. Running around and dunking on Chinese players is one thing, but that stuff won't fly in the NBA. On the otherhand, I don't think Yi would be a bust b/c the Chinese government has a lot invested in him. There's a reason he was held back from entering the draft before. The CBA there wants to make sure that he's absolutely given every opportunity to succeed. If he's a bust, it doesn't just look bad on him, but Chinese basketball also. That's why they were up in arms about Wang defecting to the NBA and why they were so guarded about Yao coming out.

I would like the W's to draft Yi but I'm not sure if he'd be a good fit. Whoever drafts him will have to spend a few seasons developing him. But the upside would be huge. Yi flourishing in the Bay Area would be a huge shot in the arm for Bay Area basketball, given the huge Asian community here.

by ThermoElectro on Mar 5, 2007 8:01 PM PST 0 recs

some of your statements are true...

but yao didn't come in polished, he wasn't in shape enough to play with the up and down style that the west has developed over the years.

And why are people making such a big deal about Yi having an impact on the asian community in the bay area? I think more than anything, the bay area fans care more about wins than they do about having a multicultural presence for their local team.

by david240z on Mar 5, 2007 8:10 PM PST up 0 recs

but good points

sorry i left that last part out.

by david240z on Mar 5, 2007 8:11 PM PST up 0 recs

Clarify...

When I mean polished, I mean that Yao came out with a solid jumper, good footwork and good basketball IQ. Skillwise he was well developed, but his conditioning and mental toughness were questioned.

With Yi, it's kinda of like the opposite. He's supposed to be tougher and more physical, but he doesn't have the basketball skills that Yao came in with. I think that's what makes him more of a gamble than Yao. Yi has shown more toughness than Yao did pre-NBA but like I said, it's not saying much b/c of the lvl of competition.

As for Yi and the Bay Area asian community, it's not so much as having a more multicultural team, but Yi would definitely bring in more casual Asian fans into the W's community. I don't think you can deny that. On top of that, he's Cantonese and the Bay Area Chinese community is mostly Cantonese (at least in SF). I don't think that it's debateable that winning>Yi. But from a marketting perspective, Yi would generate a lot of buzz for the W's in the Asian community. Like watching soccer on telemundo, we'd be able to watch W's for free on Chinese television stations...jk

by ThermoElectro on Mar 5, 2007 8:58 PM PST up 0 recs

we need

AL Horford...like really bad. He's my fantasy pick. Its stupid for the warriors to keep on winning now. Stupid warriors for winning today in detroit. Jeez.

Warriors, Stupidest franchise in the league. Purgatory is thy home.

by kenntoe on Mar 5, 2007 8:01 PM PST 0 recs

nooo....

huh? did you see the point in the game today where our lineup was baron davis, monta ellis, mickael pietrus, jason richardson, and matt barnes? This team is no the style to have Al Harrington play the small forward.

by bradyk2 on Mar 5, 2007 8:11 PM PST 0 recs

I'll say this:

If Brook Lopez is around and enters, the Dubs better take him. I'm a UCLA student, so I've seen every Pac-10 player for the past 4 years, and he's the best big I've seen in person (includes Horford, Noah, Tyrus, and Frye, among others).

Also, I'd love to see a guy like Jermareo Davidson in the 2nd should C/PF not be the pick in the first for whatever reason. The kid can ball.

by dprodigy19 on Mar 5, 2007 9:54 PM PST 0 recs

for reals?

Lopez is that good? Please tell me he's not like Borchardt, Tim Young, or the Collins twins.

by dj fuzzylogic on Mar 5, 2007 10:04 PM PST up 0 recs

Lopez

I saw him ball a couple of times this year, so my assessment may not be the best, but I can't say that I was that impressed w/ Lopez, both of them. The Cards were playing the Bears (go Bears!) and were beating them up on the inside due to the Bears' lack of size. But even then, Lopez seemed slow to me, and his offensive moves weren't polished.

by yuletak on Mar 6, 2007 1:29 AM PST up 0 recs

He is only a freshman

He isn't super quick but I think he has more potential than any of the above former Stanford centers

Already both brothers are pretty big forces on D

I would even dare say that Brook Lopez is already better than POB

by Zig on Mar 6, 2007 2:18 PM PST up 0 recs

hes goin to be

sick watch

by djchuckdeez on Mar 6, 2007 1:59 AM PST 0 recs

Yi could play GSW ball...

but at this moment in time, he isn't exactly what the warriors need. As other people have mentioned, and if you have seen his highlight videos, he's built more like Bosh and Garnett... 7 ft not much beef on him, but makes up for it with quickness and athleticism. He would have a spot on the roster and I think he could help them, but he could help any team for that matter.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind having him on the team, but on paper it wouldn't solve the inside presence situation that the warriors have yet to address. Having him and Biedrins in there at the same time would be pretty crazy, but they would still get thrown around when it came time to play a team with a player like D. Howard, Shaq, even Yao. It might be an idea to draft him if he's available and pawn him off right away or after his rookie contract expires to gain some muscle in the 4 or 5 spot.

by david240z on Mar 6, 2007 11:34 AM PST 0 recs

its easy...

to say your a dominating 7'0 center in china....when your playing against guards that are 5'1 ..and centers that are 5'6 ....homie should be making 70+ points a game....hollerlujah halleback

by WhoreRIORS on Mar 6, 2007 12:55 PM PST 0 recs

another

ignorant comment

by jngai on Mar 6, 2007 1:39 PM PST up 0 recs

LMAO yea...

To assume that all the players he plays against in China are that short is just laughable at best. Not that it matters that the only players to come out of China are all above 7 ft tall doesn't mean anything to that person. Also consider the players who play in the euro league as well.

I'm not arguing that the leagues outside of the NBA are any more competitive or any less, but its a different game. They would be hard pressed to compare them except on the fact they both have two baskets and a bball. The rules are different, the style of play, the officiating, and of course the players.

by david240z on Mar 6, 2007 1:48 PM PST up 0 recs

come on man I am sure its a joke

feel the sarcasam

by Zig on Mar 6, 2007 2:19 PM PST up 0 recs

yah

daym...i know we all stressed about the warriors..but i was joking yo....im asian ...im 5'8...it was a joke...but there is a little truth to it....does anyone know YAO's highest scoring game when he was playin in china?

by WhoreRIORS on Mar 6, 2007 3:39 PM PST up 0 recs

Education...

Northern Chinese people are generally pretty big and fairly light skinned. Southern Chinese are generally smaller in stature and slightly more tan. Chinese people in America are generally short b/c they are usually of Southern descent (mostly from HK and Taiwan, who most can be traced back to Southern Chinese).

Common misconception is that all Chinese people are the same. When in fact, due to the land mass, Chinese people actually have a huge variance in terms of physical appearance. Culture and written language are arguably the only tie that binds the huge population of people in China.

by ThermoElectro on Mar 6, 2007 2:58 PM PST up 0 recs

for those that are curious

here is a link to a website that lists teams in the CBA (chinese basketball association)
http://www.asia-basket.com/chn/chn.asp

The list of teams are located on the right hand side, and by clicking the teams you can see the players height, when they were born and where they are from.

In the past, Chinese Basketball hasn't been too competitive on the world stage, but people are saying Chinese Basketball is where the European leagues were 5-10 years ago. And we know how competitive european basketball is with their performances in the Olympics and world games, and the number of european players in the nba. Some even say Chinese basketball is developing faster than european basketball did.

This is all subjective and only time will tell. But with china importing players and sending their teams/players to play around the world, chinese basketball is getting more competitive.

by jngai on Mar 6, 2007 1:57 PM PST 0 recs