Yi Jianlian to enter the draft

Our friends at HoopChina.com have informed us that there is breaking news out of China. Forward Yi Jianlian, considered the top prospect out of Asia since Yao Ming has been given consent by his team, the Guangdong Tigers, and the Chinese Basketball Association to explore this year's NBA draft.

This is significant news because the CBA made a rule in 2004 that Chinese players could not enter the draft until they turned 22. Yi is officially listed as 1987 born.

But Yi's actual age is in question, (some feel he's actually 1984 born) and he could already be turning 22 this year.

Regardless of his actual birth year, the Chinese National team and all official records state that he is 1987 born, and that is unlikely to change. NBA International scouts feel that Yi is an NBA level player regardless if he is 1984 or 1987 born.

The one condition from the CBA is that Yi see action in his first season (roughly 10 minutes per game) to make it worthwhile. The CBA doesn't see any point in having a player such as Yi or Wang Zhizhi come to the US to play, and spend all of their time on a team's bench. But the condition is not an ultimatum, instead more of a pact between the CBA and Yi's agent.

Yi is easily the most athletic prospect to emerge out of China. Unlike most Chinese players, he has an American style of play with high flying dunks and use of supreme athleticism. Yi's team is currently playing in the CBA finals. On the year, Yi's averages are: 20.5 PPG, 57.41 FG %, 75.08 FT%, 9.6 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 1.2 APG, 2.0 SPG.

His biggest adjustment will be getting used to the physicality of the NBA. He has added strength in the past few years, but will need to get much stronger. He has excellent toughness, (considered tougher than Yao Ming) but besides the Olympics (he started for the Chinese team at just 17 years of age), he lacks experience against NBA level athletes.

He also has the advantage of being a potential marketing phenomenon like Yao. He'll need to make an impact in the NBA for that to happen, but he's already a fan favorite in China with mass appeal.

Yi is likely to explore his options and enter the 2006 draft. He's considered a likely first round pick, with a chance to be a lottery selection if he blows teams away in workouts.

http://nbadraft.net/draftbuzz054.asp
http://nbadraft.net/profiles/yijianlian.asp

Does this mean he actually is 22 years old as some say he is? Regardless, considering the amount of Asian people around here, I bet they'll be very happy about this.

This is not the right choice for him right now. He still has to develop right now, he's very weak. Plus, his game right now really hasn't developed to the point where he has a go-to move. He has some nice things he can do, but no really good move.

What I like about him, is that he is a Jarred Jeffries type guy. 7ft, but by the looks, he has speed, handles, is obviously athletic and he plays the SF/PF positions. Thats tough for other 6'8" or so SF to guard.

He's probably more athletic and taller than Jeffries, not to mention a whole lot more talented (especially if he's really just 18 years old). I think KG is the right comparison, both skill- and height-wise. A poor man's KG, that is.

Good news! He's a really good player, will be nice to see him get picked by first round!

Bust, not worth a pick. Would be my opinion. Nothing to do with his nationality, but if he is really 22 and as H-Rock said too weak etc, not a good idea.

But then again, Yao was really weak when he came into the league. Now look at him. He's a top 10 player. Yi may not reach that level, but I don't think he'll be a big bust.

Yao was not this weak. He already had those freakishly huge calves and the right frame.
Yi is just skinny all-around.

As an Asian the only thing I know about him is his name.
It would be good if he's athletic which is rare in the region, but I dun expect any black player liked athleticism, and as weak as he appears to be, I dont see any top-caliber output from him in some years.

some say he's able to play all 5 positions

HAH! a 7'2" PG... id love to see that

Another factor is the stuff he will face off-the-court. If you read the part in Yao Ming's book about all the things Team Yao to do to get him approval from Shanghai Sharks and the CBA to go to the NBA Draft, you'll get an idea about how hard it'll be for Yi. Because Yao has already done this, it will probably be somewhat easier, but he's still going to have a lot more things to face than your average rookie coming out of college. He is going to the best league in the world, and a billion people will be watching him. And he's going to be compared endlessly to Yao, and also Kevin Garnett. At least he won't have to face Shaq and all, but he definitely will have a tough road to follow. His only consolation will be that Yao has been through it before, and will probably be very supportive of him.

And Yao may also make the Rockets draft him, not a good lottery pick for Houston, but still they lack a PF who fits in the system.

Yi plays for my family's hometown team... so when I was in China I got to see him play. What stood out for me was that he was real skinny and looked tall and stuff. But he seemed to try to be agressive but got overpowered easily in the paint. He tends to take jumpshots instead of going down low because he can't - did dunk whenever he had the open lane. Also... the Tigers were such a good team... he didn't really stand out when compared to his other teammates. I can't really say if he's the main reason his team was good. It was more of a team thing. Sure he averages 20 and 9 for his team but some need to understand most of the time I was there, the team scored at least 100 each game.

He's got some good skills in terms of his shooting and footwork but he will need to work on his strength a lot and try and play a more physical type of game if he wants to make the NBA.

Good to see another Asian jump to the NBA. I guess there haven't been any success stories other than Yao though. And where's Wang Zhizhi and Yuta Tabuse?

Oh Lord, this one can play all 5 positions too? Yeah, Yao really succeeded at the PG position.

This is getting boring. Fast.

Well Jackal... anyone can play all 5 positions if you thought really hard about it.

fuck man, i've been waiting since before china implemented that 22 age rule.. though i had expected sun yue from the beijing aoshen to declare before Yi did... still man so happy and hyper about this.

I got flashbacks from the Olympics - skinny, passive big man who could very well be 22 years old. I think he's going in the late first round and that he's gonna be a bust.

Well Jackal... anyone can play all 5 positions if you thought really hard about it.

Well...that was stupid? Do you feel I was responding to your orso?

Come on, what's with all of the Chinese players? We have 100 players like this in Lithuania. It's just that for some reason the Chinese players get ATTENTION. That's just a stupid thing. Andriuskevicius is one of the worst centers (If you look to the Lithuanian centers), but just because of a little commercialism he got drafted and now worms the Cavs bench. We have guys who could be contenders for rookie of the year, and just because they don't get ATTENTION, they don't get drafted, even though they're better.Well, I can only hope that will change after this years "Basketball without borders" in Lithuania.

If this dude could shoot threes it would be funny. Wish someone like Manute Bol's height came in the league and did it. When Bol shot threes it was hella funny, it was on that documentary "Basketball Warrior". Too much Lol and Rofl!

Come on, what's with all of the Chinese players? We have 100 players like this in Lithuania. It's just that for some reason the Chinese players get ATTENTION. That's just a stupid thing. Andriuskevicius is one of the worst centers (If you look to the Lithuanian centers), but just because of a little commercialism he got drafted and now worms the Cavs bench. We have guys who could be contenders for rookie of the year, and just because they don't get ATTENTION, they don't get drafted, even though they're better.Well, I can only hope that will change after this years "Basketball without borders" in Lithuania.

that's because there are like 2 billion people and the few hundred 7 footers in China are genetic freaks of nature. Like Ripley's Believe It Or Not status. They should have a wolrd record for world's tallest Asian.

Come on, what's with all of the Chinese players? We have 100 players like this in Lithuania. It's just that for some reason the Chinese players get ATTENTION. That's just a stupid thing. Andriuskevicius is one of the worst centers (If you look to the Lithuanian centers), but just because of a little commercialism he got drafted and now worms the Cavs bench. We have guys who could be contenders for rookie of the year, and just because they don't get ATTENTION, they don't get drafted, even though they're better.Well, I can only hope that will change after this years "Basketball without borders" in Lithuania.

how's the best european player doing in the nba now?

Reminds me of people hyping up about Tskitishvili.

Well...that was stupid? Do you feel I was responding to your orso?

- Nope, never said you did!

Ive never heard of him, what happend to that dude Xue Xueyang or whoever?

Every year some Chinese 7 footer gets "hyped" up but most of them can barely play basketball or end up in the military. Considering he wasnt even on any sort of mock drafts for the past 3-4 years I'd say he has no real chance of making it to the NBA, maybe a summer league roster is the closest thing he'll get to playing NBA-level ball but even thats a bit of a really outside looking in kinda shot.