Meet Yi Jianlian
The Chinese Prospect Brings Upside to the NBA
Yi (pronounced "E") Jianlian was unexpectedly drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2007 NBA Draft. His agent, Zhao Gang, stresses that he and Yi's handlers do not feel Milwaukee is the best fit for his talents. In fact, they denied Milwaukee a private workout with Yi before the draft in hopes to deter the small market franchise from selecting him with the sixth overall pick. Yi's handlers hoped he would wind up in a larger market city with a significant Asian population. Milwaukee, Wisconson is known for neither.
Yet, the Bucks didn't back down. They had seen Yi plenty of times before and knew what he was capable of. Now begins a long and arduous discussion concerning Yi's contract. Everybody seems to be affected by the selection except for Yi, who insisted he'd play for the Bucks on draft day and stresses his excitement for playing in the NBA.
Yi is a seven foot, 230 pound wonder, whose rare abilities, combined with his length make NBA scouts drool. His game is often compared to Pau Gasol. He has the ability to face up to the basket, finishes strong on the break, and has a deadly jump shot. Still, Jianlian is considered to be a bit of a project and will have to adjust to the speed and physical play of the NBA game. He must get stronger and improve defensively to be most effective.
It's unclear where Yi will best fit in the Bucks' lineup, but he should blend well with the finesse front court of Andrew Bogut and Charlie Villanueva.
Yi is often compared to fellow China man Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets. Yet, the two have very different games. Yao is a 7-6 monster, who thrives with his back to the basket, hitting the soft, unguardable fadaway, while Yi is much more athletic and prefers facing up his opponent and finishing on the break. The two partnered with the Chinese Olympics team in Athens, led by coach Del Harris, to finish eighth overall.
Yi averaged 24.9 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots a game last season for the Guandong Southern Tigers, who lost in the finals this year after winning the title the previous three years.
It's unclear as to how old Yi is. He is thought to be in his upper teens, but the Chinese government has a reputation of forging players' ages to keep them playing at a lower level, so there is speculation that he could be as old as 22 or 23. Despite whatever age he might be, Yi is a talent to be reckoned with in the NBA and should help the Bucks improve from its abysmal season last year.
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