Anybody has insider with ESPN? Please help me check out the whole article. Thanks! http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=ford_chad#20061108
First, I think this has been posted already but in its proper forum He isnt a Rockets nor can the Rockets sign him so it isnt GARM material
Yi Jianlian: China's next big thing?posted: Wednesday, November 8, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry News that Chinese big man Yi Jianlian will enter the 2007 NBA Draft was met by serious buzz among international scouts. "Depending on who's in the draft, I think he could be in the mix for a top five pick," one NBA scout who recently returned from China told me. "I've been watching him practice and play. He's really improved. He's got to the chance to be pretty special," the scout continued. "He's got a lot of tools. Everyone's going to think Yao, but this kid is totally different in a good way." Another scout said he'd be a lock for the lottery, but wouldn't go as far as a top five ranking. A general manager who's been to China to watch him play thinks he'll be one of the most intriguing international prospects to come into the draft in several years. With the exception of Yi and Brazilian big man Tiago Splitter, there aren't any top international prospects for the 2007 draft, which is expected to be dominated by college underclassmen. Splitter has zero sex appeal. He's entered and withdrawn from the last three drafts because he's been unable to secure a promise in the lottery -- now, according to the rules, he's in to stay. While he's improved every year he's played in Spain, his upside isn't huge. He's a talented big man who will probably make a bigger impact on defense than on offense. In a draft with so much upside, that's hard to fall in love with. Yi, however, has the right ingredients to be in consideration for the high lottery. He is about 7-feet tall and athletic, has quite a bit of international experience and had a good showing against Team USA in the World Championships this summer in Tokyo, posting a line of 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 24 minutes. The inevitable comparisons to Yao Ming will surely come, and Yi is the best prospect to come out of China since Yao. But that's where the comparisons stop. Yi plays more like Toni Kukoc than like Yao. He runs the floor, shoots the J and, unlike Yao, has a real bounce to his step. Agents are lining up to get their shot at Yi. Yao's agent, Bill Duffy, has been considered the front runner for years, but he may get resistance from Yi's camp, which wants to make sure Yi gets a separate identity from Yao.
Good old Chad Ford, starting up the hype machine for Yi early, top 5 pick in the most loaded draft ever? The only way he goes top 5 is if some team desperate for asian marketing revenue grabs him; hmmmm, seattle and Golden State seem pretty bad this year....
I hope the rockets or the warriors get him. <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QxOTfZg2wjU"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QxOTfZg2wjU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
Yi jianlian interview <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yvVM66hODoA"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yvVM66hODoA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object> can anyone translate?
As a professional, how do you prepare yourself for the game? Yi: I focus on my mental states. And if the crowd is crazy, I’ll get into the game faster. Which of the areas would u like to strengthen the most: speed, jumping ability or concentration? Yi: I think it should be all of the above. Especially concentrate and adjust to the flow of the game. Alotta nba players like to listen to music before the game, what kinda music do u like to listen to? Yi: I like hip hop, I love the rhythm and it gets me moving. What do you think it’s the difference of way of training between the nba and Chinese basketball? Yi: I think over the past few years, through alotta oversea coaches we are synchronizing with the nba and European way of training, alotta improvement. Which part of training do u like the most and dislike the most? Yi: I like body to body competition the most, and dislike the trainings that have to do with the body condition like repetitive running, etc. but I understand these kinda trainings are must. They are very important. Now last season, how do u feel about kobe scoring 81 points in a game? Yi: I think, first of all the condition of his body enable him to do that. Also he has excellent skills. He can play out of his mind. And Chinese players have alotta catching up to do. Do u think kobe scoring 81 points is “determined” or accidental? Yi: I think both. A record like this rarely happens. A little depends on luck, as an athlete, sometimes depend on your state of performance. How would u describe kobe’s style of playing? Yi: very individualistic. Very aggressive. He has a strong desire for offense. Can you score 82 points in a game? I hope so. We know kobe trains very hard, often going to extra training sessions by himself, would u do this by yourself? Yi: I think we still have catchin ups to do with American players’ intensity of training. Because of many factors our training in the national team is not as intense. And each summer nba players have 2-3 months of individual practice, I think that’s very important to improving ur game. And at last, the interviewer on the right said he can score 82 pt a game. i saw this interview before, this clip is only part of it, i remember later yi talked about that he wants to go to nba as soon as possible.
