Why wouldn't Seattle take Yi?

[BHayley]

"Wilkens said the club would try to re-sign forward Rashard Lewis, who will be an unrestricted free agent July 1."

^From Hoopshype NBA Rumors.

It makes sense for them to take Yi and then resign Rashard.

[Boondocks]

There's this thing called luxury tax

If they were a winning team then yes but now it makes more sense to be diligent about their payroll and keep the talent young if possible.

That said, oh god please I hope they take Yi, Durant would look oh so hot in a hawks uni.

Quote:

---

Ainge and Rivers traveled to Los Angeles Wednesday to watch a workout featuring Yi. According to Ainge, the Celtics have seen Yi play more than a dozen times for either his Chinese pro team or the Chinese national team. Watching Yi run through predetermined drills was far from ideal, prompting Ainge to joke about the workout.

"It was a good workout, Yi against a chair or a coach," said Ainge. "That's how some of those workouts are beautiful. The chair played good defense a couple times

. . . I saw Yi play three times at the end of the season this year and I've studied almost every game he's played that we have tape of, so I feel like I have a good feel for him."

---

[DavidSomerset]

I wouldn't care if we took Durant at 3 or traded the pick...We would get a GREAT player either way.

I'm sure Seattle would trade out of #2 before they took Yi there, though.

[AHF]

Quote:

---

"Wilkens said the club would try to re-sign forward Rashard Lewis, who will be an unrestricted free agent July 1."

^From Hoopshype NBA Rumors.

It makes sense for them to take Yi and then resign Rashard.

---

They wouldn't take Yi because they would have to pass on a very high % franchise player in Durant. Yi is intriguing but the bust factor is much higher with him. Durant is a no-brainer pick at #2.

[BusBoyIsBack]

Quote:

---

They wouldn't take Yi because they would have to pass on a very high % franchise player in Durant. Yi is intriguing but the bust factor is much higher with him. Durant is a no-brainer pick at #2.

---

Is it really?

In Kevin Durant you have a guy without enough lateral quickness to play the 3 and not enough strength to play the 4.

That has HUGE bust factor written all over it.

His bust potential isn't any higher than Yi's.

And his ceiling isn't any higher either considering Yi is more athletically gifted, bigger, and taller.

[DavidSomerset]

[AHF]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

They wouldn't take Yi because they would have to pass on a very high % franchise player in Durant. Yi is intriguing but the bust factor is much higher with him. Durant is a no-brainer pick at #2.

---

Is it really?

In Kevin Durant you have a guy without enough lateral quickness to play the 3 and not enough strength to play the 4.

That has HUGE bust factor written all over it.

His bust potential isn't any higher than Yi's.

And his ceiling isn't any higher either considering Yi is more athletically gifted, bigger, and taller.

---

If Seattle agrees with you we will see Yi's name called at #2 in the draft or Seattle calling Atlanta to trade picks.

Let me advise you out of my respect for life that you not hold your breath on this.

[BusBoyIsBack]

Quote:

---

If Seattle agrees with you we will see Yi's name called at #2 in the draft or Seattle calling Atlanta to trade picks.

Let me advise you out of my respect for life that you not hold your breath on this.

---

Seattle wouldn't have the balls to make that move.

The bottomline is that Yi SEEMS like a much riskier pick because he's an international prospect.

Im just making the point if you evaluate Kevin Durant as a basketball player, it's not like he is a sure thing either.

His lateral quickness and strength is simply not there which causes problems whether he plays the 3/4 on either end of the floor.

[AHF]

Durant is pretty close to a sure thing. I would bet a ton of $$ that he makes an All-Star team in his career. I would not do the same with any other prospect in this draft (excluding Oden). Durant is a franchise player. He and Oden are the only two franchise players coming into the draft (although it matters more who is a franchise guy coming out of the draft as people like Dwayne Wade and Ralph Sampson have proved).

[kelston827]

my god, busboy, you are so eff'ing retarded.

If you evaluate Durant?? How about if you watch him play?? How about if you see him destroy some of the top competition in the country. How about if you see him put together one of the most dominating and impressive freshmen seasons in the history of college basketball.

You obviously have not a clue about basketball and what it takes to make a great player.

How many times do players run the cone drill in game play??

So stupid.

[Sothron]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

They wouldn't take Yi because they would have to pass on a very high % franchise player in Durant. Yi is intriguing but the bust factor is much higher with him. Durant is a no-brainer pick at #2.

---

Is it really?

In Kevin Durant you have a guy without enough lateral quickness to play the 3 and not enough strength to play the 4.

That has HUGE bust factor written all over it.

His bust potential isn't any higher than Yi's.

And his ceiling isn't any higher either considering Yi is more athletically gifted, bigger, and taller.

---

I'm sorry but this is just and I do mean I put this up there with the idiot that was actually comparing Oden to Colgate's finest in Adonal Foyle.

[ncthompson11]

"In Kevin Durant you have a guy without enough lateral quickness to play the 3 and not enough strength to play the 4."

Just by a his workout? No one would have even worried so much about his strength if it didnt come out and say he couldnt bench 185. Before that he just needed to work on it, but now he cant play the 4 in the nba. Before the workout he was looked on as quick and having good agility but a couple of numbers change that? Some guys dont do good at combines, and when being timed.

It was hard for me to get motivated to run my fastest when i was timed for basketball, when I knew it meant nothing. I was one of the slower times on my team but I could run with anyone on the court. The numbers mean nothing.

[Diesel]

Realistically, there's nothing so special about Durant that is absent in Yi? I think Yi is quicker, taller, and probably stronger than Durant. Yi has more moves than Durant offensively and neither has been praised for their defense or the post play...

How is Durant consider head and shoulders better?

I think it's because more people have seen Durant play. They have been made prejudice because Yi has not been seen as much. But now, the floodgates have been opened and more people are seeing Yi games. Can't help but be impressed when you actually take the time to watch General Yi. So what is it now?? My only guess is leaving what's familiar.

The way I see it is that Durant is very young and what flew in Texas, won't fly so easily in the NBA. Not until he gets stronger. It's BS if you believe Barnes when he says you don't need to be strong in the NBA. Durant is a Sf going down the road of Rashard Lewis if nobody puts him in a strengthening program and teaches him some post moves. Now that's not a put down, however, I'm saying that's not head and shoulders greater than Yi!

[BusBoyIsBack]

Quote:

---

Durant is pretty close to a sure thing. I would bet a ton of $$ that he makes an All-Star team in his career. I would not do the same with any other prospect in this draft (excluding Oden). Durant is a franchise player. He and Oden are the only two franchise players coming into the draft (although it matters more who is a franchise guy coming out of the draft as people like Dwayne Wade and Ralph Sampson have proved).

---

Lol well I would bet a ton of money that Yi makes more than one all-star appearance.

The notion that Oden and Durant are the only two players in this draft with superstar potential is absurd. Both Brandan Wright and Yi have that upside.

The closest thing to a sure thing is Greg Oden because of his defense.

[BusBoyIsBack]

Quote:

---

"In Kevin Durant you have a guy without enough lateral quickness to play the 3 and not enough strength to play the 4."

Just by a his workout? No one would have even worried so much about his strength if it didnt come out and say he couldnt bench 185. Before that he just needed to work on it, but now he cant play the 4 in the nba. Before the workout he was looked on as quick and having good agility but a couple of numbers change that? Some guys dont do good at combines, and when being timed.

It was hard for me to get motivated to run my fastest when i was timed for basketball, when I knew it meant nothing. I was one of the slower times on my team but I could run with anyone on the court. The numbers mean nothing.

---

I said his strength was a problem by looking at him.

When I was arguing that Josh Smith had as much potential as Durant someone said Durant would average 20/10 as soon as next year.

I said no way in hell he would get that many boards his first couple of years in the pros till he put on weight. You don't need to see any draft workouts to see that.

[Diesel]

Exactly.

IN the NBA, you actually got to work for rebounds. Teams don't just give them to you because you're tall and out jump them anymore.

Durant is going to take a few years until he actually puts on some weight. And if he don't put on the weight, he will be the second coming of Rashard Lewis.

[BusBoyIsBack]

Quote:

---

my god, busboy, you are so eff'ing retarded.

If you evaluate Durant?? How about if you watch him play?? How about if you see him destroy some of the top competition in the country. How about if you see him put together one of the most dominating and impressive freshmen seasons in the history of college basketball.

You obviously have not a clue about basketball and what it takes to make a great player.

How many times do players run the cone drill in game play??

So stupid.

---

First of all, the Big 12 is not top competition in the country.

2nd of all, yes I watched his great season and I was intrigued a few years ago by the guy probably before most of you when I saw that NBAdraft.net had a 6'10 guy compared to McGrady.

(At that time Brandan Wright was actually ranked higher than Durant BTW)

All Im saying is that it's ridiculous to say Yi isn't worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence as Durant when he's an unknown. None of you people would have these opinions of Durant if you didn't see him play last year.

The point is that on paper, Yi Jianlian has just as much upside as Durant if not more because of his physical tools.

A 6'10 guy who can move like Durant is rare. But a legit 7 footer who can move like Yi Jianlian is even more rare.

All of you captivated by Durant's season will also be captivated by Donte Greene next year who is an even more athletic version of Durant.

Durant's season was so special because he was in the first class of HS players good enough to go pro that didn't have that option.

Next year you will see a repeat performance with another talented crop of players that could have gone pro.

[Diesel]

Let's see.. who did he really play?

I guess Jason Smith of Colorado? Well, Smith missed the game.

Ahm.. Big Baby of LSU...

Baby had 21 pts, 10 rebounds.

Durant had 10 pts, 11 rebounds on 5 of 15 shooting.

JWright of Kansas...

game 1: Wright: 17pt, 13 reb; Durant 32 pts, 9 rebs.

Game 2: Wright: 19pts, 8 rebs; Durant 37 pts, 10 rebs.

UTexas lost both games.

Taj Gibson of USC...

Gibson: 17 pts, 14 rebs; Durant 30 pts, 9 rebs.

There you have it. I think Durant has showned that he is a skilled scorer on the college level. However, where's the defense? Where's the rebounding. His game cries out "lack of strength on the college level... Big baby 21 and 10?? Where's the D? I think Durant will have to have a strong weight training program before he's considered "allstar" material or PF.