Yardbarker: Yi Jianlian

Next Couple Of Years Will Be Big For The Future Of The Celtics

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:13:31 -0500

There's no denying that one day Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen will no longer be Celtics. They will either retire or play for a different team. We can enjoy the success that these players have brought to Boston, but like the Cousy-Russell-Havlicek era of the 60's ~ 70's, and the Bird-McHale-Parish era of the 80's, this era of Celtics glory will pass too. But if Ainge desires to bypass the years of gloom that follows the glorious heydays, he needs to bring in good players who will carry the torch left by the Big 3. Celtics fans are all too familiar with the pain and heartache of following disastrous Celtics teams--and no one in their right mind wants to endure more of that. Thus, Ainge needs to hit homeruns with the drafts/trades/free agencies and get us the type of players who will keep the winning tradition here in Boston alive. Getting Garnett and Ray Allen cost us most of our future. But Ainge was able to hold onto some young talent who should be solid contributors for many years to come. Namely Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins. Both are starters for this championship team and both held their own against top competition--despite being 24 and 22 years old, respectively. Perkins is turning into a fine defensive player, while Rajon has the potential to be a top 7 PG in this league (once guys like Kidd, Nash, and Miller retire). Rondo will be more aggressive with his own offense in the future, and this will take his PG play to a higher level. Outside of these two, Ainge has brought in other young players who will have the opportunity to make their impact felt--possibly as starters, but most likely as role players off the bench. Leon Powe shows the potential to be a fine low post scorer and steady rebounder as a reserve, and Big Baby has the body and power to battle other team's Hulks. Tony has starter potential, and his two-way game is a valuable asset. But like many other youngsters in the league before him, he may never reach the level of consistency to be a proficient player. And his time may run out after this season (last year of his contract). Its all or nothing for Tony this year. Gabe Pruitt has a solid all around game as a backcourt player (either the 1 or 2). He has a combo guard;s game, and this will allow him to find a niche off the bench. His shooting is ahead of his PG skills, and Ainge and Rivers are hoping he develops this part of his game. In time, Pruitt has a good shot at being a regular in the rotation, albeit a solid, but unspectacular player. Ainge did well to bring in 2 other wing players with solid basketball talent and amazing physical attributes. Bill Walker and JR Giddens are 2 young guys who will be groomed to be the heir apparent at SG in 3-4 years. Walker has a better shot based on talent and abilities, while Giddens is a wildcard because of his defensive abilities and internal motor. Another young player Ainge is giving a shot to is Semih Erden. He's a 7 foot Turkish player who has length and mobility like Pau Gasol. Intriguing prospect who will come over to the NBA next year. Not much is known about him, but based on projectibility and natural physical gifts, he's a guy to keep an eye on. Ainge feels Erden is a first round talent in next year's draft. Our young talent pool was not totally depleted by the trades that brought Garnett and Allen here. On the contrary, we still have a good handful of players who can provide supporting roles. To put it on paper, we have at least 2 starters in place (Perk and Rajon), one guy who could start in the very near future (Tony Allen), 2 young big men who have good roles off the bench (Powe and Baby), a future backcourt player who can fill in at the 1 and 2 (Pruitt), and 3 players whose potential ranges from bench warmers all the way to the starting lineup (Walker, Giddens, Erden). What Ainge has to do now is get lucky with the draft and land a big time talent--like he did in '04 when Al Jefferson was our pick at 15. Big Al had many doubters, but has quieted them by cementing himself as one of the league's top young PF's. Many people did not think they'd see the day Jefferson would become a 20 and 10 guy--but Ainge proved his eye for talent when for the second year in a row, Jefferson did better than 20 and 10. It isn't likely that Ainge can find a big time talent with late round draft picks, so he'll need to either find a way to get into the middle of the round or higher, or else trade for a big time talent. To get a mid round draft pick, or higher, Ainge will most likely have to get it via a trade of one of our star players. This is a big possibility, as Ainge is not afraid to pull the trigger on an unpopular trade. Future franchise players are coming. BJ Mullens and Brandon Jennings could make a big splash in the NCAA's, and guys like Blake Griffin and Tyler Hansborough could solidify any team's starting rotation. Moving an aging star player for an incoming player with star potential sounds very much Ainge-like. Or Ainge can attempt to pry a big time player through free agency--and one of the biggest years of free agency in history is approaching in a couple of years. LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh head the draft of '03 (among other big named players) who will be eligible for free agency, and its debatable if these 3 will stay with their current teams. Its speculated that LeBron might be landing with the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets (headed by Jay-Z). Dwayne Wade may want to bolt Miami since the Heat are years away from competing. Toronto is a small market, and it may be time for Chris Bosh to spread his fame in a bigger market. I can't pinpoint which player Ainge may have his cross hairs pointed at, but I'm sure he's looking to take a shot at, at least, one big time player who will reach free agency in a couple of years. Ainge has made his mark as a genius general manager (technically he's the Head of Basketball Operations) in just his 5th year at the helm, but he's not going to end his legacy here. He's going to continue working his magic to bring more titles to Boston. Ainge has proven to be a guy who sticks to his "vision" and keeps one eye looking over the horizon. His moves may shock some and leave others disgusted and confused. Ainge may have had more haters in his early tenure as a GM than he ever had as a player for the Celtics, the Kings, and the Blazers. But don't second guess his moves until he's had a chance to mold the team according to his vision. The process may not be pretty, but the end product has been sweet, to say the least. One of the favorite catch phrases among bloggers the past few years, when referring to Ainge's moves, was "expect the unexpected". I'm thinking the new phrase should be, "expect changes". Its likely that Ainge won't sit still, even after winning the championship. Like last time, just buckle in and go along for the ride. Danny will make it worth your while. We are hearing talks of Maggette being lured here. This could mean the end of Ray Allen's short stay in Green, or it could mean Posey is not coming back. Either way, Ainge is not going to stay put and let things pass him by. He's being proactive with his options. Yes he'd like to keep Posey around for another run at the title, but not at the price and the duration Posey is asking for. Losing Posey is big, and I'd hate to see Posey on the enemy's side. But that's the type of unpopular move Ainge is willing to make to keep his vision intact. Not only is he trying to bring in young talent and star players to Boston, but he's also trying his best to keep us out of the red financially. As for future moves, I'm in favor of making an attempt at Josh Smith. He's the type of two-way player who causes havoc with his length, athleticism, and skills. He and Rudy Gay are at the top of my wish list of young SF's to go after. Rudy Gay may not be available, but word is that Josh Smith is being sought after by a number of teams. If he's available, now is the time to make a splash for the future. Yi Jianlian is a guy Ainge likes, and I'm not sure he'll be in New Jersey's (Brooklyn's) long term plans. He's another SF who could cause havoc with his miss matching abilities. Overall, there are a lot of young star level players who may become available at any given time, and Ainge is going to keep his eyes open for a big catch. He knows that time is limited with the group of players he has now, and is most likely already gearing for the future. One thing with Ainge is you know his teams will never be old and stagnant. They may be young and inexperienced, but always with a bright future in sight.

Jefferson not happy about getting traded to Bucks

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:27:49 -0500

The New York Post says that Ex-New Jersey Net Richard Jefferson is unhappy about the trade on draft day that sent him to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons. New Jersey Nets president Rod Thorn has not spoken to Jefferson yet, but said "He didn't seem very happy," "I spoke to his agent, I called him, texted him. I like Richard. He was here for a long time and I'm sure he still expected to be here. Unless you are the one pushing for it, it's always difficult when you are traded. You are going to a new place, have new teammates. It's hard at first". It looks to me like the Nets are making cap room for King James????

Changing a losing culture

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:14:26 -0500

When John Hammond was hired to replace Larry Harris as the Milwaukee Bucks General Manager many people didn't think it was possible to turn around such a downtrodden franchise so quickly. After his first draft as GM, I'd say Hammond is well on his way to revitalizing a once proud franchise.

Shall LBJ Blaze the Trail to Brooklyn

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:09:22 -0500

The Nets just traded Richard Jefferson for Yi Jianlian, Bobby Simmons and the chance to sign Lebron in 2010. Hoorah another team which is basing the success of their franchise on the hope of making some massive free agent splash years in advance. The problem for the Nets is that well, unless they move to Brooklyn there ain't a chance in hell that they'll be locking up LBJ so perhaps this will get their ass in gear.

NBA Draft Day Excitement: Open Thread

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:10:35 -0500

There's nothing else really going on in the Sports Media department so I'm just going take this spot to add any draft day items and post another mock draft. I have nothing to do but watch Soccer and count down to live-blog and the Bulls going on the clock.

Our First Item:

Yi to the Nets for Richard Jefferson!!!!

The Milwaukee Bucks have agreed in principle to trade Yi Jianlian to the New Jersey Nets for Richard Jefferson, two league sources told SI.com.

The Bucks also are sending Bobby Simmons to the Nets. He has $20.5 million left on a contract that expires in the summer of 2010, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh could become free agents.

Well that's interesting isn't it? Add that to Jermaine O'Neal moving to the Raptors and we've got two pretty big moves. That doesn't mean that Toronto and Milwaukee aren't being idiotic for making these trades though. We're one step closer to LB23 coming to the East Coast.

Nets dealing Jefferson to Bucks for Yi (SI.com)

Our Second Item:

Michael Beasley is considering pulling a prank on David Stern....

Our Third Item:

Unsubstantiated Rumors From ESPN.....

1. David Lee to Portland
2. Leandro Barbosa to Portland for Martell Webster, the No. 13 overall pick
3. Clippers and Sonics have agreed to swap picks as long as the Wolves take O.J. Mayo at No. 3
4. The Bobcatas looking to trade Adam Morrison

AA's Final Mock Draft:

1. Bulls- Derrick Rose, PG (Memphis)
2. Heat- Michael Beasley, F (Kansas State)
3. Wolves- OJ Mayo, PG/SG (USC)
4. Sonics- Brook Lopez, C (Stanford)
5. Grizzlies- Kevin Love, PF/C (UCLA)
6. Knicks- Eric Gordon, SG (Indiana)
7. Clippers- Russell Westbrook, PG/SG (UCLA)
8. Bucks- Joe Alexander, SF/PF (West Virginia)
9. Bobcats- Danilo Gallinari, SF (Italy)
10. Nets- Jerryd Bayless, PG/SG (Arizona)
11. Pacers- D.J. Augustin, PG (Texas)
12. Kings- Kosta Koufas, C (Ohio State)
13. Blazers- Anthony Randolph, SF/PF (LSU)
14. Warriors- DeAndre Jordan, C (Texas A&M)
15. Suns- Brandon Rush, SG (Kansas)
16. 76ers- Robin Lopez, C (Stanford)
17. Pacers- Mario Chalmers, PG (Kansas)
18. Wizards- Darrel Arthur, PF (Kansas)
19. Cavaliers- JJ Hickson, PF (NC State)
20. Charlotte- Roy Hibbert, C (Georgetown)
21. Nets- Donte Greene, SF/PF (Syracuse)
22. Magic- Courtney Lee, SG (Western Kentucky)
23. Jazz- JaVale McGee, PF (Nevada)
24. Sonics- Mareesse Speights, C (Florida)
25. Rockets- Ante Tomic, C (Croatia)
26. Spurs- Nicolas Batum, SF (France
27. Trail Blazers- Alexis Ajinca, PF/C (France)
28. Grizzlies- Jason Thompson, PF (Rider)
29. Pistons- DJ White, PF (Indiana)
30. Celtics- Chris Douglas-Roberts, SG (Memphis)

The NBA Draft: Fantasy Implications

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:24:44 -0500

The flurry of activity on NBA Draft Day has me a little wobbly. Starting with the Jermaine O'Neal trade, and ending this morning with the O.J. Mayo-Kevin Love swap, the fantasy implications from June 26, 2008 will be far-reaching. Let's break down the trades and make some mental notes for next season.

Nets Trade Jefferson to Bucks for Yi, Simmons

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:23:49 -0500

The New Jersey Nets didn't wait around for tonight's NBA draft to make a big splash. The team pulled the trigger on a blockbuster trade today, acquiring forwards Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Richard Jefferson. In addition to acquiring the 6th overall pick in last year's draft in Yi, the Nets save themselves a boatload of money in the swap by unloading the three years and more than $42 million owed Jefferson. First Kidd, now R.J. You know if Vince Carter's contract was tradeable, he'd be on the next bus as well. It's pretty clear to me that - like the Knicks - the Nets are positioning themselves to get under the cap by the summer of 2010 when big ticket free agents like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh all hit the open market - just in time for the franchise's move to Brooklyn.

EE GIN LIN (Yi Jianlian) - Pronunciation Validated

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:31:19 -0500

Watching the NBA Draft on ESPN -- Both Ric Bucher and Stuart Scott just pronounced Yi Jianlian's name as, phonetically, "EE GIN LIN." That's how you really pronounce it (See "Poor Charlie: The Underdog Story" below)!! I don't know at what point they stopped butchering it as "EE GEE-ON LEE-ON," but hopefully those days are over.

Trade analysis Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:17:28 -0500

Jefferson/Yi trade's fantasy impact.

Bucks Make Out Like Bandits - Steal Richard Jefferson

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:27:16 -0500

The Milwaukee Bucks pulled off the 2nd biggest trade heist of 2008 (after Pau Gasol). Talk about your lop-sided trades. According to ESPN, the Milwaukee Bucks have shipped Yi Jianlin and Bobby Simmons to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Richard Jefferson. UPDATE: This deal is also rumored to include the #6 pick. Let me put it another way - the Bucks traded a soft PF (Yi) and an incredibly overpaid journeyman SF (Bobby) for a solid locker-room leader and All-Star (Richard). You're probably asking yourself how this type of deal happens. Simple. Kiki Vandeweghe. The same Kiki Vandeweghe that bid against himself when trading for Kenyon Martin. The same Kiki Vandeweghe that drafted Nikoloz Tskitishvili. The same Kiki Vandeweghe that traded the rights to Jameer Nelson for Julius Hodge. Don't get me wrong - I think Yi Jianlian has an upside. However, contrary to popular belief, I doubt he'll ever turn into Dirk Nowitzki. I see him bearing more resemblance to Troy Murphy - a solid player, but no all-star. My problem is that New Jersey clearly could have gotten more for Jefferson. How about Barbosa and Diaw, for instance? The Nets lack a PF (Boone is too young to start, Kristic is too slow to play PF), and Diaw could have filled that need quite well. Pairing Barbosa and Devin Harris together would have given New Jersey the fastest back court in the league and fueled a tremendous transition game. V.C. could have played SF and been the go-to guy in the half court. Lamar Odom might have been a good trade option too - assuming NJ could have picked up a complementary piece like Sasha Vujacic or Ronny Turiaf as part of the deal. Then there's Detroit - a team desperate to add an athletic SF and scorer. Tell me RJ couldn't have been had in exchange for Rasheed Wallace (the PF New Jersey needs) or some combo of Tayshaun Prince and a young talented big (like Maxiell or Amir Johnson)? Josh Howard might have been available too, but perhaps that's wishful thinking. I realize that the Nets did this deal to clear salary cap room for 2010 so they could take a run at Lebron. However, considering the Knicks will also have cap room at that time, and that the Cavs can offer LBJ the best deal of any team in the league, it seems foolish to trade one of today's better small forwards for a chance at signing Lebron two years from now. What if (God forbid) LBJ gets hurt? NJ gives up Richard Jefferson for a pipe dream. I guess my problem is that I don't understand why this deal is being executed now. Seems to me that this deal would have been available all summer long. There aren't any draft picks involved, and Milwaukee seems desperate to unload one of their many soft forwards (Simmons, Yi, Charlie V). At least that's my opinion…perhaps there's more to the story. UPDATE: Since Milwaukee included the sixth overall pick in the draft, this deal makes more sense. However, I'm not convinced NJ got the best deal available. Detroit might have been willing to make a deal for R.J., especially after free agency got underway. Phoenix might have been a good trade partner as well. As a Nets fan, I'm disappointed.

Richard Jefferson Dealt to Bucks, Yi to New Jersey

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:11:29 -0500

The New Jersey Nets have agreed to trade Richard Jefferson to the Milwaukee Bucks fro Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons according to ESPN.com. BJ Pickard

Nets and Bucks agree on Richard Jefferson/Yi Jianlian swap

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:07:12 -0500

CNN-SI is reporting that the Bucks and Nets have agreed in principle to a trade that would send Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons. This appears to be a good trade for both parties. The Nets get out from under Jefferson's considerable contract (three years, $42 M), freeing up cap space to make a run at LeBron James if he chooses to opt out of the final year of his contract in the summer of 2010. They also get a nice, young prospect in Yi, who played pretty well (9.6 points, 5.7 rebounds before the All-Star break) prior to a few nagging injuries late in the season. The Bucks fill a huge hole at small forward and get out from under Bobby Simmons' big contract (two years, $21 M). Yi might still turn into a player, but had the Bucks kept him, there would have been a good chance that he would have bolted when he was a free agent, since he and his camp want him to play in a big market. In acquiring Jefferson, Milwaukee gets an experienced, athletic small forward, who averaged 22.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists last season. As regular readers know, I'm a Bucks fan, and I'm thrilled with this trade... (Read the rest after the jump.)

Bucks trade Yi, Bobby Simmons for Richard Jefferson

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:48:16 -0500

Does this mean the bucks will take Randolph instead of Joe Alexander tonight?

Trade! Richard Jefferson traded to the Bucks

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:44:10 -0500

Breaking news! According to ESPN, Richard Jefferson has just been traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons. Not sure how I feel about this but I am 100% sure the Bucks won't be picking Joe Alexander with the 8th pick tonight. Look for the Bucks to go Big (Kevin Love, Lopez or Arthur) which should help them compete in the NBA Central

Nets-Bucks Deal

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:12:57 -0500

Jefferson to Milwaukee in exchange for Yi Si.com