I have high expectations for Yi, but he's can't be the first option on offense. He has a silky smooth jumper up to 20 feet, but only when's completely wide open, and he's athletic. If he started drawing the opponent's best defender he would get annihilated. Someone like Bowen or Battier will consistently force him into a 3-14, 4 rebound, 0 assists, 5 turnovers, 4 fouls games.
People saw Dirk dominate the Hoops Summit game before he was drafted. Yi hasn't dominated similar competition like that.
Yi can't create his own shots, Dirk can. That is a huge difference. You shouldn't only compare stats. Yi was much older than Dirk in his rookie year too.
On the other hand...there is this, from Pete Newell, Joe Abunassar and Kiki Vandeweghe, among others: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2007-06-24-yi-wows-scouts_N.htm And while Dirk did dominate the Hoops Summit, he did not dominate his first season. I am not saying he will become Dirk nor that he should be the first option, but I think there is a lot of potential there...a 7-footer with a 7'4" wingspan, a 36.5" vertical and deep range. That is a rare combination.
The more time that goes by and more and more i think that Yi would be just a good rotation guy. I don't think that his jumper is money, his defense isn't great and rebounding is just average for his size. Also he isn't overall fast. He will be a 12 point scorer 7rebounder and 2 assists with less that 1 block per game. Hopefully he can prove me wrong and we made the right decision on the trade although, i like Bobby Simmons and i look for him to get to pre-surgery form.
defense isn't great? ask dirk how yi's defense is ok, it's not GREAT, but it's above average, and he's still young. I think with Najera, Dooling, and Harris on the roster, Yi and others will improve their defense. those guys love defense and I'm sure they'd love to push it onto everyone else.
Dude how can you say that after just 1 year in the league? Yi is very young and still has alot to learn but you can't use the B word just yet. He could end up being a "rotation guy" like you said but his career is barely starting and you cant make that assumption just yet, the same goes for thinking he will be a superstar or even allstar. My POV in the whole Yi being the number offensive option on the team is this: He is not on the same level as Lebron, Melo or Wade to name a few. He is not that Franchise player at this point in time, But he could if you give him more time. That's the thing about international prospects, They usually take 3-5 years to adjust to the league and to a new culture. That means that we won't know how good he will be until then. Yi has the tools to become a very dominant PF in the league. But will he work his ass off and show it on the court? Who knows. But he certainly does have what it takes to succeed in this league and the whole situation is very premature to pass judgement already!
Athletically, he is very intriguing. I just want to see him go through the logical progression of development. Yi has tasted NBA competition and was soundly defeated by the rookie wall. Now he'll get to play in a better system and will have offensive opportunities created for him. I agree with this statement from the article you linked
Yes he could be an allstar player but i just can't see that in him. He might adjust in time and be a solid starter maybe a first option on offense, but right now and maybe in the future he is a borderline starter and a solid backup. Dont mean to only go against you.
I just hope that Brook Lopez improves his D. I mean he can really be a top 5-10 Center in the league next year with good D. That being because he is a legit 7 footer and has plenty of offensive talent. And don't forget Carter can play D too. Out of our starting (projected) line-up Devin Harris- above average defender Vince Carter- very good defender Bobby Simmons- (Since i expect him to be back to form) average to above average defender. Yi- Average, above average defender, will get better Boone- Small in height but makes it up in size, basically average defender or Lopez- Below average defender to average defender.
Carter has really stepped up his defensive intensity/awareness but I dont think I would consider him a "very good defender".
I think he is a very good defender cause he has good speed, athleticism and strength. Also he is smart on defense and he is a leader(meaning if he does good then the whole defense will succeed.) Also if he reaches for the ball more and attempts steals he can show the defender that he is. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Yi's defence is actually quite underrated. His body positioning is excellent due to his good footwork and excellent lateral quickness, especially for a 7-footer. And to say his jumper isn't money is absolutely rubbish. Mo Williams said in an interview that Yi can rain 3's in practice but has yet to shoot them quite as much in games. Why? He played in Milwaukee, enough said. Like I said in another thread. He needs to develop a killer mentality. Not so much if he does, but when he does, he could be very, very good.
Yi can also be a great transition defender. When playing high post, he is fast enough to get back to the other foul line with the guards. That cuts off the opposing guards from driving to the basket. This can force running teams right out of their game.
