First impression of Yi

[jerrywest]

Ex - looking at the games, don't you think Yi will be a better defender at center than Zaza by December? He was playing post defense not perimeter defense in those games. They may not value defense as much in their league which may have hold him back a lot. I see all kinds of potential in him to be a good defender after he gets some legitimate training. What was Del Harris doing there?

[jerrywest]

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exodus the clip you are talking about is in Jerry West sig right above.

I will be a realist and say it is just highlights so you dont see the total package. I beleive that is what he was referring to was this one game he watched. But that video shows he does have skills.

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No I saw some of the 2nd final. I'll watch the other games ASAP.

[Diesel]

It's like I keep saying. Yi has the potential to be a great defender. Look at the way he moves laterally. Look at his long wingspan and his speed. If trained right, he can lead the league in steals and be close in blocks.

[jerrywest]

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It's like I keep saying. Yi has the potential to be a great defender. Look at the way he moves laterally. Look at his long wingspan and his speed. If trained right, he can lead the league in steals and be close in blocks.

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I don't think he'll ever be among the league leaders in steals, but I think he can lead the league in blocks some day. He'll certainly be a top 10 blocker every year once he gets some minutes.

[exodus]

I don't see him defending the center spot in the NBA at all. They play him there because he is tall but that is not his natural position. I think playing him inside is a waste of his ability.

[exodus]

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It's like I keep saying. Yi has the potential to be a great defender. Look at the way he moves laterally. Look at his long wingspan and his speed. If trained right, he can lead the league in steals and be close in blocks.

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I think people have the wrong impression of Yi. Granted i only watched a half of play but his speed and quickness scream sf. And the fact that he is so tall will allow him to play further off his man making it even tougher to beat him off the dribble.

His hops aren't great but he jumps quickly so even if you manage to get to the basket it won't be easy to finish.

However if you put him in the middle on d he will just get beat up.

[jerrywest]

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It's like I keep saying. Yi has the potential to be a great defender. Look at the way he moves laterally. Look at his long wingspan and his speed. If trained right, he can lead the league in steals and be close in blocks.

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I think people have the wrong impression of Yi. Granted i only watched a half of play but his speed and quickness scream sf. And the fact that he is so tall will allow him to play further off his man making it even tougher to beat him off the dribble.

His hops aren't great but he jumps quickly so even if you manage to get to the basket it won't be easy to finish.

However if you put him in the middle on d he will just get beat up.

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Yi is heavier, faster and probably stronger than Chandler. It took Chandler a few years to find his niche. He believes he can block every shot. I have seen him running form behind the guards and blocking shots. Its his tenacity that makes me think he can do anything he wants to do.

I agree with your last sentence. He would be a great finisher. Using him at center would drain his energy/body to do late game heroics. It may also shorten his career.

[GoDawgs21]

I fully understand were you're coming from asking who he can guard him down low??? But I keep asking and nobody is answered in one thread how are other teams C going to guard him. I am not saying he is a center. In all my talking about putting a team on the floor I have written:

PG

JJ

Marvin

Josh

Yi

Note it does not say C next to his name. Many teams are going with smaller PF as their cneters now. Duncan is basically SA center. But I see Yi as an Okur type center. That jumper and ability to make the deep shot.

With Woody's pick and pop, Yi is a perfect complement.Just because I have him listed there doesnt mean he is a C. He is a PF. But Ind starts Jeff Foster is he a center, no. Alot of teams are using g,g,f,f,f, line ups now. This is my idea for Yi.

Back to my point. People keep asking how is Yi going to guard the big centers. Ok how is the likes of Eddie Curry and the other big cneters going to keep up with the speed of Yi. If he is out past the free throw line and they have to respect the jumper that opens up the lane and paint for JJ to post up. If they use a tall PF on him then is that C supposed to guard Smith????? This forces the other coach to change his style.

[BusBoyIsBack]

No way can Yi play SF in the NBA because he would have to have ridiculously good dribbling ability for a 7 footer to pull that off. Also it would require even more lateral quickness.

I think he really is a PF/C prospect just like Horford and Noah.

I think he has potential to be a dominant post player with his athleticism and range on his shot.

ON defense he also has a high ceiling with his lateral quickness and explosion off the floor.

[exodus]

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But I keep asking and nobody is answered in one thread how are other teams C going to guard him.

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So Yi will be able to shoot jumpers with centers guarding him. Meanwhile the centers will get dunks and layups with Yi guarding them. How is that to our advangage?

[jerrywest]

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Granted i only watched a half of play but his speed and quickness scream sf.

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That's a major problem with Yi. He's so fast people want to pigeon hole him into SF although he is a hybrid of all 3 front court positions. On top of that he grew us as a point guard. Go figure.

[BusBoyIsBack]

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So Yi will be able to shoot jumpers with centers guarding him. Meanwhile the centers will get dunks and layups with Yi guarding them. How is that to our advangage?

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Well first of all, he can pull the opposing C out of the paint with his range which is a huge advantage for the ENTIRE OFFENSE.

And with the ball in his hands, what C do you know has the lateral quickness to defend a guy who moves like a SF?

He could easily take that C off the dribble or if they gave him enough space, elevate for a mid range jumper or 3 pointer.

[jerrywest]

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But I keep asking and nobody is answered in one thread how are other teams C going to guard him.

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So Yi will be able to shoot jumpers with centers guarding him. Meanwhile the centers will get dunks and layups with Yi guarding them. How is that to our advangage?

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Yes thats a problem. At least until Yi develops like Chandler did. However, its less of a problem than when they dunk on Zaza. Those centers would prefer to face Zaza anyday over Yi. Both defensively and offensively.

[exodus]

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So Yi will be able to shoot jumpers with centers guarding him. Meanwhile the centers will get dunks and layups with Yi guarding them. How is that to our advangage?

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Well first of all, he can pull the opposing C out of the paint with his range which is a huge advantage for the ENTIRE OFFENSE.

And with the ball in his hands, what C do you know has the lateral quickness to defend a guy who moves like a SF?

He could easily take that C off the dribble or if they gave him enough space, elevate for a mid range jumper or 3 pointer.

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So what does Yi do in the second quarter after he has fouled out trying to guard a center?

[exodus]

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Granted i only watched a half of play but his speed and quickness scream sf.

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That's a major problem with Yi. He's so fast people want to pigeon hole him into SF although he is a hybrid of all 3 front court positions. On top of that he grew us as a point guard. Go figure.

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You got it backwards. he hasn't been playing as a sf he has been playing as a center. His athleticism and skills are that of a sf but he is forced to play inside because he is tall.

[jerrywest]

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So what does Yi do in the second quarter after he has fouled out trying to guard a center?

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Yes. That's a problem.

My memory is fuzzy. Did Chandler foul out a lot in the beginning of his career. I think he didn't get a lot minutes early on. Right? Also he played a lot of small forward. LOL. Can you imagine Chandler playing small forward now?

[exodus]

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So what does Yi do in the second quarter after he has fouled out trying to guard a center?

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Yes. That's a problem.

My memory is fuzzy. Did Chandler foul out a lot in the beginning of his career. I think he didn't get a lot minutes early on. Right? Also he played a lot of small forward. LOL. Can you imagine Chandler playing small forward now?

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Chandler isn't a legit comparison because he came into the league out of hs. He was underdeveloped. Yi is several years older and still can't handle the physical play underneath.

[GoDawgs21]

First YI wont be playing 48 minutes. The lineup I am talking about can be used at any point in the game. This isnt soccer, subs come in and out for matchups. Thats my biggest problem with this board. Its as if we get this guy or that guy he si there for 48 min and thats that.

Now back to your question. If someone is posting Yi up, I would like to think (have serious doubts) Woody can choose to send a quick double team, or you also have the best help weakside defneder in the NBA right now in Smith. So there are options and help defense opportunities.

What help will that big C have on defense. If he goes out to cover Yi then the paint is open for JJ to post up the smaller guards. If they switch, then the C is guarding Smith who can easily go past him. My point is with having the adavantage and making the other team change to your style.

This is why Dallas lost to GS. Dallas and Avery Johnson was unwilling until game 4 when it was to late to go to a small lineup. All of GS bigs are PF, not one true C. But Dallas kept using Dampier in the game and he was to slow to play on d. The best lineup was to switch Dirk to play the so called C role but really having 2 PF on the floor.

My favorite example is Utah this is what this team would look. Okur is a PF playing C (i get tired of calling it C, its really 2 PF playing but in todays NBA it works)

There main lineup is Okur, Boozer, AK, Fisher, Deron

Thats PF, PF, combo F, SG, PG

How is that diffrent from Yi, Smith, Marvin, JJ, (Speedy, Conley, Law, Critt or any pg) ?

While Woody doesnt run the pick and roll as much, but he loves using what the Jazz do with Okur in a pick and pop. I hate Woody and I dont like his system, but that is what we have and YI is the best fit for it.

[jerrywest]

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Granted i only watched a half of play but his speed and quickness scream sf.

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That's a major problem with Yi. He's so fast people want to pigeon hole him into SF although he is a hybrid of all 3 front court positions. On top of that he grew us as a point guard. Go figure.

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You got it backwards. he hasn't been playing as a sf he has been playing as a center. His athleticism and skills are that of a sf but he is forced to play inside because he is tall.

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No I haven't.

Almost everybody including his agent calls him a SF, but the game tape shows he plays center.

He developed his instinct as a center. Both defensively and offensively.

The highlights show he shoot the lights out from long range. The game tape shows he does what we want Smoove to do. He penetrates and goes inside like his life depends on it. He hates to settle for outside shots unless he has to.

In defense he doesn't guard anybody on the perimeter. He stays in side the box and tries to enrich his blocked shot stat. In China defenders love to turn around & bend over. Compared to that culture he is like a Dikembe.

Just because he is super quick, everybody wants to make him a small forward. Yes, he can be a great forward but for our team he can fit in as a center too. Zaza can't do better than him.

[GoDawgs21]

this is what I love, so if I say I want a lineup of JJ, Marvin, Smith, Yi then thats set in stone, cant change, he fouls out thats it.

First if he plays more then 12 minutes in the 1st half I'd be shocked. We are talking about a rookie here lets not get carried away. Secondly if on the nights we do play a big C, could Shell or Lo or somebody not rotate in and out with him. Honestly how many beastly cneters does the east have?????? Howard?? so when we play Orl he cant guard Darko? in 2 to 3 years will Shaq even be playing?