Yi not the answer at C!

[thesheedera]

But it doesn't matter to me, I still keep leaning towards him at the 3 spot. With the buzz on Conley waning a bit I think it might be worth the gamble to see if he'll drop to 11. If he doesn't we should almost certainly have a PG prospect in Law or Crit to choose from, and if not, we still have pieces available to trade for a PG - vet or young. I don't like that last scenario, but it's not horrible for an absolute worst case scenario.

Yi at 3, and while he isn't a center today he would create so many problems for opposing teams that it would be worth it. I'd love to come out of this draft with a sure-fire blueprint for a future championship team, but I'm more realistic than that. Yi should be enough to get us up another notch, and potentially could become a legit NBA post player. He may get pushed around right now, but he's still young (even if he's 23, which I don't think he is), and players DO develop as they mature and as they face new challenges. His apparent athleticism would be something we've never seen in a 7 footer, and we're in an era when most centers are not really centers anyway.

Next year's team:

AJ (or Speedy or Lue) - Conley (or Crit or Law)

JJ - Childress/Salim

Marvin -Childress/Yi

Smith - Shelden/Yi

Yi - Zaza/Shelden/Solomon

...with this I would want to keep Childress active in the lineup to showcase him for a trade before the deadline sending Childress and one or more of the vet PGs for something in return. That could be vet help, young talent, draft picks, whatever, something with solid value, and it would depend on how we look in the standings. Hopefully the following year the young PG would be starting, working his way into running the team long term. If it's Conley or Crit maybe it would take another year, but I believe both would be contributing to the team (and especially a more exciting brand of hoops) in the meantime.

I don't put Yi in there thinking he'll be a true Center, he's in there as a 3rd forward. It's a flawed lineup for sure, but it's a better team and a more talented team thatn what we have, and it's a team that has multiple players with potential to be true NBA starters on a contending team. Most certainly not all on the same team at the same time, but having elite talent is the key, because it retains value, and it gives you the ability to wheel and deal until you have the right combo.

The process is a long one. Maybe after next season Yi and/or Marvin get traded to get us to the next level above the first round playoff tier, or Childress and Shelden get traded, or even Smith and/or Johnson in some kind of mega deal...who knows? But it's a gradual process when you've been so bad.

The point is that what we have at the start of this next season doesn't necessarily have to be the same roster as what we have when we're a contender. The only Spur that's been a mainstay for their run is Duncan (nice mainstay). There will always be turnover, but you have to grab franchise players when you can.

No one in this draft completes our lineup as a center unless Oden drops or Hawes is able to bulk up into a legit big body. The first obviously ain't happening, the second could work. Horford is unconventional at the 5, so is Noah, Wright isn't even in the neighborhood (and I love Wright, that's just the truth).

Our team is years away, most of teh guys on our team are individually years away. Young players like Yi and Conley (Crit/Law) would continue the right way to build this team, even if we still have a gaping hole at C.

I'd rather be where the Jazz, Suns and Warriors are right now than where Sacramento or Memphis are, unconventional "post" players have great success in the NBA these days. They aren't winning championships yet, but they're a hell of a lot closer than the Hawks are.

My preference:

1)Yi at 3, PG at 11 (1 - Conley, 2 - Crit/Law tossup)

2) Yi at 3, Hawes at 11

3) Conley at 3, Hawes at 11

4) Conley at 3, Noah at 11

4) Conley at 3, BPA at 11

5) Horford at 3, PG at 11

any other scenario could really depress me.

[exodus]

There are no centers available at 3 and BK has all but said he isn't picking Conley at 3 so I think you have to take the best prospect and to me that is Yi.

Then i just hope he takes Law at 11. Conley will be picked by the Bucks most likely so i don't think we have a chance at him.

I haven't seen anything to make me beieve that Horford would be anything other than Smiths backup. I don't see Horford as a C at all, especially next to an undersized 4.

[ncthompson11]

Yi may not be a center for us but he and smoove can both play PFs and have smoove guard the stronger and bigger centers if Yi can not do it. If we can play good team defense it wont be a big deal if our center isnt great on D. We need to have help side defense and our PG has got to stop dribble penetration. If we do all of these things we should be fine.

[deester11]

Agree Ex. I think most of the Hawks fan understand that we ideally wouldn't have had to take another F, but I think Yi is entirely different from a skillset standpoint and is a 7-foot hard to guard guy. If his defense becomes more serviceable he could be a helluva player in the NBA.

I'm resigned to the fact that we may not get Conley, but I would love to have Law. I keep swaying between Law and Crit, but I like arrogance in a PG whether he's scoring or dishing and I think Law would defer more than he had to at A&M.

[Dragitoff]

I think you also have to look at the evolution of NBA teams today. Most teams are getting away from traditional centers (mainly because of the lack of true, dominant big men) and going with more agile players that can stretch the defense. Look at all the NBA teams out there right now with agile big men

Suns-Stoudamire

Magic-Millicic

Raptors-Bargnani

Denver-Camby

Utah-Okur

Golden State-Biedrins

Memphis-Gasol

There are arguments that other players qualify for that category, but either way more teams are shifting to this philosophy. More and more 7 footers are learning to shoot thus stretching the defense.

[Johnnybravo4]

Basically we have to accept the fact that Hibbert going back to school put us in a fukked position. I think Hawes is going to be a stiff so there are no acceptable center prospects. The centers available for trade are nothing more than Lo Wright clones that we could probably pick up in FA. This leaves us with the choice of picking up the BPA. IMO that has to be YI. Yi also is probably the most marketable player in the draft next to Durant, who will become anonymous in the Pacific Northwest. So Yi fits a need, that being talent and marketability. Not to mention that we can cover our need at pg with our second pick.

I don't see how any reasonable Hawks fan could disagree with this logic.

[TheDude]

well one of the reasons that ZaZa got abused on defense is his lack of a vertical to block shots plus his lack of quickness on the defensive end. however his positioning was usually good for rebounds...and he wasnt usually bowled over unless it was shaq...

with Yi playing D on the 5, he will be quick enough and his vertical will be good also. but he won't have the power. so honestly it won't be THAT bad with him on defense...the one thing he'll have to learn is spacing of a center and help d.

[Packfill]

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Yi at 3, and while he isn't a center today he would create so many problems for opposing teams that it would be worth it. I'd love to come out of this draft with a sure-fire blueprint for a future championship team, but I'm more realistic than that. Yi should be enough to get us up another notch, and potentially could become a legit NBA post player. He may get pushed around right now, but he's still young (even if he's 23, which I don't think he is), and players DO develop as they mature and as they face new challenges. His apparent athleticism would be something we've never seen in a 7 footer, and we're in an era when most centers are not really centers anyway.

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I am pretty sure we have seen 7 footers who are better athletes then Yi already - i.e., Kevin Garnett, David Robinson, Shaq, Wilt, Duncan, etc.

[TroyMcClure]

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Yi at 3, and while he isn't a center today he would create so many problems for opposing teams that it would be worth it. I'd love to come out of this draft with a sure-fire blueprint for a future championship team, but I'm more realistic than that. Yi should be enough to get us up another notch, and potentially could become a legit NBA post player. He may get pushed around right now, but he's still young (even if he's 23, which I don't think he is), and players DO develop as they mature and as they face new challenges. His apparent athleticism would be something we've never seen in a 7 footer, and we're in an era when most centers are not really centers anyway.

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I am pretty sure we have seen 7 footers who are better athletes then Yi already - i.e., Kevin Garnett, David Robinson, Shaq, Wilt, Duncan, etc.

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Yeah, but they couldn't stroke the 3 from NBA distance. Garnett being the closest thing to an exception. That's the major difference. You're right, though... except for the shooting.

Good post, Sheed.

[Packfill]

I don't understand why anyone would want their center way out on the 3-point line. I would want my center down on the block for a high percentage shot or to grab a rebound. Let the guards shoot the ball from deep.

[BusBoyIsBack]

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I don't understand why anyone would want their center way out on the 3-point line. I would want my center down on the block for a high percentage shot or to grab a rebound. Let the guards shoot the ball from deep.

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It takes the opposing C out the paint.

Imagine what taking a force like Greg Oden out of the paint does for an entire offense.

If other teams could do it, they would.

[Packfill]

If the opposing center was constantly going to the three point line then any coach worth his salt would tell his players to switch on defense such that the Oden's of the world remain in the paint to make life difficult for the opposition. This is common sense.

[Lascar78]

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I don't understand why anyone would want their center way out on the 3-point line. I would want my center down on the block for a high percentage shot or to grab a rebound. Let the guards shoot the ball from deep.

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It takes the opposing C out the paint.

Imagine what taking a force like Greg Oden out of the paint does for an entire offense.

If other teams could do it, they would.

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I agree. Don't you remember how dominating we were when Peja Drobnjak was here?

[TroyMcClure]

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I don't understand why anyone would want their center way out on the 3-point line. I would want my center down on the block for a high percentage shot or to grab a rebound. Let the guards shoot the ball from deep.

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Some guys just don't have the poise when near the basket. It all depends. Somebody has to be there, though. That's for sure. It's all about getting the ball in the hole and stopping the other, right? Sam Perkins could defend down low, but he couldn't score from there late in his career. But boy, could he stroke it from deep.

[thesheedera]

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I am pretty sure we have seen 7 footers who are better athletes then Yi already

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Different kinds of athlete though.

Kevin Garnett - more strength and explosiveness, just as quick and "bouncy" probably

David Robinson, Shaq, Wilt - way more strength obviously, all just more beasts in general with great athleticism for men of their mass

Duncan - Way above average in every category, but not a world class athlete in any of them, as close to a complete player for a post guy as you might get

I agree that those guys are better athletes in many ways, especially due to their ability to outpower people.

If Yi is the guy I believe he is, though, he's a more "fluid" athlete than any of those guys. Even Garnett doesn't seem as smooth and polished when making moves off the dribble. Yi looks like a shooting guard when he's moving with the ball, we've never seen a 7 footer do that.

Even Dirk is kind of herky jerky at times and doesn't have the explosiveness that it looks like Yi has. Yi LOOKS like some kind of hybrid (of athlete, not game) between Dirk, KG and any given elite shooting guard kind of guy.

Would I rather have the athleticism that those other guys on that 7 footer list represent? Heck yeah, but no one available at the 3 spot has anything like that kind of athleticism.

Yi's a completely different breed of 7 footer, and there are pros and cons to that, but I think the pros are more intriguing than the obvious cons are troubling.

Dirk can't defend centers that well, but I'd take Dirk at the 5 on our team any day of the week and deal with the consequences.

[thesheedera]

Also...one of the things I like about what I believe Yi is is that he's not in love with the perimeter shot. I see no reason why he can't become a long range bomber, and I love the fact that his first instinct seems to be to attack the rim off the dribble.

A guy can do that from the perimeter, but he can also do it from the elbow and the baseline.

He doesn't have to be far away from the basket to utilize his silky smooth athleticism, it appears to be an advantage for him anywhere he stands on the offensive end.

I don't expect this guy to lurk around the three point line waiting for jump shots. Nothing in the clips I've seen or in the things I've read indicates he's that kind of 7 footer. It's actually the opposite, he lookes like he has a Dwayne Wade (obviously a ridiculous overall comparison, but not for this particular point) mentality when he has the ball.

[Johnnybravo4]

I heard in an interview that he idolized AI growing up and not Yao Ming. While I wouldn't want him to emulate his shot selection, I would love him to copy A.I's aggressiveness.

[Packfill]

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Also...one of the things I like about what I believe Yi is is that he's not in love with the perimeter shot. I see no reason why he can't become a long range bomber, and I love the fact that his first instinct seems to be to attack the rim off the dribble.

A guy can do that from the perimeter, but he can also do it from the elbow and the baseline.

He doesn't have to be far away from the basket to utilize his silky smooth athleticism, it appears to be an advantage for him anywhere he stands on the offensive end.

I don't expect this guy to lurk around the three point line waiting for jump shots. Nothing in the clips I've seen or in the things I've read indicates he's that kind of 7 footer. It's actually the opposite, he lookes like he has a Dwayne Wade (obviously a ridiculous overall comparison, but not for this particular point) mentality when he has the ball.

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LOL at the Wade comparison. This is the exact type of hype that predated Marvin's arrival in Atlanta.

[BusBoyIsBack]

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If the opposing center was constantly going to the three point line then any coach worth his salt would tell his players to switch on defense such that the Oden's of the world remain in the paint to make life difficult for the opposition. This is common sense.

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Then you have another mismatch because the guy who's now defending the 7 footer doesn't have the size to contest the shots like a C.

This is the two headed sword the league MVP creates but Yi could potentially be an even bigger enigma for opposing defenses because of his ability to slash all the way to the basket.