NBA Draft Preview: Yi Jianlian

Can't you just see the advertising now with Yao Ming standing toe-to-toe with Jianlian?

"Yi!" "Yao" "Yi!" "Yao!" "Yi!" "Yao!" (let the canned laughter start...)

The sad thing is that, until Yi Jianlian can prove himself as a different type of player, there will be constant comparison with Ming--he's 7 foot tall, he's from China, has similar athletic skills, and is about as mysterious as when Ming showed up in his NBA pre-draft days. But, like Ming, Jianlian has a ton of upside as well.

So, why is it that mock draft experts have Jianlian going anywhere from #3 to #15? I haven't seen that much of a swing since Sammy Sosa was juicin'! It goes clearly to one thing: Age. What? Seriously? Age? Yes, you got it. Much like many foreign-soil counterparts (a la the Dominican Republic baseball players who can be listed at 25 and look 45), there is skepticism as to the longevity that Jianlian can bring to the table. While he does show excellent transition skills for a big man, a deft hook shot, and can spot up with the best of him, his strength is an issue that many question, along with the age thing, that he may be more Shawn Bradley-ish than Ming-ish. And that scares the beejesus out of some owners as to the uncertainty, especially with that high of a draft pick capability.

One thing is for sure with "Yi": high risk, but possibly high reward. It will be interesting as to which team will throw the dice to see if they crap out or take the money (and other things) home with them.

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NBA Draft Preview: Yi Jianlian

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