Category: International Basketball Blog

International basketball blog

Yi Jianlian is not good at basketball

New Jersey Nets forward Yi Jianlian is not a good basketball player. He can make open mid-range jump-shots,  drive past slower defenders, and not a lot else.

Julian Garcia of the New York Daily News reports:

Nearing the end of his second injury-plagued season in New Jersey, Yi has already worn out his welcome with many in the organization, and his biggest supporter – GM/interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe – may not be around long after the season finale on April 14 since he is in the final year of his contract. With Vandeweghe gone, the Nets would be more likely to trade Yi in the offseason, or at least bring him back in a significantly reduced role.

Vandeweghe helped bring Yi to the Nets from Milwaukee as part of the Richard Jefferson deal two summers ago and has continued to stick with Yi while others have called for his benching, even putting him right back into the starting lineup last night against the Raptors after he missed six games and took part in just one practice after suffering a high ankle sprain two weeks ago.

In 31.8 minutes per game this season Yi is averaging 11.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game, but those scoring and rebounding stats are actually a bit inflated as quite often those numbers come when the game has already been decided.

Jeremy Tyler quit Israeli team Maccabi Haifa

ESPN reports:

Former U.S. high school basketball star Jeremy Tyler quit Israeli team Maccabi Haifa and returned home Friday, cutting short a disappointing first pro season.

The 18-year-old Tyler arrived in Israel on a wave of publicity in August after deciding to skip his senior year at San Diego High School to gain professional experience.

However, his time in Israel was fraught with problems, and he left five weeks before the end of the season.

“Due to personal matters, Jeremy chose to leave the team on his own will on March 18 and return home to San Diego,” Maccabi Haifa owner Jeffrey Rosen said in a statement. “We wish Jeremy all the best.”

In the 10 games Tyler played for Haifa, the 6-foot-11 power forward averaged only 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 7.6 minutes. Tyler, who reportedly earned a $140,000 salary, found it hard to adapt to the pro game and couldn’t find a place in Maccabi Haifa’s starting lineup.

Maccabi Electra sets Euroleague single-quarter scoring record

Euroleague.net reports:

Besides sealing its ticket to the Quarterfinal Playoffs on Thursday night, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv also set a new Euroleague record for points in one quarter with 43. Maccabi broke the previous record of 41 set almost 10 years ago and since tied once, both times in the regular season. Maccabi’s record is all the more remarkable for having come in a Top 16 game with qualification on the line and doing all the scoring when it was needed most – in the fourth quarter. Maccabi defeated Montepaschi Siena 97-82.

Cavs investor buys into Chinese basketball league

The AP reports:

After becoming part-owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jianhua ‘Kenny’ Huang’s next goal is to transform pro basketball in his homeland of China.

As an investor in China’s National Basketball League, Huang says he’ll introduce cutting-edge management practices adopted from England’s Premier League and the NFL.

“This is the first time private enterprise has been given the chance to reform a Chinese league,” Huang told The Associated Press Tuesday by telephone from Cleveland.

The new NBL also plans to promote homegrown talent, distinguishing itself from the dominant Chinese Basketball Association, where 19 of the 20 top scorers last year were foreigners.

Brother of Omri Casspi having fun at All-Star

Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee reports:

Eitan Casspi had the right idea.

No media obligations, no autographs to sign and no high-profile games to play – unless table tennis inside the Nike suite qualifies.

The brother of Kings small forward Omri Casspi had his slice of All-Star Weekend paradise Friday afternoon, when he alternated between the pingpong table and the massage station inside the swank setup at the Hyatt Regency. As for his brother and fellow fan and media favorite Tyreke Evans? It was quite a different experience.

They were Kings of the room in the morning, when reporters still surrounded them long after every other Rookie team member was done with those duties. They were embraced by children while visiting area schools in the early afternoon. They commanded the most attention in the hotel lobby, where fans of all sizes came in from the snow to have them sign pictures, balls and even T-shirt sleeves. Both players graciously obliged.

And when they made their way to Nike’s four-star hideaway that was fitted with snacks and drinks, music and dartboards, a paid barber on site, video games and even a scenic view of Texas’ winter wonderland, even that setting wasn’t relaxing enough. By the time the late afternoon arrived, Evans and Casspi poked their heads in and proceeded to head the other way. It was nap time.

Stephon Marbury makes debut in China

Marc Berman of the New York post reports:

On the other side of the globe from Coney Island, former Knicks star Stephon Marbury made his debut in China yesterday and told The Post he was suffering from major jet lag.

Stephon Marbury makes debut in China

Marbury scored 15 points and had eight assists as his new team, Shanxi lost 102-101 to Dongguan Marco Polo. He had four steals and four rebounds, but shot 0 for 6 from 3-point range, according to China Daily.

“The time difference is a big problem,” Marbury told The Post via Skype yesterday. “I wake up early, in the middle of the night, and stay up most of the day. It stinks. I have not played since the last game against the Magic [in the second round of the playoffs last May]. So I was tired. I played 28 minutes, all of the fourth quarter. Talk about being tired. Wow. It was fun being out there though.”

Marbury reportedly passed up a final shot with five seconds remaining, feeding to former Knicks teammate Maurice Taylor, who missed the potential game-winning jumper. Shanxi is one of the worst teams in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Yao Ming enjoying ownership of Shanghai Sharks

The AP reports:

Sidelined by a foot injury, Houston Rockets star Yao Ming says he’s finding a new kind of satisfaction as owner of his former Chinese team, the Shanghai Sharks.

Yao bought out the financially troubled team’s former owners in July for an undisclosed sum in a bid to revive its fortunes.

The club is in fourth in the 17-team Chinese league, two points out of first place.

”I bought the Sharks to give them a boost and do something on behalf of Chinese basketball,” Yao said in an interview with the official Xinhua News Agency appearing in newspapers Thursday.

Pops Mensah-Bonsu signs in Russia

Euroleague.net reports: Already planning for the Euroleague’s next round, CSKA Moscow on Tuesday announced the siging of center Pops Mensah-Bonsu for the remainder of the season, pending the medical tests. Mensah-Bonsu (206, 26) will replace Courtney Sims, who had been on a tryout with CSKA during the last two weeks. Mensah-Bonsu arrives from Toronto of the NBA, where he averaged 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 53 games.