After scoring 32 points on 13-of-22 shooting in his two preseason appearances, Yi Jianlian's offense has impressed. His jumper is wet, and he's made a few nice turnarounds given a rare touch on the block.
But after grabbing zero rebounds and fouling out in 20 minutes Thursday and snagging two rebounds and three quick fouls against Miami in London, Yi's boardwork and fouling is a concern. And he knows it.
"The first two preseason games, I’m figuring out what’s right or wrong," Yi said. "If it’s wrong, I’ve got to fix it, make improvements. Sometimes I get a late spot, and then they get a foul. That’s something I’m working on in practice, I’ve got to get there earlier, in good position."
Coach Frank isn't worried in the long term, knowing that Yi continues to work at it and pointing out that he rebounded well during the Olympics (7.5 per game for China).
"I think there’s a lot being thrown at him," Frank said. "He’s trying to figure things out (because) he missed time in the beginning. But I think over the course of time he’ll be able to react and play and get back to instinctive things."
As he gets more comfortable with English interviews, Yi's beginning to show some personality. Most notable was this quip, regarding where he feels comfortable on the floor:
"I'll shoot from any spot. Any time I’m open, I shoot."
Also, he's working to add muscle and improve his upper-body strength. He weighs 255 pounds, but doesn't have a particular target in mind. And being not-quite-21, Yi's has no idea how much muscle he can pack on.
wow, i didn't realise he weighs 255. not the weight of a bruiser, of course, but not a scarecrow either.
if he could add about 10-15 more pounds of muscle it would be hard to imagine him getting pushed around in the paint.
the RJ trade is starting to make a little more sense now. maybe thorn didn't get robbed after all and maybe there's a reason the bucks wanted someone of RJ's caliber in return.
Also, he's working to add muscle and improve his upper-body strength. He weighs 255 pounds, but doesn't have a particular target in mind. And being not-quite-21, Yi's has no idea how much muscle he can pack on.
Nice. If he get a little more bigger, he will develop a post game.
Confidence is a big issue, and he turned his back cowardly when Z-bo went up for a layup... I was not happy this game
I wasnt happy this game either, but you gotta understand:before this game he was averging 16 PPG and shooting over 50%. But it's no excuse he needs to play hard for 48 minutes, and have confidence.
Re: Official Yi Thread
