A Final Adios to Yi
Jun 30, 2010 Yi
I know I haven’t been kind to Yi Jianlian recently (though, I’ve certainly never eviscerated him the way Kelly Dwyer did this morning at Ball Don’t Lie), but his trade yesterday to the Washington Wizards for Quinton Ross does mark the end of an era for one of the more fascinating players in Nets history. There clearly wasn’t a more polarizing figure amongst Nets fans, as we all seemed to be battling between the mounds of potential he oozed and his lack of basketball IQ which led to some maddening mistakes. In an effort to be kind, I thought I’d go back to happier times and repost a video I did on Yi when he first returned from injury in December. In typical Yi fashion, it’s one of the more highly viewed videos I’ve done in my short NAS tenure:
The Problem of Yi
For the past two seasons, the Nets organization has blindly put their faith behind Yi Jianlian with very little to show for it in terms of statistical results. Now, as the front office gears up for one of the biggest off-seaons in the organization’s history, they are seemingly being punished for their belief in Yi. The Chinese import has no role in the future of this organization with the drafting of Derrick Favors and Damion James and the team’s reported desires to sign a top PF in free agency. Meanwhile, the $4 million and change they currently owe Yi for 2010-11 – because the front office just HAD to pick up his rookie option, sight unseen, despite two largely disappointing seasons to start his NBA career and reports that he’s a few years older than his birth certificate says – has proven to be an obstacle in their chase for two max salary free agents. Read the rest of this entry »
Year-In-Review: Yi Jianlian
May 5, 2010 2009-2010 Season Review, Yi
This offseason is going to be an exciting one for the New Jersey Nets, but before we can move forward we must look back. Over the next couple of days, I am going to be looking at the Nets who will (most likely) be back, and review their year, from what they did well to what they didn’t. Today we are going to look at the Nets’ Most Frustrating Player, Yi Jianlian.
Yi Jianlian had a rough start to the year. After 4 games, Yi was injured and didn’t return until December 23rd (suffering setback after setback during his recovery). When he came back, there was a new Yi, but as we have seen in the past, he was unable to remain consistant.
The Positives
Quick Decisions
When Yi came back from injury, he just seemed ready to play basketball, and the biggest example of this was his quick decision making. When Yi struggles, he seems to take forever to make up his mind when deciding what to do with the basketball. When he goes quick though, he gives the defense no chance to play effective defense on him:
NAS Awards: Most Frustrating – Yi Jianlian
May 3, 2010 NAS Off-Season Awards, Yi
When the team you follow can run out a guy who’s 7-feet tall, can stretch a defense by hitting a bunch of threes, and is long enough body-wise that he’s able to block some shots and grab rebounds, you want to believe this guy is capable of becoming a major player in the NBA. Unfortunately, that same player is maddeningly inconsistent offensively, is one of the worst defenders in the league, and seems to lack every other physical tool outside of length. What you get is the Nets’ “Most Frustrating” player in Yi Jianlian.
Perhaps problem number one for me was having any expectations at all for Yi headed into this season. But after seeing him bulk up and put together a strong showing in the Asia Cup games last summer, I allowed myself to believe that at the bare minimum, Yi could develop into a league average player at his position. After missing a majority of the first six weeks of the season with a knee injury – Yi proved me wrong – he looked like an even better than average player, scoring 22.5 points on 54 percent shooting in his first four games back from injury. What was even better was how Yi was doing it – an assortment of inside and outside moves. Kiki Vandeweghe immediately tried to instill a “twin towers” strategy on offense, with most plays running through Brook Lopez and Yi. The results were a disaster. Brook’s offensive production took a short-term hit, and Yi faded back to the player he was in his first two NBA seasons: 13.4 points per game with woeful 39 percent shooting in January. It’s also no coincidence that January was probably the most embarrassing month for the Nets last season, including back-to-back losses against the Warriors and the Jazz where the Nets were blown out by more than 30.
Nets on the Net: 4/21/10 Edition
Apr 21, 2010 Brooklyn, Coaching, Draft Lottery, Nets on the Net, Yi
Ben Couch takes a look at all of the draft lottery probabilities.
Jeff Van Gundy offers no comment on the prospects of him coaching the Nets next season.
If you’re in NYC limits and spot a yellow cab, it may be advertising suites at the Barclays Arena.
Who are the NBA’s worst defenders? Well, there’s a Net somewhere on the list.
Nets on the Net: 4/10/10 Edition
Apr 10, 2010 Brook Lopez, Courtney Lee, Nets on the Net, Newark, Terrence Williams, Yi
Terrence Williams REALLY wanted that triple-double last night: “I told my teammates: ‘I need one assist. I don’t care if you shoot it from halfcourt, just shoot it and make it,’” Williams said. “I threw Brook the lob and he put it in the rim and it came out. I was like. ‘It’s not meant to be. Then on the last play, I said, ‘Brook you should take off.’ He challenged and took off and I got the rebound.
Fred Kerber puts TWill’s season in perspective: There was a time this season — actually, several times — when the Nets thought about sending Terrence Williams to the D-League. There also was a time when folks thought the Earth was flat and those new fangled computer gizmos were a fad.
Kiki Vandeweghe still has Yi’s back, even if it looks like Kiki won’t be back after this season: “He’s still a young player,” Vandeweghe said of Yi. “What he doesn’t have is the background of the pickup games that all these other guys have. So he has to spend a lot of time working over the summer.”
Courtney Lee has the right attitude about his unknown role with the team next season: “To me it’s about winning more than anything. If we can get two stars in here to go along with Brook (Lopez) — or if Devin (Harris) is back to go along with the three of us — I’d be very happy with that. I’m on board with anything, as long as we win.”
Is it possible for a team to permanently play in New Jersey after the Nets leave for Brooklyn? Commish David Stern doesn’t heartily endorse it while talking to Dave D’Alessandro: The Commish, as usual, saw that one was coming, and he didn’t skip a beat: “All I can say is, given the difficulties in TV arrangements, sponsorships, and the number of teams in the market, it’s something that has to be analyzed.”
Bleacher Report looks at “four cornerstone” the Nets can draft this summer.
10 things you need to know about Brook Lopez.
Looking At Shooting Trends Using Motion Charts
Apr 9, 2010 Advanced Statistics, Brook Lopez, Devin Harris, Yi
If you are a regular reader of the blog, you already know about the fantastic site HoopData.com (and seriously if you have never been there, you need to go…now). In addition to all of the stats that they provide, they also have a really cool feature called Motion Charts. These motion charts take all of the information they provide, and they display it in a way that makes it really easy to spot trends. They display three areas of statistics using motion charts; they are player stats, four factors, and what we are looking at today, shot locations.
Brook Lopez
Brook is a fantastic player, and his improvement this year over last year is fantastic. The main reason why is his improvement inside 10 feet:
This motion chart tells us that Brook Lopez is not only getting more attempts inside 10 feet, but he is shooting even better from this location. Last year, Brook was shooting 40% from this spot while shooting 2 shots per game. This year, Brook is taking 2.62 shots/game inside 10 feet while making 49% of his shots.
Nets on the Net: 4/9/10 Edition
Apr 9, 2010 Draft, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net, Yi
Expect another delay with the NBA’s approval of Mikhail Prokhorov. Formalities, we’re told, as they’re just waiting for the Brooklyn area to clear (aka, Daniel Goldstein to move).
Andrey Vauskin, president of CSKA in Moscow and a rumored member of the Nets FO next season is apparently unhappy with the cost-cutting of his ownership.
It’ll be Yao vs. Yi in China during the preseason as the Rockets face the Nets (uniforms subject to change).
Evan Turner is ready to come to the NBA and lose: ”I don’t plan on losing, but if it happens I always say you have to pay your dues,” Turner said. “The most important part is learning from your losses. You have to have confidence and be committed to the mission.”
Nets on the Net: 4/8/10 Edition
Apr 8, 2010 Devin Harris, Kris Humphries, Mikhail Prokhorov, Nets on the Net, Yi
Kris Humphries on his future with the team: “I haven’t thought about it much, because nobody knows what’s going to happen with this team, and the way the next Collective Bargaining Agreement will turn out,” Humphries said. “Those things will probably play a role in my decision. There’s a lot to think about.”
As Julian Garcia notes, the Nets managed to clinch something last night: Wednesday night’s 108-89 loss to the Bucks put the Nets in position to at least be tied with Minnesota for the worst record in the league when the season ends on Wednesday. If the Nets finish dead last, they will have the best odds – 25% – of getting Kentucky point guard John Wall or one of the other top-notch college players who declared for the NBA draft yesterday. If they finish tied with the Timberwolves, the teams will have the same lottery chances of getting the top pick.
Al Iannazzone writes that Yi’s status with the team is uncertain: Presuming the Nets don’t get LeBron James or Dwyane Wade, they should have a shot at the likes of Carlos Boozer, Amar’e Stoudemire and David Lee. Each has been an All-Star at some point, so Yi’s days as a Net seem numbered.
Al also takes a look at Mikhail Prokhorov’s riches.
Devin Harris, talking with Madison.com, has some perspective about his career: “If you’re looking to put it in perspective,” added Harris, who won 67 games as a member of the Dallas Mavericks in 2006-07, “I’ve been to the highest of the highs and the lowest lows. I’ll learn from it. I’ll be better next season, I can tell you that.”
Bleacher Report looks at the Top 10 first-round playoff series, and the Nets/Pacers match-up from 2002 makes the cut. I would have ranked it much higher, personally.
What Is The Answer At Power Forward?
Mar 24, 2010 2010 Offseason, Kris Humphries, Opinion, Yi
If there is one thing that can be taken away from this terrible season, it is that Yi Jianlian isn’t the long-term solution at power forward. Also, despite the strong start of Kris Humphries’ Nets career, he doesn’t seem to be the answer either. Going into next year the Nets are stuck with both of them, as both contracts do not expire this offseason. I use the word “stuck” because both of these players are solid backup options (maybe good for a spot start here or there), but if you want a winning team, neither of them should be starting full time. With the Nets looking to be set (though willing to upgrade by signing LeBron/Wade – drafting John Wall) at all positions except the PF spot, I expect it to be a position that the Nets focus on this offseason. So what are their options? Well, I can come up with three pretty good solutions: