Posted by: Charles on June 14, 2007 6:53PM EST His post moves are better looking than Horford's. He's got a nice turnaround J, a good hook, and his foot work looks superb. He doesn't shy away from contact and finishes with authority. He's like a faster, better shooting version of Pau Gasol. The main reason the Hawks should draft him is his potential, both on the court and off of it. I can't remember the last time the Hawks were on any national station, much less overseas. Getting a bonafide celebrity from one of the most populated countries would help the Hawks drastically even if he flops, which is unlikely IMO. I just don't think Horford or B Wright are good enough to pass on that marketing potential. There is a growing Chinese population here in Atlanta, and it would be stupid from a business sense to pass on that opportunity to increase your customer base. I also think Yi is the BEST post scorer in this draft. Sure his defense could use some work, but the Hawks used two picks last year almost strictly on defense. You CANT win in the nba without a good post scorer. It just doesn't happen. Off topic but Conley is projected to last to the number 11 pick in nbadraft.net's latest mock.

Posted by: Stephen on June 14, 2007 9:00PM EST I'VE BEEN A HAWKS FAN MY WHOLE LIFE.....TRUST ME WHEN I SAY DRAFT YI AT #3 AND CONLEY/ACIE LAW AT #11 IT'S THAT SIMPLE BILLY!!!!!!

Posted by: DMichael on June 15, 2007 12:07AM EST Yi Jianlian can strech the defence to allow J Smoove, J Chill, and Marvin to attack the basket and give Sheldon and Zaza room to work in the post. Joe Johnson runs the offence so we should get Javaris Crittenton for the 11th pick who doesn't back down from a challenge, is constantly getting better, and is dedicated to do what he has to do in order to win.

Posted by: medayoallday on June 15, 2007 2:20AM EST Charles I agree with u 100% The Jersey sales alone will be great. I say the hawks will still be able to fill there necessity with the 11 pick.

Posted by: medayoallday on June 15, 2007 2:27AM EST I cant see this guy not turning into a star he has way to many tools. everyones all worried about his defense hes a great leaper he should be able to block a couple of shoots off the weak side. PLEASE DONT DRAFT WRIGHT.

Posted by: idecris on June 15, 2007 5:30AM EST don't count on jersey sales. imitations and fake jerseys will be widely available in china. unless Atlanta has a big chinese population and catches fake peddlers. i still think Conley is the way to go, his point guard upside is just too good to pass up. Monta Ellis came straight from high school, a year later he was most improved player. Conley will imediately have impact but will have greater impact in succeeding years. plus we need a more durable PG, claxton, lue, johnson all break down too easily. asians aren't great athletes. yao just happened to be 7'5" with skills. think yi jianlian is going to make an impact? he'll be good against asians but against african-americans he doesn't stand a chance. remember wang zhi zhi? menke bateer? ma jian? don't count on this one.

Posted by: steve on June 15, 2007 9:30AM EST Yi would be the best thing to happen to the Hawks from a marketing standpoint in years. Instant all star just like Yo Ming regardless of his stats. He is young and will improve. He is no more of a risk than any other draft pick and has more star potential. His skills on an NBA level are questionable as he has not played against stellar comptetition but with the other players on this team he could come in and add value and be the player you build around (along with Joe). With the #3 pick the Hawks pick an All-Star that will generate revenue. They might even be compelled to be on television because of him. They have little chance of that otherwise.

Posted by: diehardhawkfan on June 15, 2007 9:41AM EST Have any of you guys seen this guy play against REAL competition....if we're 40-42 next year and sittiing behind MWilliams, JSmith, and JChildress, how much exposure will he get...by the way, we already 3 small forwards and 2 power forwards, when would he get a chance to play?

Posted by: zack on June 15, 2007 9:52AM EST 1st of all you know i always agree with DMichael and medayoallday, this dude can stretch the defense... rememeber he is a better then Pau comining out And to diehardhawkfan the level of competion in China(CBA) is almost on the same level (if not better) then the NCAA

Posted by: diehardhawkfan on June 15, 2007 10:14AM EST LOLOL...the level of competition in the CBA is better than the NCAA...have you seen any CBA games?

Posted by: steve on June 15, 2007 10:33AM EST Battle of the Far East (Houston vs Hawks) can be seen on ESPN or TNT. The Hawks are not on otherwise.

Posted by: Charles on June 15, 2007 12:03PM EST Diehard, who exactly are our 2 power forwards? Zaza has always played center in Atlanta, Solomon is a center, Marvin is a wing who can't post inside, and coach Woodson has made it clear this offseason that he would like to see Sheldon defending the opposing team's centers. We really have no true power forwards on this roster. In fact, we really have no one that can even score consistently in the post...

Posted by: Charles on June 15, 2007 12:07PM EST And for the guy that said asians are not good athletes.... it's time to grow up and realize that your prejudices are not fact. Unless you have something to say about Yi himself, please stop grouping him with an entire culture. Actually go do some research on the guy and then make a point. To insinuate that he will not make it in the nba because of his race is ridiculous.

Posted by: medayoallday on June 15, 2007 2:12PM EST Charles thank u for your coments instant all star. Yao started over Shaq cause of the fans remember

Posted by: jahn on June 15, 2007 3:49PM EST Charles....thank you....because I'm asian, and I can dang ball too. I'm sick wit it and for idechris don't get your panties too tied up because my J is too smooth.

Posted by: nut on June 15, 2007 4:51PM EST yi at 3 is the way to go.for all you folks infatuated with conley i can say that he is nice, but you have arguments that he is not of much more value than the other top rated points, i like critt-dog personally, not a no. 3 pick. horford and wright are like to many of the players we have on the roster and probaly not as talented. yi will bring a whole new element to the team and maybe we can develop some type of idenity. for the guy who said he's not athletic check out some highlights. I have him penciled in as an immedate starter and if you want a player to make a comparison with go back about ten years ago a look at a young rasheed.

Posted by: idecris on June 15, 2007 9:48PM EST i'm asian too, and i'm telling you he'll only be good against fellow asian competition. the best asian athletes are half-breeds, those who are either half-white or half-black. the best pure asian athletes are 6'3" and below. come on, you grow up and admit that. it ain't about pride for your race man. i'm telling you he's wang zhi zhi all over again. stop dreaming. conley really is a no brainer. but knowing how the hawks draft (without a brain), count on the chinese guy to go to atlanta.

Posted by: Al on June 15, 2007 11:13PM EST The Hawks should trade the #3 to Philly for the 12 21 and 30 that way the hawks cant fail

Posted by: jahn on June 15, 2007 11:51PM EST idecris, I'm sorry you gotta speak for yourself and your balling skills....

Posted by: medayoallday on June 15, 2007 11:59PM EST idechris what are u some kind of twinkkie how can u compare zhi zhi to YI

Posted by: GHunt on June 16, 2007 1:09AM EST Yi will be great in 3 years. BK and Woody need success now, they feel the pressure. Horford is NBA ready from day one. Horford at #3 and Conley, Brewer or Law at #11. However, if yi slips to #11, BK will select him on the spot.

Posted by: medayoallday on June 16, 2007 3:27AM EST MO WILLIAMS IS A FREE AGENT HAWKS PLEASE LOOK INTO GETTING THIS GUY

Posted by: Randy on June 16, 2007 3:39AM EST Yi would be great if we had a point guard, but we need Conley. Yi and Law wouldn't be a bad draft day, but how can you pass on Conley, the guy is a superstar!

Posted by: Wes on June 16, 2007 3:51AM EST All I wanna hear out of Stern's mouth on draft day is "With the #3 pick, the Atlanta Hawks select Mike Conley". If the last two words of that quote are any different we screwed up yet again and Mr. Knight can go run a new business into the ground. Seriously, how many friggin forwards does a team need???? My god we use Josh Childress as a point guard half the time and he is a forward!!!

Posted by: idecris on June 16, 2007 4:07AM EST you guys can't stay within the issues man. you can't argue for Yi that's why you guys resort to name calling and try to insult me. come on! remember Yao just happened to be 7'5", that's why he achieved "some" success. this Yi guy, who even faked his age so he can join junior competition, isn't going to amount to much in the NBA. Yi over Conley, sheesh, you gys have no eye for REAL talent. you just saw the guy make a few flashy moves, and you're immediately sold. like i said, Conley has very iportant "TEAM and GAME MANAGEMENT SKILLS". call it maturity, poise, intelligence, control of pace, whatever. like i said, most guys in the NBA never develop or learn that over time. Conley, he gets it right away. He knows man, he understands the game. just remember me, and when the time comes, imagine me saying "i told you so."

Posted by: A Wi on June 16, 2007 5:39AM EST Yi is not like Tim Duncan,Kevin Garnnet or even Jermaine O'Neal,we cannot be 100% sure that Yi will be like anyone of them,plus there are other good centers and power forwrds in this draft,Yi is not our only option,you wouldn't say ''Yi is the best power forward/center in this draft'' but you would say ''Conley is the best point guard in this draft'',JJ,J-Smooth,MWilliams and J-Chill need someone to pass the ball,with Conley's passing skill,JJ,J-Smooth,MWilliams and J-Chill will be better scorers.

Posted by: A Wi on June 16, 2007 5:47AM EST So,choose Conley or choose losses...

Posted by: zack on June 16, 2007 10:28AM EST But you be a 100% sure of anyone in the draft that why it is a gamble Who would have thought two skinny, low IQ, young man from S.C. be this go (Jermaine O'Neal and Kevin Garnett). And who would have throught 3rd pick of the 2000 draft (Darius Miles), better yet the 1st pick of the 2001 (Kwame Brown) be so garbage.

Posted by: tazz on June 16, 2007 11:12AM EST idecris, to say that Yao achieved "some" success only because he's tall is stupid... man don't say Yi's gotta prove himself and Conley has already proven himself.. Yi already has 3 CBA championships under his belt, and hi's improving every single year.. Ever since he's 18 he's saying he'll be better than Yao so watch out because this kid is the real deal.. Although Conley with be the wisest decision at the 3# pick, Yi is probably the best foreign prospect since Yao

Posted by: Jack on June 16, 2007 3:47PM EST http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... and paste the URL to see Yi's 2006 highlights. 9'35" Long. Enjoy!

Posted by: Jack on June 16, 2007 3:49PM EST http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqd2mEFAZSI&NR=1

Posted by: Charles on June 16, 2007 9:19PM EST there is NO way Yi falls to 11. Too many teams covet him and are trying to trade up for him. Outside of Milwaukee, no other teams really want Conley. The chances of him falling to 11 are much higher. Plus even if he does get picked, Acie Law and Crit are virtually garaunteed to be there. idecris, go watch Yi highlights and if you still think he's like Zhi Zhi,you should probably either go get an eye exam or quite watching basketball.

Posted by: birdman on June 17, 2007 12:55AM EST I think mike conley jr. is a better pick but the hawks do need a better center than sheldon williams. I say use it on yi and hope mike conley jr. somehow makes it to #11 or draft acie law if he's there

Posted by: mga bobo kayo on June 17, 2007 12:59AM EST don't over estimate the level of competition in the CBA. y'all got a man crush on Yi. i think you all better ground your expectations on the guy, and be more realistic. wait till you see him face REAL basketball big men. playing against fellow chinese is nothing compared to playing against huge, athletic, and strong black men. what you gonna do? play him at small forward? we're already full of good small forwards. play him at PF or C? i don't know if he can play C, but at PF, Shelden had a nice 4 or 5 game stretch at the end of the season, averaging about 10 boards and more than a steal and a block per game. numbers that are all expected to improve.

Posted by: Yi and Conley on June 17, 2007 1:09AM EST http://www.56.com/u55/v_MTQzOTI3MDg.html http://www.56.com/u81/v_MTQzOTAwMDY.html http://youtube.com/watch?v=P3VZrTEq7GY http://youtube.com/watch?v=UfK31hGU-Po

Posted by: A Wi on June 17, 2007 7:36AM EST to zack:we can't be sure about anyone's future,i'm just saying since we can't be sure of that,so we must clearly know what we can be sure by now,a center and a point guard is all we need right now,in center,we can't say who's the best,but in point guard,Conly is surely 100% the best,no matter who you choose,it will be some kind of gamble,so i'm saying grasp what can be sure right now,and do the best for the future.

Posted by: A Wi on June 17, 2007 8:07AM EST to zack:about Darius Miles and Kwame Brown,i think the problem is their attitude,they probably just want to be a NBA player not a champion,besides,pacers and wolves don't ever win a title,i mean there are too many good and bad #1 #2 #3 picks,there are too many examples for you and me,i'm just saying we should grab the best.

Posted by: idecris on June 17, 2007 10:02AM EST i just found out that Wang Zhi Zhi burned Yi in the CBA. WANG ZHI ZHI! no way you can let a guy who can't defend a wang zhi zhi play in the nba man. told you so.

Posted by: tony on June 17, 2007 2:51PM EST Not one single person has explain why we need Yi. Let me explain why we don't need Yi. Because Zaza has done his job. Check out how Zaza stack up against all the centers in the east who played in the playoffs. 1st Zaza: (FG-47%) (FT-79%) (RPG-7) (BLK-.05) (PPG-12). Llgauskas-Cavaliers:(FG-49%) (FT-78%) (RPG-8) (BLK-1) (PPG-10). M.Moore-Nets:(FG-61%) (FT-68%) (RPG-5) (BLK-.05) (PPG-10). Nesterovic-Raptors:(FG-54%) (FT-54%) (RPG-5) (BLK-1) (PPG-7). Haywood-Wizards:(FG-56) (FT-55%) (RBP-6) (BLK-1) (PPG-7). S.O'Neal-Miami:(FG-59%) (FT-59%) (RPG-7) (BLK-1) (PPG-17). Ben Wallace-Bulls:(FG-45%) (FT-41%) (RPG-11) (BLK-2) (PPG-6). D.Howard-Magics:(FG-60%) (FT-57%) (RPG-12) (BLK-2) (PPG-18). Webber-Pistons:(FG-50%) (FT-63%) (RPG-.06) (PPG-11). According to these statistics, our center is doing a better job than 5 of those centers. So tell me......why do we need a center? We can use a backup center but we do not need 1 to start for us at this time. We need to focus on what we need, not what we don't need. Show the organization we can make good GMs!

Posted by: GHunt on June 17, 2007 4:10PM EST Tony, I am assuming that your numbers are accurately stated. So, let look at the reason why the Hawks must get better in the low post. A 5 player is basically dunking the ball, doing lay ups, bunnies and or shooting within 5 feet of the basket. A 5 shooting less than 50% is unacceptable. The center must strike fear in the hearts of those who dare challenge them in the paint. Who is afraid to challenge us in the low post? While I think Zaza is serviceable, we want to win a championship, therefore we must look beyond the 5s in the Eastern Conference.

Posted by: Douglas Crenshaw, Sr. on June 17, 2007 5:31PM EST Atlanta Hawks, I am in full support of drafting Yi Jianlian @ the #3 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. I think Yi Jianlian is very talented player and would be a big mistake to pass-over. Furthermore, I think we should draft whose ever available Mike Conley Jr., Javaris Crittenton and/or Acie Law @ the #11 pick. Thanks, Douglas Crenshaw, Sr.

Posted by: Charles on June 17, 2007 5:54PM EST tony, Yi is not a center... and if zaza was so great, why did Woodson bench him at the end of the year?

Posted by: Charles on June 17, 2007 5:59PM EST For all the people who can't understand why Yi is a good fit here in Atlanta: 1st string: PF YI C Sheldon 2nd string PF Zaza C Solomon This presents a scoring option and a defensive option on both the first string and second. Woodson said he would like Sheldon to match up with the opposing team's centers. Marvin is a SF, as is Josh smith. With Yi, Smooth, and Sheldon, our low post defense would be vastly improved.

Posted by: tony on June 17, 2007 6:07PM EST GHunt, you did not do your home work. The hawks are a solid defensive team. They held their opponent under 100 ppg. NOW.....they were 5th in block shot, 9th in steals and 22nd in rebounding. CHECK THIS OUT! Phoenix was 19th in rebounding, Detroit was 18th in rebounding and the NBA CHAMPIONS was 17th in rebounding. THAT SAID....the hawks are a decent reboundig team. The problem with the hawks - were closing out the close games. They had trouble scoring points down the stretch. Their FG% was 28th in the league and their assist % was 24th in the league. Assists are converted into points if the ball is distribute properly. NOW...FIGURE OUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO IMPROVE OUR ASST% AND FG% WITH AFFECTING OUR DEFENSE.

Posted by: are people this set against taking a pg on June 17, 2007 6:46PM EST Tony give up family. For some reason the fans atlanta just dont get it. They have been crying for the last few years about how they dont have a good pg. Now that they have the chance to get the best one in the draft they would rather have another skinny sf who will take a few years to develop and when he does he might not even be what they thought he would be. If the Hawks pass on another pg they get whatever they deserve because they dont seem to care .

Posted by: Bob on June 17, 2007 8:30PM EST First, you can't compere anyone to Dirk. Last year people were say stuff about Andrea Bargnani was going to be the Dirk. It's not going to happen. Let me be frank with you for a minute, for the last how many drafts the hawks have selected big men. Trade the third pick for Shawne Marion. With the 11th pick take Acie Law.

Posted by: Darrell Simmons on June 17, 2007 11:00PM EST Billy, please, please, please don't pass on YI !!!!! He is the real deal that scores in the low post !!!! YI at PF, Josh Smith at SF and use Marvin as your 6th man off the bench. Then take conley, law or crit at 11. I like Law because he is a better shooter anyway!!! If you don't take YI at 3 he will go at 4 or 5 for sure and then we can watch him lite us up for several years !!!!! YI at 3 then Law or conley and we have our best draft ever !!!!! JD- PS hawks fan and Basketball Coach for many years !!!!

Posted by: Chinese on June 18, 2007 5:45AM EST 我覺得你們對Yi有興趣是因為你們對Yi不是很熟悉,只因為他在...

Posted by: A Wi on June 18, 2007 6:19AM EST i think everybody like Yi so much because they aren't familiar to this guy,he plays overseas,you don't see him play all the time,but he's got wonderful stats in the CBA,so you expect(imagine,wish) something he can bring to us,contrarily,Conly is a NCAA player,you know Conly too well,so everything about him become not good enough,people always be curiosity and full of hopefulness in exotica,and always be censorious when it comes to someone you are familiar with,he's always diddly no matter what he have done just because you know him too well,think about it.

Posted by: idecris on June 18, 2007 8:02AM EST y'all want Yi based on some CBA highlight you guys saw. well he can't even guard a Wang Zhi Zhi. the same Wang ZHi Zhi who never prospered in the NBA. that same guy burned your Yi and stopped his championship streak. tell me how a 7 footer, who can't play defense will ever get minutes? tell me how a big man who gets burned by an NBA failure like Wang Zhi Zhi will ever be allowed by his coach to play more than 20 minutes? the coach won't let a guy like that play man. he's not a real improvement over Pachulia. don't put too much value on his CBA highlights. I'd even take Tiago Splitter over this guy. Splitter is a tougher low post presence, is 6'11 3/4" w/o shoes, a legit 7 footer, long arms, tough inside, and has no "shooting ego", and is also very athletic for a seven footer. Splitter is so far ahead of Yi in terms of "defensive sense" especially post defense. what do you guys all want to do with Yi, hope he becomes a 7 foot small forward? do you think he can guard a small forward? you guys want to play him ahead of Smoove, Marv or J Chill? he can't guard big men, he can't guard smaller forwards, how the hell can you give him minutes? you guys are nuts! please, don't dare waste a lottery pick on this foolish hype.

Posted by: steve on June 18, 2007 9:29AM EST For all of you guys that continue to bash Yi in favor of Conley. One year of college ball and an impressive 3 week span in the tournament does not make "great game management skills" or "great basketball IQ". ESPN continues to warp the minds of coach potatoes into thinking stars are shown at the :15 and :30 minute marks of each show. Conley will likely take as long if not longer as Chancey Billups did to develop into a quality point guard and the Hawks are not the right team for him. The Hawks have nothing except Joe and he is not a ticket magnet for the fans. Yi will give them the ticket magnet and will develop into a player. Conley at his size is a dime a dozen, if you really love the Hawks then stop the insanity and look to a bigger point guard because this draft has it.

Posted by: tony on June 18, 2007 10:46AM EST STEVE, STOP IT ALREADY!!!! You guys need to stop trying to degrade 1 player in order to elevate another. All of these athletes have the potential to be great at the next level. Conley is the one guy who can manage an offense more effectively and will fill an immediate need. HOWEVER, after watching the video of Yi today, I think he is the best big man in this draft. He have some Michael Jordan like qualities in his game. HE'S THE MICHAEL JORDAN OF THE BIG MEN OVER THERE! I'm really impress with this kid. THAT SAID, I think BK have some tough decisions to make. GOOD LUCK BK.

Posted by: steve on June 18, 2007 11:27AM EST And you base that reasoning from what? One year of college ball in a weak conference and a few solid games in the tournament with an overall #1 selection at center. I have no hate for Conley and hope he does well in the NBA however he doesnt fit the Hawks regardless of what you "take any PG" fans out there say. If BK indeed does have a philosophy to this draft madness of years past then he will take a big point guard. Acie Law improved his game each season in college - http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=577&page=stats. He lead a team so if anyone is qualified to be mentioned as a leader or ability to manage offense it would be him before you go calling Conley the second coming with only a single season under his belt that's all I'm saying.

Posted by: William on June 18, 2007 1:15PM EST One year of college ball and an impressive 3 week span in the tournament does not make "great game management skills" or "great basketball IQ". and i say "perfect CBA performance doesn't equal to perfect NBA performance",am i right??

Posted by: A Wi on June 18, 2007 1:23PM EST with JJ,JSMOOVE,JCHILL,MARVIN on this team,we really need a pg with exellent passing skill,and Law plays like a shooting guard,Yi and Conly both are players we don't want to pass on,but we have to choose one,just think about what we need the most!!

Posted by: steve on June 18, 2007 1:42PM EST Take Yi it doesn't matter as he has upside whether you willing to admit it or not. The kid will sell seats because that is the nature of marketing. The Hawks have not had anything to market for years. Josh Smith winning the dunk contest was the last failed marketing attempt (season ticket holder so I know.) Anyway, the Hawks can get a player at point that is already in the league from Chicago (Duhon) as the Bulls have no need for him. The adjustment to 82 game season for a point guard is not an easy one.

Posted by: Charles on June 18, 2007 3:09PM EST idecris, have you ever seen a game that Yi has played in? I watched a lot of the FIBA tournament last summer. Despite not getting many minutes, I thought his defense and rebounding was his most consistent talent. He blocked the mess out of Dwayne Wade and Carmelo and ran circles around Jamison. Dwight Howard made him look bad a couple of times, but that should be expected. Yi is a really long player who anticipates shots well. He plays very good help defense on penetrators.

Posted by: tony on June 18, 2007 6:16PM EST PLEOPLE! PEOPLE! PEOPLE! The more I look at the video of YI - I'm now convince that he should be the #1 pick in this draft. There is no way this kid will slip pass the Sonics. I still believe Mike Conley is the best point gaurd in this draft but I will not have a problem if BK and Co take Yi if he slip pass the Super Sonics.

Posted by: FORGET THIS on June 18, 2007 6:39PM EST Ok let me get this straight. Conley is overrated because he played great in the tournament but YI will be a star because he had one decent game against the U.S.A.. WOW ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Every scouting report says YI is a skinny small foward that has terrible defense , no strength, and will take time to develop yet we are willing to pass on the top rated pg again to take another sf with potential? IS THIS FREAKING GROUND HOG DAY? The franchise and some of these fans will never get it. WE DONT NEED ANOTHER DAMN FOWARD WE NEED A DAMN PG. YI dominated the damn CBA. Im sorry but i seriously doubt the talent there is as good as the college competition. People see a few youtube clips and think this guy will be a hall of famer. If the Hawks blow this draft by taking YI im done with this team. YI WILL NOT BRING FANS TO THE GAMES IN ATLANTA. You might want to do some research. CHECK OUT HOUSTONS ATTENDANCE RECORDS. THEY SUCK AND THEY HAVE BOTH YAO AND MC GRADY SO YOU THINK PEOPLE WILL COME SEE YI IN ATLANTA WHEN THEY BARELY CAME TO SEE D WILKENS. MAN GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE.

Posted by: A Wi on June 18, 2007 11:38PM EST this firget this guy IS SO DAMN RIGHT.

Posted by: Take the best one on one player! on June 19, 2007 1:42AM EST If Yi can work out against Conley in an one on one game before the draft day, it will be obvious who is the third best propect in this draft. One on one required good offense skills as well as defense skills, such as being able to shoot high field goal percentage on offense, reduce the opponent's field goal percentage by playing great defense, and grabbing a lot of rebounds to have more advantage on second field goal attemps. One on one match can really test out the individual ability in a short while. If you are the best one-on-one player in the nba, such as domanant players like Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, Shaquille Oneil, then you will carry the team to the championship. Now, Lebron James has gotten better and better each year in his skills level, and he is becoming a stronger and better one-on-one match up player and also a stronger and better team player. So, we have to think who is the better one-on-one match up player.

Posted by: dave on June 19, 2007 3:29AM EST i know that YI has a good potential to be good a player but the hawks need a quality PG. im an asian and i saw him play and he needs to improve his physical strenght against big guys in nba to become successfull. so its better for the hawks to draft conley..

Posted by: J-mill on June 19, 2007 9:47AM EST We should Draft Yi and take his skinny butt straight to golden coral a whole week to turn him to a Center. Just like the Rockets did to Yao I mean look at Yao at his rookie season and look at him now. I like conley at 3 also.

Posted by: ATLALLDAY on June 19, 2007 10:55AM EST GOTTA TAKE YI........this is really best pick for need and spot......there will be a quality point guard at 11 without a doubt....there will not be a better 7 footer at 11 and thats for sure.....does not matter if he plays the 5 or the 4.......you could be preparing the HAWKS to be the Phoenix Suns of the east. He has post moves better than the surrounding field and shoots outside......BIG MISTAKE TO LET HIM PASS AT #3.

Posted by: idecris on June 19, 2007 12:40PM EST wang zhi zhi, mo ke, tang zhengdong... do you know who those guys are. those are the chinese tall guys Yi struggled against in the CBA. u serious at taking a 7 footer at #3 who struggles offensively and defensively against non superstar Chinese tall guys. how do you think this guy'll fare against NBA big guys? so you say that he's really a small forward? so you want Yi to play ahead of Marv, Smoove & Chill? what a waste. this 7 footer can't play like a big man, he thinks like a guard but you can't play him against guards, swing men or small forwards. if you still think you want Yi, maybe y'all should also want wang zhi zhi, mo ke and tang zhengdong because they all burned Yi in the CBA.

Posted by: J-mill on June 19, 2007 1:07PM EST BREAKING NEWS! MIKE CONLEY WORKOUT WITH THE BUCKS AND HE WAS PHENIMAL! FORGET WAT I SAID ABOUT YI WE CAN'T PASS ON THE NEXT TONY PARKER!

Posted by: Charles on June 19, 2007 1:36PM EST Idecris, Yi didn't even guard Wang in the CBA finals. The Center on Guangdong (I think that's how you spell it) is Jason Dixon. Yi is a power forward people!!!!!!

Posted by: Charles on June 19, 2007 1:37PM EST J-mill, I read that the workouts with Bucks were decent, but hardly phenomenal. He air-balled a couple of jumpers and looked out of shape.

Posted by: Charles on June 19, 2007 1:39PM EST and Yi played very well against Tang, who is bigger than most players in the nba.... Where are you getting your info Idecris?

Posted by: diehardhawksfan on June 19, 2007 1:53PM EST memphis workout...one guy compared conley's floater to a.i. and tony parker...enjoy http://cmime...

Posted by: Charles on June 19, 2007 2:03PM EST Conley's only shot is his floater

Posted by: draft expert on June 19, 2007 2:15PM EST Yi has a lot of development needed in order to excel at this level. As was stated by someone earlier, it is his marketability that works to the Hakws favor. The Hawks have trouble selling out for Clevland and Lakers. If they take Yi then they will need to be able to bring him along mid season. My question is what is his work ethic like and is he willing to do what it takes to be the best. All of these picks Oden and Durrant included might not be ready mentally to carry a team especially one so in need of a 180 turn around as the Hawks. The Hawks need to decide who is going to be around for the long term and what value they have remaining and make some trades because the roster they have in November is likely the roster they are stuck with for some time.

Posted by: you be the judge on June 19, 2007 2:24PM EST I think this sums up what the guys that see this from a marketing angle are saying. http://www.realgm.c...

Posted by: you be the judge on June 19, 2007 2:26PM EST http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives /46581/20070619/

Posted by: IM PRAYING FOR THE KNOWLEDGABLE HAWKS FANS on June 19, 2007 2:40PM EST I will man up here i read the report on Conleys workout. He did airball some jumpers and was not in top condition. They still said it was a good workout. So Charles was right in one aspect but they did say he was still impressive.

Posted by: steve on June 19, 2007 2:44PM EST 82 games Rookie wall Coaching staff Ownership Fan Base All of these are things that will make for a long season for Conley and anyone else. I hope if the Hawks do take him that he is mentally ready for the pressure, ask Mike Vick.