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.

Posted by: good point on June 19, 2007 3:36PM EST lmao@steve. you make a great point.. whoever we take will probably struggle due to this inept coaching staff alone... dont even get me started on the owndership and gm .

Posted by: Dave on June 19, 2007 5:31PM EST I think Atlanta needs a whole new roster. It doesn't matter who they select this coming draft, still not going to make the playoffs. And selecting Conely is a waste. He may become a great point guard, but he will suck with no one to pass it to. You guys might hate on my comments, but the Hawk's win/loss record speaks louder than words.

Posted by: Jeff Gibson on June 19, 2007 6:42PM EST Take Yi With #3 and Chose your best Pick at Guard at #11 ConleyII,Stuckey, Law, Crittendon or Jordan. Conley May even be available at #11 in some Mock drafts. Ought to trade some extra Players (possible one of the injured guards, or Salim Stroudamire ) for Draft Picks. , if you Do You might end up with Yi Juanlin, Mike Conley II, and Rodney Stuckey.

Posted by: J-mill on June 19, 2007 7:04PM EST OK, OK Charles I did kind of over estimate the workout a little and I'm going back to thinking we should take Yi @ 3. So I'm with Jeff. The thing about Yi is, he's not in our workouts.

Posted by: J-mill on June 19, 2007 7:10PM EST OK I don't give a flip on who we choose in the Draft anymore, I just want the Hawks to get to the playoffs next year.

Posted by: idecris on June 20, 2007 12:12AM EST yi struggled to defend Wang and Tang that's why they put Jason Dixon on them. the coaches decided that they'll just put their black import on these guys cause Yi can't handle them. bottom line: a skilled bigman with average agility, who is not imposing or doesn't have a significant athletic or physical advantage like Wang can have his way with a Yi defending him. want that to keep happening for the hawks? next, an imposing big guy, who is not as agile or coordinated like Tang can also have his way at Yi? How many bigger, stronger, more athletic big men are ther in the NBA? What's Yi gonna let them do to him? what? do you want to get or draft Jason Dixon too so if Yi struggles in defense, you're gonna put Jason Dixon in? Yi is a bad idea and you can't admit it. He's a bad tweener for the Hawks. Just with CBA competition his weaknesses are evident. Don't be star struck with the highlights man, that's not their whole game as a player. you think he's got great offense? man he played against wang, tang, ke, etc. those aren't NBA type defenders! what the hell! swallow your pride, he's not the next great import from China. He's not even at the same level of the big college prospects. hell, I'd take Tiago Splitter instead of him anyday.

Posted by: idecris on June 20, 2007 12:45AM EST and you guys need to be corrected. Guangdong did not win 3 CBA titles just because they had Yi, they had an American import (Jason Dixon) who handled most of the big man duties and they had several Chinese National team players too. and guess what it only took one Wang Zhi Zhi to stop all that, to stop such a "strong" team. With Wang Zhi Zhi only playing again this year, Bayi won the 2007 CBA title and stopped the Guangdong "dream team" from winning it's 4th consecutive title. Yi is a lot of hype. Just because you saw a long guy dunk fancy or hit a jumpshot makes you think he's your savior. (Stro Swift can dunk fancy and run the court and swat shots, but he ain't no savior, let Stro play in the CBA and he'll have dynasties) Yes Yi's athletic, yes he can hit a jumper, but a few skills or moves does not a good basketball player make. Having Yi will not cause the Hawks to start winning ballgames. He's a waste of a pick. Darko's even better.

Posted by: idecris on June 20, 2007 1:14AM EST i have an idea... why don't we sign Wang Zhizhi? He's clearly better than Yi Jianlian right? I mean he singlehandedly stopped the Guangdong dynasty. So why not get him? LMFAO!

Posted by: Jrock07 on June 20, 2007 2:39PM EST DO NOT DRAFT YI. Yi reminds me of a another international player that everybody was so high on that turned out to be a bust, does NIKOLOS SKITHISHVILy ring any bells. Yi does not fit a position in the nba, and like most international players, he plays to soft to be dominant big man in the leauge and is way to slow to play on the perimeter, He will be a big bust in the nba. atlanta should trade down from 3 to about 6 and nab mike conley and trade their 11th pick, speedy claxton, zaza and a future second rounder to memphis for a proven low post scorer in pau gasol

Posted by: Charles on June 20, 2007 2:43PM EST Idecris, Yi is NOT a center! Tang and Wang play CENTER!! Dixon is Guangdong's starting center!! Is that so hard to understand? Dixon did not get put in after Yi struggled. You are just flat making up stuff, and it's getting irritating. There were instances where Yi had to defend those guys because Guangdong doesn't have too many bigs. Tang is MUCH bigger than ANY power forwards in the nba. Wang did most of his scoring on Dixon. When will you understand this? Yi was not a center, but when he had to defend centers, he did a pretty good job. You can't expect a guy to be a shut down defender OUT OF POSITION. In the FIBA world championships, Yi defended many NBA stars and played very well. I'm going to stop arguing with you because you apparently are just a hater and enjoy making things up to support your obvious biases against Yi. Oh yea, and I just read on a blog that Yi has already gained 10 pounds since he started training in LA.

Posted by: Charles on June 20, 2007 2:48PM EST Nickoloz Tskitishvili had virtually no experience before entering the nba. Pretty much all of the scouting done on him was individual workouts. Comparing him to Yi, who is a proven star in China, is absolutely ridiculous.

Posted by: Used to be a Hawks Fan on June 20, 2007 5:01PM EST You guys are wasting your breath...Conley or Yi? Neither one is a 6'9" swingman, so neither one is even on BK's mind right now.

Posted by: Demetrius Gresham on June 20, 2007 5:27PM EST I'm a big fan & GA native. I can't wait to move back and get season tickets. The 3rd pick is useless to us right now. We already have too many kids to develop. Give the Blazers the 3rd pick and bring Randolph & Jack to Atlanta. That gives you a solid 20 pt/10 rebound guy and a PG to compliment Johnson. That gives us a complete backcourt and will allow us to see our investment with Williams pay off.

Posted by: idecris on June 20, 2007 7:27PM EST to charles: the point is Yi cannot play like a big man. he's a 7 footer for crying out loud. where do you want him to play? at "small" power forward? i just think Yi is a waste of a pick. he just has so much "Darko like" hype.

Posted by: idecris on June 20, 2007 8:02PM EST to charles again: so you want to protect Yi by saying that it's unfair to jusge his defense on CENTERS?! how do you think he'll fare against POWER forwards? Boozer, Duncan, Randolph, etc. I mean, I think even Craig Smith or David Lee will eat him alive. how do you think he'll fare against "smaller" forwards? is he going to be quick enough? did he ever play small forward in China? do you really want to add another small forward in a team full of small forwards? he's a bad tweener. and he's a big pussy.

Posted by: idecris on June 20, 2007 8:19PM EST i think the word is OVERMATCHED Yi will be overmatched at all frontcourt positions, and he will end up watching the action from the bench. that is why it's a waste of a pick.

Posted by: Wilson. on June 20, 2007 9:11PM EST ATLANTA HAWKS...PLEASE DON'T PICK YI JIANLIAN!!! LET BOSTON CELTICS PICK HIM!!! LET'S GO CELTICS!!! YESSSSS!!!!

Posted by: Charles on June 20, 2007 11:30PM EST idecris, he has already handled nba power forwards Chris Bosh, elton brand, and centers Brad Miller and Dwight Howard. At the world championships last summer, he was the best defensive player on China, averaging more blocks and rebounds per minute than Yao. He is not over matched on defense. I don't know where you are getting these ideas from, but they are simply not true. Here is what Yi did to Tang (who you said shut him down). Keep in mind Tang is 7-1 and weighs 280. Not exactly the size of player Yi will face at PF in the nba. http://youtube.com/wat... to 4:28 to see...

Posted by: Charles on June 20, 2007 11:31PM EST just go to youtube and type in Yi Jianlian-Beyond 19

Posted by: Charles on June 20, 2007 11:37PM EST idecris, if Chris Bosh and Pau Gasol have enough weight to play power forward, so does Yi. You are reaching for flaws in this guy's game. Fact is he has more potential than anyone in this draft not named Oden or Durant. I would agree that Conley would be the way to go IF we didn't have the 11th pick with two very good point guards available. I just think if we go with Conley, the only thing left at 11 will be SFs and I guess Sean Williams (big character concerns). We have the luxury thanks to that 11th pick to gamble a little bit at three. If Yi turns out to be good, he could become the biggest most marketable star in the league. How can you pass that potential up? If we pass on Yi, I really feel like it could haunt this franchise for the next 10 years. I simply don't feel that Horford or Wright have that kind of upside.

Posted by: medayoallday on June 21, 2007 3:06AM EST Yo charles i couldnt have said it better myself dogs thanks for being the only one with sense.

Posted by: idecris on June 21, 2007 10:11AM EST charles, are you sure Yi handled Chris Bosh, Elton Brand, Dwight Howard and Brad Miller? That's saying too much. I doubt that's true. We both know Yi can't even handle Wang Zhi Zhi. There's nothing much to see from Yi's clips except seeing him dunk over non-NBA caliber Chinese players in the CBA.

Posted by: J-mill on June 21, 2007 11:19AM EST BOOOOOOOOOOOOO WILSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: DMichael on June 21, 2007 11:57AM EST ______________________________... Hold Workouts For PGs, UNC's Wright Posted by: Brotha2ThaNite on June 20, 2007 7:38PM EST "The only thing is I think it has to be Yi or Horford at 3 and then take the best of the 3 pg at 11. We will be set. Yi is the guy i would like to see because Joe Johnson wants us to pick him. If Joe likes him that much, he must have seen something very good in him when China played Team USA last summer. I will be happy with Horford too because he brings a big body in the paint." ____________________________... Joe Johnson wants us to pick Yi then the Hawks organization should get him because if it were not for Joe Johnson then the Hawks would have been no where near 30... 20... 12 wins at best.

Posted by: DMichael on June 21, 2007 12:01PM EST Hawks Hold Workouts For PGs, UNC's Wright Posted by: Brotha2ThaNite on June 20, 2007 7:38PM EST "The only thing is I think it has to be Yi or Horford at 3 and then take the best of the 3 pg at 11. We will be set. Yi is the guy i would like to see because Joe Johnson wants us to pick him. If Joe likes him that much, he must have seen something very good in him when China played Team USA last summer. I will be happy with Horford too because he brings a big body in the paint." Since Joe Johnson wants us to pick Yi then the Hawks organization should get him because if it were not for Joe Johnson then the Hawks would have been no where near 30... 20... 12 wins at best.

Posted by: Charles on June 21, 2007 2:58PM EST idecris, I watched the FIBA championships and saw the game in the 1st round when china played USA. Yi def held his own on the block. The only player that could do anything against him was Dwight Howard. Yi had a couple of spectacular blocks off Wade and Carmelo. He reacts very well off penetration and was a much quicker leaper than I thought. Defensively, he reminded me of Biedrins. He wasn't an unstopable force down low defensively, I'll give you that. He did, however, hold his own against some of the best players in the world. He will never be a liability on defense like you are insinuating. But also, his real assets come from his offensive ability and potential. And your boy Wang looked like garbage in the games I saw in that tournament. Strength can always be achieved once a player enters the league. Quickness is much harder to add later. That being said, I think Yi's only real weakness right now is movement without the ball. In the games I saw he floated around the perimeter more than battling for position down low. Part of that was the fact that Yao was the center. I think something like that can be corrected easily with coaching because when he does go down low, his post moves look very good. The main thing I like about Yi is his attitude. He has defined himself as a power forward in his interviews and realizes that his ability to play in the post is his main asset. He has been committed in the weight room this offseason, so he obviously knows his weaknesses. What's not to like?

Posted by: idecris on June 21, 2007 9:30PM EST i don't know what's on BK's mind right now. but i'm afraid he's intent on making the crowd at the forward spots bigger. he's reportedly looking at wright and horford. and content on getting a project like javaris at the 11th. it's not unlikely that he'll get forwards at #3 and #11.

Posted by: are you serious on June 21, 2007 10:29PM EST People why do you want Al Horford. Dude was an average player in college that is being hyped up because he played for the Gators. This guy is not even close to Amare athletically. I bet you BK f's this draft up. MARK IT DOWN.

Posted by: medayoallday on June 22, 2007 1:10AM EST YO WHY IS WRIGHT EVEN WORKING OUT FOR THE HAWKS PLEASE SAY IT AINT SO.....

Posted by: Yi's fan on June 22, 2007 1:18AM EST http://www.56.com/u23/v_MTQwND...

Posted by: Yi's fan on June 22, 2007 1:20AM EST http://www.56.com/u23/v_MTQwNDExMTY.html

Posted by: norris on June 22, 2007 7:28AM EST I do not see why people are bashing zaza. The only time that he got the ball was when he grabbed an offensive rebound. I remember watching a lot of games when he would have good post up position and the team would just swing the ball around and take a jump shot, and ultimately miss and Z would get the rebound and put it back up. And I can not think of another Hawk that was at the line as much as Pachulia. You would think with all of these slashers would get to the line more, and get the oposing big men in foul trouble, but no the settle for too many jump shots.

Posted by: Charles on June 22, 2007 12:06PM EST Yea our 1st round pick next year goes to Phoenix, and it is not protected. Therefore, if we were to get lucky in the lottery and get the number 1 pick, it would go to Phoenix due to the Joe Johnson trade. Idecris, I like Conley too. In fact, I have him second on my big board behind Yi. I'd rather take Conley than Horford or Wright. If we didn't have that eleventh pick, I would be all over the Mike Conley bandwagon. But, I also like Crittenton and Law a lot and I truly believe that both of them will be there at eleven. A guy like Yi doesn't come around every year. I think a combination of Yi and Sheldon down low could be something special. Horford has been labeled the "safe" pick by most experts, and many believe that Knight is trying to save his job this year. If that is the case, and they go with the safe pick over the potential Yi brings, I will finally be on the fire Billy bandwagon. While I disagreed with many of his moves over the last two years, I still had my faith in him. If it has come to the point where he can't make the best pick over fear of losing his job, he can't help the Hawks anymore. GM's should not worry about their job security. If it has come to that, I don't feel like BK can do his job effectively.

Posted by: dario on June 22, 2007 1:30PM EST come on guys, Yi's a pussy, he lack the confidence that every successful player has.

Posted by: JD on June 22, 2007 3:48PM EST Take YI at 3 and this is why. 1. He runs to floor better than any big man in draft. 2. He goes to the basket and finishes with authority. 3. He has great hands 4. Smart player reminds me of Kevin Mchale from Boston in thier championship years 5. If the hawks pass on him he will go 4 or 5 and we will regret forever. 6. Horford is another Sheldon with no upside. We do not need another Sheldon. 7. YI can play c, pf, sm and sg you can rotate him in and out of the line-up. 8. C-ZP, PF, YI, SF, JS, SG, JJ PG draft law or crit. You are set for 2009-2012 and will make playoffs for sure year end and year out. 9. YI puts fans in the house. He brings attention to Atlanta for the first time since Dominique. 10. Joe Johnson likes YI because he is smart and smart players win games. Billy Draft YI and save your Job because if you Draft Horford you may be gone cause he is just another Sheldon with no up-side !!!!

Posted by: Juan on June 22, 2007 4:41PM EST Stephen on June 14 said it best "TRUST ME WHEN I SAY DRAFT YI AT #3 AND CONLEY/ACIE LAW AT #11 IT'S THAT SIMPLE BILLY!!!!!!" The best quality post player should be taken at #3. With the current team make-up, we need an inside scoring presence. Jump shots are easier when you have a little room. Acie Law or my guy Taurean Green are solid point guard picks at #11. We just need a solid point guard that can keep the defense honest. We have scorers on the floor.........

Posted by: wowwwwwwwwww on June 22, 2007 5:16PM EST WOW with some of these suggestions I would rather have the horrible BK than some of you people. YI can play sg now? WTF ARE YOU SERIOUS. All Joe Johnson said is the kid can play, Joe would probably say the same thing about 20 more players in this draft. Who in their right mind would take Taurean Green at 11? This guy is a second round pick at best. Basketball Gods please help us because we need it with BK and some of these fans.

Posted by: Douglas Crenshaw, Sr on June 22, 2007 7:43PM EST Once again -- 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. Ps. I will see you 'all @ the Hawks Draft Party next weeks... "GO HAWKS...!!!"

Posted by: Remembers Paul Gasol on June 22, 2007 9:19PM EST In year 2001, The Atlanta Hawks selected Paul Gasol, which was the smartest pick made by Hawks since year 1995. Too bad, Gasol was stolen by Grizzlies. This year, if Yi is not picked at #3, and once again, another very talented player will be stolen from Atlanta Hawks. Gasol is very talented, and sending him to Grizzlies is only making Grizzlies stronger, which in turn makes Hawks weaker because Grizzlies is Atlanta Hawks's competitor. If Yi is passed over to another team, and he grows strong quickly like Paul Gasol, then again Atlanta Hawks will repeat the mistake. When that happens, don't forget that I told you so.

Posted by: Remembers Pau Gasol on June 22, 2007 9:49PM EST Go Get Yi, He Will Be Another Pau Gasol.

Posted by: xie xiao zhi on June 22, 2007 11:33PM EST I think Yi is the best player except Oden and Durant ,just choose Yi. I believe him,he will prove himself in a few years!

Posted by: Yi is my #1 pick in draft 2007 on June 23, 2007 12:30AM EST http://youtube.com/watch?v=TxHjuRoTLxA http://youtube.com/watch?v=PS-WHTz2jEA http://youtube.com/watch?v=uk7I2FiWqdI http://www.yijianlian.com/Photo/20070607144914.html http://www.yijianlian.com/Photo/20070607144802.html //////////////////////////////////////////////////// /////////////////////////////////////////////////// I will select Yi over Oden and Durant! Yi is big, can jump very far, and is getting stronger and stronger very fast. He is already NBA ready and will start to contribute to the team that selects him in his first year. Yi Jian Lian will be the true winner of the draft of 2007.

Posted by: Better than Oden and Durant on June 23, 2007 1:22AM EST His video are definitely better than Oden and Durant. Yi will definitely have success in NBA.

Posted by: The Draft Winner on June 23, 2007 12:21PM EST Select YI and you will be the winner of the draft 2007. Number One pick is not always the winner. The winner is the team that selects the best player in the draft.

Posted by: Everything is unknown on June 23, 2007 6:01PM EST http://www.sportingnews.com/archives/jordan/draft.html To straigth idiots: Every thing is still unknown. Michael Jordan is not the number One pick, but the team that selects Jordan is the winner of the draft. Why not go with the best available player at #3 pick?

Posted by: Charles on June 23, 2007 7:16PM EST yea i am a huge yi supporter, but come one people. Better than Oden and Durant! The real argument is Yi versus Horford and Wright.

Posted by: Douglas Crenshaw, Sr. on June 23, 2007 7:36PM EST Hawk Fans, I believe the BK will select Yi Jianlian @ the #3 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. By the way, I am glad BK is not listening to folks like 3D Dennis Scott or the simple minds @ 680 The Fan or 790 the Zone. I mean, I made a call to 790 The Zone Friday and spoke with Home Brandon Lee and 3D Dennis Scott. I pleaded my case for Yi Jianlian @ the #3. Dennis Scott said he hasn't seen any video Yi Jianlian and yet he saying "Don't Pick Yi Jianlian" Dennis Scott wants to be a General Manger someday... Start by doing your research on a player (playa) and not just bumping your gums with bad info or opinions ... 10 - 4, Sir!!! No disrespect, just truth...!!! This guys are making statements against Yi Jianlian and they have never seen the video on this guy. I mean, the Radio Media in Atlanta is awesome but these guys are so wrong on this subject matter. Yi Jianlian is a **STAR** and the HAWKS Fans are about to taking to another level "Global Thinking"... Later..., Douglas Crenshaw, Sr.

Posted by: Douglas Crenshaw, Sr. on June 23, 2007 7:48PM EST Hawks Fans, we are speaking LOUD and CLEAR... Last week, the voting poll on the Hawks website showed Yi Jianlian -- 20 - 26 % and within a week we polled and spoke LOUD bringing Yi Jianlian to 31%. This out of Total Responses: 18013 poll votes... By Thursday, we will be speaking LOUDER with out quest for change... I want to attend the Hawks games this year and cheer very LOUD. We want to win and have a lot of fun cheer for our brothers... Who should the Hawks draft with the #3 pick in the draft? Mike Conley, Jr. -- 38% Yi Jianlian -- 31% Al Horford -- 12% Joakim Noah -- 10% Brandan Wright -- 10% Total Responses: 18013

Posted by: nothing on June 23, 2007 9:23PM EST Guys I have just seen the workout between Yi and Noah 1 on 1. I really want to post the link here but I think it already fizzled out at SharkVid. Anyway, as I was mentioning earlier. I think we should get Yi in Hawks uniform. I'm going back to Atlanta next month and I do hope by that time our GM did picked him for our team. I really think that if this guy is utilized properly, we will become a powerhouse in the east someday. Not now, this year we will still suck. But I think that he will be a very good combo for Joe. I think we can have a fast paced offense (similar to that of the Mike B, Chris Web, Vlade D., Peja Stojakovic's Sacramento Kings) with this guy around. We will have fast players from PG to C. But if GM is not thinking of drafting YI. I think we should just trade our #3 and #11 pick for a really good powerforward (Zach R, Garnnet, Gasol, Chris Bosh, etc).

Posted by: Charles on June 24, 2007 12:28AM EST why does everyone hype on the fact that Yi doesn't have the strength to play PF in the nba? He weighs more than anyone projected in the lottery not named Oden.

Posted by: jay on June 24, 2007 12:48AM EST We should draft Yi it's a risk worth taking and I am confident that he will have a big enough impact to at least get us back to the playoffs and he will bring back the element of excitment to the Atlanta Hawks which is definetly lacking. Al Haford reminds me of Chris Webber and What the heck has Chris Webber ever won, and Mike Conley Jr. will never be as good as Steve Nash, but even if he was, Steve Nash hasn't won any chanpionship. So I say take a risk and bring Yi to Atlanta it's Probably the most exciting thing Atlanta Hawks have done in 10 years.

Posted by: jay on June 24, 2007 1:02AM EST The way I see it the Hawks only have one choice and thiat is to take Yi as the #3 pick. Al Hawford sucks this guy remind me of slow and boring Chris Webber. I can say with certinty he will never win a championship or MVP. There are too many players like this guy and the Hawks will continue to be lame by adding this guy. There will be no highlight factory ever it will be the same losing Hawks despreatly trying to the make it to the playoffs and finishing 20 game below the .5 mark. I say take a risk Atlanta Hawks, I say stop being so lame and boring and keep making me snore at your games, and I say draft Yi and let the city know that the Spirit group doesn't just represent Thrashers, but also the Spirit group cares about the NBA and the Hawks fans in Atlanta. I used to wath Steve Smith and Mookey, but now the Hawks have no hope every year they just suck. While the Jazz and the Bulls are back at it in the playoffs. What is wrong with the Spirit group why are you even considering Hawford or Conely Jr.. You guys need to excite your fanbase and take a risk draft Yi and if it's a mistake tell the fans you did it for them. That you had there best intrest in mind. We will understand.

Posted by: John on June 24, 2007 1:30AM EST http://geocities.com/sinobball/china06.htm

Posted by: John on June 24, 2007 1:31AM EST http://geocities.com/sinobball/china06.htm

Posted by: jay on June 24, 2007 1:32AM EST Note to the Spirit group and Berni, Billy, and Coach Woodson, there is no Highlight Factory. It's a hallucination you guys came up with or somebody came up with in the advertising department. Somebody got high and came up with the Highlight Factory. So somebody needs to come down from their high and draft Yi at number 3. I am sure you guys will get at least one highlight a night and that will be when Yi is introduced to the Hawks fans.

Posted by: nothing on June 24, 2007 8:33AM EST For our #3, we should pick Yi if not trade #3 and #11 pick for a very good Power Forward. C'mon GM. Please give my ATLANTA HAWKS a very good FRONT COURT player.... NOTE: Our backcourts are good enough. Though we still need a PG right now...

Posted by: IM DONE on June 24, 2007 11:43AM EST MAN TELL ME YOU ARE NOT COMPARING YI TO MICHAEL JORDAN. YEA ITS OFFICIAL ITS MORE IDIOTS THAN I THOUGHT ON HERE. YEA WHERE YOU DRAFTED DOESNT MEAN YOU WILL BE THE BEST PLAYER OR WHATEVER BUT NOBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD TAKE YI OVER DURANT AND ODEN. NOOOOOOOO FREAKING BODY. GET A CLUE

Posted by: Let it be the way as it will on June 24, 2007 3:00PM EST When the draft night comes, teams that are interested in Yi will select Yi confidently, and that will be the right place for him. Teams that do not select Yi in draft night are not the right place for him. So, for all Yi's fans, let thing goes as the way it goes, instead of pushing BK to pick him.

Posted by: Douglas Crenshaw, Sr. on June 24, 2007 5:17PM EST "Let it be the way as it will on..." You sound crazy or like a left minded person!!! We are fans and this is what fans do... :O) Atlanta Hawks Fans, growing in passion and excitment for good basketball... We are ready to ball out of control and to let the world know that Atlanta, GA is the place to be... Hawks Fans speak LOUD and let your words (voices) be heard!!! One Fan 2 Another!!! Douglas Crenshaw, Sr.

Posted by: hawkeye on June 24, 2007 5:55PM EST Yi has all the tools to be a tremendous NBA player. He is up to 250 lbs and will probably add 30 more. He is a leaper, shooter, can run the floor, has long wingspan, can rebound, block shots, etc. OK, so he wont be able to guard Shaq in the low post at least not initially. Who cares? Shaq and probably any other center in the league couldnt guard Yi either. Yi will cause tremendous match up problems for teams. So I say take Yi at 3 and Conley/Law at 11. If Conley and Law are not available, I would take Hawes or Splitter both 7' footers.

Posted by: DMichael on June 24, 2007 6:43PM EST Yi has worked harder than any of the other draft picks on improving their game.

Posted by: Douglas Crenshaw on June 24, 2007 7:41PM EST Question Fans...? What "Player" on here is getting more attention BLOGS then "YI"...? I think the "Real & True" Atlanta HAWKS Fans have SPOKEN!!! Douglas Crenshaw, Sr. *** Vote "YI" for the #3 pick...!!! Go "YI" ***

Posted by: Darrell Simmons on June 24, 2007 7:44PM EST Simon, You are correct. Yi has by far the most upside of any player at number 3. He is the logical choice for the hawks. We can get our pg at 11 or trade. YI is up to 250 pounds and getting stronger. He drives to the basket hard and finishes with authority. He plays good D and will only get better. Yi is a very smart player and makes others around him better. Memphis is just waiting for the hawks to blow our pick on Horford. We need Horford like a hole in the head. He is no better than Shelden Williams just an average player. Yi can post up runs the floor and has nice touch on his shots. YI has great work ethics that will carry over to the rest of the team. Billy please take YI at 3 or be prepaired to see him become a superstar in Memphis or Boston because he will never slip beyond 5 in this draft. Yi can put fans in the stands no other player has star impact potential going for them after Oden and Durant !!! Take Yiiiiiiiiiiii at 3 please !!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Douglas Crenshaw, Sr. on June 24, 2007 8:29PM EST Simon... You talking truth Bro and I love the way you just broke it down... *** Vote "YI" for the #3 pick...!!! *** Peep the Promo - ...(((Go "YI", Go "YI" , Go "YI")))... Can imagine the Phillips Arena going crazy screaming LOUD... The live ...((( Go "YI", Go "YI" , Go "YI" )))... ...((( Go "YI", Go "YI" , Go "YI" )))... ...((( Go "YI", Go "YI" , Go "YI" )))... ...((( Go "YI", Go "YI" , Go "YI" )))...

Posted by: Douglas Crenshaw, Sr. on June 24, 2007 8:34PM EST @@@CORRECTION@@@ Simon... You talking truth Bro and I love the way you just broke it down... *** Vote "YI" for the #3 pick...!!! *** Peep the Promo - ...(((Go "YI", Go "YI" , Go "YI")))... Can you imagine the Phillips Arena going crazy screaming LOUD... ...((( Go "YI", Go "YI" , Go "YI" )))... ...((( Go "YI", Go "YI" , Go "YI" )))... ...((( Go "YI", Go "YI" , Go "YI" )))... ...((( Go "YI", Go "YI" , Go "YI" ))).

Posted by: antonio on June 24, 2007 9:18PM EST Yi is the way to go he is the perfect fit for the post in Atlanta so take him. GO HAWKS!!!

Posted by: spikes123 on June 24, 2007 10:33PM EST Yi will be a all star, so obvious. I just moved to A-town. I'll start to watch the hawks game if they make the right picks this year. Sorry I rarely watched the hawks game before.

Posted by: How tall is Yi? on June 24, 2007 10:51PM EST http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/ hawks/stories/2007/06/23/06245insidenba.html The link above shows that Yi is 7-1 tall and 250 pounds. If he really grow 2 inches taller, which means he is still young. The NBA consensus mock draft lists Yi Jianlian as 6-11 tall only. So, how tall is Yi?

Posted by: Simon on June 24, 2007 11:29PM EST he is 6-11 without shoes but with shoes he is 7 foot straight up like oden

Posted by: Simon on June 25, 2007 12:26AM EST I am not a hawks fan at all, but then i am a bball guy that watches bball alot and analysis drafts almost for the last few years and did a pretty good job in predicting who does good, i am around 90 percent right on the top ten picks and beyond that i am around 80 percent right I am Lebron fan, but i do like josh smith in atlanta, joe johnson is alright too

Posted by: dave on June 25, 2007 3:19AM EST i think mike conley shud be pick at n#3 bcuz hawks ned a quality point guard to fed guys lyk josh smith and joe johnson.. this 3 cud make an impact that cud bring them in playoff this coming season... up tempo game is best fit for atlanta so pick conley and lets run into playoff..

Posted by: jd on June 25, 2007 10:44AM EST You take YI at 3 any other move is stupid. He has size, speed, nice shot and his getting bigger and stronger up to 250 lbs now. Play C, PF, SM what a talent. Conley is small and i like larger PG's like Law and Crit who should be at 11 anyway. NBA players have played against YI and they are in Awe of this guy. He is the real deal !!!!! If we let this guy slip away hawks fans will regret it for years !!!!

Posted by: James on June 25, 2007 12:24PM EST If the Hawks are looking for one of the best players to come along in years--They will draft YI at (3) but, if they are trying to appease the fans they will draft and over pay Conley---In my opion you can't make up for your past draft issue with a small player like Conley--You need to take Law at (11) and be happy with your best draft in years.

Posted by: Cleshay on June 25, 2007 2:05PM EST GET THE CHINAMAN!!!!!!!!!!! The Hawks cant afford to pass up on this Yi kid and people should lose jobs if they do. Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, and the big dude? You will get a point at the 11 spot but you will never get CHINA with anyone else!!!

Posted by: hawkeye on June 25, 2007 2:15PM EST The only negative about Yi is that he is not strong enough to defend NBA centers down low. If Yi becomes stronger and he has and will continue to do so, I see his skill set as good as anyone else in the draft including Oden. You could easily project Yi averaging 20+ ppg. I respect Conley's game and he can become a great pt guard but I cant project him as a 20PPG player and there are alot of 6'1" guards who can penetrate and dish. And do we really lose alot if we were to take Law or even Taurean Green from UF? Green can penetrate and dish but he is just not as fast as Conley.

Posted by: whateverr on June 25, 2007 3:36PM EST yea we do lose a lot and that is what people on here dont understand... Taurean Green is a second round pick at best. He is not quick not a great penatrator and is a average defender. i dont care if conley is small so is the other good pg we passed over for using that same stupid argument . yea that guy is CHRIS PAUL. the hawks will never learn. it will 10 years from now and we will still be talking about needing a pg while YI turns out to be a decent player and no where near the hype. the nba players are not in awe of this guy. i have yet to hear one nba guy who went against him say he was all that. if thats the case its another 100 players they make the same comments about. wow we are doomed

Posted by: riiiiiiiiii on June 25, 2007 3:37PM EST erm we dont need conley for scoring we need him to set up our many athletic wing guys. if there are so many pgs who can penetrate and dish explain to me why we still dont have a good one who does that

Posted by: hawkeye on June 25, 2007 6:29PM EST A guard can penetrate and dish but if the guys receiving the ball are not top shooters or scorers, then it doesnt help your team that much. Last time I checked the Hawk forwards and centers arent exactly Kobe, Shaq or Garnett. We need another all star scorer to go with Joe Johnson. The current forwards on the team are good complementary players but top scorers in the NBA. yi could be an all star. So if it were me I take the guy with the best upside which is Yi. And if all I get with # 11 is Law, Hawe or Splitter, that aint too shabby. I dont think Conley will ever be an all star but will be a solid point guard.

Posted by: are you freaking kidding me on June 25, 2007 7:18PM EST please explain to me how you know this hawkeye? Josh Smith is what 22 and Marvin is what 21. So your telling me that they cant improve ? wow are hawks fans this slow that they cant see that a pg who can get our swing men the ball in great scoring position wont improve their game. Our fowards are not stars like Kobe etc but YI will be? Please explain to me how you can say Josh Smith who can easily put up 20 points 10 boards and 3 blocks a game next year cant be a star yet YI who has yet to play one NBA game and has no strength will be one. I am really looking foward to this explenation.. YI will not come in the league this year and light it up as some of you YI bandwagoners are thinking. This guy will take a few years to adjust seeing how he is not strong or used to the NBA game. How would you be ok with the third rated pg in Law but your fine with passing over the top rated pg? Your logic makes no sense what so ever to me. If you watched any games you would know that with the athletic players we have Conley would be a great choice because he could feed them on the fast break or on cuts to the basket. Law is not a pure pg he is a shooting pg with questionable defense. If we take YI we will be waiting another 3 years on another project foward and still wont have a quality pg or a good defensive center. SO once again explain to me how YI is going to be this top scorer for this team when the position he plays is being played by Josh Smith who can easily be an all star next year at the rate he is going. I find it amazing that people are willing to give up on 22 and 21 year old players who are not even close to reaching their ceiling just to take another foward who will need time to develop all while we still have no pg. WHAT KIND OF LOGIC IS THIS? THIS IS WHY THE HAWKS ARE REGARDED AS A JOKE IN THE NBA. WE NEED A PG LIKE WE DID A FEW YEARS AGO BUT WE TAKE THE SF/PF WITH ALL THIS UPSIDE WHO WILL TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP. THIS IS DE JA FREAKING VU.

Posted by: Mic checka on June 25, 2007 9:07PM 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"------------------------------------------------ Uh, Yi Jianlian is full-Chinese, well over 6'3" and his vertical has tested as high as 38".--------------And so is Yao Ming. Who was on a 35+ pt tear until he injured his knee this past season.

Posted by: Mic checka on June 25, 2007 9:09PM EST Read this story on 6abc: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?id=2909854&sport=nba&ft=ss

Posted by: hawkeye on June 25, 2007 9:30PM EST Yi is 7' tall, can run, 37" vertical, averaged 25 pts per game in CBA, can shoot both inside, mid range, free throws & 3 point shots. He has gained 20 lbs since beginning of the year, is motivated, a hard worker, and is coachable. he can take it to the hoop with a very fast first step and is capable of blocking several shots per game. I guess all that translates to a guy that is weak and will take 3 years to adjust to the NBA. If yu think that 2 years from now that Marvin and Shelden will become all stars and average 20ppg, then you are dilusional. Again they are complementary players but imo will not become allstars. One was picked for low post defense and rebounding and the other was picked because BK got caught up in the North Carolina hype. Marvin didnt even start on his college team. Neither should have been picked as high as the Hawks took them. Josh Smith has all star talent and I hope he does become a great player but he is also very inconsistent. If we take Conley at 3, it will make the third player taken in a row that shouldnt have been taken as high as they were. That all being said, if BK doesnt take Yi , then he should take Conley because he will do some of what you say he will do. But there is no comparison on the upside of Yi and Conley imo. I think we can at least agree that Wright and Horford would be mistakes.

Posted by: Simon on June 25, 2007 9:48PM EST Here is that link again http://www.usabasketbal...

Posted by: Simon on June 25, 2007 9:52PM EST go to www.usabasketball.com and then go to senior men basketball and 2006 against China. You will find what i say. Or type "Joe Johnson likes Yi Jianlian" in yahoo and go to the second search results and read what they say about Yi Jianlian

Posted by: jay on June 25, 2007 11:22PM EST I just don't understand you guys bashing on Yi, if he is so bad than why do all of the mock drafts have him in top 10. In this draft besides pick 1 and 2 all other players are lilkely to be a bust, and knowing that's the case why not take a risk and draft Yi. I know he's not proven in the NBA, but neither are Al Horford and Mike Jr. Plus obviously there is no excitement in Atlanta if Al or Mike are drafted. I can say confidently that which ever team drafts Yi will make it to the playoffs in the next 2 years because he has the integibles like a strong work ethic and I know he is going to be coachable and since he is coachable he can maybe play both C and PF. On as needed basis.

Posted by: hawkeye on June 25, 2007 11:29PM EST You want to elevate Conley by making Yi sound like he couldnt make a decent high school team. To be honest I really dont know much about the Chinese Basketball league. i have seen film of Yi and he seems like the real deal with too much potential to pass up but i admit I havent seen him play a full game against olympic competition. However, if it is true that Joe johnson wants us to pick him, i defer to his expertise which is certainly more than mine.

Posted by: simon on June 26, 2007 12:40AM EST Are you freaking kidding me - are you oka? I play fantasy basketball for the whole year in yahoo and i check stats everyday and no Josh smith does not play PF. He played SG in the starting half of the year than played some SF. These two positons were alternated depending on the matchup that night or the games. Yi i know is a PF and if you really had a peanut size brain you would know what i meant. Yi can either play PF or C, but would mostly play PF. Did you even read the website of what the players said themselves in the USA team after what they experienced against Yi when he played in the games against the USA team? You dont seem to get the point here at all. Does josh smith even have a post up game to play PF? obviously you dont know how to play basketball and dont know what certain positions are suppose to do. HE is our PF, give me a break fool. If you say shedlen williams is our PF you would of sound smarter. you are just making yourself sound retarded to defend anything.

Posted by: simon on June 26, 2007 12:43AM EST Jay you sound like you understand the logic behind the positions someone can play. I can related to someone who actually has a brain and can evaluate and analysis properly

Posted by: Simon on June 26, 2007 12:51AM EST Are you freaking kidding me. If you read properly i never said Yi doesnt play PF. i said he can play PF/C. you dont know what that means obviously.

Posted by: Simon on June 26, 2007 12:52AM EST Are you freaking kidding me - what does buying alcohol have to do with anyones game? you really sound smart there dude.

Posted by: Simon on June 26, 2007 12:59AM EST There are a lot players young out there that come out and its good. Lets go with melo and lebron for instant. They came out young and did good and went further. Not saying he wont improve, but was he really worth the number two pick? Billy King in that year really needed to draft Deron williams or chris paul, but this year is a PF and SF talented crop year. And drafting a PF first is smarter since good PGs will left at the 11 spot after all those other SFs are picked from the 4 - 10th pick.

Posted by: Ken on June 26, 2007 3:22AM EST http://www.56.com/u51/v_MTQ5NTE1MDQ.html

Posted by: are you freaking kidding me on June 26, 2007 9:29AM EST Your so slow Simon that its not even funny. Josh Smith plays power foward.... If you watched any games last year you would know that.. YI is not a center. He said himself he plays power foward.. What i said was is Marvin even old enough to buy alcohol meaning he is a young player who will only improve. Your comprehension skills are lacking... You play fantasy basketball explains to me why you dont know what your talking about... Josh Smith never played sg , Joe Johson was the sg. WOW ARE YOU REALLY THIS DUMB? So your telling me that Josh Smith was our sg so what position did Joe Johnson play?.. Im waitign for this one because your really clueless.... Jay if you really believe a team will make the playofs in 2 years because of YI then whatever your smoking let me buy it from you so i can sell it back..... Chard Ford was on Mike and Mike this morning and he basically said what most people who understand that game have said on this blog many of times..... YI is a face up 4. He is not very good in the post.. When defenders get physical with him in the post he struggles... He has a jumpshot but dosent really have nba 3 point range... Tney also said a team that can wait on YI should draft him basically meaning it will take him a few years to get adjusted.... So basically do your reserach instead of relying on youtube clips and fantasy basketball.... Actually watch a game or two... I still cant believe this guy said Josh Smith played sg... Speedy was the pg.. Joe Johnson was the sg.... Marvin was the sf... Josh was the pf.... ZA ZA was the center.... .. If you cant understand that then your dumber than i thought but like I said YI is a power foward and Josh plays the same position. I was right you were just going on fantasy basketball ha ha ha ha. Weaknesses: Yi needs to work on his post-up game. He may also find it is hard to fit one position perfectly, because he is too lean and weak to play power forward, and he may be a little slow to play small forward. He needs to improve both his offensive and defensive skills. NEED I SAY MORE..

Posted by: hawkeye on June 26, 2007 11:52AM EST yes you need to say more. There are many more glowing reports about Yi. By the way, Yi is already up to 250 lbs and weighs more than Oden. Of course there are some areas where Yi needs to work but that is true for everyone of the draftees. YI ALREADY HAS ELITE NBA SKILLS. Follows is an analysis taken off the Celtics web site.(YOU PROBABLY WONT READ THIS BECAUSE YOUR MIND IS MADE UP.) Strengths: Yi presents similar matchup problems as Kevin Durant. He is a legit seven footer who is more comfortable facing the basket and using his superior shooting and ball handling skills to attack defenders. Yi is a great athlete who has a knack for attacking the basket off the dribble and finishing with flair (i.e. loves to dunk). Yi has shown consistent improvement in the Chinese basketball system which is a testament to his understanding of the game and strong work ethic. Weaknesses: Yi must add muscle to his 230 pound frame to reach his full potential as an NBA player. He already possesses elite NBA skills but needs to build a more NBA-ready body. Yi will also benefit from post move instruction in the NBA because right now he isn't as comfortable on the block as he is one the wing. Skinny: Yi has as much upside as any prospect in the draft. There aren't many seven footers that come around with his athleticism and ball skills ( Kevin Garnett anyone?). Yi will need to work hard to adjust his game and body to the NBA but, according to many experts, he has a chance to be even better than Yao Ming if he reaches his full potential.

Posted by: Since Konkak on June 26, 2007 12:54PM EST If Horford or Conley gets the nod over Yi at 3, I'm officially callin for Billy and Belkin to get the boot and Dominique's the new head coach. (prob not gonna happen, however...) Yi will put more points on the board than either of the above mentioned, and will arguably grab more bounds. He will be a nightmare to defend. You choose: a trashman like Shelden in Al, or a scrappy point guard who can't finish or light 3s in Conley. My decision is easy if Im picking, (Yi at 3 and Law at 11), but then again I dont have a fettish with 6'9'' tweeners.

Posted by: Simon on June 26, 2007 2:15PM EST And one more thing he aint even weak, he right now after coming overseas to train is a legit 250 pound PF, and Al Hortford aint even that weight. Noah himself which is a teammate of Hortford recognize what Yi can do after working out with him. All i read from what Noah said was he is strong athletic! and have post skills with footwork. does 250 = weak? or players in the NBA who experience his exploseness means hes slow? Man just accept the fact you are wrong moron.

Posted by: Simon on June 26, 2007 2:19PM EST Are you kidding me - If you read what the two guys above me said you would understand more. Here is two guys which read what i read as well. They also have the real speed weight skills of Yi down unlike the old stuff you read. I think you are the oddball that has made up your mind and cant really think anymore.

Posted by: Simon on June 26, 2007 2:31PM EST Ahahhaa notice no one has agreed to what you said the whole time. You smell stupidity?

Posted by: actually on June 26, 2007 2:51PM EST Actually he was correct. Josh Smith plays the power foward position... The first year they got Joe Johnson they had Josh Childress at the sg and Josh Smith at the 3 and played Al Harrington at the 4... This past year Josh Smith played the pf and Marvin played the sf. So actually your incorrect Simon . Josh Smith has never played the sg position for the Hawks. He cant dribble and he cant shoot so why would he play the sg position? As far the reports on YI , all the ones I have read have said the same thing. He has great upside but will take time to develop and he has to add strength..

Posted by: are you freaking kidding me on June 26, 2007 3:02PM EST Weaknesses: There is some concern as to what position he will play in the NBA: He lacks the upper body strength and the back to the basket moves at power forward and is a bit long and rangy for the three … Needs to improve his three point shooting to play minutes to be effective at SF … Despite his vast improvement, Jianlian needs to continue to develop his upper body strength … At this point of his career, he’s more comfortable facing the basket than with his back to the basket … Although he doesn’t shy away from physical contact he can get disrupted with rough post play … Struggles to maintain his position in the low post as opposing defenders tend to push him out … Defensively he will not be the huge shot blocking presence that he is in the China, due to his timing and the speed of the NBA game … Has a habit of putting the ball on the floor to achieve rhythm instead of keeping the ball high away from opposing guards …. Confidence can wavier in games when he’s struggling to score … Although listed as being born in 1987 many within China place him between 1985-1986 … Doesn’t always play defensive with great intensity, he won’t be able to get away with it in the NBA … Weaknesses: He's a tweener, but a "good tweener" ... Doesn't fit a position perfectly as he's more of a finesse player and too big to play the 3 position, but his combination of size and versatility makes him a very intriguing ... At times can be too laid back on the floor, so raising his intensity level is important ... Has good shooting mechanics but has a slow release... Could become a good shooter but probably never a great shooter ... His hands are a little weak, making it easier for opponents to poke the ball away (Yao Ming has the same problem) ... Needs to continue to gain upper body and arm strength, without losing any quickness ... If he adds additional strength, he will be able to fight for rebounds better ...He has no problems now, but it will be an adjustment to the speed and strength of the NBA ... Also like Yao the adjustment to a much longer season will take time ... The general consensus in China is that he is actually born in 1984 or 1985, meaning he wouldn't enter the NBA until he's actually 25 years of age if he stays in China until his 1987 draft year ... His game has matured to where he needs better competition to push him. He is a superior athlete in China, and lacks a great competition level, so his game is deteriorating to an extent staying in China in such crucial development years ... Despite Yi’s solid frame however, he does not absorb contact very well on the offensive end. It is a common occurrence to see him crumble with the slightest contact, an anomaly for a player weighing nearly 250 lbs. It is very rare that you will see Yi converting a basket on which he has been fouled, as the contact the he receives usually is enough to throw his shot off, and he lacks the toughness to fight through it. Yi struggles quite a bit defensively on the low block, often giving up position far too deep to opposing post players. In a game that we recently observed versus former Xavier 6-9 big man Anthony Myles, he was abused guarding him both facing the basket and in the low post. Myles was able to get past Yi on the perimeter, while also using his strength and crafty play to score on him on the blocks through a series of up and under moves, fully utilizing his body to get shots up against his taller, more athletic counterpart. While Jianlian exerts excellent leaping ability, his timing and inability to utilize his strength hurt him mightily as far as his shot blocking is concerned. When pegged against Myles (and also 6-7 former Auburn power forward Chris Porter for that matter), he was muscled under the basket to the point that he was unable to even contest the undersized post players’ shots. The blocks that Yi was able to get were only because he is so much longer and more athletic than the other players on the floor, a testament to how much of a freak show he truly is physically. Rebounding is one area that Yi drastically needs improvement upon, on both ends of the floor. His effort crashing the offensive glass lapses quite frequently, as many times he just stands around the perimeter instead of attacking the rim. Defensively, Yi relies completely upon his athleticism to corral rebounds. He does a very poor job boxing out and often finds himself pushed underneath the basket, unable to even contest for rebounds. Yet again, not what you would expect out of a freak athlete standing seven feet tall and weighing nearly 250 lbs. so basically they have been saying what i have been saying but for some reason you guys are just stuck on this YI hype.

Posted by: Charles on June 26, 2007 3:29PM EST josh smith has no post game...

Posted by: are you freaking kidding me on June 26, 2007 3:34PM EST Yea i agree he has no post game but he plays better at the 4 position because of his quickness and shot blocking ability.....he is working on his low post game with hakeem olajuwon this summer...it was a story about it in the ajc yesterday.... sekou smith reported it so if you get a chance go check it out..... it also talk about him working with calvin murphy about his shooting..... once again for simon.... the link where coach says josh is better at the 4. the position he played last season... http://www.realgm...

Posted by: are you freaking kidding me on June 26, 2007 3:36PM EST They are not letting me link it right.. well anyway go to realgm.com or hawksquawk and they got the story.. ill just copy n post...... From Hawksquawk: [quote]Okay guys...sorry this took so long, but here I am at 9:30 on Friday night before I go out about to type up a review. Am I really the only one who heard this? Oh well. I will say I gained a little bit (maybe half an ounce) more respect for Woody from listening to this. He seemed fairly focused, content and optimistic. I guess post-game interviews aren't the best time to catch him and really get his thoughts. Pre-Mike Woodson, Shanks gave a few of his opinions: -We should either draft Horford or Yi -He will quit watching the Hawks if we draft Brandan Wright like he heard Billy Knight wanted to do on a post ON HAWKSQUAWK!! You all should know Bill reads this board nearly every day and gives us props all the time for knowing whats up. -A trade makes sense if we want to get a PG early on. Now, on to Woody's replies to Shanks' questions (will list some of the questions but mostly give what Woody said; you can infer): -Injuries!! (he opens with the old-time excuse. surprise surprise.) Without them, we would have had a "legitimate shot to make the playoffs". (I guess that isnt too farfetched). -In this draft, picks 1-15 are GREAT. Having picks 3 and 11 is a great position to draft or move the picks. -"Hopefully we can make a good deal". (ie. a trade) -Expects more phone calls about trades starting next week. That's usually when trade market really heats up. -We cannot call our players - Marv, Joshes, Zaza - "young" anymore. They are now 3+ years into the league and need to play like it. -The team knows we are "close". (I guess to the playoffs or competing with the top tier teams) -When asked about the positions of Marvin and Smoove ("are they 3's or 4's?), Woody said first that Marvin, Smoove, Childress, and JJ are viewed as "just basketball players." (Typical cop-out, right? But...) He went on to say that Josh Smith better fits us as a 4. He really came into his own there last season, showing a lot of improvement. Marvin is perfectly fit for the 3, though he can play some 2 and guard some of the smaller 4's in the league (mentioned Antawn Jamison as an example). -"It would be huge if we could bring in some veterans" (ie. via trading our picks) but "you have to have teams who want to make a deal. We might be forced to pick at 3 and 11." (The use of the word "force" jumped out at me.) -Asked if trading down was a possibility. "Sure. There are lots of options. We are exploring every avenue." -Asked to breakdown the PG's. Hasn't seen Conley up close so he is holding judgment. He does seem like the "truest" PG in the draft. Acie Law and "Critten--- the Georgia Tech kid" must be molded. He likes "The Georgia Tech kid's NBA body" (again using that phrase, instead of Critt's name). Conley probably has an edge over the other two due to playing into the NCAA championship game. -Asked about speculation that a promise was made to draft Acie Law. "That's not true. As an organization, we are more ahead of the game than that. We wouldn't guarantee anyone. That's so untrue..." Goes on to say Acie's workout was "fantastic" but that there was no guarantee. -Yi is "very talented, very athletic, a legitimate 7-footer." ... "Totally different than Yao; Yi gets up and down the floor. He shoots 'fairly well', finishes 'well' but is not 'battle-tested'." (He said that Yi was not "battle-tested" twice. -Very anxious to see Horford on Monday. He and Noah are "battle-tested". They are already ahead of the game with respect to being ready to win. MY THOUGHTS/CONCLUSIONS: It was a pretty good interview. It lasted probably 5-10 minutes. I really just posted close to every Woody blurb. He seemed to definitely prefer to trade the pick(s) "for a veteran(s)". It seemed to me that that was the general mindset of the org. I tried to italicize the phrases which suggested this. He certainly seemed impressed with and open to Yi, but seemed like he hadnt made up his mind on him. Of the players mentioned, he definitely seemed to prefer Horford. Lots of positive connotations with the words he used to describe the workout and his game. Also mentioned Noah once or twice without him being mentioned by Shanks. Seemed a little out of place to me (are we considering Noah???). Brandan Wright was never mentioned despite Shanks mentioning him before the interview. Oh well. He definitely seemed to dispute the Acie Law claim but in no way vehemently denied it. He said it was untrue multiple times. I believe him. I definitely do not think a PG is on our radar with the #3 (which isnt really new I guess but Woody seemed to strengthen that theory.) He really didn't seem to let on which PG he liked the best and had good words to say about all of them. Acie Law had a "fantastic workout". "The Georgia Tech kid has an NBA body" (I really was surprised he said this not once but twice. Infer what you will. It might have been because Crittenton is tough to say? I donno. It definitely jumped out though. Oh, and Conley is the "true PG" of the three. So, he really did not tip his hand IMO of the PG's. I would actually probably say he seemed to like Law over Critt, despite Critt's "NBA body," but it was certainly not by a whole lot - probably b/c Acie could help us sooner. I guess that's pretty much it. I hope this is an interesting read for some of you guys. Don't say I didn't ever contribute[/quote] The person who wrote this said he heard this on Bill Shank's radio show in Macon.

Posted by: are you freaking kidding me on June 26, 2007 3:37PM EST http://www.realgm.com/boards/v...

Posted by: hawkeye on June 26, 2007 4:11PM EST Dirk Nowitski played for a league in Europe that had competition equal to Division II college ball so Iin the USA so have read. It is all about talent not level they have played at. If a baseball player can throw the ball 100 mi an hr and strikes out 18 hitters a game, then he will be drafted by a major league team even if he is playing against 12 yr olds. i think this battle tested stuff is BS and a cop out. Like Billy is trying to justify in his own mind to take Al, Noah, or Conley. How many GMs would take Noah without an offensive game over Yi? In fact I wouldnt be surprised if Noah isnt available at 11-13. Yi will not last past 5.

Posted by: Phil on June 26, 2007 6:28PM EST ahahaha Josh Smith as PF. Is that guy smoking? Turn on the hawks game or highlights on Espn. Do you see Josh smith posting up a guy or running a fast break dunking or firing up three point shots. Looks like hes a SF to me.

Posted by: are you freaking kidding me on June 26, 2007 9:55PM EST Dont shoot the messenger I was just posting info to show I wasnt lying or making up things.. This is a new NBA so just because your a pf doesnt mean you have to play the traditional way..... Josh is probably a natural sf but he plays better at pf because of his speed and leaping ability. Its almost like Shawn Marion. Marion is a sf but plays great at pf because he is quicker than most pf's and he has great leaping ability.. Hawkeye I feel where you are coming from conserning BK and Woodson. These two just dont seem to get it at times.... Phil actually when you watch highlights of Josh Smith he is running a fast braek dunking . If you dont believe me go to youtube and type in Josh Smith... You will see him running like a deer on a fast break and slamming it down hard.. He is working on his post game according to the report by the AJC. He is working with Hakeem Olajuwon so hopefully he shows some moves in the post next year.. The draftis almost here and im scared we wll blow it somehow...

Posted by: Georgia on my mind on June 26, 2007 11:41PM EST the hawks would be crazy to pass up on Yi. they should get him at 3 and Conley at 11. please don't pick Al Horford that would be a waste of a pick. Yi would help the hawks on the court as well as our fan base. more fans will attend game which will proubly boost team confidence. You cannot allow Yi to go to the west coast at all. YI, CONLEY THATS IT. Then all georgia teams will be good. GO HAWKS, BRAVES, THRASHERS,AND FALCONS.

Posted by: Phil on June 27, 2007 12:58AM EST You misunderstood me, i meant he runs and dunks and shoots threes all the time, but doesn't post up much. He does not look like a guy that can post up or has that type of footwork. Shawn Marion does not post up either. That is why he can not match up against duncan on offense when he wants to score easier. He needs to fire up all those shots or get a pick and roll. Yi on the other hand can become that go to guy down on the block for our hawks instead of smith

Posted by: nothing on June 27, 2007 4:34AM EST I'm coming back to Atlanta very soon and I really hope my dear HAWKS will not mess big time on the draft. I am still clueless with my BRAVES. But I do hope they'll win. Our FOOTBALL TEAM will not win the SUPERBOWL. That's for sure. So I am STUCK with BASEBALL and BASKETBALL. My goodness GM, please show me any assurance that we are really going to make the Playoffs soon. I just don't think a PG can bring us there. I mean look at the Playoffs history. The really really really really successful teams have effective big guys on their team. I was cheering for OHIO in the NCAA finals. Yes, I was rooting for Mike and Oden... BUT... I just don't think Conley can bring us to the NBA playoffs at all. So please GM, pick Yi at #3. IF NOT, then trade our #3 and #11 picks for a very good Power Forward. KG (going to Lakers) and Jermaine (going to Boston) are no longer available. The only remaining guys are... 1. Pao Gasol 2. Zach Randolph (I am very sure Portland will trade him soon). So make the right moves GM. Yi at #3 or trade #3 and #11 picks for a very good PF.

Posted by: Pedro on June 27, 2007 9:45AM EST Crarles You can not compare Yi with Al Horford. Horford is 100% beter than Yi.

Posted by: the one on June 27, 2007 12:06PM EST if yi wasnt an asian player would anyone still want him. answer hell no

Posted by: hawkeye on June 27, 2007 1:12PM EST it is all about talent and attitude. Yi can run, shoot, has 37" vertical leap, take the ball to the hoop with a quick first step. Will give us the potential for 25 ppg. Yi has a great attitude and work ethic. If by being an asian you are saying it will increase attndance, that is very impt. to the future of the hawks. Higher interest level and attendance will attract more free agents. Yi would bring excitement to the Hawks which Horford and Conley would not.

Posted by: oldman on June 27, 2007 3:02PM EST Mike Conley is not a #3 pick...get off the bandwagon before it crashes. The #3 pick is Yi Jianlian. Let's work inside out. For all those comments dissin' Taurean Green (2 NCAA Championship rings and you obvisously have not seen him at the Pre-Draft Camp). Let's try a wrinkle , everyone is talking about Al Horford, but what about Al Thornton from Florida State. He was a 4-year player at Florida State and the ACC's leading scorer in '06-'07. I actually forgot about him until a colleague reminded me. He would be a steal at #11 . He has a very nice jumpshot, and he has the needed size to rebound from the 3 or 4 spot. What a young nucleus (Yi Jianlian, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Zaza Pachulia, Josh Childress, Al Thornton, etc…). He would be a nice pick to complement Joe, Yi, and Zaza (big lineup). Take him, and get a guard through invite to camp or by trade since we only have the 2 picks #3 and #11. You need to find a way to win close games and when I look at the stat sheet...nobody is rebounding.

Posted by: oldman on June 27, 2007 4:20PM EST If this is true, further support that Mike Conley is not the #3 pick. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2917781 "He's 7 feet, Yi at #3"

Posted by: nothing on June 27, 2007 5:29PM EST I'm coming back to Atlanta very soon and I really hope my dear HAWKS will not mess big time on the draft. I am still clueless with my BRAVES. But I do hope they'll win. Our FOOTBALL TEAM will not win the SUPERBOWL. That's for sure. So I am STUCK with BASEBALL and BASKETBALL. My goodness GM, please show me any assurance that we are really going to make the Playoffs soon. I just don't think a PG can bring us there. I mean look at the Playoffs history. The really really really really successful teams have effective big guys on their team. I was cheering for OHIO in the NCAA finals. Yes, I was rooting for Mike and Oden... BUT... I just don't think Conley can bring us to the NBA playoffs at all. So please GM, pick Yi at #3. IF NOT, then trade our #3 and #11 picks for a very good Power Forward. KG (going to Lakers) and Jermaine (going to Boston) are no longer available. The only remaining guys are... 1. Pao Gasol 2. Zach Randolph (I am very sure Portland will trade him soon). So make the right moves GM. Yi at #3 or trade #3 and #11 picks for a very good PF.

Posted by: nothing on June 27, 2007 7:49PM EST ITS OFFICIAL! Actually its a unverified claim posted by an unidentified insider in the HAWKS management. AL will be the next draft pick for the HAWKS! Actually there are still little arguments whether Conley will be picked but the MAJORITY DECISION seems to favor Al. Yi will not be #3 (I think he's going to Indiana if the Jermaine O' Neal trade gets through). And my HOPES for acquiring Zach of Portland for our #3 and#11 picks will not go through as well. I like to post the link here to that article I have just seen, but my browser shuts down just when I was taking note of the source address and the result is: I CAN"T.

Posted by: nothing on June 27, 2007 8:08PM EST This sucks!!! I am just hoping that Al will be a good big man coz 4 me: Yi is the real #3 pick out there. And Al is just another Sheldon W. Nyway, thats the truth guys (I really believe that article I saw). So as a die hard Atlanta Hawks fan! Go AL and please be really really good!

Posted by: I am YI on June 28, 2007 2:30AM EST I will help our team as well, thank you! 易建联

Posted by: billysuck on June 28, 2007 3:04AM EST please draft YI Billy! or please just quit !

Posted by: Billyisdumb on June 28, 2007 3:09AM EST I HOPE you read this Billy, PLEASE draft YI because he is the real deal!.. this man has all the things you want for a big guy. .HE will bring all the hypes and the skills to the A.. So STop being a closet racist just b/c hes not black.. DO IT BILLY! But again i wont b suprise if u make another dumb draft choice this year.. we Atlantians are used to it..

Posted by: dudeits that easy on June 28, 2007 3:14AM EST give the fans what they want.. draft YI.

Posted by: please on June 28, 2007 4:07AM EST hawks yo will be silly not to draft Yi. AL is going to be another sheldon and we already have one we don't need two. take Yi at 3 and pick up a piont guard at 11 not the othe way around cuz then we loose yi. please don't waste another draft on crap. new jersey, new team, new style= Yi Jainlian

Posted by: NO WAY on June 28, 2007 9:12AM EST Late speculation holds that they’re enamored with Yi Jianlian, who’s 7-foot and Chinese but who isn’t a true center and who had middling numbers (6.2 points and 5.7 rebounds) in the 2006 world championships. In sum, he’s not Yao Ming. This guy barely put up 6 points and 6 boards against good competition and you guys want him? NO WAY WE SHOULD TAKE THIS KID. THIS DUDE IS NOT READY FOR THE NBA. HE IS WEAK AND OVER HYPED. GET THIS OUTTA HERE

Posted by: hawkeye on June 28, 2007 9:23AM EST I like Yi or Conley both ofwhich dont duplicate the skill set of some one else on the roster like Horford does. Yi/AC or Conley/best available Big. I can live with either approach.

Posted by: Charles on June 28, 2007 2:16PM EST No way, did you even watch the world championships? If you did you would know that Yi barely played at all. When he was out there, he was China's best rebounder and defender, while the offense went through Yao. I can't stand it when people read stats without watching the games...

Posted by: theresnoway on June 28, 2007 2:25PM EST theres no way the hawks will pick up Yi b/c Atlanta is such a closed minded city.. they will not even try on a foreginer. .

Posted by: pj on June 28, 2007 2:54PM EST My comment is this. the hawks should pick him because they need a great big man. He can develope his post game but it is hard to find a big man available who can play outside. then you go for a point guard. There will be plenty of good guards available because everyone is looking at getting a big man. the other teams will allow the guards to slip through the cracks

Posted by: A basketball Coach on June 28, 2007 6:07PM EST Take YI the idiot that posted ahead of me is dumb as hell. Take YI and win it is that simple. Take horford and keep losing. YI will develop so quick with is work ethic and he will bring a new look to the Hawks. He runs the floor great and has a smooth shot. He is a player anyone inside the nba with a brain knows that. !!!!! Take YI and gain fans and win games !!!!! He is like Dirk and Kevin Mchale all in one what a stud !!!! Billy do the Hawks franchise a favor and take YIIII please.

Posted by: jay on June 28, 2007 6:13PM EST Who else is planning on buying a Yi jersey if ATL drafts him. I know I am. I don't want any Mike Jr. jersey or Horford jersey.

Posted by: Andre on June 28, 2007 7:20PM EST WE NEED TO DRAFT YI we can get a Al Hortford in the free agency if not a better guy. We cant get a yi

Posted by: hawks is ruined on June 28, 2007 8:04PM EST damn billy wtf is wrong w/ u?.. i hope u know u just lost about the last dozen of hawks fans that u got in atlanta.. see who will come watch games this coming year..

Posted by: steven on July 15, 2007 1:21PM EST im a wizards/rockets fan and i would have loved it if yi jianlian were to have been chosen at number 3, instead, he was chosen at number 6 to the milwaukee bucks. PLEASE trade al horford and acie law inorder to get Yi. Even though i highly doubt this will ever happen, i still wish this will. And plus right now Yi's agents are still currently searching for a team who will be able to make a trade with the bucks for Yi. If this does happen and HOPFULLY this will, I will definently be a HAWKS fan.