Truth About It breaks down Yi Jianlian

I'll have a more comprehensive link dump this afternoon, but for now, here's an extended statistical look at Yi Jianlian from Truth About It. Conclusion: he stinks.

almost 2 years ago Mike Prada 20 comments 0 recs |

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Wow

Even more upside than I realized.

by mogoman on Jul 6, 2010 10:08 AM EDT reply actions

Does Yi speak English well?

If not, that could explain some of his slow progress on defense.

Having said that, though, Yi seems like a typical Grunfeld pick-up — offensive potential, defensive liability.

by disgrunted on Jul 6, 2010 10:21 AM EDT reply actions

Bad as this all seems...

and it is not a pretty picture…

(A) It is not a surprise… We have all had occasion to watch Yi play.

(B) He is still likely to be a bigger (at least taller) contributor than Q Ross.

(D) It’s either one and done or we all get plesantly surprised.

by khrabb on Jul 6, 2010 10:46 AM EDT reply actions

David Thorpe has been working out with him this summer and supposedly is fairly impressed. Not sure that means anything though, but one can always hope.

by Johnnie Futbol on Jul 6, 2010 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions

that made me feel better. I still remember the summer that Jared Jeffries spent working with Thorpe and his people. Thorpe raved about the “new player” Jeffries had become over that summer… and then Jeffries was the same player for the Knicks that he had been in DC, if not worse.

by Jheiser3 on Jul 6, 2010 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah I have my doubts too.

I’m a little dubious of the Wizards being so loaded at the PF position. I know that’s where Blatche needs to get his minutes. I’m hoping that Seraphin is suitable at the 5, and Booker can play the 3, otherwise all the new young guys with potential that we’re supposed to get excited about play the same position (other than Wall).

by Johnnie Futbol on Jul 6, 2010 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Yi/Heinrich

The more i look at these two deals the more I see Ernie operating in the same old fashion. He had money to spend and the owner wanted more picks. So he went to his cheat sheet of favorite players and picked up Kirk and a pick.

Yi is another Grunfeld special. We should be glad that he didn’t have the chance to draft him in the top 10. Ernie sees big skills and the rest be damned. he had the cap room and the Nets had the cash to ease Ted’s mind. Done deal.

by Jheiser3 on Jul 6, 2010 11:03 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs

Yep

Ernie is trying really hard to become the first GM fired by Ted Leonsis. Let’s all hope that he succeeds.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

"...don't ever think it can't get any worse, because it can. There's no question, it can." -- Flip Saunders unintentionally coining the new Washington Wizards motto

by cuppettcj on Jul 6, 2010 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Ha Ha

I am at a loss as to how a player with such impressive measurables and an adequate offensive game can be as invisible as Yi is on the defensive end. He is hopeless.

This sounds exactly like a description of JaVale McGee, only without the occasional shot block to pad the stats. Great job Ernie, you’ve set the stage for what will probably be one of the worst defenses in the NBA. Let’s all hope that Flip is smart enough to never allow Yi and JaVale on the court at the same time.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

"...don't ever think it can't get any worse, because it can. There's no question, it can." -- Flip Saunders unintentionally coining the new Washington Wizards motto

by cuppettcj on Jul 6, 2010 1:31 PM EDT reply actions

Not to discourage Javale from listening to coaches about fundamentals, but...

He had the best defensive rating (based on opponents points per 100 possessions) on the team last year. I think that Javale, despite being clueless half the time, actually does contribute on the defensive end because he affects other teams’ offenses with his shot-blocking. He absolutely needs to get a clue, but last year’s terrible defensive team got scored on the least when he was in. (And before anyone credits that to him getting most of his playing time after the trades, I’ll point out that Livingston had one of the worst defensive ratings on the team).

by steadyhand on Jul 6, 2010 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Someone Needs to Explain to Me How Defensive Rating Works

I simply don’t believe it is a meaningful stat the way it is currently calculated. 82games breakdown of Javale’s on/off court performance shows that the Wizards gave up 2.7 more points per 100 possessions when JaVale was on the floor. This confirms what my own two eyes tells me, so I am siding with 82games until I better understand the Defensive Rating that Basketball-Reference uses.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

"...don't ever think it can't get any worse, because it can. There's no question, it can." -- Flip Saunders unintentionally coining the new Washington Wizards motto

by cuppettcj on Jul 6, 2010 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions

That could be due to his experience more than his skill set.

by Pryme on Jul 6, 2010 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm Confused

Can you explain what you mean?

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

"...don't ever think it can't get any worse, because it can. There's no question, it can." -- Flip Saunders unintentionally coining the new Washington Wizards motto

by cuppettcj on Jul 6, 2010 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm referring to McGee's stats, not how the Defensive Rating Works

I’m saying his numbers may have more to do with his lack of experience than him not being a skilled player. Haywood wasn’t a dynamo during his first few seasons, but now everyone wants him (the Dallas trade wasn’t going to happen without him). And that’s saying something considering that Haywood’s coaches (Collins, EJ, Flip) aren’t known for teaching big men.

by Pryme on Jul 6, 2010 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions

I Never Thought Haywood Was a Bad Defender

It was his offensive game that was left to be desired, and it still does need some polish, honestly. But he never needed experience or coaching to be a good defender, although experience did make him a better defender.

Two full seasons in, and JaVale is nowhere even close to being considered good on defense. And his lower body strength is only part of the issue. Half the time, he is not even sure whom he’s supposed to be guarding, and half of the time when he knows whom he’s supposed to be guarding, he doesn’t bother to get back in transition to defend him.

But now we have Yi to make JaVale look good. Wonderful.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

"...don't ever think it can't get any worse, because it can. There's no question, it can." -- Flip Saunders unintentionally coining the new Washington Wizards motto

by cuppettcj on Jul 6, 2010 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Wow, those two sites couldn't be further apart

What the hell? Thanks for pointing that out.
My eyes show me both defensive failures and defensive contributions. I see shots blocked and altered, and I see easy baskets. I see weakness, but I see speed and leaping. It’s impossible to intuitively calculate which is more impactful, so I looked at one of the only meaningful defensive stats I’m aware of on basketball-reference. Now I look at 82games and see what looks like the same statistic, but it’s so completely different that it’s ridiculous (105 vs 113).
All in all, 82games’ stats seem more consistent with my perceptions across all the players, so if I have to pick one I’ll go with theirs. That said, I’m inclined to disregard them both and fall back on my opinion that Javale helps and hurts at the same time, and still has the potential to be a difference-maker defensively.

by steadyhand on Jul 6, 2010 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I believe my own eyes and JVM was consistently man handled in the paint by any center who wasnt a stick figure. thatis what we mean by bad defense. they would simply back him up until they had basically a layup. yi doesnt sound much better

by les boulez bomber on Jul 6, 2010 3:25 PM EDT reply actions

Yi and JVM should NEVER be on the court together at this stage...

The Wiz desperately need a Zaza to take up some minutes in the middle, kick some butt and maintain order on the court.

by khrabb on Jul 6, 2010 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Well, his lack of defense is why he’s called the Chairman.

by Fundefined on Jul 6, 2010 6:40 PM EDT reply actions

Erm - no it's not.

He is called the Chairman because he refused to work out against other players prior to the draft. Instead, he only worked out against chairs that they placed on a court where defenders would be.

by Manimal Smith on Jul 6, 2010 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions