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lakersbill
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Post subject: Yi might be on lakers targets
 Posted: Jul 07, 2007 - 10:44 AM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: May 04, 2007
Posts: 676
  
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That's something that's allowed in an NBA Summer League game. But really, the fouls hardly mattered.
Yi's explosive dunks, polished perimeter game and one emphatic block were enough to keep Milwaukee Bucks officials salivating over the chance to add the 7-foot Chinese power forward to their lineup. He finished with 23 points on 7-for-15 shooting and 9-for-12 free-throw shooting in an 86-77 loss to the Grizzlies.
Bucks general manager Larry Harris, director of player personnel Dave Babcock and coach Larry Krystkowiak were in the audience at the Cox Pavilion, along with Bucks players Bobby Simmons and Charlie Villanueva.
Clearly, they were impressed.
"Defensively, he's a quick jumper and he can get out on pick-and-rolls," Harris said. "He's got great hands, he's got quick feet on the offensive end.
"He's got a post game; he can shoot it right-handed or left-handed. He can step out and make shots. He's got a great sense for the game. He's a (true) power forward."
Yi (whose name is pronounced E JEE-ahn LEE-ahn) and second-year Memphis forward Rudy Gay dunked on each other during one scintillating first-half exchange, with Yi getting a block on one end of the floor and finishing with a powerful dunk as Gay fouled him.
A few minutes later, Gay responded with a thunderous dunk of his own, one called a "posterizer" in National Basketball Association circles, and taunted Yi after the throw-down to draw a technical foul.
"He's definitely going to be a good player in the future," Gay said. "Defensively, he can get a little better, but offensively, he's got it all. He has good range. Usually, that's an adjustment when you come into the league, but he has that already. He's pretty good."
Harris also liked the action between Yi and Gay, which got the attention of the crowd.
"For him to get a chance to guard an athletic wing player like Rudy Gay, who is also a young player in the league, and not back down and take on the challenge, it just shows how determined he is as a player," Harris said.
"It shows how special he can be."
Chinese team officials declined a request for an interview with Yi after the game, and he was taken down a back stairway to the locker room.
New Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni got a good idea about Yi in the forward's first 29 minutes of summer-league play.
"He was more physical than we read," Iavaroni said. "You have to scheme him. He's very confident out there. He showed no jitters."
The Bucks' coaching staff and scouts will have another chance to watch Yi today, when Team China plays Sacramento, and on Sunday, when it faces Cleveland.
Yi's solid showing followed his first face-to-face meeting with Bucks officials Thursday at the team's hotel in Las Vegas.
Harris and Krystkowiak represented the Bucks at a meeting that lasted about one hour, with Yi bringing an interpreter and the Bucks' officials bringing one of their own.
"We talked about the opportunity in Milwaukee," Harris said. "He was very respectful and, I thought, very engaging."
Harris hand-delivered a letter from the Bucks' owner, Sen. Herb Kohl, inviting Yi and representatives of his Chinese Basketball Association team, the Guangdong Tigers, to Milwaukee to see the city and tour the Bucks' facilities.
"We encouraged him to come to Milwaukee and meet our civic leaders, the people of Milwaukee, our owner and our fans," Harris said. "And just to see what Milwaukee is all about."
No date has been established for such a meeting, and Yi plans to be in Las Vegas with his Chinese team until late next week.
"We made it clear we are not going to trade him," Harris said. "I thought he was a tremendous kid. We got a sense he was excited about playing in the NBA, and we extended the invitation."
Harris said he was willing to go to China to meet with representatives of the league and the team.
"There was a lot of good dialogue," Harris said. "We will continue to talk. It was very promising."
Harris acknowledged that a further step would be direct talks with Yi's representatives, American agent Dan Fegan and his Chinese representatives. No progress has been made, even though Harris has said adamantly that he does not want to trade Yi.
And that conviction had to grow stronger after Yi's impressive showing Friday.
Seven or eight teams could be on Yi's wish list, but it's unclear whether any of those teams is pursuing a trade actively. Those teams are the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors and, possibly, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Harris spent much of the second half Friday giving interviews to Chinese reporters and explaining the Bucks' reasons for selecting Yi.
"It just shows you how much respect they have for Yi as a player, how much potential they see in him, and how intriguing he is as a young prospect," Harris said. |
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Bynumite_17
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Post subject: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 07, 2007 - 11:12 AM PST
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Die-Hard Laker Fan
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Joined: Jul 18, 2006
Posts: 2431
Location: Lawndale/La Mesa
votes: 15
Status: Offline
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| If we are go get him but not for much |
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lakersbill
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Post subject: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 07, 2007 - 11:34 AM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: May 04, 2007
Posts: 676
votes: 2
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| he wud be better then kwame |
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warrenweelim
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Post subject: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 07, 2007 - 11:42 AM PST
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Laker GM
Joined: May 11, 2007
Posts: 2841
votes: 31
Status: Offline
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| Kwame + Crittenton for Yi and Gadzuric? |
_________________
SIM LEAGUE CHAMPS
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noname24
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Post subject: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 07, 2007 - 12:17 PM PST
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Lakers Topbuzz Hall of Famer
Joined: Feb 28, 2007
Posts: 8396
votes: 37
Status: Offline
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cba007
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Post subject: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 07, 2007 - 12:18 PM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: Jun 17, 2007
Posts: 716
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
votes: 1
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| how can you say he'd be better than kwame? this guy hasn't even played a game in the league yet! |
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Bynumite_17
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Post subject: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 07, 2007 - 01:08 PM PST
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Die-Hard Laker Fan
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Joined: Jul 18, 2006
Posts: 2431
Location: Lawndale/La Mesa
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i hope Kwams does better this year with his big body. He needs to live up to the expectations of a number 1 pick.
noname are you kidding?? |
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lakerfan8
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Post subject: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 07, 2007 - 02:13 PM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
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Joined: Jun 07, 2006
Posts: 756
votes: 5
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| not bynum for yi, but maybe kwame and critt for yi and gadzuric. that sounds good to me. |
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noname24
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Post subject: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 07, 2007 - 02:21 PM PST
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Lakers Topbuzz Hall of Famer
Joined: Feb 28, 2007
Posts: 8396
votes: 37
Status: Offline
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| bynum and vlade for yi and mo? |
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naboraragon
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Post subject: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 07, 2007 - 05:01 PM PST
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Serious Laker Fan
Joined: Jun 10, 2007
Posts: 241
votes: 2
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| Cook and 2008 first and second round draft pick for Yi would be a trade that the Bucs would look at. We will be drafting the the 20's next year. |
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LakerFire24
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Post subject: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 07, 2007 - 05:08 PM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: Apr 23, 2007
Posts: 804
votes: 2
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| with this laker team? 20+ pick? I wish, if we keep this laker team we will go 15-19, or if we get killed in injuries we be in lottery. |
_________________
R.I.P 1955-2007
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lakersbill
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Post subject: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 07, 2007 - 07:49 PM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: May 04, 2007
Posts: 676
votes: 2
Status: Offline
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| well we almost drafted in the 20s this time. 19 lol |
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JamFan
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Post subject: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 08, 2007 - 12:17 AM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: Oct 04, 2005
Posts: 730
Location: San Luis Obispo
votes: 5
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| Next years first round pick and Kwame (expiring contract) and Vlad Rad (or another throw in) for Yi and a sign and trade to bring in Mo Williams, works for me. |
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frank
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Post subject: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 08, 2007 - 12:22 AM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: May 26, 2007
Posts: 905
Location: Long Beach, CA
votes: 4
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| I'd like to watch him play a few games in summer league to get a feel for his game, but the Bucks don't seem likely to trade him, whatever the his agent or the Chinese think. |
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LakerFire24
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Post subject: Re: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 08, 2007 - 01:23 AM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: Apr 23, 2007
Posts: 804
votes: 2
Status: Offline
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JamFan wrote:
Next years first round pick and Kwame (expiring contract) and Vlad Rad (or another throw in) for Yi and a sign and trade to bring in Mo Williams, works for me.
Would that work? If it does im all for it. |
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warrenweelim
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Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 08, 2007 - 01:39 AM PST
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Laker GM
Joined: May 11, 2007
Posts: 2841
votes: 31
Status: Offline
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| It wont work for the Bucks. They are not giving up 2 assets for 2 non-assets and a a low pick next year. It has to at least involve Gazdzuric being dumped of. |
_________________
SIM LEAGUE CHAMPS
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lakersbill
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Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 08, 2007 - 01:44 AM PST
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Big-Time Laker Fan
Joined: May 04, 2007
Posts: 676
votes: 2
Status: Offline
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| yea i say brown vlad rad for yi and gazdzuric |
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gtfomn3o4
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Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 08, 2007 - 04:54 AM PST
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Serious Laker Fan
Joined: May 15, 2007
Posts: 262
Status: Offline
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| i'm done believing in Kwame. I used to believe that he would take us somewhere with his potential. All of my hopes for him died when i read the article about him eating popeye's chicken 3 times a day for about 4 days straight because he didnt know how to feed himself. |
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naboraragon
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Post subject: RE: Re: RE: Yi might be on lakers targets
Posted: Jul 08, 2007 - 09:09 AM PST
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Serious Laker Fan
Joined: Jun 10, 2007
Posts: 241
votes: 2
Status: Offline
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| 2008 first and second rounder for Li |
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