After seven weeks of inactivity with a sprained MCL, Jersey's favorite seven foot asian Power Forward played last night; and played well. Yi JianLian had 22 points on 7/12 shooting (4/6 from three) in 30 minutes of action against the lowly Timberwolves.
Unfortunately, the Nets still lost. But, if Yi establishes himself as a legitimate third scoring option, this team may see more than single digit wins this season. Yi's "raw" potential and "upside" as a "long" (are you proud of me Jay Bilas?) athletic seven footer are undeniable. In his first few years in the league, however, this potential has not materialized due to a noticeable deficiency on the defensive end and a timidity when on offense. Hopefully he is turning a corner in regards to both, as he looked tough pulling in 8 rebounds against a very strong Minnesota frontcourt (Love and Jefferson) and had a chest bumping swagger on offense that he has been sorely lacking. Only time will tell how Yi will turn out, but I think we can all agree we would rather see him manning the 4 spot instead of the likes of Josh Boone, Eduardo Najera and Tony Battie.
No comments:
Post a Comment