Friday Bucks Notes

Mo and Redd were both rested vs. the Bulls Jonathan Daniel/Getty/NBAE

• The Bulls routed the Bucks 97-81 in Chicago last night (recap). Check out video highlights here. Pretty predictable outcome given Mo and Redd rested ahead of tonight's game in Minnesota, while Bogut missed out with his sprained left wrist. Fortunately Bogut is expected to play in the season opener. Other notes:
• The patchwork starting lineup was Bell, Mason, Simmons, Villanueva and Gadzuric.
  
• Charlie Villanueva started for the first time this preseason and was the Bucks' best player for the second straight game. He scored 19 on 6/10 fg along with 8 rebounds and a couple blocks in 27 minutes. Like on Tuesday, he was aggressive going to the hoop and showed some renewed interest on defense.
• Yi never really seemed in the flow of things, finishing 2/7 with 7 points and 3 rebounds in 21 minutes. Both of his field goals were on mid-range jumpers.
  
• Charlie Bell's line was better than Royal Ivey's, but Bell still seems less comfortable running the offense than Ivey.
• Jim Paschke was kind enough to mention us on his blog, while we've also infiltrated ESPN. Baby steps, people.
• Dave Cotey has a good summary of Yi's first month in the NBA. While ESPN and everyone else was more than happy to report Yi's purported "no comment" to the age question on his first day of practice, here's something I bet they won't report:

  The 19-year-old Yi's age continues to be a hot topic. After not commenting on the subject when he first arrived, he eventually addressed the claims that he is older than listed.

  "I feel nothing uncomfortable with people asking these questions, but as I've said numerous times, I was born in 1987," Yi said. "Those questions are meaningless to me."

  When the "no comment" story broke, one of the Chinese posters at RealGM said Yi actually responded rather dismissively to the question--as you can imagine, he's heard the question before and doesn't appreciate having to answer it constantly--but that his interpreter tried to be more diplomatic by issuing a "no comment." Of course that looked worse in the media, so it's interesting to see this follow-up. But given this quote isn't nearly as interesting, don't expect it to be publicized. And in case you're wondering, I do think Yi is probably 22 (about to turn 23 on Sunday). Also of note is that Larry Harris claims in the article they had Yi rated third overall. My guess is this might be some spin, given most sources suggest Al Horford was correctly third on the Bucks' board.

  "I try to make the team better," Harris said. "I felt we got the best player at six, and I said all along, we would have taken him at three if he were at three. I have all the faith in the world in him, but I don't want to put any pressure on him to perform. We're going to be patient with him and develop him."

• Don Walker writes that David Stern is expecting big things from Yi. Walker also writes that the Yi/Yao matchup on November 9th will be the first between two Chinese players, but Yao has played against Wang Zhizhi four times.

  "...From the NBA's perspective, having another bona fide Chinese superstar in waiting, he's coming here with less exposure and less experience than Yao (Ming), but there are very high hopes for him in his homeland."

  Asked for his reaction to Stern's comments, Yi, who is in Chicago tonight for the Bucks-Chicago Bulls exhibition game, seemed pleased. "This is my first season and there is a need to improve and work hard," he said.

  Asked if he was impressed that Stern singled him out in his remarks to reporters, Yi smiled and asked reporters to thank Stern for his comments.

Camp So Far...

With a week left before the opener in Orlando, it's probably worth taking a look at how the Bucks roster is taking shape. In the interests of full disclosure, I've only seen the first two games and listened to the last four on the radio. So everything here is based on a vague mixture of visual, audio, game reports and second-hand evidence. As always, big credit to the RealGM posters who have shared their first-hand accounts. You can check preseason stats here.

The MACC Fund game gave us our first real insight into what the rotation may look like--Larry Krystkowiak not only had all his players available to him, but he also used them in a manner more consistent with you know, winning games. It looks like LK is looking at a 9-10 man rotation when healthy, with Mo, Redd, Simmons, Yi and Bogut starting. The two forward spots could certainly change, pending Simmons' health and Yi's continued improvement. It seems like the latest murmurs are that Simmons may not yet be physically capable of playing big minutes, so that's the biggest thing to keep an eye on. Off the bench, Bell, Mason (or Simmons), Villanueva, and Gadzuric should see action every night, while Royal Ivey would probably be the next option depending on how Bell fares as a PG. At the end of the bench, Michael Ruffin and Ramon Sessions have non-guaranteed contracts, but both seem likely to stick with the team after the waiving of Samaki Walker brought the Bucks down to the regular season roster limit of 15 players. The rotations were similar two nights ago in Denver, though the Gadzuric and Bogut injuries and Mo Williams' ejection required Ruffin, Ivey and Sessions to get more minutes. On to the players:

Mo Williams - Seems to be showing more hustle defensively and ran the offense very effectively last Saturday (12 assists, 1 TO, 20 points on just 12 shots). If anyone was concerned about Mo slacking off now that he's got his big contract, fear not. Unlike Bell, Mo spent his free agent offseason working daily with noted personal coach Joe Abunassar in Vegas, and looks poised to improve on his breakout season. He seems to be taking his responsibility as a team leader seriously and while he may never be the "pure" point some would like him to be, he has an excellent chance of earning that fat contract. And yes, I'm going to conveniently ignore his 0-5, 2 assist, 2 technical performance...

Michael Redd - Has coasted for much of the preseason, often times not looking for his shot as he tried to allow other guys to get involved in games. In the second Utah game Redd actually had more rebounds (6) than shots (5), which I can guarantee won't happen again this season. Then last night in Denver he tallied 7 assists and 6 rebounds, pretty unheard of numbers for the old Redd. While you don't want Redd getting too far away from the thing he does best, it's encouraging to see this newfound willingness to pass, rebound and defend. While he hasn't been scoring as much, he's obviously the last guy on the team to worry about in that regard. His knee was still a bit sore over the summer but overall he's in great shape, having dropped about 10 pounds and getting his body fat down below 10%.

Charlie Bell - Was admittedly out-of-shape coming into camp and doesn't seem over the stress of his contentious negotiations. Has generally been off. His biggest problem is probably that his wife and kids are in Michigan for the school year, so before we condemn Charlie to trade bait let's give him some time. He's still fairly inexpensive (and untradable until December 20), so the Bucks can afford to be patient while he comes around.

Royal Ivey - One of the bright spots of the early preseason games (low expectations help in this regard), Ivey has shown a willingness to defend and even stick open jumpers. Should Bell continue to struggle, watch for Ivey to possibly steal some of his minutes. Any injury to the backcourt will push him into a more regular rotation spot, and if Simmons misses time look for Ivey to play more PG as Bell slides to SG and Redd more SF.

Ramon Sessions - One of two guys with NG'ed contracts, but he's young and the Bucks seem to like him so all signs suggest he'll make the roster. Hasn't played much at all but should get an opportunity to play in the D-League barring injuries to the backcourt.

Awvee Storey - Just a guy. Hasn't played much but hit some shots in the preseason opener and hasn't played much since. Has shown his reputed chippiness a couple times already, and in general from what we've seen it's kind of hard to tell why he needed a guaranteed deal. Seems likely to be inactive most nights.

Bobby Simmons - Has shot the ball exceptionally well so far when he's played (a silly 63% from the field including 6/9 from three point range), but physically he's still working his way back from his foot injury. Missed a couple games out of precautionary reasons, so that's still a big question mark. Will his foot hold up all season? Will he miss games here and there? Will his minutes be limited in some way? Kind of hard to tell right now, but a healthy Simmons is arguably the biggest x-factor right now for the team. I can't say I'd be willing to bet on him playing 75 games, but I'd be thrilled if he proved me wrong.

Desmond Mason - Some say he's still got that jump in his step, others say he appears slightly older than he did in his first stint with the Bucks. Either way his shot has not been there so far (34% from the field, 60% from the line), which is somewhat disconcerting given his offensive efficiency was well below average the last two seasons. While he can still be a contributor for his defensive effort, athleticism and leadership, he's not likely going to be an above-average starting SF anymore. Fortunately he won't be asked to create much offense if he does have to start. LK has stated he prefers Mason at small forward, but hopefully he's not asked to be a 35 mpg guy.

David Noel - I'm not going to lie, I really haven't noticed Noel this preseason, in either a good or bad way. If Simmons misses time he would move up the depth chart, but something tells me LK will try Redd and CV at the 3 before Noel gets any burn. On the bubble to be active most nights. The Bucks took a flier on him in the second round last year and he has neither embarrassed himself nor given much reason to think he's a diamond in the rough.

Yi Jianlian - Having watched Yi play in both the summer league and a number of international tournaments later in the summer, I have to say I think he's got a great chance to be a special player. Whether he's 19 or 22, his skillset is phenomenal, especially given his size and athleticism. It all starts with a sweet stroke that he can use both on the perimeter and in the post, where he also can use his quickness and good footwork to create shots. Expect to see him used mostly in pick/pop and on the perimeter as a rookie, but rest assured he's got more in his arsenal.

He'll have to deal with culture shock and an abnormal amount of pressure (both here and in China) on top of the usual rookie troubles, so it's not easy guessing what he'll be able to do over a full season. He's still trying to sort out what he can and can't get away with against NBA players (and refs), so he'll have his share of growing pains. Rebounding, foul trouble, turnovers, and guarding strong PFs in the post will all be areas he could struggle with. But everything we've seen in games and heard about practice suggests he's an extremely intelligent guy who learns quickly. So far he's gotten much better over the course of camp, including his excellent 15 point, 12 rebound, 1 turnover game last Saturday. I initially thought he'd come off the bench and be perhaps an 8/4 type guy, but I'm probably going to have to revise that upward a little, perhaps to something closer to Andrea Bargnani last year, only slightly more rebounding and much less three point shooting. With the Bucks' personnel up front I'm really not concerned about him being able to earn the minutes that he's supposedly been guaranteed--the only thing likely to prevent him from getting 20-25 mpg will be foul trouble. He's going to be good, it's just a matter of when. Next year is a much better bet than this year, but as of now he's probably the favorite to start.

Charlie Villanueva - I was definitely in the camp expecting CV to win a starting spot by having a good camp, but so far he'd been losing ground to Yi until last night the Denver game when he went off for 21/11/5. On a good note he's going to do more than Yi at least this year, but it seems like Yi's effort on both ends gives him the edge to start. While you knew his soft defense would be a problem playing for LK, his talent is undeniable and he's got a lot to prove after an injury-plagued first season in Milwaukee. The Bucks seem to be using him largely on the perimeter thus far, which is somewhat disappointing because he has a terrific feel around the hoop (something he took more advantage of last night). I'm hoping we see more aggressiveness from him going forward, though it's possible he's still a little tentative inside after coming back from all the shoulder problems. Keep in mind he faced a difficult rehab from shoulder surgery, so he didn't have the chance to work out much until the end of the summer. While the word is he was privately upset with the Bucks' drafting of Yi, he's saying all the right things and being very professional about the hoopla surrounding a player who likely was drafted to replace him.

CV's always been a tough player to figure out, and unless injuries force him to play more at SF it seems like he's going to be again relegated to more of a supporting role. A year ago CV was being touted as the Bucks' PF of the future, but it's been a rough ride after putting up 18/10 in the first four games last year, mostly due to the shoulder injury he sustained last November in Atlanta (he also had hamstring issues early last year). You can only hope he keeps his head up and works hard on both ends of the court. Coming off the bench could be a good role, as Krystkowiak has said he likes how CV can be an offensive focal point for the second unit. If he doesn't start he's certainly capable of putting up 6th man of the year type stats, especially since he should still get plenty of minutes.

Michael Ruffin - Ruffin was signed to bring a defensive option to the end of the bench, and so far LK has spoken highly enough of him that you'd think he'll still be around on opening night. Ruffin's deal is only NG'ed through October 26th, so we'll know by the end of the week for sure if he's sticking around. Given both Yi and CV aren't defensive stalwarts, Ruffin could see minutes if both of the youngsters are getting killed by foul trouble or if someone on the front line is injured. Otherwise he's a good practice guy.

Andrew Bogut - Count me among those who think Bogut is primed to breakthrough with a 15/10, marginal all-star type season. Like last year, Bogut came into camp with extra bulk, only this time he's strengthened his legs more than his upper body; hopefully that means he'll be strong enough to bang with any bigs down low without sacrificing quickness. In the preseason so far two numbers jump out: he's blocked 8 shots in 5 games and he's shooting 67% from the line. Granted, the sample size is incredibly small, but if Bogut can be around 70% from the line he can afford to be much more aggressive (and efficient) offensively. And given the Bucks were last in the league in shot-blocking, Bogut's ability to average somewhere north of a block per game would be a big help. His shot release looks cleaner this year, which will hopefully mean his mid-range shot will finally be a weapon.

It seems like Bogut has been a year behind in meeting people's expectations his first two seasons; many expected last year's numbers as a rookie, and that he'd be around 15/10 last year. Bogut is the first to admit his consistency wasn't there last year, but now everything seems to be coming together: he's a year wiser, physically stronger, and playing for a coach he seems on the same page with. Now let's cross our fingers that the MRI on his wrist doesn't bring bad news.

Dan Gadzuric - Since signing his six year, $36 million contract in the summer of 2005, Gadzuric has struggled to find a place in the rotation but that could change this year. He actually started two games at PF alongside Bogut to start the preseason, but since then has settled in as the primary backup at center. While he still tends to foul too much, in limited minutes it shouldn't be a huge concern. Where Gadzuric can help most is on the glass; he had the best rebound rate (17.2) of anyone on the Bucks last year and his energy is difficult to match. And while Gadz isn't a lock-down defender he could provide some relief if/when Yi and CV are overmatched.

Jake Voskuhl - Jake's also just a guy. He's smart enough to know what he can and can't get away with, and right now it doesn't look like he'll be relied on very much unless one of the other bigs gets hurt.

Wednesday Bucks Notes

• The Bucks got it handed to them by the Nuggets last night, falling 104-78. Milwaukee was without Andrew Bogut (flu), Michael Redd (rested?), and Bobby Simmons, who missed a second straight game with soreness in his surgically repaired heel. That last part should strike fear into Bucks fans everywhere, though Simmons supposedly practiced yesterday. Hopefully it's just part of Simmons' getting his foot used to the rigors of playing again and not an omen of things to come. As for the game, the Bucks who did play were again ridiculously sloppy, chalking up 26 turnovers after they had a staggering 30 TOs on Saturday against the Jazz. LK has noted the Bucks' focus on defense, but at some point they need to clean up their act on the offensive end. Charlie Bell had all 17 of his points in the second quarter to keep the game close, but the Nuggets blew it open in the third, outscoring the Bucks 33-15. Yi had a hard time defending Kenyon Martin, who was making his first start in about a year, but the Chinese rookie did manage to pull down 7 rebounds along with his 9 points, 3 TOs and a block in 20 minutes.
  
• Gery Woelfel writes that Yi Jianlian has some impressive measurements. Because Yi didn't go to the Orlando pre-draft combine, I had relied on measurements Chad Ford got from a pre-draft workout.

  Yi has size, athleticism and skill. He measures 7-foot-1 in shoes, with a 7-foot-4¼ wingspan, huge hands and a 38-inch vertical jump. He runs up and down the floor well and is very quick laterally. And he's adding muscle (he's up to 248 pounds).

  Woelfel was told that Yi is 6'11" without shoes, 7'0.25" with shoes, a 7'3.5" wingspan and that he weighs 246 pounds. Meanwhile, he has the lowest body fat percentage on the team at just 3.5%. Not sure why the numbers would differ, but there ya go. The most interesting thing to me is that Yi has managed to keep his weight constant in spite of playing so much this summer. The fact that he can carry so much weight on his slender-looking frame is a good hint at how much lower body strength he already has. And Yi knows he still has work to do.

  “We have him on a program where he’s going to lift every day when there’s not a game and not on Sunday,’’ Wilson said. “But we had a (preseason) gamer last Saturday night and he wanted to lift that day, so we lifted.

  “He seems to like it. I think he knows how beneficial it (lifting) can be for him.’’

  Yi concurred, saying, “I like it … I need it.’’

  Yi then laughed and added, “I’m too skinny.’’

• Tony Mejia of CBS Sportsline has a pretty fair assessment of the Bucks 07/08 chances.

  Power Ranking Rank: 19th
  
  Projected Record: 39-43, 4th Central
  
  Best case scenario: Larry Harris is correct in his assumption that Larry Krystkowiak is the coach to get the most out of the Bucks, particularly former No. 1 pick Andrew Bogut, and 45-50 wins follow.
  
  Worst case scenario: Injuries and bad defense continue to be the norm, dooming Harris and wasting yet another year when the Bucks should've been more of a factor in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
  
  X-factor: Milwaukee didn't have the luxury of Bobby Simmons' versatility last season, so healthy, he could make a substantial difference.
  
  Early season schedule: The Bucks start the season on the road against two other teams hoping to make a move, Orlando and Charlotte. Milwaukee's first home game will be Nov. 3 against rival Chicago, which was actually worse off than the Bucks when Harris took over as GM back in 2003.

• Jeff Brown of the La Cross Tribune writes the Bucks won't be worrying about highlight reels this season.

  “Last year we played too much one-on-one, and that eventually hurt us. To win basketball games, you have to play strong defense,” Bogut said. “Coach always says it doesn’t show up on SportsCenter if you block a shot. We don’t want to show up on SportsCenter. We want to win games.”

• Truman Reed at Bucks.com writes about Samaki Walker and Yi Jianlian's summer connection.
  

  "I didn't have any intentions of coming back to the NBA at that point," Walker said. "I was just doing a routine workout at my gym. One day, the big fella walked in, we bonded from there, and one workout turned into two and so forth."

  Walker discovered quickly that the Bucks were getting a special player and person. The sneak preview met with rave reviews.

  "The guy's athleticism and skill at his position is subpar to none at that position," Walker said. "This kid can light it up from 17 to 18 feet, he can put it on the floor at 6-11 or 7 feet, he can make things happen. Once you've seen Yi's footwork and his mechanics, you can't help but be impressed."

  "He can be as good as he wants. The kid is going to be an All-Star, without question, if he wants to be. He can be if he wants to be. He has All-Star potential, and I'll say that with total realism. The sky is the limit for him."

  Walker analyzed Yi in much the same way that a scout would.

  "I'm very impressed with his skill set," he said. "I was really impressed with his speed, his strength -- even though he's a slender guy, his base is very solid. And he's not afraid of contact.

Bucks Fall to Jazz

The Bucks dropped their first BC game of the preseason 92-78 to the Jazz. I listened to most of the game on the radio, so I can't give that much insight into how the team looked, but overall it was an extremely sloppy game. Bobby Simmons did not play, though I haven't seen anything suggesting it was due to injury...let's hope that holds. Mo Williams returned from missing the last game to score 22 pts along with 5 assists, but he also had 6 TOs in 33 minutes. Redd had an interesting stat line, tallying more rebounds (6) than field goal attempts (5) in 24 minutes. And he even blocked a shot! I can't say I'm concerned with Redd's low key preseason so far; he's clearly trying to be more than a scorer, but I doubt once the season starts he'll continue to avoid doing the thing he does best. He does appear serious about keeping teammates involved and bringing more defensive intensity, so hopefully he can do that while still pouring in the points at an efficient clip.

Bogut quietly had a very encouraging line in 22 minutes: 10 points including 4/4 from the line as well as 7 rebounds and 4, count 'em, 4 blocks. Yi meanwhile had another very uneven game, scoring 13 points but racking up a cringe-worthy 8 turnovers. That was a theme for the night, as the Bucks totaled a staggering 30 turnovers. On a positive note, they held the Jazz to only 37.7% from the field.

Wednesday Bucks Notes

• FreeDarko debates the merits of rooting for the 07/08 Bucks.

  So, what is the compromise between pure liberated fandom and pure home-team allegiance? Adopting a team, as I imagine people in Montana, Kansas, and Louisiana are often forced to do. With no regard for the fact that many of my good friends are from Wisconsin, I am arbitrarily thinking about proclaiming the Milwaukee Bucks as my honorary favorite team this year, and following them with the same zeal that Shoals would follow Gerald Wallace, or Gilbert in his pre-Nevermind days and with the same dedication that the Brown Recluse, esq. would follow any number of Tar Heels.

• Jason Williams at RealGM actually sounds kind of upbeat about the 07/08 Bucks.
  
• Bobby Simmons is going to be a part owner of a high end sneaker shop in Milwaukee. Alligator skin on a pair of Jordans? For $2,300? Not sure about that, Bobbo.
  
• FSN Wisconsin will show 70 Bucks games this year, the first year the Bucks will be carried exclusively on cable.
  

Monday Bucks Notes

Yi vs. the Brisbane Bullets, take three

• Yi Jianlian had 18 points in three quarters worth of action in the third of three exhibitions between the Chinese national team and the Brisbane Bullets. Video above.
• Bucks assistant Brian James has a blog at Bucks.com about his Basketball Without Borders experience in South Africa.
• Truman Reed at Bucks.com also has a short feature on Awvee Storey. Not surprisingly, there's no mention of the time Storey annihilated Martynas Andriuskivicius' face.
• Steve Luhm at the Salt Lake Tribune speculates about a possible Charlie Villanueva/Bobby Simmons trade for Andrei Kirilenko. There's no factual basis for this article, but acquiring a defensive standout like Kirilenko certainly makes sense in a lot of ways for the Bucks. The $63 million still owed to Kirilenko is a pretty scary number for a guy who has flaked out, but even if he's just the world's greatest role player his defensive talents alone are intriguing. Both Villanueva and Simmons are on the low side in terms of trade value right now, so I doubt they're moved in the near term however. My guess is that the Bucks will want some proof that Yi is legit before they ship out CV, who should be motivated to prove the doubters wrong after an injury plagued sophomore season. But would the Bucks really want another max contract with Bogut's extension looming? And would the Bucks get the most out of Kirilenko by playing him at SF and Yi at PF?
  
• The master of all Bucks cap issues got the details of Charlie Bell's contract. The deal has an early termination option for the fifth year and the maximum allowable 15% trade kicker. The salaries add up to $18.01 million, or an average of $3.6 million per season.

  07/08 $3,106,000
  08/09 $3,354,480
  09/10 $3,602,960
  10/11 $3,851,440
  11/12 $4,099,920

Thursday Bucks Notes

The Journal-Sentinel has a long story on Bobby Simmons' comeback. Simmons' injuries last year were so poorly communicated by the Bucks that it's not surprising many of us are wary of penciling Bobby into the starting lineup, even with Larry Harris claiming he expects Simmons to be ready by training camp. While his first season as a Buck was slightly disappointing, even that level of production would be a huge addition for a Bucks team that by all accounts is not bringing Ruben Patterson back and played much of last year with a three guard (Mo/Bell/Redd) starting lineup.

Unfortunately the Bucks have had a habit for being very unclear about the status of their players' injuries, whether intentional or not. No one really had any idea what the deal was with TJ Ford for over a year, in part because it was such a unique injury. Even so, confusion over the likelihood of a recurrence continues to this day in spite of his doctors' suggestion that the success of his fusion surgery makes him no more at risk than any other player. Simmons meanwhile was supposedly healthy in training camp last year before he was shelved for the year. Then you had the mysterious injuries of the late season tanking last year (Brian Skinner's ebola-strength earaches, anyone?), which are in a whole different category. So while I appreciate the tentative optimism about Simmons' return, I won't be holding my breath either.

*******

Thanks to our resident cap/salary info extraordinaire, we now know the structure of Mo Williams' contract:

07-08 $7,750,000
08-09 $8,353,000
09-10 $8,860,000
10-11 $9,300,000
11-12 $8,500,000 (ETO)
12-13 $8,500,000 (PO)
Total: $51.263 mil

The relatively low salaries in the back end will make his opt-out virtually assured, provided he stays healthy and doesn't inexplicably become an awful player. As a result, the deal is more likely to end up being a four-year deal for $34.263 million or a shade over $8.5 million per year. More importantly, he'll be able to negotiate a new long-term deal (likely for more money) while he's still only 28. Not exactly the ideal structure for the Bucks. Assuming he opts out after four years, Mo's and Redd's deals will be expiring at the same time, meaning their peak salaries will also coincide. In other words, the deal isn't structured to give the Bucks possible luxury tax relef in 2009 either, when Bogut and Villanueva will be getting at least qualifying offers (and possibly starting longer extensions) at the same time that Gadzuric and Simmons are still being overpaid.

********

Bucks.com has a misty-eyed feature on Bucks scout Scott Howard's experiences scouting Yi Jianlian.

“I remember the very first report I wrote on the kid four years ago,” Howard said. “It said, ‘This kid’s gonna be a star.’

“It’s fun and interesting to see when your first impressions are accurate and they come true.”

Whoa Scott, don't get ahead of yourself.

He had exhibited impressive instincts from the very first time he appeared in the U.S., during the 2002 adidas ABCD Camp, but he was also learning and mastering a lot of intangibles.

“He was always a very aware kid with terrific court awareness and reaction time,” said Howard. “I always like that in a player. He’d had a lot of different coaches, including Del Harris (the father of Bucks General Manager Larry Harris), who coached his national team at one time, and a Lithuanian coach who’s coaching his national team now. Because he’d been exposed to so much internationally, that’a a great asset for him.”

“And he’s a team player. There’s no question he’s a team player.”

Howard, who had left the Wizards to become Director of International Player Personnel with the Toronto Raptors for two years, joined the Bucks’ scouting staff in March of 2006. From that point on, he and his colleagues continued following Yi collectively.

“Dave Babcock (the Bucks’ Director of Player Personnel) saw him play in China, and Larry Harris saw him play in Japan and in the Olympics in Athens,” Howard said. “I’ve probably seen him play 30 games in four years.”

In other words, we scouted the hell out of him. Take that, Ric Bucher.

“I always file reports,” he said. “Once there, I filed mine. Everyone (on the Bucks management team) reads that. We had tape of that tournament, and Larry (Harris), Dave (Babcock) and (scout) Scott Roth watched that. We watched Yi play in the Chinese Championships on NBA TV. We had film from the World Championships of him playing against the U.S. 'Dream Team.'”

“The more you saw, the more you were impressed. All of our evaluations said, ‘We’d better start to look real hard at this guy.’”

The members of the Bucks basketball staff continued to keep their eyes and ears open. With the 2007 NBA Draft approaching and Milwaukee slated to pick sixth, the sights and sounds around the league indicated that Yi could very well be on the board when their turn came up.

“We were down to two or three players for our lottery pick,” Howard said. “We all did our research and tried to determine who’d be gone by the time we picked. We figured (Greg) Oden, (Kevin) Durant and probably (Al) Horford would be gone. Then we heard that Mike Conley would probably go to Memphis, which he did. We thought there was a chance Yi might go to Boston, but that didn’t happen.”

By committee, the wheels kept turning.

“We made more phone calls to see if Yi was a worthwhile pick for us, and to see if he wanted to play in the NBA,” Howard said. “From everything we gathered, the pick was a no-brainer.

“Dave (Babcock) had been to China four years ago to talk with Yi’s coach. Larry’s dad had coached him. I know people who know Yi intimately. So we gathered a lot of information on him. At the end of the day, you figure out how to get it done.”

******

Yi Jianlian will be playing for the Chinese National Team in the Stankovic Cup beginning on July 28th. Meanwhile, the Chinese B Team will be headed to the Asian Basketball Championships, which tells you a lot about the quality of Asian hoops. Among the teams China will face is a D-League "ambassador" team including UWM grad Clay Tucker.

Yi and his Chinese colleagues will play five games in five days. If you want to watch these games they should be shown on sopcast--keep an eye on the schedule here.

July 28, Guangzhou
3:30 p.m.: Angola vs. New Zealand
7 p.m.: China vs. Venezuela
9 p.m.: Slovenia vs. D-League Ambassadors

July 29, Guangzhou
3:30 p.m.: Venezuela vs. Angola
7 p.m.: China vs. Slovenia
9 p.m.: New Zealand vs. D-League Ambassadors

July 31, Macao
4 p.m.: D-League Ambassadors vs. Venezuela
7:30 p.m.: Angola vs. China
9:30 p.m.: Slovenia vs. New Zealand

Aug 1, Macao
4 p.m.: D-League Ambassadors vs. Angola
7:30 p.m.: New Zealand vs. China
9:30 p.m.: Venezuela vs. Slovenia

Aug 2, Macao
4 p.m.: Venezuela vs. New Zealand
7:30 p.m.: China vs. D-League Ambassadors
9:30 p.m.: Angola vs. Slovenia