Can Yi Answer The SF Question?

[WEFFPIM]

Try it. Nothing can be worse than what it has been

[JollyJoker]

Yi does not play like a definitive 3 or 4; he can guard either position but on offense he is best in a transition fast break game. Moreover he is a good free throw shooter, on the suns he could be really effiecent but so could anyone else who can shoot 3's and dunk. He once said the 4 is his favorite position. He has even played the 5 in the Asian games and outplayed Ha Seung Jun. Give him 2 years like Yao. Their bodies take a little longer to develop because the diet from where he comes from is different.

One thing great about Yi is that he never backs down from a challenge.
So far you bucks fans have only seen his calm demeanour. When he is ticked he plays on an entirely new level. I'm just waiting for some one to throw a punch at him and you'll see what happens

[jerrod]

-= original quote snipped =-




I agree that Yi is playing more like a SF right now,

i don't agree with that at all


a sf typically handles the ball, yi plays like a perimeter oriented power forward without 3 range

[fam3381]

Why are we so convinced he's a PF? Because he's 7-feet tall? His game is more akin to a SF than a PF so why not play to his strengths and add a more physical defender and rebounder to the starting lineup?

I think I'm in Jerrod's boat on this.

If you play him at SF then his game will need to look more like a PF, posting up and using his size since he won't have the same room for jumpers. Moreover, the pick/roll becomes less effective because smaller defenders will have an easier time switching/rotating IMO. He doesn't have the handle to be a true SF, maybe that will come but I wouldn't bank on it.

If you play him at PF then he'll look like an SF, because he's got a nice outside shot and can use his mobility to get by many bigs. His handle isn't a big problem there and he's not a defensive liability either despite his lack of upper body bulk. The bottom line is he has skills and physical attributes that create mismatch opportunities at both positions. I don't think he's a tweener per se since that implies he's not really good enough to play either position, but he'll always have some attributes of both spots.

I think one of the main advantages of moving him to SF is his rebounding would be above average for that position while it's below average for a PF. But I think he'd be worse defensively, as he's still not mobile enough for the best SFs. And for all of our problems, rebounding hasn't been as big of an issue this year.

The idea of finding the elusive physical PF is interesting and worth thinking about, but Bogut's increased physicality and defensive presence makes me less concerned about that. I think it's much more realistic that we could find an athletic three who can defend and shoot a bit. Heck, I would have been happy to get Mo Pete last summer. Certainly not a long-term solution but he could have filled a role for us.

[europa]

I still think this team needs another strong rebounder at the PF position. Even if Yi continues to develop, I believe that's vital. And I think it might be easier to find such a player if he was a starting-caliber player and not a backup - and I think moving Yi to SF would make that possible. I just watch Yi and as much as I like him, he looks like a 7-foot SF to me. Now maybe that changes in the years to come but for the time being at least I don't think it would be a bad idea to at least experiment with him at SF and see what happens.

We know Dez, Simmons and Bell aren't the answer and I have zero believe Villanueva is. I think Yi is worth alook.

[NOODLESTYLE]

Yi has been playing the post for a while, including for the Chinese National Team. I think his handles are his main problem that would limit him from playing SF. I don't think it would hurt to experiment playing Yi at SF in stretches of the game...but he's a PF. Playing Yi at SF would kind of be a step back in his development I think, as the CNT are expecting him to be a powerhouse next to Yao.