Billy King Works Out Yi Jianlian, Pulls Brain Muscle

Though most of mock draft scenarios I've seen have 20-year-old Chinese phenom Yi Jianlian off the board well before the 12th pick, the Sixers brass couldn't contain their excitement after seeing him practice yesterday. In Los Angeles.

And even though the phrase "Chinese phenom" should at least trigger circumspection, Billy King is highly impressed:

“[At the workout] you are able to see a lot more things that you aren’t able to see in a game,” King said. “He was shooting three pointers, handling the basketball, just seeing him run…. We were able to see him do some of the same tests that we do for guys, they did for us here like the shuttle runs, the sprints, the vertical jumps and those things.”

Oh, I get it. Apparently Yi never dribbles, runs, or shoots threes during an actual game. But at least he passes the President's Physical Fitness Test with flying colors. Good scouting, guys. Quite a trip to see a guy whom the Chicago Bulls, of all people, are reportedly doing everything short of reprising the "baptism scene" from The Godfather to trade up for.

And from the Danny Almonte Files come accusations that Chinese authorities fudged Yi's age to preserve his eligibility in junior competitions, echoing doubts that have been expressed as far back as 2003. Personally, it's hard for me to believe that a guy could be playing on an Olympic basketball team at the same age when I was learning how to parallel park.

Sixers Work Out Yi Jianlian [Official Site]
The Next Yao Ming? [Time Magazine]