The Big Baby Talk!

[celticinorlando]

i would be happy if it was yi and a #1 pick

[Fafnir]

i would be happy if it was yi and a #1 pick

We're not going to get Yi and a first round pick for BBD. Not when they'll have to pay him.

[BudweiserCeltic]

How is trying to trade Baby for Yi (and who knows who else), and trading for Daniels for that matter, cutting corners?

If it`s because of luxury tax implications, as KJ33 said, then it`s cutting the corners, because we need a 4th quality big. If we talk solely about quality, Baby is the superior player to Yi, imo.

Well your whole basis about cutting corners really comes down to your opinion of the quality of a player, not on ownership's willingness to spend.

And of course luxury tax implications come into it, but it's not the end all discussion. If you can get comparable talent (and Yi is the bigger prospect here) for cheaper, you simply do it. But this won't be a Yi 1 for 1 for Baby, NJ would be crazy to do it. There are other parts involved that need to be aknowledged.

Well, it always comes down to your evaluation of the players involved in a trade.
My point stands: If they don´t want to sign Baby because of luxury tax implications, they are cutting the corners. Quality of the 4th big is a different topic.

But to think that Yi is a better prospect than Davis is an insult to BBD, imo.

A player that is 2 years younger, a 7 footer who has 3point range who has a good shot (simply hasn't fallen for him yet, remember when Baby wasn't making them?)... yeah I can see how that can be an insult to Baby if one claims that Yi is the better prospect.

Now you´re grasping for straws, man.
It is always a risk to bring a young player into a new system. We don´t have that risk with Baby, we know he can produce. We would be Yi´s third team in his third year. Considering how much money he can potentially generate for the franchise he plays for, you have to wonder what the Bucks and Nets don´t like about him.

Yi didn´t accomplish 1/4 of what Baby has achieved in the same time in the league, and more importantly, Baby has shown much more improvement in the last 2 years. The fact that Yi is taller and (maybe) younger doesn´t make him the better prospect.

You're trying to mix two arguments up when they're two different arguments. One is who is currently better and who is the better prospect. Age does matter when you're dealing with prospects, the norm is that younger players have a bigger learning curve. Sure, it doesn't make him the better prospect, but he has a ton of skills rare for 7 footers, it's just a matter of putting it all together.

If you want to argue who is the better player, there's no need. In my opinion Baby is currently the better player. I think Yi would thrive with us though.

You´re the one who mixes things up.
Age and Height matter on Draft Day, not after two years of NBA experience. Gerald Green, for example, is not a better prospect than BBD, no matter how high his ceiling could be.

I guess we should ignore the first couple of years of Perkins, Bynum, CJ Miles, Al Harrington, and Martell Webster for example?

And yes, I argue that BBD is the better player now, because I also say that´s exactly what we need...the better player now, so this point is kind of essential if we argue a Baby for Yi trade.

Other than that the proposed trades aren't solely Baby for Yi.

[paintitgreen]

i would be happy if it was yi and a #1 pick

I'd be happy if we didn't get Yi at all. I hate the idea of this move because it seems plausible. Ugh. The guy will never be good.

However, he will increase the Celtics' presence in the Chinese market, though, which is where his value comes in. Gives us a lot more cash to spend on good players if we have a $3 mil a year guy bringing in an extra $10-15 mil a year in merchandising in China. As I understand it, teams don't have to share international merchandising revenue, which is a reason Yao is so incredibly valuable to Houston (I may be wrong about that though). T-Mac and Francis jerseys, like Yao jerseys, were incredibly popular in China. If Yi became a player on our team, I think you'd see Garnett, Pierce, Rondo, and even Bird jerseys become big sellers in China, as Boston would become a relatively more popular team in that market.

Still, I don't think it works that well primarily because, like I said above, Yi is not a good NBA player and never will be one. 

[footey]

BBD has proven that he can be very effective off the bench, as well as a starter. Yi has not made such a case for himself. The fact that he was a higher draft pick is completely irrelevant to their respective values today.

Yi is a very poor man's Rashard Lewis. He does not mix it well inside, has no inside game from what I can see, nor any inclination to develop one. He will eventually develop into a decent guy off the bench, but does not have the makeup to be a starter in the NBA, ever, IMO.

[Michael Anthony]

The Nets have a point guard, a shooting guard, a center and about $16 million in cap space ($32 payroll, $4 rookies, assumes $52 mil cap) to build around after next season.

If Jersey trades Yi, Dooling, Najera and their trade exception for Baby, Walker, Tony and Scalabrine (Boston gets Daniels, and Indy gets the exception and a second rounder) that $16 million in cap space goes to $20, and they become a lot more attractive to the Lebrons and Carmelos of the world.

Harris / LLE Guard
Lee / T. Williams
James / CDR
Davis / MLE Forward
Lopez / J. Boone

Add a very high loto pick, Sean Williams, and some vet minimum contracts and you have a better team than Cleveland.

[EJPLAYA]

BBD has proven that he can be very effective off the bench, as well as a starter. Yi has not made such a case for himself. The fact that he was a higher draft pick is completely irrelevant to their respective values today.

Yi is a very poor man's Rashard Lewis. He does not mix it well inside, has no inside game from what I can see, nor any inclination to develop one. He will eventually develop into a decent guy off the bench, but does not have the makeup to be a starter in the NBA, ever, IMO.

I would agree with your assessment off the bench of BBD, however can you explain then the fact that Yi's points and rebounds each year were higher than BBD's? I'm not arguing that Yi currently is the better player, however people on here are dismissing the guy like he has put up nothing. He needs to improve his FG% from the floor, but so does BBD. He needs to get better defensively out on the perimeter but so does BBD. The only thing that I think that BBD really is hands down the better player is against big guys in the post. That's only because he's 300 lbs.

Yi is built like a basketball player, has good handle and passing skills for a big man, rebounds the ball solidly, has a nice touch from the outside. His only big weakness is he needs to improve his man to man defense. We have the teammates and coaching staff that will allow the guy to make great strides in that area.

I am not trying to dismiss BBD's current value, however Yi's upside is much higher and his current level of play is very close to BBD's. If you don't agree go look at his stats again. If you hadn't watched either of the two you'd probably choose Yi based on his physical size.

[celticinorlando]

danny chasing another one of his white whales

[Casperian]

I guess we should ignore the first couple of years of Perkins, Bynum, CJ Miles, Al Harrington, and Martell Webster for example?

Exceptions to the rule. Most of these guys were still held in high regards by their coaching staff. Yi has already convinced two GMs that it would be better for their franchise to trade him, even though he´s basically a license to print money.

Fool´s Gold.

[EJPLAYA]

danny chasing another one of his white whales

What does "white" have to do with anything. He's not even white, and if he was what does that matter?

[GroverTheClover]

danny chasing another one of his white whales

What does "white" have to do with anything. He's not even white, and if he was what does that matter?

Moby Dick reference?

[BudweiserCeltic]

I guess we should ignore the first couple of years of Perkins, Bynum, CJ Miles, Al Harrington, and Martell Webster for example?

Exceptions to the rule. Most of these guys were still held in high regards by their coaching staff. Yi has already convinced two GMs that it would be better for their franchise to trade him, even though he´s basically a license to print money.

Fool´s Gold.

Which two teams have been convinced to trade him? The Bucks? Which else? He's still with the Nets. And don't forget that the Chinese were pressuring the Bucks to get him to a bigger market that's more accessible to the Chinese community.

And Yi was traded for Richard Jefferson, not for some garbage.

[Change]

Please no Yi. Ainge needs to get over his man-crushes. Just bring back Big Baby.

[celticinorlando]

danny chasing another one of his white whales

What does "white" have to do with anything. He's not even white, and if he was what does that matter?

ugh...ahab's obession with the "white whale" aka Moby Dick led him to his undoing...danny has a tendency to go "white whale" chasing in guys like swift, yi,etc that he has always wanted....race has nothing to do with it..it was a literary reference. grover got it

[Neurotic Guy]

Reminder that as of today, Yi Jianlian is 21 years old. 

He is a 7-footer who averaged 20+minutes in both years of his NBA career in a league where most 19/20/21 year old players don't see the court.  His averages are a respectable 8.6 points and 5 rebounds.  Stats don't tell the whole story, but I don't see how anyone could state definitively (as some of you have) that he is/isn't a future effective starter in the NBA.  How often have any of you seem him play?  He is a kid and we know that kids, especially big ones, take time to grow into solid NBA contributors.   I can't believe that anyone has already made their mind up about him.  My guess is that NJ wants no part of BBD for Yi trade.  I agree that I'd rather have BBD for next year, but beyond the immediate future I would guess Yi would have the edge on upside.