It really depends on whom you ask. Since I wrote my first story on Yi, I’ve been flooded with e-mails and a few phone calls from skeptics. While everyone agrees that Yi is an interesting prospect and one of the elite players in China, some think he is being vastly overrated by NBA teams.

I think basketball is the one sport that China has a legitimate chance to become a force in. My reasoning is based on the facts that: It’s a popular sport in country. It has a large and growing fan base that it fairly sophisticated. It has a viable domestic league in which to develop a pool of talent and that has growing connects internationally which should work to improve players and coaches. It has on superstar (and more on the way) that put a good face on the game. Accordingly, and in the face of withering critique for family and friends alike, I think that one of the hidden gems of the upcoming NBA draft is Yi Jianlian. I remember hearing of him a couple of years back but in recent months I’ve been reading up on him and checked out a couple of games and workouts with him in. He looks like a solid baller. Mark my words…he won’t disappoint whatever team picks him. He’ll take a season or so to “xiguan” the NBA style (but he does have Yao Ming, Wang Zhizhi and Bater to draw lessons from) but he’ll turn out to be one of the better big men in the game.

Can Yi Jianlian play? Good Question