Chinese 'Magic' intrigues Mavericks

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Chinese 'Magic' intrigues Mavericks
12:48 AM CDT on Wednesday, June 27, 2007


By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com

Some nicknames are overused and unfair. The next Michael Jordan, for instance.
And then there's this one: the Chinese Magic Johnson.
It's equal parts unfair and unheard of.

To think of an NBA prospect coming from the land of Yao Ming with a syrupy game built around a pass-first mentality, it strains the limit of the credibility scale.

But Sun Yue is 22 years old, 6-9 and coming off a season in which he averaged 10.5 assists for a Chinese professional team that relocated in midseason to Los Angeles and played in the American Basketball Association.
He's grateful for the comparisons to the Magician, but he doesn't put too much stock in them.

"I have a different style," said Sun on Tuesday after a workout for the Mavericks. "Yes, I'm like him because I pass more than score. Maybe I play kind of like him, but he was a superstar."

Sun is the sort of player the Mavericks are hoping slips to the No. 34 pick in Thursday's draft. But with the way he has blossomed since arriving in America, the Mavericks aren't certain the 216-pounder will last past the first round.

"He's definitely a pass-first guy and a pretty interesting story," Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks president of basketball operations said. "He grew up in China and was signed by a pro team when he was 14. When he hit Orlando, he raised a lot of eyebrows. He was a small forward the first day. And by the third day, he was a point guard."

Orlando would be the predraft camp held earlier this month. Paul Coughter, an international coach for more than three decades, was coach of the Lebanon national team before things went awry in that country. He is head coach of the Beijing Aoshen Basketball Club, which relocated to Los Angeles last season.


AP
Sun Yue

Sun learned enough English to get by, but Coughter said there are some challenges with the language for his player.

"Sometimes, slang challenges him and some technical terms," Coughter said. "Otherwise, he's fine, unless you ask him to rebound. Then he doesn't understand."

Obviously, Sun has a sense of humor to go with his well-rounded game.
He also has a social life that, while it may not be in Tony Parker's stratosphere, is certainly impressive. Sun's girlfriend is one of the top models in China.

When Sun arrived to the predraft camp, he wasn't on anybody's mock draft. Now, he has the potential to be a late first-round pick. He certainly will be scooped up in the first half of the second round. The Mavericks pick 34th, 50th and 60th.

"This year for me is very important," Sun said. "I'm 22, and for me, the question is ready or not, it's about the NBA. I think I'm ready."

Sun's arrival will be accompanied by that of Chinese player, 7-footer Yi Jianlian, who is expected to be taken in the top seven of the draft. Yao Ming remains the most celebrated player in the NBA from China.

"Yao's of course a superstar right now," Sun said. "And Yi is a world star, too. They help me out a lot and tell me what I should do. I always try to pass to them when we work out together."

Sounds like the perfect game plan for a budding Magic man.

Garnett to Dallas? Forget it: The Mavericks, like 29 other teams, have explored options on whether Kevin Garnett is obtainable from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Like most of their competitors, the Mavericks have decided the price is too great, according to NBA sources. The Wolves are entertaining all offers for the 6-11 superstar, but speculation has centered on the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix and Boston as potential landing spots.

The Mavericks are not interested in dismantling their team, which is what it would take to pair Garnett with Dirk Nowitzki.

Stars on the way: Sun, along with Yi and perhaps Yao, will be playing for the Chinese national team in two exhibition games next week at Moody Coliseum as part of the Global Games.

The Chinese team will play Sunday at 5 p.m. against the USA Basketball under-19 team that will include former South Oak Cliff standout Darrell Arthur and DeAndre Jordan, a Texas A&M recruit who was the top-ranked high school player in Texas last season.

China also will play the Mavericks' summer league team Tuesday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 for each game and available at Moody Coliseum on game day.

DeSagana Diop, Moe Ager, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, J.J. Barea and the Mavericks' picks from Thursday's draft are expected to be on their summer league team.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...e.31817e7.html#


From Draftexpress: http://draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=1024

Sun Yue - Current Team: Aoshen Olympian, International
Physicals: H: 6' 9" W:212lbs
Bday:11/6/1985 (21 Years Old)
Positions:
Current: PG
NBA: PG/SG/SF Possible: SF

Strengths
Yue is a very unique player in this draft, being a very long 6-9 international who shows legitimate point guard skills. Watching him move with the ball in his hands, its hard not to be impressed by the talent he shows. Strongly favoring his left hand, Yue is a remarkable dribbler with his good hand, while improvable with his bad one.

Already an excellent passer, he takes advantage of his size to see the entire floor thanks to his impressive court vision. Displaying solid athleticism, he slashes well to the hoop with a good first step, primarily looking to dish the ball or sometimes finish with an elegant finger roll. He plays under control and appears to have an excellent feel for the game, being highly unselfish, almost to a fault at times. The game looks very easy for him, particularly playing in the minor leagues. Defensively, he is capable of getting in the passing lanes, pulling down rebounds and even blocking some shots on occasion, being a true stat-stuffer for his team.

Weaknesses
Yue looks far from becoming an adequate shooter. He doesn’t show any reliability, delivering awful jumpers from time to time, and his mechanics don’t look particularly consistent, and he has a fairly slow release. He needs to develop more of an in-between game, particularly a pull-up jumper. He has a tendency to go left almost exclusively when driving to the basket.

The biggest problem for Yue is his position on the court. He’s probably not quick enough for a point guard and he doesn’t have the shooting touch that you look for in a wing. He picks up his dribble at times and suffers from intense pressure he occasionaly sees from smaller and quicker guards. He also needs to add some bulk to his skinny frame. Defensively, there are concerns about him whether he’s playing the point or small forward. He has a tendency to be a little too passive at times, passing up scoring opportunities and not being quite as dominant offensively in a league where he is always the most talented player on the floor.

Competition
Yue plays for a Chinese team that migrated to the American ABA, a semi-pro minor league that is now a shadow of what it used to be 20-30 years ago. He puts up excellent numbers in this competition. He has some experience internationally with the Chinese national team, but has been inconsistent playing with them.

Outlook
Even without the flaws he shows, Yue played in the American ABA and therefore has not been scouted extensively against top-level competition, which makes him difficult to evaluate as an NBA prospect. He would probably be best served pulling his name out of the draft, improving on his highly correctable weaknesses, and playing in a setting next year that would allow him better competition both as a challenge as well as a comparison for NBA types to use.


From NBA Site: http://www.nba.com/draft2007/profiles/YueSun.html

Stats:
Season G GS FGM FGA PCT FTM FTA PCT 3PM 3PA PCT REB AST STL BL PT SAVG
2006-07--20-----------.455--------.707--33--100--.330--120--210--38--40--270--13.5


Originally an early entry candidate for the 2006 NBA Draft before withdrawing his name from consideration. Was playing for Beijing Aoshen of the Chinese Basketball Association. Team was suspended from CBA competition and the owner moved the team to Los Angeles to compete in the American Basketball Association. Named Second Team All-ABA in 2006 and played in the ABA All-Star Game. Member of the Chinese National Team. Played for the Chinese Under-20 National Team in 2004. Participated in the Asian Championships in Doha in 2005.

2006-07: Averaged 13.5 points, 10.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds for Beijing Aoshen of the ABA. Named to 2007 All-ABA First Team.

2005-06: Averaged 9.5 points and 6.4 assists in 23 games for Beijing Aoshen of the ABA. Dished out at least eight assists on 10 occasions. Scored in double figures 13 times. Scored a season-high 22 points against the Orange County Buzz. Recorded a triple double – 12 points, 14 rebounds, 12 assists – against the L.A. Aftershock. Also had eight blocks and four steals in this game, playing all 48 minutes.

2003-04: Averaged 3.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists for Beijing Olympians of the Chinese Basketball Association. Shot 40 percent from the field and 32 percent from three-point range.

Strengths: Combines good athleticism with excellent court vision. Shows some point guard skills at 6-9. Has good slashing ability and decent outside touch.

[Mavsin08]

hmm, interesting. A playmaking SG/SF who can also play point. Also big for his size. nbadraft.net compares him to Boris Diaw. I'm just a little concerned that at 34, that is to high. I haven't seen him in any mock drafts, so maybe wait till 50. But I would definitly be interested in this guy, especially as a 2nd rounder as there really is nothing to lose.

[Dirkgreatness]

Eh, doesn't look very impressive to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY4y8AeEzlo

[dalmations202]

Dang reminded me real quick of Tayshawn Prince. Height, Build, and left handed.

I would say that would be where he looks like he could get too.

[V2M]

Originally Posted by dalmations202

Dang reminded me real quick of Tayshawn Prince. Height, Build, and left handed.

I would say that would be where he looks like he could get too.

He seems more of a passer and less of a scorer than Prince...

[Stranger]

Great assist numbers, but skinny and slow is not a formula for success in the NBA. Probably worth the #60 or a training camp invite, though.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by Dirkgreatness

Eh, doesn't look very impressive to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY4y8AeEzlo

Yi looks good though http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6plJ...elated&search=

[wireonfire]

Originally Posted by Stranger

Great assist numbers, but skinny and slow is not a formula for success in the NBA. Probably worth the #60 or a training camp invite, though.

He isn't exactly slow. He was No.3 in lane agility among 80 campers at the Orlando pre-draft camp.

[Dirkgreatness]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Yi looks good though http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6plJ...elated&search=

Who makes those videos of the chinese prospects? They all have gay songs.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by Dirkgreatness

Who makes those videos of the chinese prospects? They all have gay songs.

HAHAHA I know, but then again, have you seen Tony Parker's video? Maybe the more gay the video, the better the player.

[Dirkgreatness]

^ lol.