Repercussions of the first Valade's "Wang Defection" article - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Silkworm · 07-14-2002, 09:08 PM

http://sports.sina.com.cn/k/2002-07-15/15286097.shtml

For anyone who is interested, below is a summary of a new Chinese article by a veteran sports reporter about how the first "Wang Defection" article started an avelaunche of speculation and trouble.

The reporter gave an detailed account of the of the "Wang Incident" this summer from the Chinese side.

Wang ignored two letters from CBA asking him to return to China for national team training. The officials were unhappy about it, but was content to keep silent due to fear of a public embarrassment. But then the first Valade article appeared in Dallas Morning news, speculating Wang is defecting. This sparked an domino effect of articles in US media all adding fuel to the fire. The "news" spread across Pacific, and Chinese reporters started questioning Chinese basketball officials. Now feeling the heat, the officials tried to get in touch with Wang to urge him to return. But Wang, unwisely, left no contact info. So the officials got madder and threatened to cut Wang from national team.

Right now, two CBA officials are travelling to US to persuade Wang to return. The article suggest that if their mission is successful, then all will be forgotten and forgiven. If not? well, my guess is that in the worst case scenario, Wang get cut from national team permanently. This is what happened to a Chinese player named Ma Jian, who similarly defied the officials' order to return to China, and instead played couple of years in University of Utah's team.

dude1394 · 07-14-2002, 09:59 PM

The idiot valade strikes again.

MavKikiNYC · 07-14-2002, 10:15 PM

who reads her anymore even? i swear the only thing i know about her 'work' comes second-hand now.

DTL · 07-15-2002, 12:20 AM

thanks silkworm. i just saw the article and was about to do a summary myself. thanks for saving me some time [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

do you know what happened to this Ma Jian guy eventually?

Silkworm · 07-15-2002, 12:56 AM

What I know of Ma is mostly secondhand reports, but here it is.

After playing in college, Ma Jian tried out for NBA. But the Clippers cut him as the last cut before the season. So with a family to feed, he returned to China and went on a pro career, playing for the Beijing team. He had a pretty good career, being the star player of the team. But last year, inexplicably he was fired by the owner of his team. The owner is some Taiwanese big shot industrialist who has a reputation of being an absolute jerk and tyrant. After that, I dont' know what happened to him.

breal · 07-15-2002, 12:29 PM

this saga gets more and more interesting... I have seen all of Golden State's games this summer, and Wang has been truly impressive. he has shown through his post play and improved rebounding and defense that he is underutilized as a maverick. Ask Del Harris - he was at the game on Thursday when Wang displayed some serious inside/outside skills against the Mavs. But I believe GS will make a strong push to sign him as a free agent. Considering they have other guys in need of development this summer, GS has been giving him way too hard of a look this summer not to make a run

How do you know so much about Ma Jing? I vaguely remember him. Majerus once said he'd have been a big time player for him, but the language barrier was just too much of a divide.

Murphy3 · 07-15-2002, 12:53 PM

please take him

Murphy3 · 07-15-2002, 01:05 PM

unless he has made tremendous strides since the end of the season, he is an absolutely horrific defender and a very, very mediocre rebounder at best. if the mavs lose him, it doesn't change my views of this team at all..except that just "maybe" nellie is looking to go to more defensive units from time to time

David · 07-15-2002, 04:38 PM

The Mavs will regret letting Wang get away, if they do. I believe he will be a big time player. Short of star status but almost. At 7 feet tall, you don't let guys like that get away. I think you accumulate talent, you don't let it slip away unless you use that talent to bring in BETTER talent. Wang just needs to learn the American game, which he is doing at the peril of peeving his government.

Hoopsmeister · 07-15-2002, 05:01 PM

<< The Mavs will regret letting Wang get away, if they do. I believe he will be a big time player. Short of star status but almost. At 7 feet tall, you don't let guys like that get away. I think you accumulate talent, you don't let it slip away unless you use that talent to bring in BETTER talent. Wang just needs to learn the American game, which he is doing at the peril of peeving his government. >>

I am not sure why anyone thinks we are losing Wang. He's a restricted free agent and Mark has said he will pay any reasonable price to keep him. Reasonable for a 7-footer, even a back-up 7 footer, in the NBA is close to the mid-level exception. Which means the only teams that can really offer Wang an 'unreasonable' offer under the CBA are Chicago and LAC--neither of which has shown any interest in him.

Murphy3 · 07-15-2002, 06:27 PM

wang is a sg with centers height.. we might as well not say he's a 7 footer because the only thing he uses his height for is to shoot over people from the outside.

can he improve?
sure, but i don't see it coming any time soon with the limited time he'll be getting in dallas.
and with as much improvement as he needs to make, it might be 3-5 years before he can command 20 minutes a game

MFFL · 07-15-2002, 06:30 PM

<< The Mavs will regret letting Wang get away, if they do. I believe he will be a big time player. Short of star status but almost. At 7 feet tall, you don't let guys like that get away. I think you accumulate talent, you don't let it slip away unless you use that talent to bring in BETTER talent. >>

While I don't think Wang would be anything other than the 7th or 8th man in Dallas, I have to agree with the statement that you don't let talent just slip away.

Murphy3 · 07-15-2002, 06:37 PM

is wang a major talent or is he just a tall shooter with decent ball handling ability?

i couldn't see him coming off the bench before:
NVE
TAW-Buck
Najera
...he's probably at best the #9 guy

dude1394 · 07-15-2002, 06:45 PM

<< I am not sure why anyone thinks we are losing Wang. He's a restricted free agent and Mark has said he will pay any reasonable price to keep him. Reasonable for a 7-footer, even a back-up 7 footer, in the NBA is close to the mid-level exception. Which means the only teams that can really offer Wang an 'unreasonable' offer under the CBA are Chicago and LAC--neither of which has shown any interest in him. >>

Murphy is trying to turn the team into miami by stocking up on defensive specialists, since wang hasn't shown that he is a defensive stopper he has to go. I agree, that Wang will be a fine, fine talent. You just don't find many 7 footers with his skills.

Hoopsmeister · 07-15-2002, 06:46 PM

<< is wang a major talent or is he just a tall shooter with decent ball handling ability? >>

Or is there something in between?

<< i couldn't see him coming off the bench before:
NVE
TAW-Buck
Najera
...he's probably at best the #9 guy >>

If he can actually improve his defense and rebounding in summer league play and carry that back to the NBA so that he can pull down 8 boards in 28 minutes like he did last summer league game, he'll come off the bench in front of everybody by NVE.

Murphy3 · 07-15-2002, 06:47 PM

no, i'm not..that is a ridiculous statement.

now, i'd like to answer this..what are all of these abilities that wang has shown over the past two years? i'd like to know?

Murphy3 · 07-15-2002, 06:53 PM

i hope wang proves me wrong.. i hope he develops into a mediocre rebounder and into at least a poor defender. I hope he can also learn to finish because he is a pretty-good ball handler for his size...

however, he has sooo far to go in so many areas that i don't know that i'd be too disappointed if he was no longer a mav..

but like i said, i'd like for him to prove me wrong.

dude1394 · 07-15-2002, 06:58 PM

<< no, i'm not..that is a ridiculous statement.

now, i'd like to answer this..what are all of these abilities that wang has shown over the past two years? i'd like to know? >>

I would actually start his clock right about now, just like Dirks' when he finally made the committment. We will see in about 2 months I believe. I would take 6-8 rebounds a game in the summer league and say that he will be much improved.

Murphy3 · 07-15-2002, 07:02 PM

when dirk finally made the committment?
?
that statement is puzzling... just because he didn't have an extremely successful first year doesn't mean he wasn't committed....

sure, i'd like to keep wang as an 8th-9th man..but that's what he is for now and probably for the next few years to come...

and i can't see him being worth 4.5 or so if that's what someone is willing to pay him

dude1394 · 07-15-2002, 07:14 PM

Being committed as in playing in the summer league. In wangs case he hasn't even been allowed to attend a full training camp. He's showing some big time dedication right now.

Murphy3 · 07-15-2002, 07:48 PM

sure, he's showing dedication. however, i think he's a good 3-5 years down the road from being anywhere near his potential.. and even at that point, he's not a starter on this team.

yes, i'd like to have wang back but let's not pay this guy much more than what he's actually worth. the mavs have done that enough already

dude1394 · 07-15-2002, 09:30 PM

Definitely don't overpay. I have to wonder if that is nellie talking or cuban?? If you assume that nellie is the GM, then Bradley/Esch contracts have to fall on his shoulders.

Everyone else I'm ok with..

Hoopsmeister · 07-15-2002, 10:52 PM

Nellie is the GM but Cuban is the owner--which means he's the one who determines the finances. That's what he's said in every interview.

Silkworm · 07-15-2002, 11:31 PM

To answe Breal, most of what i know about Ma Jian is from the book: Small World, Big Game. It's about basketball culture around the world. Pretty interesting read, I recommend it.

MavKikiNYC · 07-16-2002, 08:55 AM

Wang, with the minutes, will evenutally peak as the 12-15ppg, 7-9rpg post player that everyone wishes LaF were. Wang may never develop into the statistical shot blocker that LaF is, but he will eventually play more minutes, for Dallas or someone else, by playing smarter. Think: Kukoc, but a few years sooner.

LaF will continue on his bee-line to being a 5-7ppg/3-5rpg (oh yes, and 2 blocks per game, and 5.99 fouls per game) player in the mold of Mokeski.

Dooby · 07-16-2002, 09:17 AM

<< Wang, with the minutes, will evenutally peak as the 12-15ppg, 7-9rpg post player that everyone wishes LaF were. >>

I haven't seen anything from Wang that supports that statement.

MavKikiNYC · 07-16-2002, 09:20 AM

<<

<< Wang, with the minutes, will evenutally peak as the 12-15ppg, 7-9rpg post player that everyone wishes LaF were. >>

I haven't seen anything from Wang that supports that statement. >>

That's why you're not an NBA GM.... ;-)

Rhylan · 07-16-2002, 09:42 AM

I don't know why you're so down on Raef. He does average exactly the stats that you say everyone "wishes" he could get. He needs to improve some things, yes, but he is the best young big man that Dallas could have possibly acquired that's in the league right now.

Right now it's Wang who needs to catch up to Raef.

Murphy3 · 07-16-2002, 10:15 AM

wang has a very long way to get his game to where raef's is at.. and yes, raef does need to improve in some areas... but for what the mavs gave up, wang was a very nice addition

breal · 07-16-2002, 04:49 PM

Wang reminds me a lot of Vlade at the same time in their career, except Wang has more natural abilities and has shown more dedication thus far. He could develop into something just short of a star player. Sure Wang needs more time to develop, but trust me, the Mavs have that. Do you really think the Mavs are winning a title in the next couple of years with their current squad? You have to be kidding me to think they are close to competing with the NBA elite. Dirk has absolutely no concept of what it takes to place solid defense, and guys like Najera and Buckner, and even La Frentz are not the supporting pieces that will not bring you a title. If the Mavs are not going to cultivate their "home-grown" talent, then they must go out and get another star player, not just add more 'pieces.'