Wang for Starter

[Charlie Brown]

As the latest “hot” rumor from Hoopsworld went up in a ball of flames, I still can’t envision Rashard Lewis foregoing $60 mil to sign with a team where he’ll play third fiddle at best. Perhaps I’m wrong.

Regardless, I’d like to discuss what the Mavs’ best options are going forward if we don't sign Lewis. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that Van Exel won’t be traded as the list of potential suitors have dwindled to a measly few. This is because most teams needing point guards have all signed free agents to fill those voids (Detroit-Chauncey Billups, Miami-Travis Best, Portland-Jeff McInnis). So most likely, Nick’s going nowhere and he’s our backup point guard and I’m not unpleased with that idea.

Najera’s 99% likely to resign with the Mavs, so he could backup both forward spots. I think we should go ahead and try to sign Popeye to a 6 year $9 million deal, which would be a bargain for what he would provide us. Popeye has said that he’s more concerned with long-term security than the money. I think Popeye would be great as the backup power forward. We should also go ahead and sign Charles Oakley for the million dollar exception as he could provide the needed muscle, particularly in the playoffs.

So where does that leave us? We have Nash, Fin, Dirk, and Raef as the starters and I don’t want Griffin to start or Van Exel to get key minutes at the 2, because I think it hurts our rebounding and defense. Small ball works in stretches throughout the game, but not over the long-haul of a season.

My thesis for this thread is that I think it’s in the Mavs’ best interests to resign Wang Zhi Zhi and insert him into the starting lineup. I know Nelson wants to keep him and I doubt China would think the Mavericks were breaking their trust by trying to develop Wang. I believe Wang would be a good fit for us at the power forward position. I think he’s too slow to guard small forwards and Dirk would fare better in that area. I think having Wang in the starting lineup helps us in 5 ways.

1) He’s an outside shooter in the mold of a Lewis that can stretch the defense out better than Adrian Griffin.

2) He’s also the best post player the Mavericks have along with Nowitzki. I think Wang’s post game is very underrated as he showed some nifty moves on the block last year. My argument against Rashard was that we would have all 5 starters on the perimeter, but I think Wang could play both inside and outside which would serve our interests better.

3) Defensively, I think having Wang at the four would keep Dirk out of foul trouble trying to guard the Webbers and Duncans. But most likely, the two could interchange throughout the game guarding the 3s and the 4s. Also, having 3 7footers in the paint is much more intimidating defensively than having two. Wang at the 4 also keeps Finley at the 2 and Van Exel away from the 2.

4) Wang is an underrated rebounder. I think Wang’s rebounding has improved greatly and I saw him go after many tough defensive rebounds last year. He wasn’t much of a factor on the offensive glass, because he was usually parked outside on the 3, but we could tell him to play inside more.

5) Wang’s clutch. I think the player that was least fazed by the Lakers and in many of the playoff games last year was Wang. I think Wang’s got some ice in his veins, despite the fact he looks like Droopy the Dog.

This gives us a lineup of:

PG Nash/Van Exel/Johnson
SG Finley/Griffin/Abdul-Wahad
SF Nowitzki/Najera
PF Wang/Jones
C Lafrentz/Oakley

injured reserve Eshmeyer/Bradley

What do yall’ think of having Wang in the starting lineup?

[seelenjaeger]

Is it Ironic or Serious?

1) Wang can not defend a slow 5, why do you think he can defend ANY athletic 4? Keeping Dirk out of foul trouble is a nice plan, but doesn´t help much if Dirk has to defend agile 3´s and we get burned on the PF aswell.

2) His rebounding is underrated. Maybe has to do with him playing behind the 3 point arc all the time.

3) His clutch. No need to start him.

[madape]

What do I think of Wang in the starting lineup?

I think there are far too many geniuses in this world. I am amazed at how so many people with absolutely everything logical to say can constantly flap their lips about crap they obviously know everything about. By itself, the idea of Wang as a starter might be an intersting, although completely brilliant, proposition. But bundled with the other 1500 words of stupefying literature I just read, leads me to the conclusion that I spend way to much time on these discussion boards. It really is that much fun listening to rambling basketball opinions from crack junkees, mental ward escapees, and ten year old girls. If this is a joke, it sure is funny! If it is for real... please tell me so I can pay attention to you from now on.

There, I updated it. sorry to offend anyone!!!

[Charlie Brown]

What the f*ck, dude?

You've criticized a lot of what I've had to say on this board. I'm not expecting anyone to agree with what I have to say, but you don't have to just blatantly ridicule other posters on this board.

And yes, I meant what I said. Why don't you actually say what you think is so preposterous about my suggestion rather than spewing out hate over this board.

I came here to discuss some ideas I have, albeit different, with other Mav fans. I was expecting discussion, but if posters just gonna focus on putting down other posters than i guess dallas-mavs.com isn't the place to be.

[Charlie Brown]

<< Is it Ironic or Serious?

1) Wang can not defend a slow 5, why do you think he can defend ANY athletic 4? Keeping Dirk out of foul trouble is a nice plan, but doesn´t help much if Dirk has to defend agile 3´s and we get burned on the PF aswell.

2) His rebounding is underrated. Maybe has to do with him playing behind the 3 point arc all the time.

3) His clutch. No need to start him. >>



Like I said, we could possibly switch off Dirk and Wang at the 3 and the 4 on defense. Furthermore, there aren't many star small forwards on the contending teams that we have to worry about. perhaps, keeping dirk at 4 is best, and wang at the 3 might be better or even at the 5. that's what i like about that starting lineup. the versatility of all 3 front court players.

[Dirk77]

LOL, yea, Im going w/ SJ and madape here. !And since when is !Wang clutch or a good rebounder?

p.s., sorry about the ! exclamation marks, I have no clue what is wrong w/ my keyboard, whenever i press the shift key, an ! mark comes up. !Any of you computer guy's know why?

[madape]

Hey, you asked for opinions... I gave mine.

[Dirk77]

lol, wang at the 3, can you say BURNED!

[aexchange]

<< What do I think of Wang in the starting lineup?

I think there are far to many idiots in this world. I am amazed at how so many people with absolutely nothing logical to say can constantly flap their lips about crap they obviously know nothing about. By itself, suggesting Wang as a starter might be an intersting, although completely insane, proposition. But bundled with the other 1500 words of stupefying garbage I just read, leads me to the conclusion that I spend way to much time on these discussion boards. It really isn't that much fun listening to rambling basketball opinions from crack junkees, mental ward escapees, and ten year old girls. If this is a joke, I don't get it. If it is for real... please tell me so I can ignore you from now on. >>



absolutely unnecesary to flame someone for an opinion. please do us a favor and shut the &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt; up. if you disagree with something thats one thing, but to flame someone who proposed something is another.

[Charlie Brown]

<< LOL, yea, Im going w/ SJ and madape here. !And since when is !Wang clutch or a good rebounder?

p.s., sorry about the ! exclamation marks, I have no clue what is wrong w/ my keyboard, whenever i press the shift key, an ! mark comes up. !Any of you computer guy's know why? >>



maybe clutch is not the right word. i just meant that he's not too fazed by the pressure of key games.

and about his rebounding, i said it's getting better and as a team, having wang in there makes us a better rebounding team than having griffin or van exel in there.

[DirkNash1341]

Really, madape, that was not needed at all. You don't need to act like a complete as$hole to get a point across.

As for Wang in the starting lineup... I'm not sure. I like the things he does on the floor, and wouldn't mind a line up with those threee 7 footers, but I think his D is too weak to start him in that lineup.

[Charlie Brown]

<< Really, madape, that was not needed at all. You don't need to act like a complete as$hole to get a point across.

As for Wang in the starting lineup... I'm not sure. I like the things he does on the floor, and wouldn't mind a line up with those threee 7 footers, but I think his D is too weak to start him in that lineup. >>



aexchange and dirknash, thanks for making me realize all the posters on here are not like madape, but it seems that every time i post, i get ridiculed for my opinions, although i feel that nothing i've said is all that outrageous and anyone with some intelligence could at least UNDERSTAND where i was coming from. for example, everyone ridiculed me on my opinion that waiting for Rashard wasn't the best idea, but at least posters like Nellie and Usually Lurkin UNDERSTOOD where i was coming from and didn't completely flame me out like most of the other posters.

whatever. i don't come to message boards for sympathy so it isn't tough to ignore guys like madape but i was starting to get the impression that a majority of the posters on here were like him.

as to your response, dirk nash, i really don't see many small forwards that would burn us offensively from any of the contenders. the lakers have rick fox, but he doesn't take that many shots. the spurs have bruce bowen, who's no offesive threat. kings have peja, who's definitely a threat, and i'd probably tweak the lineup if we played the kings. the blazers use pippen at the 3 who doesn't shoot much anymore. that's why i think the 3 spot is the least we have to worry about defensively. i'm more concernced with the 2s, the 4s, and Shaq, of course. but i really think wang fits into Nelson's plan of having 3 front court players that can stretch out the defense. as long as wang's defense begins to improve, i don't see why we can't start easing him into the starting lineup while employing griffin or najera there for the time being.

[DirkNash1341]

I think for most of the season we will see Nelson playing matchups to determine his fifth starter. Wang may get a few starts, but unless he really steps up his game I don't think he will be our &quot;starter&quot;. Najera, on the other hand, will, I think, get at least 50 starts if he's healthy. He provides us with more of what we need in combination to the obvious 4 who bring all the offense a team could need. Griffin will get a few starts himself, but I'd expect Najera to get most of them. Our record over the last couple of years is pretty impressive with Najera as a starter, if I'm not mistaken. Two other things could happen though that change all of the above:

(1) Lewis signs.
(2) Bradley returns to his form of two years ago and starts a lot. Even if he does return to form, I'm not sure if Nellie would start Brads all the time. He gets so easily frustrated with the 8 foot Mormon.

[Charlie Brown]

I don't mind Najera as the starter at all. Actually, i think Najera's the most ideal 5th starter of the current Mavs. I just proposed Wang, because he fits the Nellie mold offensively and could progress into a player that would not compromise our rebounding and defense as well, albeit the latter is a bit tougher.

But I get the feeling that although Nellie loves Najera, he doesn't seem to view Eddie as the ideal starter. I think he's looking more for a player that fits into his whole offensive scheme of stretching out the defense, which Najera cannot do, because he's not the outside shooter Wang is. Also, Najera's a bit undersized and if Wang bulks up more and develops his footwork, the POTENTIAL is there for him to be the ideal 5th starter.

[madape]

Ok I'll chime in with a real opinion. Wang is not a very good player. He may become one, but he isn't one right now. He can't rebound, block shots, create off the dribble, pass, or d-up against anyone at any position. He is a headache who is causing major problems with China, where more talented players are poised to emerge in the very near future. Last year, if we threw out our relationships and commitments to the CBA, then Wang probably doesn't even make the Mavericks playoff roster. He just doesn't have what it takes right now to play night in and night out with the biggest and best, and he proved it by being abused constantly in the playoffs. That being said, I like his length and his outside shot (which is FAR overrated on this board it appears). He does appear to have some natural ability. Given a couple of years of nutruring and developing he MAY turn into a player that could contribute for this team. However, he is not able to right now in any real capacity. Suggesting that he starts over Raef is absolutely ridiculous. I'm not sure that I'd give him many minutes behind Bradley or Esch either. He is not worth pissing off China for, and obviously he is highly overrated. If the Mavs can get something for him in a sign and trade, and China is OK with that... then do it. If not, he isn't worth the trouble he's causing, and we should resend our qualifying offer.

[Charlie Brown]

As for Bradley, Nelson did mention earlier in the offseason that he'd use Bradley more, but I think that's all talk that definitely went down the drain once the Lewis discussions began. Nelson has always tried to build defensive schemes around the one tall center in the middle who could block shots a la Manute Bol in the run tmc days, but Bol suddenly got the infatuation with the 3 point shot. I think that's how he saw Bradley . . . as the defensive anchor to offset a offensively-geared team. However, with the signing of Raef, I think Nelson sees Raef more as that defensive anchor but that's not compromise offensively. I'd be surprised to see Bradley get more than 10 minutes a game next season.

[Charlie Brown]

I never mentioned that Wang should start over Raef.

[seelenjaeger]

My opinion:

Well, to make it straight - Wang is hyped. He´s chubby, lacks lateral quickness and athletic basics, isn´t able to defend anything moving at the moment, is surrounded by silly advisors and has no more inside game than Dirk or Raef.

I haven´t seen ANYTHING from him that makes him look like a Starter for the Mavs, if not Raef and Bradley go down with injury or lack of effort, and even then I´d rather go with Nash, VanE, Griffin, Finley, Dirk, since that´s far more talent and might even be able to defend to a certain degree by hustling.

Might be a bit harsh, but sorry, I just don´t see why Wang should even be considered as a starter.

[Just211]

I'd rather do what ESPN.com suggested and sign and trade him for a first rounder. The Nellies are sure to find some talent that is not from pain in the ass china. If not they could use the pick to package in a deal, possibly to wrap up the Lewis situatoion

[Drbio]

You cannot trade a BYC player for a first round pick if that's what you meant.

I wish more people would do the research.....[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img]

[Just211]

espn . com suggested that
??????

[Drbio]

ESPN is often riddled with errors.

[David]

<< Ok I'll chime in with a real opinion. Wang is not a very good player. He may become one, but he isn't one right now. He can't rebound, block shots, create off the dribble, pass, or d-up against anyone at any position. He is a headache who is causing major problems with China, where more talented players are poised to emerge in the very near future. Last year, if we threw out our relationships and commitments to the CBA, then Wang probably doesn't even make the Mavericks playoff roster. He just doesn't have what it takes right now to play night in and night out with the biggest and best, and he proved it by being abused constantly in the playoffs. That being said, I like his length and his outside shot (which is FAR overrated on this board it appears). He does appear to have some natural ability. Given a couple of years of nutruring and developing he MAY turn into a player that could contribute for this team. However, he is not able to right now in any real capacity. Suggesting that he starts over Raef is absolutely ridiculous. I'm not sure that I'd give him many minutes behind Bradley or Esch either. He is not worth pissing off China for, and obviously he is highly overrated. If the Mavs can get something for him in a sign and trade, and China is OK with that... then do it. If not, he isn't worth the trouble he's causing, and we should resend our qualifying offer. >>



I think I DISAGREE with everything except when you said &quot;I like his length and his outside shot&quot;. Everything else, I pretty much disagree with. Wang is A LOT better than you think, in my opinion. Wang is so far ahead of Bradley and Esch, it's not funny. Wang is probably as good or better than Raef. Raef has the 4 years at Kansas thing and the experience in the USA over Wang but other than that... I hate it that Wang has to be from a communist country. That cheats the Mavs out of a really good player.

[Fidel]

<< I believe Wang would be a good fit for us at the power forward position. I think he’s too slow to guard small forwards and Dirk would fare better in that area. I think having Wang in the starting lineup helps us in 5 ways. >>


You can´t be serious about that. Wang is the opposite of a &quot;power&quot; forward. He´s as soft as cake. The Duncans and Malones of the league eat him alive. And Dirk is not a sf. How often do I have to repeat that. Nellie will probably play him at the 3 some, but that is not his natural position. It slows his development down low. Plus he´s the only really good rebounder we have, so if anything he needs to be played in the post more.


<< 1) He’s an outside shooter in the mold of a Lewis that can stretch the defense out better than Adrian Griffin. >>


We don´t need another outside shooter. I think Nash, Finley and Dirk plus LaFrentz some and NVE some and maybe Lewis is more perimeter shooting then we´ll ever need. We need rebounding and toughness inside. Before we hope to get that from Wang we should go ahead and play Marc Cuban himself at pf. The production in these areas would be the same: zero. But yes, Wang is a pretty good outside shooter for his size.


<< 2) He’s also the best post player the Mavericks have along with Nowitzki. I think Wang’s post game is very underrated as he showed some nifty moves on the block last year. My argument against Rashard was that we would have all 5 starters on the perimeter, but I think Wang could play both inside and outside which would serve our interests better. >>


I didn´t see anything from Wang that I´d call a good inside game. But yes, you might have a point with Rashard. I also do not like a starting five with LaFrentz and Rashard too much. We´ll probably see something different when Donnie is takin over.


<< 3) Defensively, I think having Wang at the four would keep Dirk out of foul trouble trying to guard the Webbers and Duncans. But most likely, the two could interchange throughout the game guarding the 3s and the 4s. Also, having 3 7footers in the paint is much more intimidating defensively than having two. Wang at the 4 also keeps Finley at the 2 and Van Exel away from the 2. >>


I didn´t see Dirk in too much foul trouble when guarding Webber. Watch out, judging from his play at the worlds he could be our best defender out of the starting five next season. And once again, he´s no sf.
Well and Wang, intimidating he´s not. He´s not nearly capable of defending at the NBA level. That´s one of the things that kept him on the bench last season.


<< 4) Wang is an underrated rebounder. I think Wang’s rebounding has improved greatly and I saw him go after many tough defensive rebounds last year. He wasn’t much of a factor on the offensive glass, because he was usually parked outside on the 3, but we could tell him to play inside more. >>


He was parked outside cause he´s as soft as marmalade. Nelson probably feared that someone would break him into pieces down low. That would have been a huge blow to our relationship with china for sure. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]


<< 5) Wang’s clutch. I think the player that was least fazed by the Lakers and in many of the playoff games last year was Wang. I think Wang’s got some ice in his veins, despite the fact he looks like Droopy the Dog. >>


Wang played alot of garbage minutes last year. He got alot of easy shots in those and scored some points. I don´t know how that makes him clutch. Most of the time he wasn´t even on court in clutch situations.

The lineup, well screw it. The PF spot would be a joke. Combine that with an old man like Oakley at center and you can pack it in right there. Dirk is our future PF. He´s providing the toughness and rebounding needed at that spot (not to speak of his offense). His D should come along too. Imo the Mavs should Wang let go. If they can get something for him in return: fine. If not: fine. He´s not worth the trouble (but I still think that the CBA is causing most of the problems).

[Charlie Brown]

Wow, I didn't realize so many fans were not so high on Wang. Actually, I wasn't a big fan of Wang myself when we drafted him and the first year I saw him play. I was like &quot;here we go again. nellie drafting an international guy just for the sake of being different.&quot; Wang was soft, had a decent outside shot, but that was about it.

However, the more I've seen him play (which were not all garbage minutes BTW), he's really shown me that he's got the tools to be a solid player in the NBA. He's not JUST an outside shooter. I personally believe that his handles are just as good as Dirk's and has better post moves. Dirk primarily relies on the fadeway when he's parked down low, but Wang's a bit more creative and wily inside and is able to use a lot of head fakes and up and unders to get his points. True, we didn't see it very often, because of limited minutes and because Nellie typically had him parked outside the 3pt line where he basically had everyone else on the team. However, given the time to showcase his post skills, he really impressed me. Furthermore, did everyone notice that he primarily worked on his inside game during the summer leagues and did quite a lot of damage there. Now I know that was just the summer leagues, but to me, a guy who will stand up against his nation and stay in America to work on his inside game versus tougher American competition shows me that this guy's got some grit and a lot of heart.

We all know Wang's terrible defensively, but I think part of that is because he has a weak upper body and hasn't gotten used to the NBA game. I think if he adds a bit more bulk to his frame and gets used to defending post players, he could be a decent defensive player. Regardless, I do think the Mavs need a banger as their 5th starter, but I said, from the CURRENT cast of Mavs, who would you pick to be your 5th starter. Najera's probably the best &quot;banger&quot; but I don't know if Nelson's really that high on the guy IMO. I believe that next to Dirk, Wang has the most &quot;potential&quot; on the team. And once again, I've already mentioned that Wang may not be fit to guard the 4's just yet, but maybe he can bulk up more and guard the 5s when he's not playing Shaq or guard the 3s when playing against the likes of the Spurs or the Lakers. I think all three front court players, Raef, Dirk, and Wang, are versatile in those respects.

[pepperfletch]

Charlie, like Doc, I agree that Wang needs to play ALOT more if we keep him. I think he can play minutes at all 3 front line positions. Like QC on Cowbuys, DAMN it we will never know how good Wang can be unless we play him! He has down low moves and I think would step up his toughness given a chance.

Now with that said, today on Fish Donnie Nelson seemed pretty non-commital about Wang. He said the Mavs would sign him or sign &amp; trade him, but not let him walk away. Donnie further stated that a number of teams had been discussing wang with the Mavs. Donnie would not comment on the rumor of Wang going to Golden State, for a #1 pick. (BTW We would have to take back more than a pick in any sign and trade involving Wang due to BY rules.)

Donnie also said Bradley was really working hard this off season. He will report in much better shape and conditioning than he did last year. Donnie says he has been arriving early and staying late working with the Mavs strength coach. Donnie stated he would like Bradley to play 15 to 25 minutes a game. He could provide blocks, rebounds and defense. Just the center we have been looking for.

Now I have to wait and see that, but if true...where will Wangs minutes come from if he does stay.
Dirk and Raef will get theirs, Lewis and Eddie if both sign will get theirs...how much is left.I really want to see him play 15 to 20 minutes a game in order to see how he improves, but alas I am beginning to think he will be gone come the start of the season...This feeling is further reinforced with the VERY positive comments Donnie stated about POPEYE JONES...I suspect he will be back as well, there goes the rest of the front court minutes...

[Usually Lurkin]

I like your creativity Charlie Brown (why does that sound like some sort of after school special [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img])

Would Wang make a good starter? who knows. His flashes last season were just that - flashes. Those flashes would have to translate into consistency with more minutes, which is not guaranteed. Furthermore, he hasn't shown even a flash of defensive ability. So he'd have to develop that from scratch (but that's not impossible, look at Dirk).

Personally, I've really like what I've seen from Wang, and would love to see him start, but I'd like to see him split minutes with Najera, Raef, Bradley, Popeye (assuming no Rashard) before designating him as starter. I think right now it would be an unnecessary risk to give him 25-30 min a night as a starter hoping that he will at some point show that he deserves to be there. Start with 10-20 min only in situations that are good for him, and go from there.

[breal]

Wow!! All you Mavs fans are really down on Wang!! Good for the rest of the league if your front office agrees. I'd love to have him on the Lakers. Unfortunately, I don't think D.Nelson shares all of your miopic views about his abilities. Wang could be a star in this league in a couple of years. As for what he is now, let's take a look...he's a great shooter, has nice post moves, is a very good passer, can drive and kick and showed this summer that he can indeed rebound and play defense (an no, he was not always playing against hacks this summer - I was there to see it). Please trade him!!! In a couple of years, we'll compare him to what the Mavs have at as their 5th starter and see what's what...

[Dirk77]

&quot;I personally believe that his handles are just as good as Dirk's and has better post moves. Dirk primarily relies on the fadeway when he's parked down low, but Wang's a bit more creative and wily inside and is able to use a lot of head fakes and up and unders to get his points.&quot;

I don't know wether to laugh or feel sorry for you, lol.

[Dirk77]

&quot;Wow!! All you Mavs fans are really down on Wang!! Good for the rest of the league if your front office agrees. I'd love to have him on the Lakers. Unfortunately, I don't think D.Nelson shares all of your miopic views about his abilities. Wang could be a star in this league in a couple of years. As for what he is now, let's take a look...he's a great shooter, has nice post moves, is a very good passer, can drive and kick and showed this summer that he can indeed rebound and play defense (an no, he was not always playing against hacks this summer - I was there to see it). Please trade him!!! In a couple of years, we'll compare him to what the Mavs have at as their 5th starter and see what's what...&quot;

Yea, give us Medvedenko, we all know he'll be a star, Better then shaq too.

[MavKikiNYC]

<< Wow!! All you Mavs fans are really down on Wang!! Good for the rest of the league if your front office agrees. I'd love to have him on the Lakers. Unfortunately, I don't think D.Nelson shares all of your miopic views about his abilities. Wang could be a star in this league in a couple of years. As for what he is now, let's take a look...he's a great shooter, has nice post moves, is a very good passer, can drive and kick and showed this summer that he can indeed rebound and play defense (an no, he was not always playing against hacks this summer - I was there to see it). Please trade him!!! In a couple of years, we'll compare him to what the Mavs have at as their 5th starter and see what's what... >>



You may overstate your case a bit out of exuberance, but many Mavs' fans would like to see them keep Wang and let him develop.

[madape]

Sorry Charlie, Wang didn't quite make it as the Mavs starting center.

Instead, his career has headed down a different path.

Friday, February 14, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(02-14) 14:46 PST LOS ANGELES (AP) --

The Clippers placed center Wang Zhizhi on the injured list Friday and replaced him on the active roster by activating forward Cherokee Parks.

Parks missed five games because of back spasms. He is averaging 2.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in eight games this season. He will be in uniform Saturday night when the Clippers face the Boston Celtics.

Wang is averaging 3.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 23 games.

[OutletPass]

Good Gravy....getting replaced by Cherokee freaking Parks...if that's not an insult, I've never seen one.

[MavKikiNYC]

Happy VD to you too, Ape...you just gotta be instigatin', dontcha?

Now we know where the expression 'ape-shit crazy' comes from..or is it 'ape shit-crazy'?

Wang has had a tough year in LA. Gentry doesn't have a clue of how to develop him, and is desperate for a win, any win, just to hope to keep his job.

With the way Nellie is rotating is 'big''men', no guarantee Wang would've had it any easier here, but I'm coming to understand how you fear ANY competition for the spare (and I mean 'spare' literally and figuratively) minutes that Mantis gets.

Raef LaPuss is even taking Mantis's minutes! All CAN'T be right in your Mantis man-love basketball universe.

[madape]

Which backup center would you rather have, Wang or Parks?

Packs is obviously a more refined defender and rebounder. But is Wang really a better shooter? Stats don't say so. For his career, Wang shoots around 42%. Parks shoots 47%. This year, Wang is shooting 37%, while Parks is shooting 50%. It seems obvious which center is the more efficient offensively.

Wang's terrible production has placed him behind Olowakandi, Melvin Ely, Sean Rooks, and Cherokee Parks on the Clip's depth chart. How embarassing is it to be the fifth string center on one of the worst teams in the league? Is there a place for someone as bad as Wang in the NBA?

Poor Wang. He's turned his back on his country and his supporters in the hopes to fulfill his dream of playing in the United States. Now that his lack of talent and work ethic is running him out of the NBA, where is he going to go? He certainly can't go back home, he has no home in China anymore. He's not going to be allowed to stay with the Clippers much longer and no other team will be stupid enough take a risk on a historically trecherous scrub like Wang. The NBAPA may need to put a suicide watch out on him... that is if there is anyone is left who cares what happens to him.

Happy Valentines Day to you too Kiki!

[Lvubun1]

How about a Wang for TAW trade?

[LRB]

Poor Wang gets dissed by the Clips. How embarrassing. Guess he really showed the Mavs.

[Blonde Bomber]

now this is turning into a classic thread...very funny to see people arguing Wang start here to end up were he is today with the Clip joint.