Jefferson-for-Yi deal all about LeBron and Nets

[NetsFan (帶著自己的微笑)]

By John Hollinger
ESPN Insider
(Archive)
Updated: June 26, 2008
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 If you're a Nets fan, you had better hope LeBron and Jay-Z are reaaaaaaaaal
tight. Like sardine-can tight. Because the only way to make hay from what
amounts to a giveaway of Richard Jefferson on Thursday is if LeBron decides
to bolt for Brooklyn in 2010.

Yes, the Nets also will get Yi Jianlian in Thursday's deal (along with Bobby
Simmons), but that's small consolation in return for one of the league's top
small forwards. The Nets now have a gaping hole at that slot, one which may
or may not be adequately filled in Thursday's draft, and one has to question
whether LeBron will be willing to make the jump in 2010 to a team that, at
the moment, looks to be a 30-win squad.

Look, I know the issues with Jefferson. He's not worth what he's making ($42
million over the next three seasons), he's struggled with ankle problems the
past two seasons, and he makes poor decisions when asked to be an initiator
offensively.

But let's not overstate things. He's 28, he's a quality defender -- even if
he slipped a bit last season -- and he ranked 13th among small forwards in
player efficiency rating last season while playing all 82 games.

Or look at it this way: Even if Yi becomes a decent player, which remains a
question to be answered, it's hard to imagine him becoming any better than
Jefferson.

Obviously, New Jersey didn't do this deal with the hope of improving its
roster in 2008-09. No, this was done to improve its cap space in 2010 --
Simmons' expiring deal will cut $10.6 million off the payroll two summers
from now, and the clear-as-day idea is that King James will ride in to the
rescue the Nets at that point.

In the meantime, maybe Yi earns them a few more Nets fans from the New York
area's large Asian population, and maybe he'll play a little better now that
he's not in Wisconsin culture shock.

But for a team that's business side has been focused on the 2010 move to
Brooklyn for some time now, it only makes sense that the basketball side
starts getting in line. The hope for the Nets is that the nucleus of Yi,
Devin Harris, Nenad Krstic, Josh Boone, Marcus Williams, Sean Williams, and
whomever they draft will be decent enough to attract James to join the crowd;
if Vince Carter is still chugging along by then so much the better. But the
Nets are clearly rolling the dice.

Meanwhile, the Bucks obviously consider themselves closer to being a good
team than last season's record indicates, and they may have a point.
Milwaukee has been able to score, but the team hasn't defended well. Under
new coach Scott Skiles, whose defenses in Chicago were consistently among the
league's best, one has to think that might improve.

Additionally, with the trade, the Bucks address a massive weakness at small
forward without giving up a starter. Simmons was a big-money free-agent bust,
while Yi was splitting time with Charlie Villanueva -- apparently they
figured one soft, perimeter-oriented power forward was enough. And since new
Bucks GM John Hammond wasn't the one who drafted Yi or traded for Villaneuva,
he didn't feel any compulsion to ride it out with those two.

Jefferson can guard the opponent's top perimeter threat, much like he did in
New Jersey, and should be effective in that role. Additionally, the presence
of Michael Redd and Mo Williams means Jefferson won't be asked to be the
creator that he was in New Jersey, saving everyone some headaches. It's
enough to make you take Milwaukee's playoff hopes seriously again.

Still, at the end of the day this deal is all about the Nets. Either LeBron
joins the Nets in 2010 and the deal looks like a stroke of genius ... or he
doesn't and the team is left wondering why it gave away one of its better
players two years earlier.

http://0rz.tw/354nQ


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◆ From: 220.132.58.136
推 eilgreen:籃網與公鹿官網都寫了啦  真的交易了 哭哭
推 young23:這篇文章想太遠了吧 誰知道未來會發生什麼事
推 BrentBarry:阿宅換了一個中國醜男=  =
→ eilgreen:我不喜歡易啦!
推 Reyyy:把RJ寫的太爛了吧  是沒看過籃網的比賽喔
推 WizZ:我也不喜歡易  偏外線打法的高個對籃網來說沒啥屁用
→ WizZ:奶爸還比他好用  西門斯更別說了  他能頂下尺丁的鎖嗎
→ NetsFan:不過髮禿喜歡會投籃的大個 Yi 有七呎 又會投
→ NetsFan:可以搭配 Lopez 一裡一外吧
→ frankmaki:老實說~如果交易成功~還真有點瞎~RJ的實力僅能換到這些?
→ jordanjr:Yi有沒有機會上場還是個問題 別忘記他是法禿
推 Krstic:髮禿就是會讓Yi上場....
推 OGoTTe:這三小阿.....
→ OGoTTe:不去換內線 換這什麼東西阿?
推 wxynod:看來球隊很不看好kristic的傷後表現﹐易建聯和他目前功能
→ wxynod:重合很大。
推 Krstic:請拼對=  =
→ NetsFan:XD
→ Krstic:Yi會低位單打嗎= =
推 wxynod:很抱歉......推文無法修改。
→ wxynod:Krstic也不十分擅長低位單打吧﹐長處還是中距離。
推 Reyyy:本尊被嗆了XD
→ NetsFan:XDDDD... Krstic 健康時 背框能力其實也不錯
推 Reyyy:是啊  以前10大偶爾會有NK接球 > 轉身 > 灌籃一氣呵成的畫面
→ Krstic:不健康的時候 大家看看就好T_T
推 WizZ:頭髮沒有了
推 Krstic:那是向馬妞看齊(誤)
推 hotcom:籃網轉播大增? 但是沒 JK RJ阿 肯!
→ forever0614:我要哭了
推 firedragen:那ㄟ安捏... RJ 好慘，只值這個價？
→ firedragen:雖然說以後可能 Nets 的比賽會播出較多
→ firedragen:但是我一點都高興不起來  OTZ
→ muxiv: 那是向馬妞看齊(誤) https://moxox.com