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The latest development of the standoff between the Milwaukee Bucks and Yi Jianlian was the owner of Yi’s former team threatening to block Yi to the US if the Bucks insisted on keeping the 6th pick of the 07 draft.

Surprisingly, instead of admitting that the whole fiasco was caused by greed, due to the fact that the world does not revolve around Milwaukee, Chen Haitao, owner of the Guangdong Tigers, claimed that “it’s not about Yi’s commercial interests, we want to find a team that is good for Yi’s development. That’s the root of the problem.”

Come again?

Since when does playing in the Chinese Basketball Association is better for someone’s development than, oh THE NBA? CBA isn’t even as competitive as the Euroleague. There is one Yao Ming for how many Manu Ginobili, Dirk, Tony Parker (+ Eva Longoria, of course)? Just because Yi may play 10 more minutes in China does not mean he will make more progress. I just played a game of softball on Tuesday against a team of 8 girls a 1 dude and went 3 outta 4, but no matter how many wins my team has against them or how many hits I get, I still have a swing that’s only good for pinatas. I understand the whole National pride, we are #1 thing, but lets also not kid ourselves. Mr. Chen, you want Yi to play a big market, get a big shoe contract, and do a couple commercials for navigation systems, so everyone around him can benefit from it.

Well, your plan isn’t working out so well. Yi looked terrible during summer league. So what he scored 23 against Memphis in his debut, but he also looked like a fool in this magnificent dunk by Rudy Gay. Yi is too weak to bang around inside, and too slow to step outside. Certainly he needs to work on many aspects of his game, and get use to the pace of western basketball to even justify his 6th pick.

So, now what?

Easy, either Yi stays with the Bucks, or Chen gets his wish, Yi can stay in China — for a good 5 years. Like Billy Donovan, who flip-flopped his way back to University of Florida, with clause that bar him from coaching in the NBA for the next 5 seasons. I know the situations are slightly different, but one thing is for sure, they need to commit to their decision, or pay the price. Yi joined the draft for the teams to pick him, not the other way around. Don’t like the result? Want it out? TOO BAD. Yi has to make a choice whether or not he should keep bluffing. If he does not sign with Bucks, in order for him to be eligible for the 2008 draft, he must not play professional ball anywhere for a year, and prove that he has not been paid. That means he will have to play and train with the Chinese National team unpaid and put up with the feeble talent rest of China can offer, comparing to the players he would have face had he stayed with the Bucks. Mark Stein of ESPN (may require Insider subscription) pointed out that with the Olympics coming up in Beijing, China needs Yi to improve more than the Bucks do. Unless Yi and the Chinese government are willing to go that far and have Yi “volunteer” for a year.

So what good will a 5 year ban (or any amount for that matter) do? Well, the League must pick a side, and it should be the Milwaukee’s side. Because by letting Yi and his gang off the hook easy, NBA is setting a terrible example to the rest of the world, and showcasing the fall of its draft system. A ban may be harsh, but it sends the message — no one is bigger than the League. If Carmelo Anthony deserved the 15-game ban for bitch slapping another player, then what about Yi Jianlian bitch slapping the League, the draft system, David Stern, and the city of Milwaukee?

Come on, Commissioner Stern, it’s about time you publicly address this issue. And I certainly hope you do the right thing.

- Paul

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Filed under: NBA, Sports