Saturday, January 10th, 2009 at 4:35 pm  |  39 responses

Yi Jianlian Out 3 to 4 Weeks

by Ryne Nelson

When it comes to broken pinkies, Yi Jianlian is no Kobe Bryant. And it’s somewhat of a sad thing too, since Yi has been on a mini-tear as of late.

Yi returned to Milwaukee for the first time since he and Bobby Simmons were traded  for Richard Jefferson this summer. Yi sustained the injury in the third quarter after putting down an alley-oop. Dave D’Alessandro of The Star-Ledger has the report:

When they retired to the locker room, the Nets learned that Yi Jianlian — the guy traded for Jefferson, and the guy who actually outplayed him last night — had broken his right pinkie finger and will be lost to the team for at least three or four weeks.

[...]

“It happens. Just take my time, I’ll come back,” said Yi, who had 16 points in 25 minutes, playing with surprising poise despite being booed on his touches early in the game.

This is one of those injuries that came at exactly the wrong time. D’Alessandro pointed out that the Nets can’t afford to suffer any more injuries during the historically telling month before All-Star.

Forget about Yi’s chances of starting in the mid-season classic. Those hopes all are now gone with the 6-11 forward sitting in street clothes. The fact of the matter is the Nets desperately needs Yi if they hope keep their Playoff hopes alive.

The Yi seemed to be coming into his own. Now we’ll have to wait about a month to determine if he’ll be for real.

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  • md Posted: Jan.10 at 4:53 pm
    1st and this may have just saved the itegrity of the allstar game now we just need tmacs back to implode

  • Julius J. Hornswaggle IV Posted: Jan.10 at 4:58 pm
    His shooting hand no less. Best to chill and let it heal. Here’s to a speedy recovery.

  • RayRayJr Posted: Jan.10 at 5:04 pm
    Kobe has been unable to move his pinkie on his shootin hand and won MVP and a gold in the olympics. Suck it up and tape it

  • tapion786 Posted: Jan.10 at 5:07 pm
    now that yi can’t play in the game, i want him to get the starting spot over kg so that stern will name bosh as the starter.

  • BenQRock Posted: Jan.10 at 5:14 pm
    When it comes to anything, Yi Jianlian is no Kobe Bryant, except for possibly getting stuffed at the rim and lying about his age.

  • Darksaber Posted: Jan.10 at 5:15 pm
    Yayyy! One scandal less for the ASG (unless of course he “sucks it up” like RayRayJr suggests.

  • bobbo Posted: Jan.10 at 5:19 pm
    Have I stumbled onto a website for the American Association of Orthopedics, just by chance? Lucky me…we have an expert in the treatment of broken pinkies here among us. Whatever happened to “take two and call me in the morning”? Better, you think, “suck it up and tape it”.? No need for X-rays for Dr. RayRay Jr. All broken pinkies are the same. PS if KG loses to Yi and Yi can’t play, KG will play, not Chris Bosh, whose team is among the most disappointing in the league. This isn’t the Olympics. And finally, I consider preserving the integrity (???) of the NBA All-Star game as big an issue for mankind as the many deaths in Darfur or the lingering ethnic tensions in Bosnia.

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Jan.10 at 5:23 pm
    He was playing so well the last few games, its a real shame he got injured now. But Yi will be back, you’ll see.

  • JackBrown Posted: Jan.10 at 6:37 pm
    I’m kind of sad about this. It would have been hilarious to see him start in the All Star game.

  • I am the walrus Posted: Jan.10 at 6:47 pm
    YAY…NO MORE Yi…

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Jan.10 at 7:02 pm
    I’m bummed he didn’t say “it is what it is.” Did it happen when Charlie Villanueva dunked on him?

  • Hursty Posted: Jan.10 at 7:21 pm
    Take that All-Star voters!

  • Tzvi T Posted: Jan.10 at 7:27 pm
    It don’t matter if he’s 22 or 26, Yi is a solid kid, with a lot of talent.

  • Dark Posted: Jan.10 at 8:39 pm
    Kid’s definitely been playing well recently.

  • Joey Posted: Jan.10 at 8:54 pm
    if he gets voted in, he could still play. 4 weeks is still before the ASG. KEEP ON VOTING PEOPLE!

  • ron Posted: Jan.10 at 9:57 pm
    com’on people, how many pros could be at Kobe level? btw, voting Yi to the start up position is more of a sabotage…

  • Mike Posted: Jan.10 at 11:09 pm
    I agree with Joey. This will be one of those Willis Reed moments. Just imagine him being voted to start, but nobody knows if he is going to play. Then, with 2 minutes before gmetime, he comes out of the locker room and the crowd explodes in cheers. I love this game.

  • slamfan4life Posted: Jan.10 at 11:24 pm
    this has nothing to do with this but the Bulls seriously need to get rid of Noah……..

  • dma Posted: Jan.10 at 11:36 pm
    Yi’s going to be getting a bunch of pity votes now!

  • Tzvi T Posted: Jan.11 at 12:34 am
    @mike Did you just mention Willis Reid and Yi in the same sentence???!? Must’ve read the post wrong.

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Jan.11 at 1:38 am
    @ Tzvi T: Nope, you didn’t read it wrong. He said Willis Reed, not Willis Reid. So, right you are!

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Jan.11 at 1:39 am
    Co-Sign your post at 7:27

  • Tzvi T Posted: Jan.11 at 2:52 am
    @Teddy
    Good looking out.

  • Germs Posted: Jan.11 at 3:20 am
    Comparing Yi to Willis Reed? Come on mike. Yi is just a regular player who has a broken pinkie. The fact that he is Chinese (yeah, I said it) makes him popular. Most players play with a broken pinkie. The Captain had somewhat like a bruised knee. Can’t compare that. No way.

  • Hursty Posted: Jan.11 at 5:37 am
    Germs- A ‘slight’ bit of sarcasm might be involved there.

  • Myung Posted: Jan.11 at 6:43 am
    Well, unlike Yi, T-Mac NEVER gets injured so it looks like he’s going to get that automatic start for the Western team. Oh wait.

  • Rob Posted: Jan.11 at 9:22 am
    kobe didn`t break his pinkie. he tore some ligament in it. you can`t tape a broken bone.

  • grillzboy224 Posted: Jan.11 at 10:23 am
    Maybe it’s time for Yi to admit how old he really is.. ;)

  • Gerard Himself Posted: Jan.11 at 1:43 pm
    I wonder who will start now for the Nets. They want Boone to be the back-up center, so does this mean Najera will start? Swift will be back soon, but can’t imagine him starting, and Ryan Anderson has some back problems and has been out of the rotation lately.

  • Josh D Posted: Jan.11 at 3:21 pm
    Now i know there is a god,and he likes basketball.

  • Mike Posted: Jan.11 at 4:49 pm
    Yi is not Willis Reed just as the All-Star game is not the NBA Finals. Seemed like a proportional comparrison.

  • Moose Posted: Jan.11 at 5:39 pm
    Shouldn’t hurt his All-Star stock.

  • anon Posted: Jan.11 at 5:59 pm
    …and nothing of value was lost.

  • Swish Posted: Jan.11 at 6:13 pm
    hallejuah! I wonder how China’s taking this?

  • Vannshy Posted: Jan.12 at 8:05 am
    I just hope the Chinese will not vote for him more to show their support

  • Cizzo Posted: Jan.12 at 1:17 pm
    Yi is a bumm he is as tender as they come I don’t like the Bucks even though I live in Milwaukee but New Jersey did us a humonguos favor by taking that frail ass dude him an allstar is uterly perpostrous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Gerard Himself Posted: Jan.12 at 2:38 pm
    Ryan Anderson will start. Good choice.

  • Doc Funk Posted: Jan.12 at 2:45 pm
    Anybody heard from Sean Williams lately? Nah, me neither. Shame.

  • Proudtobechinese Posted: Jan.13 at 8:37 am
    F**king racists….. GO YI…..!!!!!

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