I first heard of this guy long ago, courtesy of Xanga's ever-resourceful DJ CaptainZowie, who spotted this young prospect with his old team, the Beijing Aoshen Olympians.
Even with the big news, I was surprised that I didn't find all that much on the blogosphere on Sun Yue, the 6'9 (sometimes) starting point guard for China's national team who was signed to a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers on August 8th, 2008.
In retrospect, I guess he was a definite side-note compared to the other events of the day...
Sun Yue's signing intrigues me, because he's on his way to accomplishing the dream of Chinese boys all over Southern California- becoming the first Asian to play for the L.A. Lakers.
And here he is, lacing up a pair of Zoom Kobe 3s... his future teammate's old shoe from 2007.
After watching him play the spark plug for an otherwise sleep-walking Team China during the Olympics, I find myself pretty impressed by the guy's playing style. He's a decent dribbler, with flashes of speed and good hops, as well as a soft touch when he pulls up for a jumper... His accuracy? Well, that's another story... But c'mon, he's a 6'9 point guard! Throughout the Olympics, Sun Yue has displayed a Pass First mentality, which should work just fine with a Lakeshow squad that's (supposedly) full of scorers. He definitely needs to pack some muscle (like he needed against those husky Lithuanians), but I can't see why he can't succed in the NBA.
Still, Sun Yue's acquisition still makes me feel a little sad. First, someone decided to tag him with the ridiculous title of "the Chinese Magic Johnson," hardly a fair or accurate description. Secondly, he has to follow the disappointing debut of former Milwaukee-Buck-turned-New-Jersey-Net Yi Jianlian, who is a next generation, post-Yao type of Chinese baller, like Sun Yue- except he alternately plays adequately or very poorly on a game-by-game basis. Lastly, the eyes of a city (nay, an entire state!) full of Asian Americans will live vicariously through him, cheering for his success or bitterly cursing his weaknesses (getting muscled around by big NBA players) as a reflection of their own.
So I guess the lack of enthusiasm is warranted... Plus, it's not like the Lakers need more "finesse" players- see 2008 NBA Finals. Who knows, maybe by the end of Fall training camp this kid'll be a wash, or end up riding the bench all season- at least he's set a precedent and got signed.
sun's decision making isn't good enough and he needs a more consistent shot. he's still raw, but he's got the tools and quickness. i might even be in that sun video, as some of those game highlights might be from the games i went to before.
@djcaptainzowie - I read a rumor that Sun Yue's contract is guaranteed, so supposedly he will be on the roster for sure? In any case, he needs to pack some more muscle and play like he's hungry- I was impressed that he did not back down from Kobe in the US-China game.
His decision making needs work, but a big part of it is the system he came from. It was agonizing to watch China play Lithuania and not only get out-muscled, but provide barely any resistance on the defensive end. I really don't think they run any plays- a lot of pass and shoot, pass and shoot. Hopefully Sun Yue can learn the triangle well and shake off those bad habits from the national team.
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sun's decision making isn't good enough and he needs a more consistent shot. he's still raw, but he's got the tools and quickness. i might even be in that sun video, as some of those game highlights might be from the games i went to before.
@djcaptainzowie - I read a rumor that Sun Yue's contract is guaranteed, so supposedly he will be on the roster for sure? In any case, he needs to pack some more muscle and play like he's hungry- I was impressed that he did not back down from Kobe in the US-China game.
His decision making needs work, but a big part of it is the system he came from. It was agonizing to watch China play Lithuania and not only get out-muscled, but provide barely any resistance on the defensive end. I really don't think they run any plays- a lot of pass and shoot, pass and shoot. Hopefully Sun Yue can learn the triangle well and shake off those bad habits from the national team.