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January 2, 2008

MILWAUKEE -- The National Basketball Association announced today that Milwaukee Bucks forward Yi Jianlian was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for December.

Yi averaged 12.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 blocked shots in 30.6 minutes per game over 16 contests. In December, Yi’s 12.1 points per game were second among rookies in scoring and his 50.3 field goal percentage was tops among rookies who took at least 3.0 shoot attempts per contest. Yi was also second in rebounding with 6.6 per game, fourth in blocked shots (1.1) and shot 81.0 percent from the free throw line (second among rookies attempting at least 2.0 per game).

On consecutive Saturdays in December, Yi produced career-highs in points and tallied his first career double-double. Against Minnesota on December 15, Yi was 9-14 from the field on his way to 22 points and seven rebounds in a win over the Timberwolves. The following Saturday he poured in 29 points (14-17 FG) to go along with 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and a blocked shot as the Bucks defeated the Bobcats 103-99. Over his last 10 games, Yi has put up 14.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots. He hit 54.1 percent of his field goals and 88.5 percent of his free throws in that span.

On the season, Yi is second among rookies in points (11.0), third in rebounds (6.1), seventh in assists (0.9) first in field goal percentage (47.1), third in free throw percentage (80.0), fourth in blocks (1.1) and third in minutes (28.3).

Yi, 20, was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft out of China. He played five seasons with the Guandong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) where he averaged 16.3 points and 8.5 rebounds. Last season he appeared in 39 games and averaged 24.9 points and 11.5 rebounds. He also has international experience with the Chinese National Team.