Emerging from the trainer's room, this was the stiffest Yi Jianlian had looked all season, sweat-suit clad and treading gingerly on his right side. That it took a Grade 1 MCL sprain to finally reign in Yi's newfound aggressiveness is ultimately a positive sign for the Nets.
Throughout the preseason, it became clear that the third-year forward adjusted his mentality in the offseason, bolstered by a strong summer performance in leading the Chinese National Team to the final of the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship. And the success had carried into the regular season, with Yi posting 11.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting .429 in the first three games –
all well above his two-year averages.
"I think strength is gradual," said Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe. "Yi's still very young, and he’s still learning. He’s got to continue that trend (of aggressiveness) – it’s a good one."
Yi said that the MRI revealed the damage wasn't too bad, and that the plan is to allow the injury to heal as he tries to get back as quickly as possible. He'll rest for a few days before testing it out on an exercise bike.
It frustrates Yi that there's nothing he can do about the sprain, which occurred in the third quarter Monday when Gerald Wallace fell on his knee and it twisted. Nets coach Lawrence Frank explained that Yi had been motivated to make it through the season injury-free.
"It’s a loss, and I really feel horrible for Yi," Frank said. "I really think he’s made improvement and gotten better. I thought he was playing very, very aggressive in the game against Charlotte (until the injury). It’s very, very unfortunate. It’s just going to be a temporary setback and you hope that when he comes back he’ll be able to pick up where he left off quickly thereafter."
With Yi out, Eduardo Najera will start tonight's game against the Nuggets, though Frank indicated he'd analyze matchups game-by-game.
Najera has played in two of the Nets' four games, performing best against Washington on Saturday, when he posted six points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 18 minutes.
Behind him, Frank said that Josh Boone would likely get the first look over Sean Williams on Wednesday, largely due to Denver's energy, size and strength. Devin Harris' strained groin also plays into that decision, because it leaves Terrence Williams as the only backup point guard, which means that he'll be playing a number of minutes there to ensure Rafer Alston gets enough rest.
"We may go bigger as opposed to smaller," Frank said. "One way or the other. If that’s effective, you stay with it; if we’re struggling with that lineup, you go a different way."
Sean Shooting Around
After shoot-around was complete, Sean Williams could be found working extra on his offense – with Coach Frank feeding him entry passes and offering advice.
"I just saw him at a free basket," said Frank, shrugging it off with a smile.
Kiki Keeps Cool
Kiki Vandeweghe played 13 years in the NBA before working two years as a coach and seven (and counting) as an executive. While he admits the rash of injuries limiting the Nets to 10 players is notable, it's not without precedent:
"You know, having been in this for a long time now, I’ve seen this happen and it seems to happen in groups and bunches, and maybe we just get them all out of the way at the beginning, ha. Hopefully, that’s what happens."
