Sun Yue waived by Knicks

That was quick. I'm still holding out hope that Sun Yue finds a roster somewhere in the NBA this season. In my fantasy the Spurs see his true potential, sign him, and in a few seasons Sun is a problem for the opposition. I may need help.

Knicks sign Sun Yue

Thank God.

As an advocate for more novelty in basketball I am very pleased at the news that the Knicks have signed point guard Sun Yue:

The Knicks, searching for more size in the backcourt, have signed Sun Yue, a 6-foot-9 point guard, to a partly guaranteed contract, his agent, Charles Bonsignore, said. Sun spent last season as a reserve for the Los Angeles Lakers, who drafted him in the second round in 2007.

I'm not sure what kind of opportunity Sun will have to actually contribute on this season. The partially guaranteedness of his contract seems to be a good sign that he will at least make the opening-night roster.

His size, athleticism, and skills are reason enough for Sun Yue to earn a spot on your radar. He really has shown signs that he can play. I'm surprised that he has only popped up around these parts once before.

Oh, just for fun, here are some highlights from another one of my favorite Chinese players, Chen Jianghua:



(Assist HoopsHype.)

DeceptivelyQuick will welcome our Asian Overlords

Not too long ago, China got interested in basketball. Soon after, we saw an endearing 7'1 small-forward by the name of Wang Zhizhi hang around in the NBA for a while. What a cute and harmless little example of globalization, arrogant Americans thought. Wrong.

After the 7'1 SF, we saw a sliiiiightly better 7'6 Center. Then a 7'0 SF that can play. I don't want to freak you out too much, but China has a 6'9 guy on the way that can play pointguard. It really is only a matter of time before the Chinese Olympic team consists only of players over nine feet tall (the center will be 15 feet tall). Trust me, they have 1.3 billion people and those intense baby athlete training programs like in the movies. They will do it.

And China's ambition must be inspiring other Asian Countries. Observe this footage I stumbled across at the NYTimes (yep). We see Japan once again using some ingenuity to outdue the Americans, this time it isn't about car production, its about basketball.