Overview

Yue is a very intriguing prospect, as he has played a variety of positions during his career.

Even though he has the size of a small forward, his lack of strength makes it likely he'll see time as a guard while waiting for his body to mature and fill out.

With his passing skills, elevation and length, he could be a very effective shooting guard, but he has also garnered considerable action as a point guard and is capable of pushing the ball up court at the next level. Through all of his position switches, one thing remained constant -- his excellent defense -- as he proved to be a capable rebounder and shot-blocker during his team's last two seasons.

His name is well-known in China, but not for the basketball player's exploits. He also shares that name a female pop music singer and with another Sun Yue, the high-flying 6-foot-3 former female volleyball Olympian who now plays professionally in Italy.

Sue began playing in the Chinese Basketball Association in 2002-03. That season was a learning experience for him as a reserve guard, as he was limited to 1.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game while shooting 37.2 percent from the field. In 2003-04, he was the team's valuable sixth man, collecting 4.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and shot 38 percent from the floor coming off the bench.

A member of a unique club, Beijing Aoshen Olympian, it was the only privately owned basketball team in China. The owner would hire players to practice against the team so his players could improve. In the Summer of 2004, Yue was the first player from Aoshen to be selected to play for China's U20 team.

Yue became the center of a controversy between his team's owner and the CBA after the club refused to release him for national team duty. The CBA banned Beijing from playing in the men's league, citing a previous written agreement, and suspended Aoshen for the 2004-05 CBA season. The team's players continued training in their Beijing compound during February, 2004 and then made their first public appearance in December, as the club toured Taiwan.

Yue starred during that seven-game tournament and along with several other teammates, left in May 2005 to play in the National Games for Hebei province but lost in group play. However, Jonas Kazlauskas, who was in the stands watching, picked him for the National Team and Aoshen finally agreed to release Yue.

In September 2005, Yue was a top reserve, as the Chinese National Team captured the Asian Championship, but a month later, they lost to Japan to finish third in the East Asian Games. The owner of Aoshen subsequently moved the team to the American Basketball Association. Yue continued to play with the Olympians, but was finally allowed to play internationally for China, along with another Beijing player, Zhang Songtao. He later played in the 2006 FIBA World Championships, hosted by Japan.

During the 2005-06 American Basketball Association campaign, Yue earned second-team All-ABA honors and was rated the second-best prospect in the league. He averaged 9.5 points, seven rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.9 steals, 2.5 blocked shots and 4.3 turnovers per game while shooting 39.1 percent from the field.

In 2006-07, Yue took time off in December to play for the National Team that won the Asian Games title. He returned to the ABA, earning first-team All-League honors, as he led the team to the ABA Final Four. He finished the year by averaging 13.5 points, six rebounds, 10.5 assists, 1.9 steals, two blocked shots and 3.8 turnovers per game while hitting on 46 percent of his field-goal attempts.

Yue impressed NBA personnel with his performance at the 2007 Orlando pre-draft camp, despite being forced to play out of position at small forward. But, controversy would soon follow. In early June, 2007, Chinese National team coach Jonas Kauslauskas criticized Yue for staying in the United States so that he could be present for the NBA draft at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 28.

By doing so, Yue missed the 4-Nation tournament June 15-21 in Guangdong, as well as other practices with the National Team. Yue told his coach that he would rejoin the national team in July when it arrives in the USA to play in an NBA summer league. Kauslauskas said that Yue's absence could prove detrimental to his chances of being selected for the 2008 Olympic team.

Scouting Report

Positives: Has a good wingspan and great leaping ability and lateral agility that allow him to earn considerable minutes at the point guard position...Demonstrates the natural hands and court vision to execute crisp passes bringing the ball up court...Has shown steady improvement shooting his mid-range jumper, but is more comfortable when given the opportunity to slash to the basket...Does a good job of keeping the ball on the floor, doing a nice job of keeping it away from the defense...Is a patient ball handler who whips the ball out past double teams to an open teammate, taking advantage of his length and pinpoint passing...Has a quick initial step in his drive to the hoop, but is also an unselfish sort who will always look for an open outlet rather than take the shot himself...Gets good elevation near the rim, feathering the ball into the basket with his fingers...Uses his height, long arms and timing to secure the defensive rebound...Timing is also evident on the offensive glass, where he gets his fair share of putbacks...Good perimeter defender who won't bite on pump fakes and has turned into a very good shot-blocker...Excellent dribbler who can execute the crossover to elude his defender...Can lead the fast break, play in the half-court set or control the tempo of the game with his ball-handling skills, showing excellent vision on the dish-and-drive to continually feed his teammates...Looks fluid attacking the basket from the weak side when in the post...Shows very good leaping ability and has developed a nice turnaround jump shot, along with an efficient reverse layup...Has a high release (with very good speed) getting the ball up and over the defender...Showed in the Orlando pre-draft camp that he is capable of posting up his opponent while stationed along the wing...Even though he gives up considerable bulk, he will not hesitate to get in the paint to battle centers for the ball under the boards.

Negatives: Built more like a forward, but lacks the bulk and strength to compete at that position at the NBA level...Played point guard with his team, but doesn't have the speed to play defense at that position in the NBA...Predominantly a left-handed shooter and needs to develop better consistency with his other hand in order to keep the defender off-balance when he slashes to the basket...Because of his long limbs, he struggles at times to stay in front of smaller and quicker point guards on the perimeter...Seems more comfortable slashing to the basket, even when double teamed, rather than pull out to the perimeter and challenge his opponent to defend him there...Gets too pass-happy feeding his teammates, even when it is obvious that he has a better opportunity to take the shot...Might lack confidence in his outside shot due to marginal mechanics and a slow release point that sees more than a handful of his attempts altered.

Compares To: RUDY GAY, Memphis. Yue lacks the quickness that you look for in an NBA point guard but is an efficient ball handler who is unselfish to a fault. He looks for an open outlet often, but needs to be more confident creating his own shot. He is a good battler going for the rebound and shows excellent shot-blocking skills for a backcourt man. He might never be able to gain the bulk and strength needed to play small forward. As a shooting guard, he will need to develop better range and an array of moves. He favors his left hand often going to the basket, but is an excellent leaper attacking the weak side of the basket. He is more likely to have to put some time in the developmental league, but after his performance at the Orlando pre-draft camp, he could have pushed himself right into the second round.

Orlando Pre-Draft Camp Measurements:

6-9 Wingspan...8-9 Standing Reach...5.1 percent Body Fat...34-inch Vertical Leap...185-pound benchpress: 9 reps...10.68 Lane Agility...3.45 Court Sprint (3/4).

Personal

Born 11/06/85...Resides in Hebei, China.

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