NBA prospect Yi Jianlian has graced the covers of Time and Sports Illustrated, won a six-figure deal from Nike, and is hailed by some the "next Yao Ming."

NBA prospect Yi Jianlian of China. [File Photo]

For now, though, he's just another member of China's national team. And his coach is less than pleased with him.

"He needs to understand that it's not enough to be very talented," Lithuanian-born Jonas Kazlauskas said of Yi following China's 89-76 win over Kazakhstan at the Asian Games. "He needs to fight for every step, for every position, for every ball."

Kazlauskas' words typify much of the buzz surrounding the 19-year-old Yi: That he is a great athlete whose basketball skills and on-court presence still have a long way to go.

The 2.12-meter (7-foot) power forward had 14 points and six rebounds against Kazakhstan, but just as notable were his turnovers and flubbed shots.

On defense, Kazakh players scored over him with little hindrance, and he was outshined at both ends of the court by former NBA player Wang Zhizhi, who scored 22 points and had five rebounds.

"He was like a 'good boy'," Kazlauskas said of Yi. "Everyone could push him, could kick him out of the three-second zone. And he was happy with everything going on around him."

Yi had some impressive moves as well, including a massive jam in the third quarter and a fade-away jumper reminiscent of Dirk Nowitzki.

While much work is ahead for Yi _ he especially needs to gain upper-body strength and build on-court intensity _ he has piqued the NBA's interest with his height and athleticism and is expected to be picked in the high rounds of next June's draft.

Kazakhstan starter Yevgeny Issakov said Yi's height and quickness make him formidable.

"He's very good and it's very hard for us to play over these tall Chinese guys," Issakov said.

And China's captain, Liu Wei, cautioned against judging Yi's performance too harshly.

"It's the first game and there's always a degree of adjustment that needs to be made," Liu said. "We'll be getting better and better."

The only child of athlete parents _ both his mother and father were handball players for state-run teams _ Yi was discovered on a school court in his native city of Guangdong in southeastern China in his early teens.

Yao's parents were also both athletic, having played top-level basketball in China in the 1970s.

Yi's true age is a subject of some controversy. Reports put his birth year as early as 1984, partly because sports authorities are known to report their players as younger than they actually are to keep them eligible for junior competitions.

His parents were at first opposed to an athletic career for their son, fearing he would end up like them with little education and few prospects after his playing days were over. Those apprehensions were overcome when a coach convinced them Yi had the natural gifts to succeed.

Recruited into one of China's demanding state sports schools, Yi trained hard, eventually joining the Chinese Basketball Association. He led his native province's Guangdong Tigers to the CBA title last season, recording 20 double-doubles during the regular season and topping the 30-point mark eight times, including a 43-point performance in the regular season finale.

And despite a lackluster showing in last summer's world championships at which China finished 11th, Yi won praise from no less an authority than U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski.

"The kid Yi ... he'd be in the NBA. He'd be a lottery pick. That kid is really good," Krzyzewski said. "He'd probably be starting for some teams in the league. The kid's just got it."

Yao, the Houston Rockets star center who has not joined the China national team in Doha, said his own progress since joining the NBA reinforces the need for Yi and other Chinese players to go abroad as preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

Despite his multiyear Nike contract and NBA prospects, Yi presently enjoys few extra privileges at home with the Tigers or traveling with the national team, living and practicing with his less-heralded teammates. Despite those magazine covers, he's kept a low profile at Doha, letting others do the talking for the team and shying away from interviews.

"I am not thinking too much about the draft, now I am focusing on helping China win the gold at Doha," Yi said on arrival. "The Asian Games is a very big event and it's very important for me."