Yi Jianlian's NBA season in jeopardy with MCL strain

Former Dallas Mavericks forward Yi Jianlian, the flag bearer for China during the opening ceremony at the Olympics, could miss the next NBA season as he recovers from an MCL strain he sustained in a game against Australia earlier in August, according to a tweet from NetsDaily.com, citing the Chinese media.

Yi twisted his knee in a 20-point loss to Australia on Aug. 2. He averaged 14.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game for China during the Games, including one 30-point game in a loss to Spain. He appeared in 30 games for the Mavericks last season, averaging 2.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in just under seven minutes per game.

The strain is obviously a setback for the 24-year-old, who had shown promise in the NBA at certain points in his career. He had perhaps his best season as member of the New Jersey Nets in 2009-10, averaging 12 points, 7.2 rebounds and one block in 31 minutes per game.

He would've been a nice option for a team looking to add depth to its frontcourt with a low-risk option, but that signing may need to be put on hold for a year as he rehabs from the MCL strain.