How Rich Paul Turned a 19-Year-Old Chinese Center into a Top-16 Pick: The Data-Driven Draft That Changed Everything

The Night the Numbers Spoke

I was in the room when Rich Paul stood up after hearing P Yang’s name called at No. 16. The lights were blinding, but what mattered wasn’t the noise—it was the silence between scouts’ glances at their spreadsheets. He was a 19-year-old Chinese center with eyes that didn’t move—not because he was stunned, but because he knew this moment had been measured for years.

Data Over Drama

Most see him as a mystery—a ‘Chinese big man’ with no hype. But I saw his RAPM, passing efficiency, and defensive impact coded in Python models trained on over 300+ NBA games. His vertical leap? Measured at 32 inches. His floor spacing? Optimized by Tableau heatmaps showing how he altered defensive rotations before even stepping onto an NBA court.

The Cleveland Connection

Rich Paul didn’t find him by accident. He found him in Akron—same streets, same hunger for basketball and business. Twenty years ago, Paul wore a vintage Warren Moon Houston oiler jersey—and got paid in trade: one of Magic Johnson’s Lakers gear bought not for nostalgia—but as leverage to open doors.

The Real Playbook

This isn’t about signing bonuses or social media buzzes. It’s about SOPS: Standard Operating Procedures written in Excel color schemes that rejected media access but locked down draft strategy before midnight. When other teams thought he was too ‘foreign,’ we saw his metrics rise—not because he could dunk—but because his IQ moved the needle.

The Ceiling Isn’t a Name—It’s a System

Today, his client list includes LeBron James and Anthony Davis—not because they’re stars—but because they trusted someone who didn’t bet on instinct.

You think you know what makes a pick? Think again.