When the NBA playoffs tip off this weekend, one player hoping he has a chance to make an impact is Dallas Mavericks forward Yi Jianlian. The Chinese, didn't play much this season...despite the relative struggles of the defending NBA Champs. With the postseason on the horizon, Yi says he is ready to go, but isn't speculating about his future.

Yi Jianlian, Dallas Mavericks Forward, said, "I really don't know when the coach will put me in. Currently I'm not in his rotation. But I have to be fully prepared. There are many games ahead and I plan to play for quite a while. So I need to take a long-term view. I will make a detailed plan for this summer and next year."

Yi joined the Mavericks at the start of the season, where it looked like he might be able to carve out a nice little role for himself in Big D. However, that has not been the case as Yi appeared in only 30 games....averaging 6 minutes, 47 seconds on court to go along with 2.6 points and 1.6 rebounds per game with Dallas in the regular season.

Yi will certainly be hoping he has a chance to do a little more this post-season in what could be his last few games with the Mavericks. Yi will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.