At 7-foot-1 Wang Zhizhi is a very slightly built player. He lacks the muscle to play a physical, interior game in the NBA right now. But, uncommon for such a tall player, he has three-point range. He's very agile and runs the floor very well.

	Wang's transition to life in the NBA will be eased by his ability to speak English.

I would be surprised if anything happens with him in Dallas this year, but he is a very interesting player to have the rights to. In a couple years he could have impact in this league. Don Nelson has already said the Mavericks are not going to put him into situations where it is likely he will fail. That almost certainly precludes him from playing this year. They want to build his confidence. This was clearly an acquisition for the future.

He is being introduced now because the team feels it's appropriate to get him into some kind of competition right now.

Perhaps his biggest challenge in the NBA will be overcoming a cultural divide which would affect any human being transplanted from his native country. There will be a natural period of adjustment in basketball and in his personal life. But Wang speaks English which can be the most difficult barrier to overcome for foreign athletes who come to the U.S. to play.

A potential problem is that Wang will not have any teammates that come from the same country. He is the first Chinese player. Peja Stojakovic goes to Sacramento and can lean on his teammate Vlade Divac who tread the same ground before him. Shared heritage provides a comfort zone for players far from home. Wang simply won't have that. In his favor, there is a significant population of Chinese heritage in the United States. They will embrace him and should help his transition.

Wang should develop the skills to be a very good NBA player, but will have the burden of blazing the trail for others from China to follow.