Pick Westbrook

Chapter 119 What chips are you going to give?
Li Lai clearly remembered that after Marshall retired, he was hired as the head coach of the basketball team of Central Connecticut State University, and he also led the team to a good record in the NCAA. In addition, he played in the NBA. For 15 years, he has rich experience both on the court and off the court. The most important thing is that he is a very serious person.

Li Lai needs such a role to record his overall various games and provide valuable suggestions.

Hammond glanced at Li Lai. Although he also recognized that Marshall was fully qualified for such an assistant coaching task, after all, the other party was just a rookie, who definitely lacked in ability and experience, and there must be someone in the market who was more suitable for this job than Marshall. A person with a job, but Li Lai still chose to keep him.

"The reason should be the last dance in the last game. Marshall's professional attitude is hard for others to match. He won this contract."

In the end, under Li Lai's suggestion, Hammond drew up a contract and offered Tyronn Lue, the team's chief assistant coach, 3 million yuan for 300 years, and Marshall got 3 million yuan for 150 years.

When he came to the team to sign the contract, Marshall broke down in tears. Originally, he had already bought a plane ticket back to his hometown of Pennsylvania, and now he can still stay in the Bucks. He always felt that happiness came too suddenly, and life’s big ups and downs are too fast.

"Coach, thank you for allowing me to stay in the NBA."

Li Lai patted Marshall on the shoulder and said, "From today onwards, we are colleagues, work hard."

Tailun Lu had already obtained the promise of the chief assistant from Li Lai, but when the contract appeared in front of him, Director Lu still scratched his egg excitedly.

"This contract is really delicious!"

The NBA playoffs are coming to an end soon.

The Magic beat the Garnett-less Celtics in Game [-], so the Eastern Conference Finals was played by the Cavaliers against the Magic.

Because the Cavaliers almost rolled in the abyss when facing the Bucks, the Cavaliers played more efficiently in the Eastern Conference finals against the Magic, but Warcraft Howard still perfectly restricted James, whose shooting was not stable enough , The Cavaliers still lost the Eastern Conference showdown 3:4.

The 23VS24 that the whole world is looking forward to is sadly gone.

In the finals, Howard, who had just restrained James on the front foot and averaged 26 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks per game, unfortunately also met the Lakers who restrained him a lot.

Under the attack of Gasol and Bynum's inside twin towers, Howard only averaged 15 points and 14 rebounds per game. When defending Kobe, Howard's very good inside frame protection was almost useless, because Kobe He is used to ending the game with a half-block shot, and does not give Howard the opportunity to help defend inside. The dominant performance of the blacksmith averaging 33 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists per game also proves this.

Kobe almost single-handedly pierced all the defenses of the Magic.

The Lakers won the championship 4:1, and Kobe realized his first FMVP trophy.

The NBA2008-09 season is over.

On June 6th, Westbrook was invited by Li Ning to China to participate in the "China Tour" fan meeting. At the same time, Li Ning released Westbrook's first signature shoe, "Westbrook 20st Generation".

Because of Westbrook's outstanding performance this season, and averaged 20 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in the playoffs, plus he and Yi Jianlian are teammates, and the two are still the Bucks' tactics He is the core, so the Chinese fans are very fond of him, and the atmosphere of the fans at the "China Tour" is very hot.

That night, Westbrook had dinner with Yi Jianlian, who was training for the national team, and Yao Ming, who was recovering from his injury, and he was full of praise for Chinese instant noodles.

On June 6st, Westbrook's first-generation sneakers were sold very well, and all of Li Ning's inventory was cleared the next day after the press conference. General Manager Zhang Zhiyuan urgently offered a monthly salary of 21 yuan to recruit 1 people. This news It made headlines in China that day and soon spread to the United States.

On June 6, the first generation of Westbrook with Chinese characteristics became popular among American fans, and the Chinese element symbols integrated in it became the most unconventional existence among all kinds of sneakers.

On June 6, the NBA lottery draw ceremony was held.

The Los Angeles Clippers successfully won the No. [-] pick, the Grizzlies won the second pick again, and the Kings got the No. [-] pick, but unfortunately they have already traded this No. [-] pick to the Bucks.

The general manager of the Kings, Geoff Petrie, was so angry that he went into a rage at the lottery scene. He hammered a few pieces of the table and bench in front of him, but when the lottery continued, they changed from the Wizards' first-round pick to the fifth overall , Geoff Petrie was delighted again from ear to ear.

"It's delicious."

The Minnesota Timberwolves got the fourth pick.

6 month 24 day.

After the lottery ceremony, the Bucks have already received a call.

Hammond was so tired that he quickly drank a few saliva before saying: "Our third overall pick has attracted the attention of too many teams, because we reached the Eastern Conference semifinals this season, so they are very sure about us. What is needed must be strong and experienced players, not potential rookies."

"So, many teams are willing to trade their immediate players with us."

"Currently the Warriors, Raptors, Knicks, Bobcats, Nets, and Pacers have shown the most sincerity."

Among the lottery picks, only the Bucks are the weirdest. Not only did they make it to the playoffs, but they also got a high pick. It looks too shabby.

Li Lai asked curiously: "What bargaining chips are the Warriors willing to give?"

Hammond looked at the records in the small book and said: "Their bargaining chips are very suitable for us. They are willing to give veteran Stephen Jackson in exchange for the third overall pick in our hands."

Li Lai couldn't help but smile.

Stephen Jackson is the man called Captain Jack. Of course, more people like to call him Martial Saint, because he also participated in the incident at the Palace of Auburn Hills, and he punched the Pistons up and down like a child. All were KO'd, so the name of Wu Sheng came from this.

Of course, being able to play is one thing, being able to play is another.

Stephen Jackson averaged 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the Golden State Warriors last season. He is a very strong player, and because of his height of 203cm, he is not only good on the offensive end, but also on the defensive end. , Although the defensive speed and footsteps on the court are not fast enough, he is active in defense and has a strong defensive will, so he also averaged 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game last season.

All in all, Stephen Jackson could be a good piece of the puzzle for teams looking further ahead.

"If it weren't for this year's draft, I would be very tempted by this chip. The management of the Warriors knows how to use people's hearts. They took a fancy to Artest and Stephen Jackson as teammates, so they offered this chip. They should be extremely confident that we will say yes."

Hammond was stunned, and it took him a long time to realize that Stephen Jackson was Artest's good brother, and the opponent beat the Pacers all over the ground in the Palace of Auburn Hills, so if this can be achieved This deal is a beautiful thing for both the Bucks and the Warriors.

Li Lai said seriously: "I have even predicted who the Warriors will choose after winning this draft pick, but I plan to use this chip myself."

Hammond looked at Li Lai in surprise.

Among the rookies this year, Blake Griffin is unsurprisingly the No. [-] pick. No player can compete with him for the No. Harden, Tyreke Evans, Ricky Rubio, Brandon Jennings and DeMar DeRozan.

James Harden is the most popular among the remaining players, and he is considered to be the player who is likely to get the second pick. It's just that the Grizzlies have selected the cornerstone of the team last year, OJ-Mayo, and this rookie has been in his rookie season. He played an excellent performance averaging 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game. If he hadn't happened to meet Rose and Westbrook, the rookies of the same class, it would not be too much for this guy to win the best rookie.

So in this case, it is not very likely that the Grizzlies will win James Harden with the second pick. They should consider an inside or forward player.

Another player, Tyreke Evans, is considered to be the most powerful player in this rookie class. Even the absolute No. [-] pick, Blake Griffin, seems to be a little weaker than him at the moment. After all, This guy won the Most Valuable Player of the American League Championship, the American League Rookie of the Year, and was selected to the American League First Team of the Year in his freshman season. Such a reputation was an absolute top three pick in the past. players.

This player has also received a lot of attention, and the current predicted pick will be between third and fifth.

In addition, Rubio, the Spanish golden boy, is very talented and smart. He even makes people see the shadow of Nash and Kidd. It's just that he still has a contract in the Spanish Basketball League. He can't join until 2011, so this is a great risk and an extremely unstable factor. The Timberwolves, who have always been stupid and have little money, seem to be very interested in him.

Hammond came back to his senses. Since Li Lai had decided to use this draft pick, he should immediately announce to the public that he would interrupt all the fantasies of the league's management.

"How should we respond on the Warriors side?" he said.

Li Lai thought about it. He naturally didn't want his target to be discovered by other teams, and the Warriors should still be his main competitor. If the team trades, it will be detrimental to the Bucks.

"Tell the management of the Warriors that this year is a big draft year, and only one Stephen Jackson can't get the third overall pick, and you have to pay more!"

Hammond nodded and remembered this point, and looked at Li Lai with a hey smile, as if to say: You little clever ghost, you can forget about it if you don’t sell it to others. A good man.

Hammond then asked another thing, "If we don't trade this draft pick, who should we win in the draft?"

"Our lineup has a big gap in the small forward position. Apart from Artest, there is no decent player at all. Why don't we get a small forward?"

"This year's rookies Earl Clark, Austin Daye and James Johnson are all good, but their talents and potential are average. Too bad."

Li Lai naturally wants a potential rookie at the small forward position very much, but the crux of the problem is that there is not a single small forward player in this year's rookie. The black belt master James Johnson may be regarded as the best among them. , but this guy has only been on the bench for most of his career, and he can only be regarded as a good rotation player.

Seeing that Li Lai shook his head, Hammond continued: "Then win an inside player?
This season we have suffered a lot in the interior, especially in the playoffs rotation stage, we only have Yi Jianlian and Villanueva available, and the role of the veteran Crohill on the court is almost negligible. "

The Bucks' inside problems should also be resolved.

Li Lai originally planned to take down Blake Griffin. After all, Shafen's talent is visible to the naked eye, and his skills are versatile and versatile. Before he suffered a serious injury, he was considered a top five power forward player in the league. The mobility and Westbrook's partner to execute pick-and-roll tactics will inevitably be perfect, and the city of lobs can come.

"But the crux of the matter is that the Clippers got the No. [-] pick."

Li Lai was very helpless. He failed to win Jordan in the draft last year, and this year he missed out on Shafen. It seemed that the Bucks were destined to miss out on inside players.

Hammond continued: "Among the current inside players, apart from Griffin, Hashim Thabeet, a big center with excellent strength and talent, can be regarded as a good choice, especially his defensive ability. It’s the next Warcraft Howard, but there are not many teams that have paid attention to him.”

"Jordan Hill is also good. He plays with great passion. I just heard that he is not good here."

Hammond pointed to his head while talking, indicating that Jordan Hill's basketball IQ is not very good.

Li Lai couldn't help but smile. It seems that Jordan Hill is not only bad at basketball IQ, Brother Sharp, his hairstyle is also bad enough.

But the crux of the problem is that the Grizzlies should be very willing to take Hashem Thabeet, and Li Lai doesn't want him yet. In his opinion, Jordan Hill, who is not smart enough, may be better than him.

"You can still laugh."

Hammond rubbed his stomach and said sadly: "We are holding the third pick in our hands now, and we can't find a player that suits us for a long time. No wonder so many teams call us to seek a deal. They You can see it more clearly than we can."

"This rookie class is full of top guards. It just so happens that we already have Westbrook, Dragic and George Hill, so we don't really need them."

Li Lai shook his head and said, "Actually, I already have a player in my mind, and no matter how many times I am asked to choose, I will probably choose him."

"You know, I even plan to give up James Harden for him. More importantly, he is the last link in the formation of our team's tactics."

Hammond was stunned, and said with an incredulous expression: "Who is that Mao Mao?"

Li Lai smiled mysteriously, and did not rush to speak out, but told Hammond: "Spread the news, this year is the year of the draft, if any team chooses to trade the top picks, then they must be the most stupid in the NBA." the fool.

Then, the Bucks intend to trade their No. [-] pick. "

After hearing this sentence, Hammond was dumbfounded for a while, thinking in his heart: Oh, whoever trades is an idiot, so we rely on trading, isn't this scolding ourselves!

It's just that after seeing Li Lai's proud expression and thinking of Li Lai's magical operation last season in exchange for three capable players, Westbrook, George Hill and Dragic, Hammond suddenly understood .

Li Lai is going to use this news to stabilize the Golden State Warriors, so that they can safely prepare the bargaining chip for the Bucks, so as to ensure that the players he values ​​can be successfully won.

Hammond looked at Li Lai, big eyes to small eyes.

The two immediately smiled sinisterly, as if raiding a village without men at night, how wretched and wretched they could be.

The management of the Bucks will be regarded as mentally retarded again.

Not long after Hammond released the news, the general manager of the Kings, Geoff Petrie, called and greeted Hammond a full eighteen times. Purpose.

"We want to get back our No. [-] pick in the first round."

Hammond was scolded with a bruised nose and a swollen face. When he heard that the other party wanted something from him, he couldn't help but get angry, "You come to me for a deal, how dare you scold me like that?"

Just when Hammond was about to yell back, Li Lai became interested in this proposal and said, "The Kings also have a fifth overall pick, why trade it?"

Geoff Petrie simply put the story in context.

It turned out that they were worried about the No. [-] Minnesota Timberwolves grabbing Tyreke Evans early.

The entire management of the Kings has been investigating Tyreke Evans for a long time, and they are convinced that this is the absolute cornerstone of the Kings team in the future and can lead the Kings to the pinnacle of life.

But the crux of the problem now is that Tyreke Evans is predicted to be ranked third to fifth, and the Kings only have one No. [-] pick. Have to play badly for another year.

Of course, the Clippers are determined to choose Blake Griffin, and it would be mentally retarded not to choose them.

The Grizzlies seem to be very interested in Hasheem Thabeet, but even if they don't choose Hashem Thabeet, they will never draft Tyreke Evans, who also needs to hold the ball. OJ May Ao couldn't help but fight him hard.

As for the Timberwolves with the fourth overall pick, this team is so fucking unpredictable. They only selected potential power forward Kevin Love last year. Except for this position, the other positions are all lack, and this team has always been doing everything. They dared to offer a basic salary contract to a champion Lang Joe Smith with a market price of 1200 million annual salary in front of the whole world. The world is retarded!
So, God knows who they will pick for such a fairy team.

Geoff Petrie is now very worried that the Timberwolves will intercept Tyreke Evans in advance. It just so happens that the Bucks announced that they will trade their third pick, so Geoff Petrie rushed over Negotiate a deal.

Li Lai did not expect that he originally wanted to stabilize the news released by the Warriors, but unexpectedly, by mistake, he really attracted the trade partner.

Tyreke Evans is naturally a very good player. It is no exaggeration to say that he is the most powerful player in this rookie class, but he is not the tallest player in this class in terms of ceiling height. , To be honest, this year's players are really hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and there are many talented players in it.

So if Geoff Petrie is really willing to trade his fifth pick to get the Bucks' third pick, but to get Tyreke Evans, it's not worth the candle.

Of course, this has no effect on Li Lai. Even if he is the fifth overall pick, he still has the confidence to win the player he likes, because neither the Kings nor the Timberwolves can win that player, even if that player is in this rookie class. It has already ranked outside the top ten in the predicted ranking.

Li Lai asked curiously, "What chips are the Kings going to give?"

(End of this chapter)