The Legend of the Hungry Wolf in Basketball

Chapter 387 [The old man goes, the new man comes]

After the draft, several teams traded around rookies. Before the new collective bargaining agreement was finalized, 29 teams were on the sidelines.The Clippers dared to make a big deal, because Ye Feng knew that the lockout would eventually end.

The situation has changed slightly from Ye Feng's previous life. For example, the Heat should have traded with the Timberwolves, using the No. 31 pick plus cash in exchange for No. 28 rookie Norris Cole.But now the Bulls don't have Rose, they lack good guards, and Norris Cole was selected. The Heat's guard line failed to reinforce. It is very difficult to win the championship. They may have to use the original lineup to fight the Clippers. The bench is weaker than last season.Judging from the current situation, Battier may not go to the Heat to "hug his thigh".The stars are all waiting and watching. According to expert analysis, if you want to win the championship, joining the Clippers is the most suitable. If you want to make money, the Nets are the best choice, and the Heat are in an awkward position in the cracks.

In addition to the lottery rookie, Isiah Thomas also attracted a lot of reporters because he was the last one selected by the Clippers.

The reporter asked: "As the last rookie selected, you are undoubtedly lucky. How do you feel now?"

Thomas thought about it and said: "I feel very honored. The Clippers are the best team in the league. I hope to stay in the Clippers in the future. I will try my best to impress the coach with my own efforts."

A reporter poured cold water on him: "Today Tristan Thompson was traded as the No. 5 pick. Although Curry is the only regular guard left in the Clippers, Ye Feng, Thornton, and Tony Allen can all make guest appearances." At position 1, the arrival of Gasol is bound to introduce new tactics for the Clippers, and there will be people who want to join in the free market. If you want to stay, it should be more difficult, right? What do you think your advantages are?"

"It's the speed, and the shooting," Thomas said.At this time, he never imagined that when he was selected, the Clippers were ready to sign a 4-year guaranteed contract with him.Because Ye Feng decides to do this, he has the final say in the Clippers.

After the interview, Ye Feng, Thibodeau and Thomas greeted each other in the arena.

Thomas excitedly shook hands with Ye Feng. In the eyes of this rookie who almost lost the selection, Ye Feng is like a god!

"Hi, Ye Feng, nice to meet you, I admire you very much... It would be great if I can be your teammate, I will perform well in the summer league... Ah, I forgot that there is no summer league this year."

Seeing his excited incoherent speech, Ye Feng felt a little funny, patted him on the shoulder, and said softly: "Don't worry, although the NBA will be suspended for a while this year, you will definitely get a chance to perform, and I believe you will definitely stay .”

"Have you seen me play?" Thomas was very excited, his eyes widened. He also knew Ye Feng's status in the Clippers, and with his approval, he could stay.

Ye Feng shook his head and said: "I haven't seen it, but I like you, do you know why?"

Of course Thomas didn't know.

Ye Feng smiled and said: "Because of your name, I don't think anyone who dares to name Isiah Thomas will be weak. Maybe you will be called 'Little Assassin' in the future."

It can't really be for this reason, can it?Thomas Kuanghan, he has the same name as "Smiling Assassin", and he often YY himself will reach that height in the future.

Ye Feng laughed, "Are you too serious? I'm joking, because the Clippers have Puerto Rican guard Barea. He is not tall, but he is very fast and shoots well. We think your style is similar to him. , If you give him enough playing time, he can easily score in double figures, and you should be able to do it too. We have also studied your side data, and you will definitely adapt to the NBA."

Thibodeau added: "What you have to do is to show your full strength in the summer league. How well you play will determine how much contract you get."

Thomas was elated when he heard these simple words. He believed that he had met Bole, a good boss.He vowed to play his best level, find a place to practice in the summer, and must contribute to the Clippers' title defense in the new season.

What touched Thomas even more was that even though the Clippers only selected him as the last rookie this year, they held a very formal rookie press conference for him on the 26th. Welcomed.This detail shows how much the team attaches importance to him.Thomas is full of energy, and he kind of hopes that the new season will start tomorrow.

At the same time, the Clippers also held a "farewell party" for the players who are leaving, wishing them success in other teams and a high salary!The two parties got together and parted ways without leaving any regrets.

"American Sports" rated the team's performance in the draft. The Clippers received the highest A+ rating. Experts believe that the Clippers' internal strength will be improved compared with last season after the trade, and it will also solve many rookies next year. The issue of contract expiration.Before they were not good at coordinating insiders, Pau Gasol will make up for this shortcoming.Signing Marc Gasol is an effective addition to the depth of the bench, and Thomas reminds people of Barea, who has been quiet since leaving the Clippers, and people have forgotten him.Many teams regret not picking Thomas in the second round. It is rumored that the Clippers have very powerful scouts, and they must be selected.The Clippers didn't participate in the draft last year, and as a result, few rookies came out.The Clippers selected Thomas, which means that this person has potential.

As soon as the draft ended, players and owners began to wait and see.According to the regulations, signings and contract extensions are no longer possible until the lockout is over, and all people can do is wait.As the boss, the only ones who are not in a hurry are the Sterling family. Their main income is not the team, and they can't lose a lot of money, just a drop in the bucket.

And if players want to practice more, they have to find a place by themselves. The team will no longer organize training camps, and they will no longer be able to contact players.After getting Ye Feng's promise to renew his contract, Yi Jianlian returned to China with peace of mind.Ye Feng said that when he goes to China, he will go to see him play a game. The Men’s Basketball Asian Championship will start in September. Yi Jianlian will represent China. If he can average 9+30 per game and lead the team to win the championship, there is a possibility Get a higher contract.

The U.S. team does not need to participate in the America's Cup. They won the World Championships and directly advanced to the next finals. The America's Cup will not take them to play, which makes NBA players more idle.

In mid-August, Ye Feng was invited to play streetball and participate in the summer league confrontation.Not only him, Kevin Durant, John Wall, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings and more than a dozen NBA stars will also participate.Before that, he had nothing to do. He was going to travel abroad with Ariel, and stayed in China, especially in Los Angeles. There were too many fans, and it was inconvenient to do anything.

Ariel asked: "Should we stay in Los Angeles for a week, haven't a lot of people called you recently and want to join the Clippers next season?"

Ye Feng said: "Yes, I notified the coaching staff and let them decide whether these people are suitable. It is still early before the new season, and there is no way to sign a contract now, so there is no need to rush to sign up. Unfortunately, this year is better. Free agents are insiders, we don't need insiders anymore, and we don't need big names."

Ariel said: "Don't forget to renew your contract early next season, you will be a free agent next year. Stern also called to ask you to raise your salary, at least not lower than James and Wade, otherwise there will be disputes."

Ye Feng sighed. The old man Stern wanted to charge the Clippers more money. If Ye Feng renews his contract and increases his contract, there may be 2013-2014 players with an annual salary of tens of millions in the team in the 4-5 season. It's time to pay the luxury tax, and his signing a high salary is equivalent to paying the luxury tax to the league in vain.But in order to stop other people's mouths, I had to endure it.Take it as the advertising fee for the alliance every year in the future.Stern also gave the Clippers a lot of benefits. He did the most publicity work and found some "experts" to write articles. This season, Ye Feng was fired like no other in the world. Except for a few more rings, Jordan is not better than him in any way.

Ye Feng thinks there is no need to stay here and wait for someone to come to "hug your thigh". The capable players are still around 30 years old, and those who want to get a high salary will not come to the Clippers, such as Jason Richardson, Jia Mal Crawford et al.

Currently the closest to the Clippers is Suns veteran Grant Hill, who has basically confirmed a spot.He called Ye Feng, and the two chatted very happily. Hill didn't want to abandon Nash, but now that Sun really has no future, it's a waste of time for him to stay there.It's better to join the Clippers with a salary cut while in good condition, and retire with peace of mind if you become a championship.Ye Feng is very optimistic about Hill, the two have played against each other many times, if it wasn't for the injury, Hill's name would definitely be in the Hall of Fame.

Although Hill is not confused and his career has been severely damaged by injuries, in recent years, under the careful care of the Suns team doctor and his own regular maintenance, Hill has maintained a good competitive state and once became a veteran of the league. example.Last season, he played 80 games on behalf of the Suns, averaging 13.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, shooting 48.4% from the field and 39.5% from the three-point range.

And his defense is very good. During the regular season, he has repeatedly defended opponents with sharp knives, such as Kobe, Durant and other top stars. If it is not for age, he is fully worthy of the middle class.

For Hill, if he doesn't "hug his thighs", he may have no hope of winning a championship ring.I believe fans don't want to see Hill's career end sadly, always wearing the hat of "uncrowned king".

From the Clippers' point of view, they also need such a veteran.Hill has an excellent shot and is very active in defense. He can serve as a good substitute for the 2nd and 3rd positions. With Hill joining in, none of the Clippers' 13 players is redundant.

The Heat had actively pursued Hill before, but Hill wanted to join the Clippers more, so he refused.This also made Ye Feng feel more at ease. If the old star wants to hug his thigh, he will choose the Clippers in eight or nine out of ten. This is the easiest place to win the championship. As long as the Heat don't have a big deal, there is not much threat next season.

(End of this chapter)