basketball pope

Chapter 98 [Classic Change, Destined]

The draft conference has changed from the noisy and extraordinary scene of the past and quietly kicked off in Vancouver.

The media's evaluation of the level of this year's rookies is generally not as good as last year's.Only Yang Rui knows that the so-called experts are bullshit. The success rate of this year's rookies is very high, and there are many stars in the top ten.

Following the fourth overall pick last year and the third overall pick the year before, the Grizzlies are sitting at home and holding the second overall pick, ready to pick a potential rookie.

Glenn Gruward was also the object of ridicule by his peers after entering the court. The Raptors are ranked high every year, and the Grizzlies are a pair of difficult brothers.The draft was held in Canada as a kind of compensation for them.

Yang Rui and Glenn chatted about the draft and trade.

The two draft picks of the Trail Blazers that were traded for Stoudamire are for next season. The Raptors only have two picks this year. Therefore, Yang Rui can only choose individuals in the second round, and the draft is still very low. , No. 47.

The management previously promised that Yang Rui has the right to recommend several basic salary role players in the free market, no matter who they are, they must sign.

This kind of good behavior is generally only useful for new coaches, and a famous coach will definitely sneer.The chances of a minimum salary player finding a strong man are too low.

Yang Rui thinks it's enough, even if the Raptors want to dig a big star, no one wants to come, they can only rely on training.He wouldn't have come if he hadn't known that the Raptors had a future.

"Glen, there must be a deal before the new season starts, right? Can I designate a few people for not-for-sale? They play a huge role in the system."

"Of course." Glenn agreed very happily. The Raptors have no stars at all, and the salaries of the players are not high. It doesn't matter who stays.

Yang Rui took out a sticky note and a ballpoint pen, and wrote down three names, Billups, Maddie, and Christie.Except for these three people, the others are traded casually.

He didn't mention Carter and O'Neal Jr. These two would definitely stay in the team, they were nonsense.

Glenn saw that there were only three not-for-sale items in his heart, and he sighed that the Raptors were really bad. He was a little surprised to see Billups' name.

As the No. 1997 overall pick in 39, Billups played very badly for the Celtics, shooting 33.9% from the field, 11.1% from 2.2-point range, and average playmaking ability, averaging 4.3 points, [-] rebounds and [-] assists per game.

In the mid-term trade to the Raptors, Billups performed even worse. He played in 29 games and averaged only 31.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 3.3 minutes per game, while shooting 34.9% from the field and 31.6% from three-point range.

Glenn thinks Billups has average breakthrough ability, half of his shots are three-pointers, and he doesn't look like a point guard at all. His personality is even more questionable.

"Are you sure you want to stay with Billups?"

"For sure, he is 191cm tall and very strong. He will be an excellent defensive player in the 1 position with good training. And his main scoring method is long shots, which is in line with my tactical philosophy. Believe me, he will be important for the Raptors. a member."

"Well, I hope he can play the level of third flower." Glenn smiled bitterly.

He still doesn't like Billups, because he's a troublemaker, otherwise the Celtics wouldn't be in a hurry to send him away and make a losing deal.

President David Stern delivered a speech, and the draft officially began.

Clippers manager Elgin Baylor was the first to submit a selection, selecting center Michael Olavokandi, nicknamed "Sugar Man."

He is a Nigerian immigrant, and for some unknown reason, he reminds many experts of the great Hakim Olajuwon, who became the number one pick not produced in the United States for the second consecutive year after Duncan.

Like Olajuwon, Olavokandi has not been in contact with basketball for a long time, but he is very quick to get started. In just a few years, he has swept the NCAA Pacific Division in his junior year, handing over 22.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.88 blocks. .

Yang Rui admires Elgin Baylor very much. It is a miracle that this great fairy has been in the position of Clippers manager for many years. The boss did not fight him.

Baylor's vision is invincible, and the draft has never been right, and the best person to pick is Lamar Odom.During his days as manager, the Clippers have been a bad team.

The gap between Olavokandi and Olajuwon is too big. He can't shoot outside the paint area, and his free throw percentage is just over half.The most amazing thing is that this rough brother said a classic Hollywood confession in 2005: "Actually, I am a shooter."

The Grizzlies selected point guard Mike Bibby at No. [-].This is also very confusing. Obviously, there is a lack of outstanding scorers in the team, and a group of super swingers in the back cannot look down on it.

Picking Bibby lays the groundwork for the Grizzlies' future.In Yang Rui's previous life, the Grizzlies were at the bottom again next season, and they chose Francis in 99, another point guard.As a result, Francis did not want to join in saying anything, so he had to send it away.

The Nuggets chose the insider Reeve LaFrentz as the third overall pick. He has the ability to shoot three-pointers with his left hand, and is also good at making up and blocking shots. He is very powerful.

He signed a 7-year 7250 million contract in Yang Rui's previous life, but unfortunately, he began to get injured, slack, and became a garbage contract.

The Raptors selected Jamison in fourth place, and immediately traded with the Warriors in fifth place, in exchange for Kattega's 80 cash.

Glenn showed the insidious side of professional managers. He had already found out that the Warriors' target was Jamison.This kind of poor team that tightens their belts to live, likes to calculate this kind of thing.

Carter smiled when he took the stage, knowing he was going to the Raptors.He and Maddie were distant relatives, ready to fight side by side over the phone.

The Mavericks selected insider Robert Trellor in sixth place, with a height of 203CM and a weight of 129 kg, and was nicknamed "Tractor".

The Kings selected point guard Jason Williams with the seventh overall pick.

The 76ers selected point guard Larry Hughes with the eighth overall pick.

The Bucks selected Dirk Nowitzki with the ninth overall pick.

The Celtics selected forward Paul Pierce with the tenth overall pick.

The Greens picked up a big bargain, and Pierce was seriously underestimated.He is an instant force, and he can play when he enters the NBA. He has already recorded star data in the second year, and he has squeezed out the original team's starter Ron Mercer by strength.

At this time, the classic exchange at this conference also appeared. The Mavericks used Trellor to replace Dirk Nowitzki with the Bucks.

The German king was destined to start his star career in the Mavericks, the Bucks switched to their favorite fat man, and there was an excellent water dispenser manager on the bench, who was cute.

Yang Rui also thought about whether the Raptors would be stronger if he proposed to replace Jamison for a certain role player of the Nowitzki and Bucks?Nowitzki's heyday outlasted Carter, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain in total points when he retired.

But Nowitzki is not an instant combat power, and it takes time to develop his power.Moreover, his physical quality is average, and he has been criticized by the media as a "soft egg" for many years.In terms of popularity, he is far inferior to Carter, and no one will think that he is Jordan's successor.

The Raptors need popularity and eye-catching stars. From this point of view, there is indeed no more suitable person in the entire league than Carter.

In any case, Yang Rui believes that the Raptors will be very strong next season, even if there is no time to train and run in.

(End of this chapter)