am i proud?

Chapter 191 2002 Draft Conference
The 2002 draft will be held on June 6 at the "Madison Square Garden" arena in New York.

For this draft, Joe Dumars had been preparing for a long time, and of course he had been struggling for a long time, and he was still unable to make up his mind, so he called Wang Dalin and Carlisle to his office.

"Joe, we only have one last pick in the first round. This kind of pick is not even as good as the top picks in the last round. Why are you so entangled?" Carlisle saw Dumars' panda eyes and couldn't help teasing him.

"Rick, you guys can't be a shopkeeper. You are the head coach of the team, so come and help me with my reference!" Dumas said angrily, "Look, our original target is Tyshawn Prince. Now it seems that we can't reach him in this pick. Who should we choose?"

Carlisle said without hesitation: "Choose a point guard... Chauncey is about to leave us. Ralph can't support the position of point guard by himself. Now I just want a point guard!"

Wang Dalin took a look at the list of rookies in his hand, and suddenly said: "Apart from Dajuan Wagner, there seems to be no decent role for this year's point guard. It is definitely not a good idea to choose a point guard!"

Carlisle smiled and said, "Darling, you speak so loudly...you don't even pay attention to Jay Williams, the favorite of the No. [-] pick?"

Wang Dalin said with a smile: "Anyway, I don't like him... If you don't believe me, just wait and see, he is not an excellent point guard at all!"

Dumas pressed: "So in your opinion ... who should we pick?"

Wang Dalin pointed to a name on the rookie list that was predicted by the media to be in the second round and said, "We'll just pick him, just to strengthen the team's inside offense!"

Dumars and Carlisle were both a little confused. Dumars said: "Carlos Boozer... the media doesn't think highly of him, and we haven't sent scouts to pay special attention to him. Are you sure you want to choose him?"

Wang Dalin said with a smile: "When did the media get it? They said last year how good Kwame Brown is. He can attack inside and shoot from the outside. He has incredible athletic ability, excellent jumping ability, excellent height and wingspan. He can dribble like a point guard. He has good passing ability and excellent speed...Now think about it, isn't it like a joke?"

Carlisle smiled: "It's true... The draft report given by the media is indeed a joke!"

Dumars flipped through Boozer's draft report.

ESPN's report reads: "Strong scoring power forward, good two-handed finisher. 18-foot mid-range jumper with high arc. Can score in the low post. Injury prone. Good rebounder but so-so defense. Lacks length and defensive passion."

NetEase’s report reads: “Boozer has made up for his physical inadequacies through his acquired efforts. He has solid basic skills, the main means are mid-range shots and cuts, his offensive efficiency is very stable, and his shooting percentage can reach more than 50%.”

"He doesn't force himself to do some exaggerated moves, so he doesn't attack the post very much, and he doesn't have the ability to shoot from beyond the three-point line."

"The rebounding ability is very strong, the defensive awareness is poor, the lateral footsteps can't keep up with most power forwards, the height and arm length are limited, and the blocking ability is not very good."

"The defense is not good, basically unable to prevent other people's breakthroughs, and there are too many fouls. However, due to the tonnage in the interior, it will not become a defensive black hole. In general, he is a player who focuses on offense and neglects defense!"

Dumars thought for a moment, then raised his head and asked, "Darling, if we choose him, what will happen to the team's defense? We have already lost Chauncey, and the quality of perimeter defense will definitely decline!"

Wang Dalin said with a smile: "As long as Ben and I are here, the team's interior defense will have no problems. As for the exterior defense...don't we still have Joan and Michael? In addition, we can also look at the free market. We just want to find a defender who can defend. It shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

Dumars frowned, and said worriedly: "But if the Pistons don't have a strong defense, won't they lose our tradition?"

Carlisle laughed and said, "Joe, you don't think our championship this year was won by defense, do you? I don't want to laugh at the Pistons' defensive tradition, but I have to tell you responsibly, the phrase 'defense wins the championship' is pure bullshit in my opinion! As long as the Pistons still let me be the head coach, the team's tactical system will always be 'offensive and defensive balance'!"

Wang Dalin also nodded and said: "Joe, Coach Rick is right. Carlos' offensive power is very good. He is exactly what we need!"

Dumars nodded and said, "Okay, I'm willing to accept your opinions. Of course, our first target is Tayshaun Prince. If he is picked by others, we will choose Carlos Boozer!"

……

The next day, Wang Dalin and Carlisle were called to the office by Dumars again, this time not for this year's draft, but for Mehmet Okur, who was selected by the Pistons with the ninth overall pick in the second round last year.

In fact, the Turkish center should have reported to the Pistons last year, but because he had one year left in his contract with the Turkish Efesbyson, and he was unwilling to pay the buyout fee out of his own pocket, so he simply played in Turkey for another year.

Maybe it was luck that couldn't stop it. In the year he played more, the Efes Bison team successfully won the Turkish League.

Okur is undoubtedly very happy to be able to land in the NBA after winning the championship in his hometown... This is the same as Yao Ming who is about to land in the NBA. Just this season, he led the Shanghai team to defeat the Bayi team led by "God of War" Liu Yudong, and finally won the first CBA league championship trophy in his career.

Dumars called Wang Dalin and Carlisle, and mainly asked them for their opinions on what kind of contract the Pistons should sign with the Turkish center.

The NBA has no rules on the salary standard for second-round picks. It can be a basic salary or a maximum salary. For example, Manu Ginobili, who was selected by the Spurs in the No. 1999 eighth pick in the second round in 20, signed a two-year $2002 million contract with the team when he landed in the NBA in 2. The main reason is that Ginobili has made very dazzling achievements in the European League.

For the Pistons, Okur is of course a rookie, but after all, he just led the team to win the Turkish league championship and has already proved himself in the European professional league, so only giving him a basic salary contract... Obviously a bit inappropriate!
"Darling, what do you think of us giving him a two-year, $2 million contract?" Dumars asked, "We treat him badly at the price of the veteran's basic salary contract, right?"

Wang Dalin thought for a moment and said, "Joe, I advise you to sign a longer contract with him as much as possible, such as three years and $3 million, what do you think?"

Dumars wondered: "No matter what, he is only a second-round pick. Is it too risky to give a long-term contract?"

Carlisle also asked, "Darling, did you pay attention to Mehmet?"

Wang Dalin had no choice but to make nonsense: "Yes, I have paid attention to him a long time ago. He performed very well in the European Championship last year and led the Turkish team to the runner-up in the European Championship. He is a very good center! With him, we don't need to worry about the candidate for a backup center!"

Since the contracts of the two backup centers, Victor Alexander and Gates Joseph, have expired, the Pistons now have only Ben at the center position.

Considering O'Neal's low-post dominance in the Lakers, almost all teams in the league will hoard one or two meat shield centers. Of course, the Pistons are not immune.
So Dumars has already considered it very clearly. When the door of the trading market opens on July 7, he will sign with Gates as soon as possible, and first hold this giant insider in his hands.

He doesn't care how much playing time Gates can have. Anyway, in order to deal with O'Neal, he must have one or two large tank centers, and Gates is just a good choice.

I heard that the Bulls are already focusing on cultivating Eddie Curry. This young center with a height of 211cm and a weight of 134KG averaged only about 16 minutes per game last season, but he could score 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds. Overall, his potential is very good.

"Well, well, Darling, I will consider your opinion!" Dumas didn't say anything dead, sitting in his seat, there were too many issues to consider, and it was impossible to make promises to others easily.

Of course, Wang Dalin hoped that Dumars would give Okur a long-term contract, so that the Pistons would not only have enough inside offensive power in the second team, but also he could occasionally join the starting lineup.

Anyway, Daben's height is only 201cm, which is a bit too short to play a center forward!
(Big Ben: Who said I’m only 201cm? I’m clearly 206cm, okay!)

On the evening of June 6, Wang Dalin and Carlisle attended the draft meeting with Dumars. When NBA Commissioner David Stern stepped onto the rostrum gracefully, the audience immediately booed him enthusiastically.

I don't know when it started, but every year when Stern makes his appearance in the draft, people will always boo him to welcome him, which has become the practice of the draft.

Of course, Stern didn't take it seriously, but started his annual speech with a smile on his face: "Good evening, welcome to New York's 'Madison Square Garden', this is the 2002 NBA Draft, and friends in the United States and Canada can watch our live broadcast on TNT..."

After the speech that will be repeated every year, the staff came to the stage and handed an envelope to Stern... This is the choice of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and their choice directly determines who will become the No. [-] pick!

The fans watching the live broadcast in China were extremely nervous. They all wanted to rush to the scene to snatch the envelope. Can Yao Ming become the first Chinese NBA No. [-] pick?
"The first pick in the first round of the 2002 NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected... Jay Williams from Duke University!"

The Chinese fans were all disappointed. They thought that Yao Ming could become the No. [-] pick, but he still failed to accomplish this miracle.

Wang Dalin who was on the scene also sighed, and then he showed a gratified smile... The Cavaliers chose Jay Williams, which means that they did not reach a deal with the Rockets, otherwise they would definitely choose Yao Ming!

Obviously, the Cavaliers are also afraid that the Warriors will cut the Hu at the second pick.

What if they drafted Yao Ming for the Rockets and the Warriors took Jay Williams with the second overall pick?

Being able to become the No. [-] pick in the draft, Jay Williams looked very happy, and his face was full of smiles when he took a photo with Stern on the stage.

The Duke University point guard has long been famous all over the world. He is the undisputed best college player in the United States. He has won the Naismith and Wooden Awards.

他在杜克大学三年的总得分排在球队历史第六位（2079分），助攻第三（644次）、抢断第五（235次）、三分球命中数第二（313个）、三分球出手数也是第二（797次）、三分球命中率第七（39.3%）。

He led Duke University to a record of 108 wins and 95 losses in 13 games, and led Duke University to win the NCAA championship.

But even so, in the eyes of most people, Yao Ming is obviously more qualified than him to be the No. [-] pick. After all, Yao Ming has proven himself in professional leagues and international competitions.

After a brief uproar, the staff came to the stage and handed Stern a second envelope.

"The second pick in the first round of the 2002 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors chose... Yao Ming from Shanghai, China!"

This time, the domestic fans who watched the live broadcast were happy...not being the No. [-] pick, but the second place is not bad!
Like the original time and space, Yao Ming did not come to the scene of the draft, so he could only accept interviews from many reporters in the training hall of the Shanghai Men's Basketball Team.

"As a member of the Chinese national team, and now being selected as the No. [-] pick in the NBA, what does it mean to you?"

"Well... this means a brand new start, because there is a new league waiting for me ahead, there must be many challenges and problems, I think the most important thing is to learn new things from it, and then in the near future can help improve the level of Chinese basketball."

"How much do you know about Golden State's new teammates?"

"Hehe, of course I know them... Antawn Jamison is a very good big man. His offensive power is very strong, and he can swing freely in the third and fourth positions! Jason Richardson is an excellent swingman. He is physically strong, his jumping ability is comparable to Vince Carter, and his mid-range and long-range shots are very accurate!"

"Do you think you will replace Eric Dampier as the team's starting center in the new season?"

"I dare not say this, but my shots are more accurate, and I can also protect the frame and grab rebounds. I also have a good pass. I think I have my own advantages!"

"What are your goals for the new season?"

"You should ask our head coach this question. I can't make any guarantees. But I believe in the strength of our team. At least we should set our goal to reach the playoffs!"

The beautiful reporter sent by TNT TV station was a little shocked. She didn't expect Yao Ming, a big guy who looks simple and honest, but he has wisdom that completely doesn't match her appearance. Although his English is terrible, his answers are always so wise.

The scene of the draft is still going on, and the staff also delivered the Rockets' envelopes.

"The third pick in the first round of the 2002 NBA draft, the Houston Rockets selected...Nikroz Sgotishvili from Tbilisi, Georgia!"

This is also easy to understand. Since Yao Ming cannot be selected, the Rockets will of course choose among several other centers. They selected the Georgian white center and missed Nene Hilario and Amare Stoudemire perfectly.

Like Darko Milicic later, Sgotishvili is an overblown example of having a Europa League background.

In the original time and space, the Nuggets selected him in the hope that he could become the next Nowitzki, but he was extremely clumsy in team defense and afraid of physical confrontation.

新秀赛季他场均上场16.9分钟却只能得到3.9分2.2篮板1.1助攻，投篮命中率29.3%，三分命中率24.3%……他的新秀赛季表现烂到无以复加，可这竟然就是他职业生涯的巅峰赛季了！

Wang Dalin couldn't help laughing out loud at the scene, and Carlisle asked curiously, "Darling, what are you laughing at?"

"No... I think of some happy things!"

"What joy is there?"

"My wife gave birth to... no, it was my neighbor's wife who gave birth to a pair of twins!"

"Hmm...it's quite a joy!"

……

Drafts follow one after another. Due to the change of picks, the first few picks in the first round and the original time and space have changed a lot.

In the original time and space, the Bulls got the second pick, and they also picked Jay Williams, the No. [-] point guard in the United States, but in this life, their pick was only the fourth pick, so they had to pick Mike Dunleavy... This guy should have been picked by the Warriors.

The Grizzlies still selected Drew Gooden with the fifth overall pick, the Nuggets with the sixth overall pick Dajuan Wagner, and the Knicks with the seventh overall pick Nene Hilario.

At this point, the draft has finally returned to normal. For example, the Clippers chose Chris Wilcox with the eighth pick, the Suns picked Amare Stoudemire with the ninth pick, and the Heat picked Caron Butler with the tenth pick... Wang Dalin couldn't help laughing again. The Heat and the player surnamed "Butler" really have a fate!
With the No.20 sixth pick in the first round, the Spurs selected Tyshawn Prince. Dumars couldn't help but sighed, and then stuffed the letter with "Carlos Boozer" in the envelope.

Wang Dalin couldn't help but feel a little bit emotional, having already chosen this position, the old thief Bobo was able to choose one of the two best rookies among the remaining rookies, his vision is really unique.

Fortunately, the Pistons have long been prepared.

Although it is difficult for Wang Dalin to compare the pros and cons of Boozer and Prince, Boozer is undoubtedly much stronger than his rookie season.

Even comparing all the rookies of this year, Boozer's performance in his rookie season can also be ranked sixth. Only Yao Ming, Stoudemire, Butler, Nene and Gooden are stronger than him.

These are all top ten picks in the first round. How can the Pistons pick them?

Finally, it was the turn of the Pistons. Stern glanced at the name in the envelope, his expression obviously a little surprised.

"The No.2002 eighth pick in the first round of the 20 NBA draft, the Detroit Pistons chose...Carlos Boozer from Duke University!"

Boozer is watching the live broadcast at his home. Of course, a player like him who is not favored by the outside world has no chance of being invited into the "little green room".

Originally, he thought that he could only be ranked in the middle and lower reaches of the second round, but he did not expect that the defending champion Pistons actually selected him with the No.20 eighth pick in the first round. He was completely stunned for a while.

Just when he was stunned, the cell phone on the coffee table rang suddenly, and Boozer woke up immediately, and quickly picked it up to have a look.

The call was from an unfamiliar number, he pondered for a while and pressed the answer button.

"Hi, hello, I'm Carlos Boozer, who are you?"

"Hi, hello, Carlos, I'm Darling Wang, I'm very happy to be your teammate!"

"Are you Darling-King? You called me? Ah... no?"

"Carlos, you don't need to be so surprised. We will soon be teammates. Is it strange that I called you?"

"Ah...you're right, nothing surprising, sorry, I was just too surprised!"

"In a few days, I should go back and report to the Chinese men's basketball team. After the World Championships, I will hold a training camp in Detroit. Let's train together, okay?"

"Okay...ok...that's great, it's my honor to train with you!"

"Okay, then it's settled, I'll call you when I get back!"

Wang Dalin didn't expect that his plan would die suddenly, let alone report to the national team, even the formation of the training camp was completely in vain.

On the second day after the draft, Wang Dalin was doing shooting practice on his own court.

Ever since he lost the channel to directly improve his ability with points, he practiced for a while every day, even when he was playing in the finals.

You can't use points to add points directly. Now if you want to improve your ability, you can only rely on training. What if you don't practice?
However, the speed of this kind of training improvement is indeed too slow. From the end of May to the present for nearly two months, he only improved by 5 point for post-up hook shooting and close-range shooting, and his other abilities did not improve.

Of course, he played in the finals some time ago, of course he didn't practice very systematically.

After the finals, the team naturally disbanded on the spot, and he could only practice on the court in his yard every day.

Recently, he has been preparing to hire a professional trainer and rent a professional training hall. After the World Championships, he will come back and train hard, trying to improve his ability value a little bit.

He wanted to end the day with a good dunk, but it was a disaster...

As soon as he jumped up, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his left thigh. After landing, he jumped a few times with his right foot and almost fell down on the spot.

The pain was so severe that Wang Dalin could no longer walk, so he had to call the team doctor of the Pistons.

The team doctor quickly rushed to his home, helped him into the car, and soon arrived at the hospital.

After a series of examinations, the doctor told him very seriously: "Unfortunately, Darling-Wang, your hamstring strain on the back of your left thigh is grade two. Ideally, it will take at least half a month to recover. I must ask you to receive hospital treatment!"

"What?" Wang Dalin was taken aback... What the hell was I just dunking the basket, and this is a second-degree hamstring injury?Do you want to be so bad?

　Thanks to "Book Friends 20170812110821038", "Fei Jin", "Dig Fuwa", "Liu Lao Niu 369" for their monthly encouragement!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)