basketball player

Chapter 3 003 Dear Percy

Is Zhu Holiday really unknown?Of course not, this seemingly thin No. 21 guard was also selected to the All-American team in high school.After all, not just any cat or dog can play at UCLA.

But compared to his teammates Darren Collison and Arizona's super talented James Harden, who have proven themselves in the NCAA, Holiday's aura is indeed much bleak.

Darren Collison played in UCLA for four years, and even Westbrook was his backup. It is not difficult to imagine how popular this guy is in UCLA.Not to mention James Harden. In ESPN's mock draft rankings, Harden was once ranked No. [-].Among the freshmen, it's hard to find a guard with more scoring ability than Harden.Compared with them, Holiday is indeed not a star.

Henson couldn't help picking up the paper and pen, and he decided to record everything he observed first.

James Harden can easily break through Darren Collison.Collison was so focused on offense that he didn't put much energy into the defense.

In fact, this is a common problem with most young guards.In the eyes of those kids, it seemed that defense was born for the big guys, and the little guys only had to score.

Harden sped past Collison, but his drive didn't work out as Jrue Holiday covered the defense very quickly, keeping Arizona's No. 13 genius on the perimeter.

"Excellent defensive awareness!" Henson smiled happily. Holiday's defense is not very exciting, but as a freshman guard, this kind of willingness to defend is extremely rare.Insufficient ability can be trained the day after tomorrow.But mentality is something that many players will find it difficult to change in their lifetime.

Do most young guards now know what defense is?

Harden didn't expect that he would be blocked. This emaciated No. 21 was more difficult than he imagined.But Harden was not obsessed with singles, but used a white forward who didn't look at people to pass the ball and assisted a white forward who cut inside to the basket and succeeded in one-handed dunking!
"Wow!"

There was an exclamation in the arena, and Henson also searched out the memory of the white forward from his mind.Chase Budinger, he was already a well-known dunker in the United States in high school.

Although Harden is a shooting guard, his passing vision is really good.A genius, indeed a genius.Budinger's dunk is also very exciting, not losing to black players at all.But after a closer look, Budinger's potential value is only C+, and Henson quickly lost interest in the white striker.

Even though Arizona's offense is very fierce, but now Henson is still focusing on Holiday.

In the next round, Holiday's performance on the offensive end surprised Henson.After receiving a pass from the team's star Collison, Holiday did not hesitate, and went straight to the inside and was about to layup.

On the layup, he confronted Arizona center Jordan Hill.Jordan Hill, another genius.With an average of 1.7 blocks per game, ranking second in the league, he is definitely an inside defensive gate that all defenders want to avoid.

However, after a fierce confrontation with Hill, Holiday was able to pull the bar to avoid the block and then made a layup.This guy's finishing ability at the basket is amazing, and the strength contained in his thin body is very powerful!If UCLA is willing to give him more shots, Holiday's data may be even more dazzling than it is now.

In the next 5 minutes of the game, Holiday's performance on both ends of the offense and defense did not disappoint Henson.Although this kid is still very immature, he has great plasticity in all aspects.The data analysis module is not a fool. It is no exaggeration to say that Holiday's potential is A-.

In the end, Arizona, which has the "Big Three" of Harden, Budinger and Jordan Hill, won UCLA without any risk. Darren Collison waved his arm unwillingly.It's really not a good thing for a senior star player to be defeated by a freshman.

UCLA lost, but at least Holiday impressed Henson.Henson closed the small book in his hand, but in fact it was still empty, with nothing written on it.Because Henson has already memorized all the key points in his mind, the mind of a top student is really very useful.

※※※

After watching the game, it was already ten o'clock in the evening.It may take less than 10 minutes for student fans to go from the gymnasium to the dormitory, but it is not that simple for Henson to go from the UCLA campus to the hotel he booked.

"Damn it, is this guy a fool!?" Henson cursed "myself" while taking a taxi on the side of the street.

Those damn guys on the coaching staff sent Henson to visit UCLA near Hollywood, but booked him a hotel in Long Beach!Long Beach belongs to Los Angeles, but it is a satellite city of Los Angeles.It is 40 kilometers away from downtown Los Angeles, and the crime rate is extremely high. It can be said that it is the place with the highest crime rate in the entire Los Angeles area!Henson couldn't even imagine who lived next door to his little hotel room.It is no exaggeration to say that a Chinese American lives alone in a small hotel in Long Beach, risking his life.

Even though the conditions were so difficult, the former Henson didn't even complain, and let others bully him.The cheapest air ticket, the cheapest hotel, even the cheapest seat to watch the game.Henson shook his head, what a goddamn poor fellow.The American basketball circle doesn't like to see yellow-skinned people. Once your work ability is no longer outstanding, this is the end.

It was hard to get a taxi in the crowded Hollywood. When Henson arrived outside the dilapidated small hotel where he lived in Long Beach, it took nearly an hour including the traffic jam time.Henson spent almost all his cash to pay for the car fare. In the end, Henson, who was so hungry, had to use the rest of the money to buy a sandwich that looked like he had no appetite in a small shop opposite the hotel.

Eleven o'clock, scouting report to be written.It seems that on the first day after time travel, I have to stay up late to work.It's all life, it's all poor life!
With a hungry body and the same flat wallet, Henson opened the door and walked into his dilapidated small room.Exhausted, he jumped onto the bed, and the iron bed immediately made a "creaking" sound.

Henson was so frightened that he got up immediately, he was really afraid that he would sleep on the bed and fall apart.

Lying by the window, looking at the scene of Los Angeles outside the window, this is quite different from what Henson imagined in China before.

High-rise buildings and luxurious life are absolutely invisible here. Around the slums of Long Beach, there are only dilapidated low-rise houses and some sneaky gang members.

The breeze came slowly, blowing away a little tiredness.Henson took a bite of the sandwich in his hand, but almost choked to death.

"Cough, cough, cough. Fuck, is such a rough and dry thing for people to eat!?" After cursing, Henson threw the sandwich out of the window angrily.

"Which bastard lost it, doesn't he have eyes?" Someone shouted and cursed from downstairs.However, that was none of Henson's business.

After calming down, Henson sat down at the table, organized his thoughts, and prepared to make the scouting report.This time the scouting report must be convincing enough. If he directly said that I saw Holiday's potential as A-, he would definitely be dismissed as crazy.

He had to use real data and excellent language to prove his vision and the data he saw!
Henson forgot all the unhappiness, organized his thoughts, and was about to start typing when the mobile phone in his pocket rang untimely.

Henson used to be taciturn, so he didn't have many friends in the United States before. It stands to reason that no one should call him at this time.But when Henson saw the caller ID on the phone screen, everything became clear in an instant.Yes, who else but him?

Dennis Posey, a member of the Indiana Pacers coaching staff, is also an interface between the Pacers coaching staff and the scouting department.

Of course, due to Henson's poor work performance in the past, Posey has long lost patience and affection for this Chinese-American who can only play with numbers.He just wants to quickly find an opportunity to drive Henson away, so that he can introduce his good brother to the team, a scout who is currently playing for the Bulldogs of Butler University, and let him replace Henson.In fact, this is also the reason why the coaching staff has been "wearing small shoes" for Henson.

To sum it up in a Chinese saying, the former Henson was "occupying the latrine and not shitting".

"Hey, dear Henson, how was your trip to Los Angeles? Did you like the room we booked for you?" Percy's annoying voice came out as soon as the phone was connected.

"Wonderful, the box springs here are softer than Santa Monica Beach!"

Posy was stunned, when did this Chinese man become so poor-mouthed! ?This guy Henson has never fought back when he was beaten or scolded.

"Then I hope you can rest comfortably tonight, Henson! Because I have already bought you a plane ticket back to Indianapolis at six o'clock the next morning. Tomorrow night, I want to see UCLA's scouting report! Don't expect to send it to me by e-mail, I want you to report to me in person!" Posey's tone immediately became tough, and this little coach can only play a breeze in front of Henson.

"Damn it." Henson cursed in his heart, the plane at six o'clock tomorrow morning, and he has to work tonight, which means that Henson has no time to sleep at all!This Posey is deliberately finding fault with himself!
But in front of this high-spirited coaching staff, Henson didn't want to show weakness.After all, the coaching staff and scouts do not have a strict superior-subordinate relationship, but more like a cooperative relationship.So Percy is not Henson's boss, and he has no obligation to let that damned guy ride on his head.

Maybe the old Henson could bear it, but don't expect the current Henson to swallow it too!
"Oh? That's really bothering you, Posey. Hang up first, and now there are two blonde girls waiting beside me. By the way, the last time you went out for a date and were caught by your wife, it should be calmed down now. It's normal for old couples to be noisy, so don't take it to heart. Maybe tomorrow, your wife won't let you sleep on the sofa anymore."

"Henson! How dare you."

Before Percy could curse out, the phone was hung up.Henson himself laughed, Posey's story is really notorious, even the honest scouts on the team who don't like gossip know about it.

When I get back to Indianapolis tomorrow, I'll let you reacquaint yourself with Henson Joe's, dear Percy.

(End of this chapter)