One Thousand Six Hundred and Ten. Aren’t We Looking for a Center with a Minimum Salary?

The coaching staff is worried that the players are not as good as before. Compared with Nash and the two bears in the past, if the current lineup of the Grizzlies is not too injured, with the trio of Sun Ce, Klay Thompson and Paul George who are in such good shape this year, it is no problem to hit 60 wins.

Even with such injuries, there is still a chance to hit 55 wins.

It is purely because they are used to being rich and powerful, and now they are not very adaptable to a well-off life.

And teammates are extremely important for a superstar. Even James and Kobe need teammates, not to mention Sun Ce, whose personal ability is not so strong and who is extremely dependent on teammates.

Just like tonight, his teammates have a good touch, and he, Sun, gets assists!

This may be a special case, but usually, it often happens that Sun Ce himself has a bad touch and is blocked from scoring, and then relies on his teammates to score.

Also, when Sun Ce is not feeling well, Klay Thompson can drive him when he is feeling good!

The outstanding performance of his teammates tonight made Sun Ce easily get a triple-double.

After three quarters, Sun Ce scored 18 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals, and clocked out after three quarters!

85 to 63, the Grizzlies led by 22 points after three quarters and entered the last intermission.

Today, the whole Grizzlies team was in good shape, while the Jazz were average, so the Grizzlies gradually expanded their lead in the first three quarters, and the overall team was like flowing water, and they locked the victory cleanly.

Coach Hollins was a bit average. If he had known earlier, he would have let Prince rest tonight, and Gobert could have been sent on. Now he can only replace Livingston, Hardaway Jr., Paul George, Prince, and Valanciunas in the last quarter.

The Jazz also replaced Jimmy Butler, who scored 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal in the first three quarters. Kanter, Alec Burks, Marvin Williams and others were also replaced, leaving rookie Trey Burke to lead the team. It was also to train young players. The game was no longer suspenseful. No matter whether it was the losing side or the winning side, something had to be done. The game time could not be wasted to maximize the benefits.

There was no suspense in the last quarter. The Grizzlies did not continue to widen the gap, and the Jazz could not catch up. The gap was always above 15 points.

Sun Ce, Coach Hollins, and Paul George sat together to discuss the next schedule.

After this game, there are 15 games left. Since many of them were home games before, 9 of the remaining 15 games are away games. After this wave of three consecutive home games, there will be 9 away games and 4 home games.

The content of the discussion was more about complaining, but it was also fortunate that there were more home games in so many games before.

Under such unfavorable circumstances this season, we are still ranked fourth in the West. The foundation laid in the first half of the season is very important, otherwise we would have been overtaken by the Warriors with a wave of 10 consecutive wins.

Before February, the schedule was relaxed, there were many home games, Sun Ce made great strides this season, and the double 3D had talent and the courage to take responsibility... This greatly reduced the impact of injuries.

Just as Sun Ce and others were chatting and waiting for the end of the game, something unexpected happened!

Valanciunas actively fought for an out-of-bounds ball and fell out. The cameraman outside the baseline could not dodge in time and knocked down and was injured!

...

It's really unlucky to drink cold water!

Sometimes this luck is really bad, just like the Warriors before Sun Ce joined the NBA. In the 08-09 season and the 09-10 season, the Warriors often had injuries and couldn't even make up the minimum roster of seven players.

In the game against the Jazz, the Grizzlies center Valanciunas and the cameraman were both injured. The cameraman was knocked unconscious by the 120 kg Valanciunas and the camera. Valanciunas was relatively okay, but only compared to the cameraman. He had a stress fracture in his palm when he was supporting himself. At this stage, there is no doubt that he is out for the season!

108 to 95, the Grizzlies defeated the Jazz and improved their record to 46 wins and 21 losses,

but lost another inside player!

Randolph, Stoudemire, Valanciunas, the Grizzlies' inside players are full of injuries this season, and three of them are out!

Other players, Yi Jianlian, Larry Sanders, and Prince are also injured, and only Amir Johnson and Gobert are completely healthy.

On the night of the game against the Jazz, the Grizzlies submitted a confirmed report of Valanciunas' right metacarpal fracture to the league and applied for an injury exception.

Now the team has only 13 players, including two rookies, Hardaway and Gobert, which means that there will be 11 players available in the playoffs.

Especially in the interior, even if Prince and Richard Jefferson are used purely as power forwards, plus Yi Jianlian, Amir Johnson, and Larry Sanders, there are only 5 players.

Even if Valanciunas is included, the interior is still weak. None of the interior players currently owned by the Grizzlies can have the strength of Gasol or Randolph, and now it is worse.

The league quickly approved the Grizzlies' application for injury exceptions, and Valanciunas was temporarily removed from the 15-man roster, and the Grizzlies received an injury exception of 1.8 million US dollars.

On the morning of the 21st, before the Grizzlies' next home game against the Pacers, before 8 o'clock, the coaching staff and management had already held a meeting in the conference room of the stadium.

"Chris, what other centers are there in the free market?" asked owner Robert Pera.

Chris Wallace shook his head: "There are no inside players who can help us in the free market now. There are some veterans, but they are not outstanding veterans. They are not qualified. It is better to give Rudy more playing time..."

The last sentence made Chris Wallace feel annoyed. Being able to say such a thing means that he stayed up all night last night, and collected all the inside players who were cut this season but have not been signed by any team, and even the inside players who have not found a job since last summer...

At this time, unless a veteran inside player of a certain team wants to cling to the thigh of the Grizzlies, and takes the initiative to buy out the original team, and the original team is willing to let the veteran pursue dreams, otherwise it is impossible.

But the characteristics of their Grizzlies this season are that Sun Ce has held on to the present with double 3D and a lineup full of injuries. If they want to buy out to the championship team, they will go to the Lakers, Spurs, and Bulls.

But after the Grizzlies applied for an injury exception last night and the league approved it in seconds, more than a dozen players had applied for tryouts before 12 o'clock last night. This morning, some players who play in Europe and Asia also applied for tryouts.

The Grizzlies did not have high expectations for this. Most of the players who tried out were players who were abandoned by NBA teams and went overseas to find opportunities to play. They might not be able to play in the summer league or the development league.

However, with a try-it mentality, the Grizzlies decided to try out.

Coincidentally, tomorrow's opponent, the Pacers, has a game tonight. The game between the Grizzlies and the Pacers tomorrow is the first back-to-back game for the Grizzlies and the second back-to-back game for the Pacers. Tonight, the Pacers will play against the Hornets.

At 8 o'clock, Coach Hollins saw Sun Ce coming and began to prepare for tomorrow's game. What needs to be done now still needs to be done well.

At the same time, assistant coach Tim Hardaway, trainer Stockton, and Battier from the general manager's office were asked to prepare for the tryout at the visiting team's training ground.

After screening, the coaching staff decided to accept the application of 5 players among the 31 players who applied for the tryout.

There are several conditions. The first is young, between 24 and 28 years old; the second is height, starting from seven feet, not less than seven feet, if the ability is not good, at least you can stand under the basket to scare people; the third is that you must come here for the tryout before 12 noon today.

The requirements are very strict, but it is related to money and time. You can't waste your own time, and it's best not to waste other people's time. It's impossible to sign people casually. There are so many players who try out every year. It's a blessing that one out of 100 tryout players can get a 10-day short contract.

...

33 triple-doubles, but one less teammate... Sun Ce feels a little numb now.

Sun Ce reviewed the careers of those superstars. Since superstars usually have a long career, they can encounter anything after more than ten years of career. Among them, the team's injury wave is an inevitable situation.

Magic, Jordan, Olajuwon, O'Neal, Kobe, Duncan... all encountered it. The main reason is that their teams are strong. After playing very well for two or three consecutive years, such as entering the conference finals or the finals, they will basically have a large range of injuries in the next season.

What makes him upset is that those players encountered such problems in their peak period, and he, Sun, is only in the fifth year of his career...

Last night, the news that the Grizzlies applied to the NBA for an injury exception has been heard. In today's tactical meeting, coach Hollins officially announced to the players that Valanciunas is out for the season.

Let alone Sun Ce, everyone on the Grizzlies side has gotten used to it.

Thanks to the fact that they have a lot of people available this season, they can rotate as many as possible with 12 or 13 players. Otherwise, it is really possible that they can't make up the roster like the Warriors in the 08-09 and 09-10 seasons, and they are ready to sign two 10-day short contracts from the Development League for every game.

After the tactical training in the morning, Sun Ce had lunch and ran to the visiting team's training ground curiously. Before 12 noon, the five players who were trying out had all arrived.

The common feature of these five players is that they are all from the southeastern United States. Some play in the Development League and continue to look for jobs after the season ends. Some play outside the United States and return to their hometowns to rest after the season ends.

When Sun Ce arrived at the visiting team's training ground, several players who were trying out were not there, and he met Old Hardaway.

Sun Ce learned that these five players who were trying out had already completed the physical fitness test when they arrived at the stadium in the morning. Next, they will have lunch and rest for two hours. At 3 pm, they will have a technical tryout. Gobert, Little Hardaway, Yi Jianlian, and Richard Jefferson will serve as sparring partners.

Seeing that Old Hardaway had printed several copies of the physical fitness test report in his hand, Sun Ce asked for one, wanting to know about the players who might join the team. Old Hardaway did not refuse.

After getting the physical fitness test reports of the five trial players, Sun Ce returned to the home team lounge. As soon as he opened the physical fitness test report of the first player, his eyes widened when he saw the name!

Name: Hassan Whiteside; Permanent address: Gastonia County, North Carolina...

...

"Hassan Whiteside, 25 years old, height 213 cm, weight 109 kg, ability evaluation B+... physical fitness S-... rebounding S+... blocking S..."

Sun Ce couldn't figure out what kind of talent Whiteside had that allowed him to play for three or four years in the NBDL and NBL, two teams that are basically development leagues in China and the United States, and actually advance to the NBA. Starting level?

It is true that Whiteside has nothing but physical fitness, rebounding awareness, and shot-blocking awareness, but rebounding and blocking shots based on S-level physical fitness are too strong!

"Noah, I remember you said that this guy is very powerful. I didn't expect that his strength is even better than imagined, and he is not as thorny as the rumors." David Fizdale was also attracted by Whiteside. The trial performance was astonishing.

After the physical fitness test report came out in the morning, Whiteside's trial training in the afternoon attracted the attention of the entire Grizzlies coaching staff and owner Robert Pera, and Sun Ce also came.

His positioning of offensive rebounds is better than that of Yi Jianlian; his positioning and blocking sense on the defensive end is better than Gobert's; his sense of blocking even surpasses Larry Sanders...

However, not everyone likes Whiteside so much.

After the trial, Old Hardaway asked Whiteside to go back to the lounge and wait for notification. As for the other four trial players, it was just a formality. He had booked their tickets for tomorrow and would go back wherever they came from. , There is no way. With a player with Whiteside's physical fitness and trial performance, others really have no chance. The NBA is so cruel.

The coaching staff and management immediately held a meeting, and Sun Ce was also called over. When deciding on the trial list early this morning, someone on the coaching staff remembered that Whiteside was a player Sun Ce had recommended.

At such a critical moment, it is not easy to decide to sign a player. Now if the Grizzlies don't make a mistake, they may fall out of the top four in the Western Conference!

Even if it is a 10-day short contract, you have to think carefully about it. A short contract definitely means you have to play, otherwise why would you sign it? As for a long contract...

"Sign him! The longest contract is 4 years! Get it!" Sun Ce was really excited this time.

However, the coaching staff and front office reacted differently.

"I think we can try to give him a longer non-guaranteed contract. It's worth a try." David Fizdale supports Sun Ce's idea.

"I don't like his defense. He seems to only defend against blocking shots. In the two-on-two training just now, Sean and Rudy picked and rolled. Whiteside didn't even leave the three-second zone to defend, and Sean got it easily. There was an open shooting opportunity. Although Sean missed the shot and was rebounded by Whiteside, this is not a good defense. It is like this in trials. I am very worried about the game." Defensive assistant Dave Joerger made it clear. Things I don’t like.

"A player like him may have good statistics, but it won't work. He likes to pause when he gets a defensive rebound, instead of passing it immediately to the outside line who pulls out to receive it. He has to look for his teammates. Without his height, he should have vision. "Stockton wasn't very happy with Whiteside either.

"John, you are too tactful in your words. He has an obvious tendency to brush up data. I didn't see him leave the three-second zone during the entire half-time trial. Whether it was grabbing offensive rebounds or defensive rebounds, he could have a lot of success." Good blocking and rebounding efficiency, but when he is on the court, he can't do anything except defend within the three-second zone..."

Sun Ce was confused as he listened to the comments made by the teaching assistants. Is there such a big flaw in Dabai Bian? So bad that you are not even willing to pay a basic salary?

Sun Ce knows that Whiteside has many problems. The flaws analyzed by the coaching staff are indeed there. He is unwilling to block his teammates, is not good in pick-and-rolls, and is unable to defend against pick-and-rolls. He is unlimited mid-range and long-range shots, blocks and defense by the opponent's ball-carrying players. Rebounding has no effect on the team's defense, but mostly has side effects.

But he also has advantages, including strong offensive rebounds!

Forget all that, this is a pure blue-collar center with an average of 10+10 per game, a player who has almost no independent offensive ability and can have a B+ level starting ability purely by relying on physical fitness and rebounding awareness!

Sun Ce remembers that in the original time and space, Whiteside seemed to be rejected by every team every year when he went to trial training. It was in the middle of the 2014-15 season that the Heat signed him as a center because they had no one left due to injuries.

Sun Ce has never understood that with Whiteside's physical fitness, he won't even get a 10-day short contract no matter where he goes for trial training, right?

Whiteside, who has been in low-level leagues such as the Development League and NBL for several years, has also lost the thorny attributes he once had. He was very low-key in today's training and took the initiative to say hello to everyone he met.

Sun Ce interrupted the coaches who were talking non-stop: "Well... well, I want to ask, aren't we signing a center with a minimum salary?

If Whiteside didn't have the flaws you mentioned, would he still be on a minimum salary? Even if he stabs his head again, he won't be able to hit the ball, right? We won't get the chance to try him out at all! "

As the saying goes, a sentence wakes up the dreamer!

Hearing Sun Ce's words, the coaches, trainers, and management personnel who were talking non-stop were stunned.

They were completely distracted by Whiteside's physical fitness, rebounding awareness and shot-blocking awareness.

Whiteside is not the "physical quality" that fans call him, but the physical quality of Duncan after suffering a serious injury from plantar fasciitis at the beginning of the century.

With a wingspan of 231 centimeters, he has mid-range athletic ability among post players.

Add to that Sun Ce's blocking sense and Randolph's offensive rebounding awareness... Everyone present realized that they were discussing Whiteside from the perspective of "criticizing" an All-Star, and this guy, due to those obvious flaws, probably won't have an All-Star chance in his lifetime.

The most important thing is that they just want a minimum-salary center!