Eight Hundred and Forty-Eight. The Left and Right Guards Are in Place

"Oh.No! SHXT! How could they choose Thompson!"

The two Warriors owners heard David Stern pronounce his name and cursed on the spot.

Before last year's draft, they were ridiculed by the media and scolded by fans for using last year's No. 6 pick in exchange for this year's first-round pick. What was the plan?

Klay Thompson!

Klay Thompson’s father, Michael Thompson, was the one who was traded back to the Lakers by Jerry West from the Spurs. Jerry West and Michael Thompson had a very good personal relationship, and they often had dinner dates together over the years. Le Thompson's shooting talent and defensive talent are obvious.

Klay Thompson's draft expectations are not high. Last year, Klay Thompson was not very stable in the first round. It was impossible for the Warriors to choose him, otherwise they would be deprived of the draft rights, so Klay Thompson stayed in college for another year. , wait until this young year when most talents were unwilling to participate in the draft before the lockout.

Last year's sophomore Klay Thompson did not apply for the draft. Jerry West was willing to wait a year. The Warriors management trusted Jerry West's vision.

As a result, the ridiculed "exchanging one's own draft picks for one's own draft picks" operation was in vain!

The two owners, general manager Travis Schlenk and new head coach Mark Jackson were about to collapse and looked at Jerry West.

Jerry West didn't expect that his student would actually choose the one he wanted!

Jerry West feels that he is not as strong as Chris Wallace in terms of transactions and team structure adjustments, but in terms of draft vision, Jerry West has a very good impression of Chris Wallace. Generally, choose Thabeet, for example.

If he were to choose, he would definitely choose Evans without even considering it.

However, this time Chris Wallace's vision has actually improved!

Chris Wallace used the No. 7 pick to select Klay Thompson, who was predicted to be No. 15 after the pick... This caught Jerry West off guard.

"Don't worry! Wait a minute and let me know who the next team will choose. I'll think about it." Jerry West maintained his mood and couldn't panic.

As he gets older, Jerry West took out his notebook and reorganized this year's draft list.

Things like the draft are hard to say. Surprises happen all the time, and Jerry West also has alternatives.

Nikola Vucevic of the University of Southern California is at the top of his list of candidates.

In the 09-10 season, Vucevic came into Jerry West's sights when he was a sophomore.

However, two seasons have passed. Although Thabeet does not have the talent to become the second pick, he has the possibility of becoming a qualified defensive pillar.

Thabeet... regardless of his status as the second overall pick, or that he was a "single trade" for the little bully, it's really useful.

Jerry West's draft plan didn't just come into consideration this year. When he took over the role of team consultant for the Warriors, he began to plan the core construction work for the next three or four years. He was asked to name who among the junior high school players. He can tell who is most likely to enter the NBA.

The second alternative, Jerry West took a look, Reggie Jackson...

If Monta Ellis is sent away early, there is no problem in choosing this, but the reason why the alternative is an alternative is not only the degree of optimism for the player, but also the position.

Now he is very optimistic about Klay Thompson, Vucevic, and Reggie Jackson, but who knows who of the final three will be better and more suitable for Curry + Thabeet?

At this time, Jerry West remembered what happened half a month ago. At that time, Spurs general manager Buford, who had a good personal relationship with him, used George Hill as a bargaining chip to try to get him to help select a sophomore player. , there are hidden dangers of injuries. Before the injury, he was ranked as high as the edge of the lottery, but in the end due to injuries, the predicted pick fell out of the lottery zone, and the 11th pick will definitely be won.

Of course, Jerry West refused. He already had a target he wanted to choose, but he introduced Larry Bird to Buford who might want George Hill.

This makes Jerry West very curious. A player who has played like George Hill is willing to give up. How can he take a fancy to such a defensive coolie with no prospects?

So he went to find out more and found out that this guy played football before high school. He only started to officially contact basketball in his freshman year of high school. In his senior year of high school, he relied on his physical fitness to become Mr. California Basketball. He has great talent, but he was said to be the core in college. But they are still used as defensive engineers...

But Jerry West didn't go in-depth.

but now……

Jerry West approves of Buford's draft vision. When it comes to drafting alone, he feels that he and Buford may be on par.

Since the one you want to choose is gone, grab what the other party wants to choose!

Once you decide, do it! If you miss it, you really miss it.

Jerry West took out the letter paper, wrote a name, and stuffed it into the envelope marked 11th-Warriors.

The four people next to him had been surrounding Jerry West. When they saw the name he wrote, now was not the time to doubt or ask. They immediately stared at the big screen. It was the ninth pick.

With the 8th pick, the Cavaliers selected the talented man Tristan Thompson, and three rookies, Derrick Williams, Biyombo, and Tristan, whose upper and lower limits were difficult to judge, were selected.

At the 9th pick, a trade took place. The Nets traded their 9th pick to the Bobcats. The Bobcats selected Kemba Walker and took away their draft pick. The Warriors "delayed the selection for a year." "Kemba Walker, Boss Joe's proud smiling face appeared on the TV screen, and he snatched the person Jerry West wanted.

The commentator was also mocking the Warriors. They exchanged last year's No. 6 pick for this year's No. 11 pick in order to select Kemba Walker. As a result, the Grizzlies selected Paul George with the sixth pick, and this year, Kemba - Walker was intercepted.

When it comes to the 10th pick, it is very critical. Jerry West attaches so much importance to a draft that cannot be missed.

When the Pistons selected Brandon Knight with the 10th overall pick, whom they hoped to replace Prince Edward, Jerry West quickly handed the envelope that was almost crushed in his hand to the league who came to their office door. staff member.

…

Memphis, Sun Ce's living room.

Watching the draft as a player is very different from watching the draft as a fan.

Sun Ce wants to understand the characteristics of these players who are about to enter the NBA during their college years. The draft is a very good channel, and the media has relatively pertinent analysis. After all, they have not gone to a certain team and do not have much tendency; there is also the first round. You can learn more about these rookies from aspects such as their character performance after being selected.

He really had to study them one by one. Unless they were players like Griffin, Evans, and James who performed well in their rookie seasons, Sun Ce didn't have the time to understand them before the game. He had to focus on dealing with them. The strongest one on the other side.

It's very interesting to see it this way. It gives you a first impression of the other party. As for what kind of person the other party really is, it's not very important. They only play against each other a few times a year.

Even though Sun Ce played so well with Nash and James before, they didn't have much time to meet each other during the season, so they only had the opportunity to meet more during the offseason.

Not being in the same team and not familiar with each other, Sun Ce's impression of the opponent only stayed on the court.

After the top ten picks were selected, Sun Ce was looking forward to who the Warriors would select. He was looking forward to the scene of Jerry West jumping in anger.

Three minutes later, David West returned to the stage with an envelope and was booed again.

If you don't get booed in the draft, you won't be David Stern. Sun Ce thinks that people really can't highlight how good a person is without comparison. This is all booing. In five or six years, these fans won't be able to rush up and strangle him to death. New CEO?

"Ladies and gentlemen," David Stern on the stage opened the envelope with a smile without any influence: "In the 2011 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors selected... Kawhi from Washington State University -Leonard.”

"Hold the sun!"

"Brother! He's talking dirty again! There's such a cute little sister here who actually talks dirty when she speaks. By the way, is this rookie very good?"

"Sorry, sorry... It's hard to say whether it's great or not. Juanjuan, look at it, there's a bone on the back of the head from this side!" Sun Ce said, rubbing his big white leg to calm down his shock.

"Brother, how do you see the bone on the back of the head from the front? Why can't I see it?"

"This is not important. What is important is what we will eat for lunch tomorrow? Juanjuan, do you have any suggestions?"

“I want to eat Malatang, but the restaurant in Chinatown that my classmates and I went to didn’t taste good.”

"It's okay, I'll order a chef from China..."

"Brother, you are so good!"

"Little things, little things..."

Sun Ce rested his head on Zu Ge's lap and sent a text message on his mobile phone to Zu Ge's uncle, Sun Ce's agent in China. After settling the matter, he finally suppressed his shock.

Just listen to the next few positions and talk slowly first.

"If Leonard goes to the Warriors, can he perform well? The Warriors have just decided to head coach Mark Jackson, right? It's hard to say. The defense is really good, although it is not as good as George in the early stage. I remember George was on the second defense in the second grade. , played first defense in his third year, and Leonard only defended his first second defense in his third year, but he quickly became the best defensive player in his fourth year. Is the Warriors' rebuilding delayed? But it's hard to say. I originally planned to praise Leonard. Nader allowed a team in front of him to choose him and not be chosen by the Spurs, but the Spurs took Gay away, and the Warriors took Leonard away...

What’s behind the logo? "

Sun Ce was thinking wildly, and he really couldn't think of how to operate behind the logo man. Even with the Spurs' patient training, Leonard only averaged 20 points per game in the 2015-16 season. The Warriors' perimeter defense has a future. As a first-defense player, Curry will definitely not be able to support him alone. Ellis knows that Sun Ce knows the logo man and has long wanted to trade, but their boss likes this non-defensive and offensively weakened version of Kobe. Ellis will definitely be traded. , I just don’t know if he will go to the Bucks in exchange for Bogut. It seems that Thabeet is playing well now...

He couldn't understand, and Sun Ce didn't think about it anymore. Instead, he had more expectations, because the Warriors selected a stock with ultimate potential, and there are many more variables. It depends on whether the Warriors have the patience to survive Leonard's rookie contract, but in the next four years , Leonard will definitely only have an obvious effect on the defensive end. On the offensive end... free throws are a problem, but this is more interesting. In this way, the Warriors have not completed the core construction. What kind of follow-up will the logo man come up with? Sun Ce is looking forward to it.

Ignoring this, Sun Ce turned his head sideways, looked at the TV screen sideways, and continued to watch the draft.

Later, the Bucks took the lead in selecting the lonely master and completed the deal with the Kings. It was the college pitcher who formed a double-dwarf with Isaiah Thomas.

The rest of the draft was uneventful. There weren't many trades in this year's draft. Some were selected early, a few picks short, and then forced the teams they originally wanted to pick to trade to earn one or two second rounds.

Finally, with the 26th pick in the first round, Sun Ce’s other bag-carrying boy arrived...

"Ladies and gentlemen, in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies selected...Jimmy Butler from Marquette University!"

"..."

Sun Ce already knew that the team's purpose in this year's draft was to please him. According to Tim Hardaway, the team was planning to select two bag boys for him, but he didn't expect that they actually chose him!

However, Jimmy Butler's senior performance looked terrible to Sun Ce. It was not as good as when he played in the preseason in his rookie year. Apart from being strong and ruthless, Sun Ce seemed to have no obvious advantages. He had the talent to learn any technique. However, I still feel like I am not proficient in everything by practicing blindly.

Sun Ce never thought about selecting Thompson and Jimmy Butler, but Sun Ce thought it was a good thing that he was not a little assassin.

Just like Sun Ce didn't take care of the little assassin at the bottom, how could the team have the free time to give the little assassin the freedom to throw casually like the Kings? When Isaiah Thomas was at his peak, he had to rely on the whole team to pick and roll. In their Grizzlies team... it's impossible. Wouldn't this delay someone's future? There is no hatred or resentment.

But it doesn't matter if he chooses Jimmy Butler. This guy is different from Leonard. Leonard has almost zero basic teaching in shooting and singles. It really needs the team's patience and careful training. There is a shortage of shooting coaches and technical experts. No; Jimmy Butler is easier to support and has more of the demeanor of Tony's teacher, but there is a high probability that he will be placed in the Development League. He may also be regarded as the third shooting guard after Tony Allen and Thompson, or as the third shooting guard between Paul George and Paul George. The third small forward after Battier.

Now that he has chosen, Sun Ce's attitude towards Jimmy Butler is the same as towards Paul George last season. If he has a chance to play, then he will be used as a defensive engineer. If not, forget it. Jimmy Butler is no worse than Leonard. When he entered the NBA with the Spurs, he found a trainer to correct his shooting hand and a personal trainer to help him train. Jimmy Butler didn't play much in his rookie season after being drafted by the Bulls. If it really didn't work, he might apply for a trade himself. If you want to leave, just trade.

There is no such thing as unreasonable care. You have to be capable or lovable in other ways.

Sun Ce will make suggestions about who to choose. He will mention it now and he will mention it in the future. Unless he feels it is necessary, it doesn't matter whether other teams choose him or not, but just don't delay him and the teammates he wants to partner with.

Soon the Bulls arrived with the 26th pick, and they selected Jordan Hamilton...

Sun Ce's attention was distracted again, thinking that there was a Tathagata standing on his left, and a tough guy who was suspected of being Jordan's illegitimate son on his right... If there was a fight while playing, Thompson could use Dharma to convert the opponent and convince them with reason; If reasoning doesn't make sense, let Jimmy Butler conquer them with force...

After the first round of the long draft, Sun Ce didn't have much interest anymore. He waited in a daze with his big white legs until the end. He remembered that with the 59th pick, they selected a Hungarian forward named Adam Honggao. There is no video, which means it is basically a random selection. There is no cash transaction of draft picks this year, and it is so miserable.

On the side of Isaiah Thomas, the confused Sun Ce seemed to be selected by the Kings with the Bulls' second-round pick at No. 57.

…

…

After the draft, the countdown to the NBA lockout began.

Sun Ce didn't want to go to the arena to join in the fun. The management and coaching staff tested and signed the newly selected players and Neal who had just been traded, arranged summer training tasks based on the current technical level, etc., and helped them find them before the shutdown. Looking for a place to stay, finding free training venues, etc... I'm already very busy.

For the Grizzlies, the lack of a free market is secondary to the lockout. The life problems of newly drafted rookies are very troublesome. Once the lockout starts, the team will not be able to have any dealings with the players. All, everything, and all forms of contact will be blocked. no.

But on the 28th, on the eve of the last labor negotiation before the start of the offseason, Sun Ce was still called to the arena...

"Coach, let me take this kid to train?" Sun Ce didn't expect that he would be arranged to come here.

"Klay will train shooting and running with Sean this summer. I have already arranged where Jimmy will live. There is an enthusiastic fan near your home who will provide Jimmy with accommodation. There is no one living at their house, so just pretend that Jimmy is helping them. You don't have to worry about food and accommodation. His agent lent him money. He has a guaranteed contract that can be repaid next season, but he has no training place..." Coach Hollins, "Also, he is older than You're older."

"That's no problem." Sun Ce did not refuse, but ignored what Coach Hollins said later.

Just as he appreciates Leonard's efforts, he also appreciates Jimmy Butler. Sun Ce said: "My home gym is big enough for us to train together, but I will be back in China for a while next month and have no time to take care of him. "

"Lord, don't worry, I don't need anyone else to take care of me. Just give me a basketball and a court." Jimmy Butler said proactively.

This tone, neither humble nor arrogant, did not shrink because he was a rookie, and was a little crazy, which made Sun Ce feel very special.

"Have you signed the contract? Then let's go." Sun Ce said and walked towards the employee passage.

"Go? Where to?"

"Training! Didn't you ask me to train together?"

"Train now?"

"What else? I don't have time to waste, or are you not ready?"

"No! Always be prepared!"