When pride still matters

Chapter 430 No need to hesitate
The 2008 NBA Draft was a Michael Beasley show from the very beginning.

Before the start of the college season, Beasley was a solid candidate for the No. 2008 pick. Then, Derrick Rose had a great freshman season to move the No. pick. This also profoundly affected the NBA Lottery draw.

Rose is a Chicago native, and Chicago has lacked a facade that can revitalize the market since Jordan retired.

Every ten years, Ross is supposed to be "the guy."

Therefore, there is a force in the air that the Bulls must win this year's No. 1 pick.

A few months ago, the Bulls had the second-lowest odds in history of winning the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. You have to believe in the fairness and justice of the league. This is by no means intended for the Son of the Wind to have a LeBron James-style start as a hometown son, just like the chain reaction caused by Yu Fei in Seattle. This is pure luck, bulls are just lucky, you have to believe it.

However, in addition to the ownership of the No. 1 pick, there are some differences between the No. 2 pick and the No. 3 pick.

The team with the second pick is the Portland Trail Blazers, while the team with the third pick is the Memphis Grizzlies.

This changes many things.

June 2008, 6

This is a generational time and a lot can happen.

Before the start of ESPN's draft show, draft expert Andy Katz excitedly said that Chicago will definitely select Derrick Rose as the No. 1 pick.

Percy, who succeeded in realizing his dream this year, has entered sage mode and doesn't care at all.

"Aha, how fresh," Brown joked. "It's like saying the sun will rise tomorrow."

This can be called cheap and good, but no one will expose this already inflated arrogance.

"What are your goals for your rookie season?"

"That's not necessarily the case," Brown said. "We have to choose a few good prospects. Otherwise, I have to play in the playoffs for so long every year. I really can't stand it."

On this day, Yu Fei organized a barbecue party at home and invited Roy, Brown and Posey. They would also watch the NBA draft together.

What’s interesting is ESPN’s interview with Rose.

Roy was eating barbecue and asked casually: "Do you know who the team will choose?"

"You can choose anyone, right?"

NBA draft day

"Who in the NBA do you most want to play against?"

"So arrogant?" Percy said, "Is he serious?"

Greg Sager asked him three questions.

Before the draft officially started, ESPN showed an old photo of Stern still wearing a mustache to show fans that the NBA Draft, as an annual program, has been accompanying fans on television for 25 years.

Sager asked again: "Who is your favorite NBA player?"

But when Stern appeared on live television for the first time tonight, he looked like every public appearance since the Donaghy era, giving Yu Fei a strong "can't do it" Zhou Chaoxian in "Black Gold" "Stop it", when will they see Stern throw Donaghy out of the plane like Zhou Chaoxian did to prove that the alliance and evil are inseparable?
There was no suspense about what happened after that, as David Stern announced that the Bulls would select Derrick Rose with the No. 1 overall pick. Cut to the Bulls' draft war room, awkwardly applauding in celebration.

"Be the MVP."

His answer broke Percy's sage time.

"Those are two questions. If you're asking a retired player, I'd say Michael Jordan. If it's an active player, my answer is Frye Yu."

"Frye," Rose added, "As a Chicagoan, I prefer MJ."

The atmosphere in Yu Fei's home is joyful.

Roy said to Fei: "I will remind you of this when we play the Bulls next season."

"No need, he has a good memory." Brown asked with a smile, "right, Da Fei?"

Yu Fei smiled: "Do you think I'm so narrow-minded? Didn't he say that he likes me."

"But he likes MJ better."

Yes, why does he prefer MJ? Aside from the fact that he's from Chicago, couldn't he like me more?

This is a question that can be asked in person next season.

After that, there was no suspense about the Blazers' second pick.

Michael Beasley was selected.

ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy said: "Michael Beasley reminds me of Derrick Coleman and Roy Tarpley (C/PF)."

And, Van Gundy said he said it as a compliment.

All you need to know is that Coleman was so praised by Karl Malone: ​​If he worked as hard as I did, he would be the best.

Tarpley was banned from the NBA for life for smoking.

So, it's like a sinister prophecy for Beasley's career.

The worst thing that could happen, however, is that Beasley can't even reach the heights of those two. It's not just his lifestyle that fundamentally shakes his draft stock, but also his talent.

From his senior year to his freshman season, Beasley's registered height was six feet ten (208cm). This blatant lie was exposed in the training camp, and Beasley's real height was only six feet seven inches (201cm). This is a downgrade from the standard power forward size to a small forward.

"When I see him, it's like seeing the Titanic set sail." Percy entered the sage time again, "There is no light in this child's eyes, so it is impossible for him to become a genius."

Yu Fei couldn't help but argue: "What did T-MAC say? He doesn't even have a bright eye."

Posey thought for a moment and said, "That's why he'll never get past the first round."

Then, the Grizzlies, who hold the third pick, can use their own draft to select OJ Mayo, the first-generation top-level representative, without having to spend as much time trading as in the previous life.

Although the gimmick of going up to Joe and going down is bluffing, for Mayo, this is already a "weakening". In high school, he was hailed as a combination of Kobe and James. As a result, a few years later, everyone discovered that he It just developed prematurely, so expectations were lowered.

Subsequently, the Miami Heat, with the fourth pick, selected UCLA's Kevin Love.

This is another attempt at Riley's technical and tactical revolution.

On the trade deadline last season, he sent Marion to Seattle in exchange for Rashard Lewis, which made the SuperSonics champion, while the Heat took advantage of Wade's season reimbursement and ruined it.

Riley has collected a large number of shooters in the team and is ready to show off his talents when Wade returns in the new season.

In the entire lottery, the person most profoundly affected by the time traveler effect is Russell Westbrook.

Other than Sam Presti, no GM would consider Westbrook a top-five pick in the 2008 draft. Presti even regards Westbrook as his second choice after Rose.

However, others don't see it that way.

In the eyes of other lottery pick holders, Westbrook is like the guard version of DeAndre Jordan. As a guard, he is tall and strong, with animal-like physical fitness and physical fitness, but he was the second position at UCLA and was It was determined that he lacked the field control ability and vision at the first position.

He has a 10% chance of becoming a taller and stronger Kevin Johnson, but a 90% chance of becoming Shannon Brown.

Investing in him as a top-five pick would be crazy.

As a result, Westbrook was not selected by the Timberwolves until the eighth overall pick.

"I love his energy and his guts as a player," Kevin McHale said.

As the draft progressed beyond the lottery, Sam Presti found someone in the little green room still undrafted in the Sonics draft war room.

DeAndre Jordan was ignored.

At this time, Presti remembered Yu Fei's suggestion.

At that time, Presti thought Jordan would be a solid lottery pick. Although he was quite raw on both ends of the offense and defense, his physical fitness and athleticism were too amazing.

It can be said that he is not very good at playing, but he can run and jump. With these two, he can play in the NBA.

Even with the fifteenth pick in the draft now, Presti still doesn't believe they have a chance to select DeAndre Jordan.

Then, the twentieth pick passed.

DeAndre Jordan is still there.

Does he have any major hidden dangers?
Presti immediately asked about Jordan through his contacts, and the answer he got was that the teams doubted Jordan's aggressiveness. They felt that Jordan lacked the motivation to forge ahead. When he was at the A&M University, he and his teammates were fighting The coaching staff couldn't get along well, and he only played 20 minutes throughout March Madness.

Primitive technology, poor temperament, and lack of ambition.

These combinations can indeed turn a player with great talent from a favorite to a street rat.

However, the twenty-fifth pick has passed and he is still there!
???

Presti began to feel confused.

What if the weak teams are unwilling to take risks on such a person, but the strong teams are also crazy?
Do you need to hesitate to select the most athletically gifted big man in this class at the end of the first round?

When the Spurs selected George Hill with the 27th overall pick in the first round, the choice came to the SuperSonics.

There is only one person left in the little green room, and that is DeAndre Jordan.

Sam Presti only hesitated for a second on DeAndre Jordan and Dante Green.

"We're going to draft DeAndre Jordan with the 28th pick in the first round!" Presti said to the front line, "Repeat, DeAndre Jordan!"

“DeAndre Jordan at Texas A&M?”

"That's right, DeAndre Jordan!"

Everything after that fell into place.

"In the 2008 NBA Draft," David Stern said specifically, "the world champion Seattle SuperSonics selected DeAndre Jordan with the 28th overall pick in the first round from Texas A&M University!"

At this moment, the SuperSonics fans in front of the TV felt completely comfortable.

now it's right.

Wait, who did we choose?

Forget it, it's not important.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is your 2008 World Champion Seattle SuperSonics!
(End of this chapter)