Chapter 1869: Fight, Young Man
Ji Feng's evaluation of Klay is undoubtedly very high, at least much higher than the evaluation given by those scouts. The evaluation given by those scouts to Thompson is: This is a player who has excellent shooting but is slightly mediocre in other aspects, and has a tenacious defense. But the physical fitness is average.
There are many comments like this during the draft every year. It is basically impossible for such players to enter the lottery and will not be selected. After all, marksmen like Kapono and Korver are still good in the league. There is no living space for them. Which team doesn’t need an outside shooter, but that’s all. When they enter the team, they will generally be trained as shooters, and eventually they will become role players in the NBA. Only a few of them will. Play out and be lucky enough to become a star player like Peja.
But Ji Feng feels that the scout's vision cannot be said to be wrong, but it is too limited. Today, when three-pointers and shooting are becoming more and more important, and in the future of the league's crazy evolution of tactics, a marksman is really worth a thousand dollars, and someone who can A marksman who is defensive, comprehensive, and invincible without the ball is even more difficult to find.
To be honest, Ji Feng really wants to bring Clay to the Lakers. Clay himself is very willing to compete with Ji Feng on the same team. However, it is not possible. The Lakers have overdrafted draft picks for many years in order to trade. This year, the Lakers Not to mention getting Klay, they don't even have a first-round pick, and Kupchak is almost asleep, because he has nothing to do now.
As for the trade, it's even more difficult. The Lakers' four consecutive championship lineups have been well integrated. No one has the courage to dismantle the team at this time. The most important thing is that he is a point guard, so he will only be able to play as a substitute when he comes to the Lakers. , this will also limit his upgrade. No matter how good you are in college, you still have to practice and fight monsters in the NBA for several seasons to grow. Except for Magic, O'Neal, Duncan, Ji Feng, Lao Zhan and other historical monsters. No one can reach the top right from the start.
As an agent, James has talked with many teams, but in the end, based on his personal opinions and those of Ji Feng, he still believes that the Warriors are the most suitable for his development. First of all, Golden State is also half of Klay's hometown, and it is only a short distance away from Los Angeles. It's very close. In addition, Ji Feng's number one fan, Curry, is there. The two are also from a family of star players and belong to the same company. They quickly became friends after Ji Feng brought Thompson over. It's probably not a problem for the two of them to have a tacit understanding as partners. .
The most important thing is that the Warriors officially started rebuilding last season, and a large number of old people in the team have left. At this time, it is the time to hire people. Thompson will definitely have enough playing time after leaving, and he has the relationship of Ji Feng, who is from the same team. , Thompson's road will be much easier.
Sure enough, after Irving won the No. 1 pick, the Timberwolves - the draft wizard - selected Derrick Williams with the No. 2 pick, a comprehensively weakened version of Beasley. The Timberwolves found the reason why Mao always failed to rise. In the golden nugget The ability to pick out sand is really amazing.
Then there was the Jazz, who completely collapsed last season. They used the second pick to select the big center Kanter from Turkey. This was a satisfactory choice and met the needs of the Jazz.
Then it was the Cavaliers' turn. They chose Tristan Thompson, a man who has the same hobbies as Deng... Ahem, this is a blue-collar insider who can grab rebounds and block shots. He has single offensive skills, no shooting ability, and physical fitness. Excellent, no more, a knight prepares a puzzle for Irving.
After the top three came out, the rest also had their own ownership. It must be said that this was a draft of extremely high quality. Valanciunas was ranked fifth, Biyombo was ranked seventh, and Kemba was ranked ninth. Walker is very good, at least Ji Feng likes him. Then, Thompson was picked up by the Warriors as expected. In front of him was an old acquaintance of the future CBA, Fredette, the lonely god. Who knows now, he and Thompson It's a matter of time before the draft, but life will be so different.
After Thompson, Ji Feng turned his attention to another person in his company. If Thompson is the upper-middle class among the many rookies in this class, then another player under Ji Feng can only be said to be inferior. .
If you are watching the live broadcast of the draft at this time, you will not even find him in the camera. Although he looks bold, he is one of the most overlooked people on the court.
When Ji Feng ignored the objections of several scouts in the company and forced him to sign with the best agency contract, he was criticized. Today's draft seems to prove this.
After Thompson, the names were read out one after another: 13, 14 - Morris brothers, 15 - Kawhi Leonard, 16 - Vucevic, 17 - Shumpert, 18 - Singleton, 19-Tor Harris, 20-Monai Junas, 22-Faried, 23-Mirotic, 24-Reggie Jackson, 25, Marshon Brooks, 28-Joseph Kerr…
"Huh, is the first loser coming?" James said in Ji Feng's ear.
As soon as he finished speaking, a name was read: "The Chicago Bulls selected Jimmy Butler from Marquette University with the 30th overall pick!"
"Okay, not undrafted, just No. 30..." James shrugged. To be honest, since the contract termination of a group of undrafted draft picks, Ji Feng Company, which follows an elite strategy, has had someone selected at this position for the first time.
No. 30, last in the first round.
Being in this position basically proves that your strength is ignored by most people, and your potential is also considered to be at the level of an average player who can enter the NBA.
Although the NBA has always had no shortage of draft legends, Ji Feng is the best and most exaggerated example, and Big Ben Wallace, Ginobili, Arenas and others are also underestimated by NBA scouts and underachievers. It is also possible to come from behind, but the probability of this is actually not high. The so-called survivor bias, how many people in the NBA can complete a counterattack.
Just look at his scouting report: Very athletic and quick, with good enough strength and body control on the break. He is very confident in shooting, and his mid-range shot is very lethal. He plays unselfishly and has the ability to assist his teammates in scoring. Active on both offense and defense and tough on defense, Jimmy Butler is an all-around forward and can become a good role player in an NBA team.
Yes, just role players.
Therefore, James is a little confused as to why Ji Feng signed this guy with little potential at first sight.
"Hey, when it comes to the draft, it still depends on your vision. This guy is stubborn and willful, and he is hard-working. He only has average talent. However, there is an old saying in China that hard work can make up for weakness. His talent is not so great that he cannot make up for it through hard work. This The league has always been full of talents, but hard-working guys are really rare. Let's see, in a few years, he will be able to surprise the whole world," Ji Feng said calmly, not forgetting to play drums. Applaud to give your own people a boost of momentum. No one can underestimate a little person who can climb up from humble beginnings. Many people do not have this.
Jimmy Butler shook hands with Stern. After coming down, he walked in the direction of Ji Feng, not very happy: "Man, I let you down, but I promise that in three years at most, I will let you understand that your choice is Yes."
After saying this, Butler left first.
Among the celebrating crowd, he didn't look so gregarious, and so many people didn't see him saying hello and establishing relationships. He was as arrogant as ever towards his big boss. This kind of person usually can't survive three days in the company. .
"Strive hard, young man, you still have a long way to go." Ji Feng admires Butler's attitude. The 30th pick is a reward for some people, but for some, it is an insult. On the road of growth, you need such insults.
But Ji Feng left first, so he didn’t see a guy who was only 175 centimeters taller and was selected with the 30th pick in the second round at the end. Otherwise, Ji Feng would have felt that the 2011 draft was definitely the most interesting in history. It's a draft.