NBA: Back to 97, to be the Jagged Bishop

Chapter 231 Who Supports Who Opposes?

After the lottery show was selected, Kong Bu directly sent a message to Sha Lun on his mobile phone.

In previous drafts, Kumbu was used to using notes to convey information, but now he feels that this is a bit too ostentatious, and it is better to use text messages on mobile phones, without anyone noticing.

The content of the text message is only one name - Zach Randolph.

Sha Lun was full of question marks. He had tried Randolph before. After all, he had too many draft picks. Almost every rookie player in this year had been tried by Sha Lun.

The old Wilkens led the team to play in the playoffs, and he sat in the back to try out new players.

Looking at Randolph's personal information at the time, he didn't even bother to give Randolph a trial training opportunity, mainly because this short and fat guy really didn't have any bright spots.

With a height of 206 cm, it is almost impossible to play as a center forward. Not everyone is big.

If he plays the fourth position, this guy's athletic ability is even worse than that of the bus. He lacks maneuverability and his jumping is so poor that he seems to have ten tons of weight tied to his legs.

He only played in college for one year, and averaged 10.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, which is completely incomparable with those heavenly favorites.

For example, Robinson, the big dog, averaged 30 points and 10 rebounds per game at the prestigious Purdue University during his college days, which can blow Randolph's data to scum.

The only bright spot in Randolph may be that he was born in a prestigious school, and the Michigan State University he played for is also a top prestigious school.

Kumbu actually fell in love with this kind of player who seems to have no hope?
"I announce that the Toronto Raptors have selected Zach Randolph from Michigan State University with the [-]th overall pick in the first round!"

Stern read it on the stage, and the audience all looked at Combe.

There is no impenetrable wall in the league. Almost everyone knows that Combe and the Raptors made a deal.

In the eyes of the outside world, this deal is not a loss for the Raptors, but a gain. The two non-lottery first-round picks were replaced by Ratliff, who has a very good immediate combat ability, which is completely acceptable.

There are two universities in Michigan that are very well-known in the NCAA. One is the University of Michigan. The well-known Michigan Five Tigers swept the United States at the beginning. After the alliance, they all developed well.

The other is Michigan State University, where Randolph played. There have been many stars in team history, the most famous being Magic Johnson, and then there are Kevin Willis, Steve Smith and so on.

Except for Combe, no one would have thought that Randolph's career scoring total would surpass Magic Johnson's.

After successfully winning Randolph, Comb heaved a sigh of relief. The problem of the fourth position in the new season has been solved.

Last season, the 76ers had a lot of power forwards, including Ratliff, Barkley and Oakley, but these three didn't go well with Yao Ming.

Yao Ming needs a player who can help the opponent's interior defense, so that when he faces those two-tower lineups, he does not have to face the opponent's double-team.

Randolph can do this perfectly, and no team dares to really empty Randolph.

In addition, Randolph is also a qualified meat shield. He has not entered the league yet, and he has a weight of 120 kilograms.

Of course, it doesn't mean that the fatter the inside players, the better. On the premise of being fat, they must maintain the physical fitness and athletic ability that can gain a foothold in the NBA. The kind of fat that is panting after running for two steps will definitely not be able to play in the NBA.

After more than 20 minutes, Combe handed Popovich another note.

The reason why he didn't choose to send text messages was because Combe wanted the outside world to see the deal between him and the Spurs.

It is imperative to be defensive. If Popovich comes to steal the chicken with one hand, Kumbu will probably suffer from being dumb. Now that the outside world has seen Konbu handing over the note, the Spurs must pay attention to the impact.

Comb used the No. 20 pick from the Spurs trade to directly accept Gerald Wallace, whom he had admired for a long time.

In a sense, Gerrard is actually the original version of Kawhi Leonard.

Both have explosive physical talents, amazing wingspan, large palms, and sufficient strength. They are natural defenders.

Like Leonard, Gerrard at the beginning of his career was also a defensive blue-collar role on the perimeter, and later gradually developed offensive capabilities.

It's a pity that the difference between him and Leonard is that he didn't meet a good coach and didn't get professional guidance, which resulted in his offensive ability not being fully released.

Now it is in the hands of Combe, which is definitely a kind of luck for Gerrard.

After another ten minutes, it was the 23rd pick in the first round.

The next 23/24 and 25th picks are all the draft picks of Comb. He directly selected the small sports car Parker, Dalembert and the general Arenas.

When the last pick in the first round, the 76ers' 29th pick in the first round, Combe took Okur again.

Originally, Kumbu's plan was to partner Okur with Yao Ming, but the two can actually have a good chemical reaction.

However, Okur's situation is special. He is not a native American player. It is hard to say whether he can directly report to the team in the new season.

Under normal circumstances, Okur was selected by the Pistons and became a member of the Jazz after playing in the Pistons for two years.

The inside partner formed by the Jazz and Boozer is quite strong, and even Yao Ming has suffered a lot under their hands.

Yao Ming has not been able to go too far in the playoffs, and most of it has to be thanks to these two brothers.

On the defensive end, Yao Ming was defended around the front. Boozer was behind and Okur was intercepting in front. On the offensive end, both of them had long-range shooting ranges.

With the acquisition of Okur, Comb's current draft tour is almost over.

The six first-round picks all got his favorite players, namely Lan Pang, Gerrard, Parker, Dalembert, Arenas and Okur.

Since then, the Philadelphia 76ers' lineup for the new season has almost surfaced.

Center: Yao Ming, Dalembert
Power forwards: Zach Randolph, Mehmet Okur
Small Forward: Kirilenko
Shooting Guard: Gerald Wallace, Ginobili

Point guard: Iverson, Arenas and Parker
Taking a closer look at this lineup, it is actually very unreasonable. The inside line is very harmonious. The four inside lines are all playing positions that they are good at. Dalembert has been trained in the field of special training for a period of time, and it is more than enough to play a backup center for Yao Ming.

The outside line seems a bit top-heavy, and there are too many players hoarded in the first position.

The most suitable position for Kirilenko is the [-]th position, and Gerrard is an authentic small forward. Unfortunately, it is difficult for Ginobili to play at the same time as Iverson under normal circumstances, so the two positions can only be moved. move.

To be honest, Iverson, Arenas and even Parker can't play at the same time as Ginobili. These three have one thing in common, they are all No. [-] under the skin of No. [-].

Especially Parker, many fans always thought he was a shooting guard. In fact, he played for the Spurs for a full 17 years, and the official position has always been a point guard.

Kumbu sighed. He had hoarded so many shooting guards in his hands in the past few years, such as McGrady, Carter, Lagabel, Duron Davis, old cat Mobley, etc. He never thought that he would encounter no shooting guards. dilemma.

Fortunately, he has enough chips in his hands now, and Kumbu can slowly adjust the lineup through transactions after the start of the game.

After another hour and a half, the last rookie was selected, and the draft officially ended.

Kumbu also returned to the hotel and had a good night's rest.

In the morning of the next day, the teams with trades held trade press conferences in New York to officially announce their respective trades.

Comb first had a press conference with the Spurs and then another with the Raptors.

Although it is not a secret in league circles that he made deals with the Spurs and Raptors, the outside world still knows little about it. When it was learned that Comb had sold such a large sum of money to the core members of the championship, Reid and Ratliff, it still sparked a sensation. sensation.

Fortunately, Ratliff is a blue-collar insider after all, with few fans and low popularity.

And Reed's popularity in Philadelphia is very high, and many fans cannot accept Reed being traded.

It's a pity that they have to accept it if they don't accept it. Kumbu never considers the feelings of the fans when making deals.

After the two trading press conferences, Combe led Adelman Jr. to have lunch, and then drove to the headquarters of the coaches union, preparing to attend the afternoon meeting.

Compared with the players' union, the coaches' union is too shabby, and the headquarters actually only has a few offices.

After arriving at the place, Kong Bu was stopped by someone just as he stepped into the gate.

"Sir, this is an internal meeting, and no one else is allowed to enter." A black youth in his twenties said solemnly.

What he said was not directed at Combe, but the little Adelman behind Combe.

Combe smiled and said, "He came with me."

"You can't come together, you can't enter without an invitation." The young man said seriously.

Kong Bu was directly amused by this guy, "You don't know me?"

"I know, but rules are rules."

"Rules? Well, you are right. A principled young man like you is very good. Can you tell me your name?" Kong Bu admired such a principled person in his heart and asked with a smile.

"Sidney Gentry." The young man said with a straight face.

Comb was speechless immediately. The surname Gentry is not common. He only knew one Gentry. Alvin Gentry, who is currently coaching the Clippers, could this guy be his son?
"Your father is Alvin?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I take back what I just said. You are not principled. I think you are deliberately finding fault."

"I don't know who your father entrusted you to come in, and I don't know what position you hold in the trade union. I only know that you will lose this job after today." Kong Bu's tone was very relaxed, as if he was saying A trivial thing.

The relationship between myself and Gentry is very bad, this kid is obviously looking for faults, it's no wonder that Kongbu can keep him.

"Don't believe it? You will believe it in a while."

Seeing the disdain on the young man's face, Kong Bu shook his head and smiled.

"What's the matter? Kong? The meeting is about to start, and I'm waiting for you." George Karl walked over after seeing Kong Bu.

"fine."

"Come on, Rick, I'll make you an official."

After finishing speaking, Combe pushed Adelman Jr. towards the meeting room.

Gentry's son saw that George Karl didn't say anything, and he couldn't open his mouth. He could only watch as Combe brought Adelman into the headquarters.

The meeting room is small, shabby everywhere, and the table looks like the cheapest second-hand goods.

As soon as he entered the door, he saw old Thomas licking his old face and laughing. He didn't know what he was laughing at.

Apart from old Thomas, there were many old acquaintances of Comb sitting there, all of whom were well-known figures in the coaching industry.

Combe even saw old Adelman, and he was a little surprised when he saw his son coming in.

Gentry was also there, and after seeing Kumbu, his expression was very unhappy.

"Okay, since everyone is here, let's hurry up."

"This meeting is mainly about two things."

"One is about our membership dues. In the past, we paid voluntarily and paid as much as we wanted. As you have seen, the union is so poor that we can only rent such remote places."

"I think we should pay proportionally like the players' union."

"The second thing is to elect a new chairman of the trade union. I have two candidates here. One is Mr. Thomas. He is in New York and can take care of the headquarters at ordinary times."

"The second candidate is Kong Bu. He is a young man with much more energy than us old guys. I believe that with his ability, he will definitely be able to manage the union well."

Old Carl said to everyone present.

Everyone turned their eyes to Kong Bu, not because he might become the new ZHU seat, but because he had the highest salary, and if he paid membership dues according to the proportion, Kong Bu was the one who suffered the most.

"I don't want to do it, so don't look for me."

"I'm usually so busy that I don't have time to take care of this mess. Let Kong Bu do it. He has so many supernovas under him, and he doesn't need to take care of him. He is very leisurely."

Old Thomas directly expressed his attitude that he was not interested in this position.

Old Carl nodded, "Okay, Kong, what do you mean?"

"I don't want to do it either, but I have a very suitable candidate here." Kongbu said with a smile.

Chairman ZHU sounds like a high-ranking person, but it is actually a thankless job. Not to mention that Kong Bu is usually very busy, even if he is not busy, he doesn't want to waste his time here.

"My assistant coach Rick Adelman Jr., he has been with me for three years, and his management ability is extremely good."

"He is young and has the energy to manage the union. He is definitely the best candidate."

As soon as Kumbu finished speaking, Gentry jumped out, "I object, Rick Jr. is just an assistant coach, and the chairman of the coach union has always been a senior coach."

"Huh? This is the coach union, not the head coach union. Assistant coaches are not coaches?"

"If I remember correctly, you Gentry must have worked as an assistant coach for at least ten years, right? Why? After becoming a head coach, you don't like assistant coaches anymore?"

"Or do you want to do it too? Unfortunately, you are not qualified yet." Kung Bu scolded mercilessly.

Gentry was impatient, "I'm not qualified? Is little Rick qualified?"

"Yes, he is indeed qualified, because he has my support behind him."

"But don't say I won't give you a chance, since you want to do it, then vote, you compete with little Rick."

"I vote for Little Rick, who supports and who opposes?" Kong Bu asked everyone at the banquet.

"Then I'll vote for Rick, too. This kind of job is more suitable for young people." Old Thomas must have stood by Combe's side at the critical moment.

"Alvin, you are coaching in Los Angeles, which is too far away from New York. Let this opportunity be given to young people, and I will also vote for Rick Jr." Larry Bird rarely stood by the old Thomas.

"Little Rick, it's not a rare thing, as for grabbing it?" Old Dunleavy also expressed his opinion.

"Alvin, pay attention to your attitude. What were you yelling just now? You have a loud voice?" Old Ma Hong scolded angrily.

"Okay, since you all vote for little Rick, then I..." Old Adelman grinned from ear to ear, who wouldn't support his own son.

There were nearly twenty coaches in the conference room, but none of them stood up to support Gentry.

Little Adelman pinched himself secretly. He suspected that he was dreaming. He had a business trip with Comb in New York, and then he became the head of the coaches union? !

(End of this chapter)