Coach: Coaching the Grizzlies at the beginning, playing the bantam

Chapter 276 Draft!History missed No. 1?Keep an eye on two top undrafted draft picks!

At the end of June, the NBA Draft was held in the theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Lu Yong came to the scene in person wearing a brown suit, and sat in the room chatting with Donny Walsh, waiting for the draft to begin.

The perennially poor Cavaliers won the No. [-] pick again, but the management made a mistake this time and selected Canadian forward Anthony Bennett, who also became the first Canadian No. [-] pick in NBA history.

Bennett is 2 meters tall and weighs 03 kilograms. He averaged 111 points per game in college and was the team's scoring leader, but he only ranked seventh in the entire division.

In predictions before the start of the draft, Bennett's position has been hovering between 4-9. His selection as the No. [-] pick shocked many media. Even Cleveland fans did not expect that the team's first choice was not from Indiana University. Oladipo.

Seeing the Cavaliers' unswerving choice, Lu Yong silently complained in his heart, this is fate.

How bad is Bennett?

He has played in the NBA for four seasons in his career, averaging only 4.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. He shot 39.2% from the field and 26.1% from three-point range. Kwame Brown shook his head when he saw it. He couldn't bear to look at it. .

If Bennett was just a late first-round pick, it would be okay for him to submit these statistics. The fault lies in the fact that he was drafted by the Cavaliers to be the No. [-] pick, and he has endured what he shouldn’t have endured since entering the league. Due to the pressure, it is only a matter of time before the water falls, and no one can save him.

In this way, the Cavaliers have assembled a potential lineup of Irving, Waiters, Bennett, Thompson and Tyler Zeller next season.

At first glance, these five people all have potential, and they are all high-ranking rookies. But in fact, the only one who can really be entrusted with important tasks is Irving.

Lu Yong sometimes really admires the vision of the Cavaliers management. In the post-James era, any mistake in the draft will not lead to reconstruction after so many years without improvement. No wonder the team's record has been poor and stable.

The Magic had the worst record in the Eastern Conference, but they were a bit unlucky. They only won the second pick, and finally chose Oladipo, the biggest favorite this year.

Oladipo is 1 meters tall and weighs 93 kilograms. His draft template is "Flash" Wade. If you don't have a close eye, this guy is indeed the most talented player in the 95th draft.

During his physical test, his maximum jumping height reached 106.7 centimeters. For comparison, Westbrook, who had a strong playing style, was only 92.7 centimeters at the time.

In addition, Oladipo's speed is also very fast, sprinting in three-quarters of a field is 3.25 seconds, and turning around in the penalty area is 10.69 seconds. This shows that Oladipo's talent is very amazing.

大学最后一年他场均出场28.4分钟，得到13.6分6.3篮板2.1助攻和2.2抢断，并且帮助印第安那大学自1993年以来首次夺得大十联盟常规冠军，以及自1994年以来首次连续打进NCAA16强。

The Magic's choice this time is not a bad one, but Oladipo's performance in the first few years of his career was average, and he gradually entered his peak period after joining the Pacers.

The Wizards selected small forward Otto Porter with the third pick. This guy graduated from Georgetown University and is not very capable. He only had 14.7 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists in his peak season, but he is still very popular as a 3D forward. Later, he joined the Warriors with a minimum salary and won the NBA championship in the 21-22 season with the team.

The Wizards already have Wall and Beal on the back line, and Okafor + Nene on the inside, but they are missing a striker, so Porter with 3D attributes has undoubtedly become an excellent candidate.

With the fourth pick, the Bobcats selected Cody Zeller, a white center who is not too strong but not good at all. Lu Yong's biggest impression of him is that he was bald at a young age. Later, he joined the Heat and shaved his head. Wearing a transparent mask looks like a golf club.

The Suns selected Ukrainian center Alex Len with the fifth pick. He has a great name, but he has only been a qualified rotation in his career, and it is almost impossible to start in a strong team.

With the eighth pick, the Pistons selected 3D guard Pope, and with the ninth pick, the Timberwolves selected Trey Burke, a point guard who later became famous online because his hair style resembled that of Allen Iverson.

The Trail Blazers selected CJ McCollum with the 10th pick. In his peak season, he scored 23 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He was one of the two guns of Portland. The only unlucky thing is that he has never been selected as an All-Star. His achievements are higher than those of his peers. Antetokounmpo, Gobert, Oladipo and others are worse.

Lu Yong actually likes McCollum very much. He is good at shooting and has certain organizational skills. The key is that he is low-key and has a friendly personality. He is a qualified candidate for the second or third place in charge. He does not have to worry about thunder in the locker room.

Unfortunately, McCollum's draft pick is too high, and the Blazers may not be willing to trade with the Knicks. This matter can only be discussed later.

The 76ers selected point guard Michael Carter-Williams with the 11th overall pick. A super rookie who was at the top of his game when he debuted, he scored 22 points, 7 rebounds, 12 assists and 9 steals on the Heat in his first game, and only once in the game. He made a mistake and led the team to an upset victory over the Heat, which had the Big Three, and the name "The Essence of Humanity's First Show" was born.

Throughout his rookie season, Mcaway's performance was sensational, averaging 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game, and was successfully elected as the Rookie of the Year.

It's a pity that McAway is a traditional defender. He has good organizational skills and averaged more than five assists per game in the first three seasons of his career. If he had been placed 10 years ago, he would have been the most popular type.But now the wave of the small ball era is causing a storm in the league. Every team has very high shooting requirements for point guards. McAway, who does not have excellent shooting ability, can only accept the fact of being eliminated. At the age of 29, he has no ball to play. After fighting, he had no choice but to announce his retirement.

The Bucks selected the Greek boy Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick. Because the letters in his name were too long, he also earned the nickname "Antetokounmpo".

There is no doubt that Antetokounmpo, who was selected into the top 30 players before the age of 75, is the face of the 13th rookie class. Although his footwork has always been discussed a lot, his personal strength is indeed strong, and his hard work is worth learning by the newcomers.

Being able to become a muscular man from a bamboo pole requires not only talent but also hard work. The Bucks management has found a treasure this time.

The Hawks selected "German sports car" Schroeder with the 17th pick. This is a relatively thin guard who is good at breakthroughs. He always played in the German Bundesliga before the draft. In his peak season, he averaged 19.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Major honors. He helped Germany win the 2023 Basketball World Cup.

The world-famous painting "Barked Smile" in the playoffs and World Cup is Xiao Hei's classic action, hey!You're quite a nice person
The Pacers selected Solomon Hill with the 23rd overall pick. A player who averaged 5.8 points per game in his career and has been able to sign multi-million contract contracts multiple times. He has a strong offensive and defensive skills.

While playing for the Pacers, he left a deep impression on James alone in the playoffs.

Next, several good rotation players were selected. Tim Hardaway Jr., Bullock, and Andre Robertson were all players who did not have many achievements in their careers, but could still secure rotation positions in the NBA. players.

With the No. 27 pick in the first round, the Nuggets selected French center Gobert, who was also the strongest center in the 13th draft.

Lu Yong regretted not being able to intercept Gobert before the start of the draft. Even though the Knicks already had two strong players in Tyson Chandler and McGee, Lu Yong still felt that he was losing money this time.

Fortunately, Knicks owner James Dolan is a wealthy owner, and he is willing to pay the luxury tax in order to defend his title.

After the free market opens, the Knicks still have a lot of room to operate.

Many players in the first round joined the same team as Lu Yong in his previous life, the only difference was a few newcomers.

With the 30th pick in the first round, the Knicks selected swingman Allen Crabbe, an outside musketeer who is 1 meters tall and weighs 98 kilograms.

Crabbe is a scoring wing player with a soft touch. Catch and shoot is Crabbe's specialty.

In his final year of college, Crabbe averaged 18.4 points per game, ranking third in the Pac-[-] Conference in scoring, and was elected the best player in the Pac-[-] Conference. He was also selected into the All-American Basketball Coaches Association and The Sporting News. All three teams.

Compared with the stars Lu Yong has trained in the past, Crabbe's strength is indeed not strong, but as a rotation player, Crabbe's strength is definitely sufficient.

In particular, his three-point jump shot is very threatening. In his highest season, he shot 44.4%, and his career three-point shooting percentage exceeds 38.5%.

巅峰赛季的克拉布砍下过场均13.2分4.3篮板和1.6次助攻，场均命中2.7记三分球，排名联盟前十，并跟开拓者签订了一份为期4年价值7483万美元的大合同。

Crabbe's playing style is very suitable for the Knicks. Off-ball attackers can catch and shoot, and can deliver good scoring efficiency without occupying the ball.

Next season, the Knicks' goal is definitely to defend their title, and the immediate combat effectiveness and tactical integration of new players is very important. The 13th draft was already depleted of talent, and there were almost no outstanding players to choose from in the second round. Crabbe was already the best-performing perimeter player.

Lu Yong is very aware of Crabbe's characteristics, such as enchanting movement and accurate jump shots. As long as he integrates into the system, he can perform well and be more than enough as a substitute.

Crabbe's career highest score in a single game was 41 points. In that game, he made 15 of 12 shots from the Bulls and 11 of 8 three-pointers. He efficiently scored 41 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal. If he can play under Lu Yong, Playing ball, the development trajectory of this life will definitely become better.

In the second round of the draft, the Rockets selected Isaiah Cannan with the 34th pick, a small man with good strength. He came to the CBA to join the Shandong Xiwang Basketball Club in 19 years. Most domestic fans are familiar with him.

With the 41st pick, the Memphis Grizzlies selected Jamal Franklin, a true CBA legend.

富兰克林在NBA一共只打了两个赛季，14年加盟CBA浙江广厦队，场均贡献29.3分6篮板6.7助攻和4.3次抢断，当选最佳外援。16年加盟山西曾在对阵吉林的比赛中砍下44分10篮板20助攻的惊人数据，刷新了CBA历史纪录，成为第一个助攻数达到20的三双。

In short, this guy set a lot of records in the CBA and won the regular season MVP. He did not leave the CBA until 2022 to play for the Philippine League.

With the 44th pick, the Mavericks picked up space-based insider Muscala. He was still playing in the league until the time when Lu Yong crossed over. He had no highlight moments in his career and was barely adequate as a substitute.

With the 48th pick, the Lakers drafted white striker Ryan Kelly. He had good shooting skills, but his athletic ability was too poor. He lost his job after playing four seasons in the NBA. Later, he joined the CBA League and reached the finals with the Jiangsu Nangang Team. famous.

With the Pistons selecting Payton Shiva with the last pick, the 13th draft officially came to an end.

Considering that the team's core lineup has not changed and can be strengthened in the free market in the near future, Lu Yong believes that the Knicks will be able to achieve the best record in the regular season in the new season.

As long as there are no serious injuries in the team, only a handful of teams can prevent the Knicks from defending their title next season. This is the confidence coming from big ball markets.

After the draft, several trades occurred around the league.

The Hornets traded Noel, the sixth overall pick in the first round, to the 6ers in exchange for 76ers point guard Jrue Holiday and a 76 first-round pick.

This deal is a win-win situation. One wants to hit the playoffs, the other wants to rebuild, and both have obtained satisfactory chips.

The Mavericks traded Olynyk, the 13th pick in the first round, to the Celtics in exchange for Nogueira, the 16th pick in the first round, and two second-round picks in 14.

The Timberwolves traded Andre Robertson, selected with the 26th overall pick, to the Warriors and then to the SuperSonics because the Warriors bought the 26th overall pick, and then the SuperSonics used the 29th overall pick and cash to reach a deal with the Warriors.

Lu Yong secretly observed the situation and found that each team was making minor reinforcements. There were some changes from the previous life, but they were not enough to affect the league structure.

As long as he doesn't pose a threat to the Knicks, Lu Yong doesn't bother to pay attention at all.

As soon as the draft was over, Lu Yong asked Donny Walsh to have dinner and gave him several tasks.

"Donny, I have two favorite undrafted players here. Let's get in touch. They will help the team defend the championship in the new season." Lu Yong ordered after cutting a piece of steak into his mouth.

This summer, the Knicks have a total of four players whose contracts have expired, namely veterans Kidd, Kenyon Martin, Turkoglu and Oden.

Among them, Kidd has fulfilled his dream of winning the championship with the team. He is currently preparing to retire and plans to enter the coaching field.

Kenyon Martin and Turkoglu were poached by other teams with high salaries. Considering the decline in form caused by their age, Lu Yong did not retain them, but only sent his blessings to them before leaving.

As for "The Great" Oden, he is a bit embarrassed. Although he just won the championship with the Knicks, he was marginalized throughout the whole process and did not perform much. He played very little time in the finals.

Even though he was plated with gold, the teams did not immediately offer him an olive branch, but secretly examined his physical condition and potential.

Lu Yong doesn't know whether Oden can stay in the NBA next year, but there will definitely be teams willing to contact him in the future. How he plays depends on whether his knees are good enough.

"Are you undrafted?" Donnie Walsh hesitated and reminded: "Send me a piece of information to ensure that you get the person. But after signing with Crabbe, we only have three people left on the 15-man roster. A quota, are you sure you don’t want to pursue big names in the free market and sign two undrafted players with no experience?”

The Knicks are so rich that they don't even care about the luxury tax. Signing two undrafted draft picks with a minimum salary contract is like drinking water.

Walsh's worry was never about spending money. He was worried about the Knicks missing out on the best reinforcements and not being able to spend the money they had.

"Don't worry, I will use the deal to make room for signings in the future, just go ahead and do it." Lu Yong nodded lightly.

"Okay, who are the two undrafted draft picks you like? I will send people to contact them now."

"Robert Covington and Seth Curry, both of them are suitable to play in the team's tactical system. There may be surprises in signing them."

"Robert Covington?" Walsh turned around in his mind and couldn't remember who this person was. He shook his head and said, "I know Seth. Is he the brother of that Warriors guard Stephen?"

"Yes, that's him. Seth's three-point shot was good. I think it's a pity that he lost the draft. He should be given a chance." Lu Yong shrugged.

In all previous drafts, good players have failed to be selected. The biggest advantage of Lu Yong's open eyes is that he can pick up the omissions.

There are many undrafted players in the league who have been brought out by him over the years. Gary Neal of the Spurs, this year's opponent in the finals, is one of them. He has prospered in the Holy City and has already proven his ability.

Lu Yong knows in his heart that Curry Jr. and Covington are definitely better than most rookies in the 13th class, especially Covington. In his peak season, he was the league's top 3D, averaging 13.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game. and 1.3 blocks, shooting 39% from three-point range, and was selected to the All-Defensive Team.

Covington is a dual-purpose forward who can play both the small forward and power forward positions. He is an example of counterattack through hard work, dedication and commitment. His progress on both offense and defense has made him the most versatile and efficient wing in the league. One of the players.

When the free market opens, Lu Yong plans to use the forward turret Novak, and use potential newcomers to trade up for stronger players. By then, Covington, who has overlapping positions, can just fill the vacancy.

Even though Covington's shooting level is slightly lower than Novak's, his defensive ability is stronger. After he comes on the court, he doesn't have to worry about being targeted by his opponents. If he succeeds in catching a missed shot, he will make a profit.

The same is true for Curry Jr. In his peak season, he averaged 12.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, which was enough. His three-point shooting percentage in his career reached 44.3%. He really fulfilled his father’s words, Curry’s family No one shoots inaccurately.

After Kidd retires, the Knicks need new blood on the back line. Curry's weak organizational ability at the one position is not a problem. The second team has Green as the "top dealer". He only needs to play without the ball to perform. Threat, there is no need to launch an attack from him.

Reaching out to push up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, Donnie Walsh assured: "Don't worry, Lu, this will definitely be done beautifully for you."

After arranging the arrangements for Curry and Covington, Lu Yong felt a big stone in his heart.

Next, the Knicks will turn their attention to the free market and the trade market, and the real big fish has not yet taken the bait.

(End of this chapter)