Basketball: The Path to the Extraordinary

The Raptors have been eager to find a successor to Vince Carter in order to revitalize Toronto's basketball market. Despite Toronto's cold climate and relatively small market size, many top players are unwilling to join. To make matters worse, star player Chris Bosh has shown no signs of re-signing, meaning he will almost certainly leave the Raptors after the season.

With the futures of their core players uncertain, the Raptors' management is eager to find new cornerstone players. Unable to attract established stars, they are pinning their hopes on this year's draft. Among the many rookies, DeMar DeRozan has emerged—although his athleticism is not as good as Vince Carter's, his impressive dunking ability and beautiful fadeaway jump shot have caught the attention of the Raptors' decision-makers.

Despite DeRozan's worrying three-point shooting percentage, the league still values ​​mid-range scoring and interior offense. This makes DeRozan a key target in the Raptors' draft strategy.

However, DeRozan is not the Raptors' only option. If the Raptors are lucky enough to get a top-three pick in the draft lottery, they will have more choices.

The game between the University of Southern California and this traditionally strong basketball powerhouse attracted scouts from numerous NBA teams, including the Thunder, Rockets, and Nets. These scouts were closely monitoring the game to assess the potential of players for their respective teams.

Furthermore, the rise of the "clutch player" phenomenon has sparked considerable interest among league team management. Some teams already possess formidable rosters, while others may reap substantial rewards from their recent success.

The players entered the stadium amidst deafening cheers, as if the roof of the Galen Centre Stadium had been lifted off.

DeRozan was the first to step onto the pitch, greeted by thunderous cheers and chants of his name from the fans. He excitedly waved to the crowd.

Observing DeRozan's behavior, Lian Dao couldn't help but notice that he seemed unusually excited today.

Lian Dao was the second-to-last player to enter the field, while captain Gibson was last.

Despite having participated in countless games before, the enthusiastic cheers that greeted Lian Dao when he stepped onto the field still surprised him. Although he had become accustomed to the noise of the stadium after more than a dozen games, the atmosphere today was particularly exciting. Excited female fans waved banners that read "Mr. Key Player" and chanted Lian Dao's English name loudly.

Looking at the scene before him, Lian Dao glanced around and waved towards the stands. Just then, he saw a familiar face.

Lian Dao then suddenly realized why DeRozan had seemed so excited earlier.

Surprisingly, Kobe Bryant was also at the game today, sitting next to Lamar Odom. Beside Odom was a female USC fan wearing a red jersey—likely a "friend" of Odom's. Despite the loose jersey, her voluptuous figure was still easily recognizable.

"Hmm, that suits Lamar's style perfectly," Lian Dao thought to himself, realizing that Odom's aesthetic preferences leaned towards voluptuous figures. Many in the stands shared this appreciation, finding curvaceous bodies both alluring and sexy.

Then there's DeRozan, his teammate and roommate on the same team. Although he's usually quite reserved, he also seems to have a penchant for magazines featuring voluptuous models on the cover.

Given Lian Dao's distinct Eastern aesthetics, he had little interest in the reading materials favored by DeRozan, who had once labeled Lian Dao as having "questionable aesthetic sense."

DeRozan looked incredibly excited today. During warm-up, he performed a series of dunks and even imitated Kobe Bryant's fadeaway jump shot.

Lian Dao understood DeRozan's expression well. Nothing is more exciting than playing in front of your idol. DeRozan acted like a child yearning for recognition, innocent yet sincere.

"Hey boss, this guy's athleticism is pretty good. Even though he's a step slower than me, his imitation of your fadeaway jumper is hilarious!" Odom said casually, nudging the girl next to him as he watched DeRozan's performance on the court.

"Although he imitated your fadeaway jumper, his movement wasn't fluid enough; it felt like he was just faking it for the sake of faking it!" Odom paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "It looked like he was deliberately making the fadeaway motion!"

Kobe looked at Odom in surprise. He hadn't expected someone known for his physique and social skills to make such an insightful comment.

Kobe suddenly realized that Odom's intelligence might far exceed what he usually displayed. Perhaps that's why he was able to make a name for himself in the league—relying not only on his strong physique, but also on his exceptional wisdom.

Recalling DeRozan's fadeaway jumper, Kobe nodded inwardly. He'd also noticed it when DeRozan waved to him after making the shot. DeRozan's fadeaway jumper seemed somewhat forced, with an excessive lean—a stark contrast to Kobe's own technique, which he strived to avoid. Kobe believed that efficient scoring didn't require unnecessary movements. His fadeaway jumper emphasized fluidity, a natural and elegant way to evade defenders.

……

Looking at the roster, USC head coach Tim couldn't help but smile.

"This year's team is no weaker than last year's," he thought to himself.

"Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, Alfred Arboya, Nikola Dragovic, Jrue Holiday!"

Tim noted that the opposing team's interior players averaged only 206 centimeters in height. The departure of draft picks like Mutter and Kevin Love significantly weakened their interior strength. Alfred Abaya and Nikola Dragovic, due to their lack of height and strength, left USC, losing the dominance they once possessed.

"For the first time in recent years, we've completely dominated the paint," Tim mused. "The 206cm Gibson and 210cm Vucevic give us a clear advantage."

His gaze fell on Josh Shipp's name, and he couldn't help but smile mischievously.

"I don't know if Coach Ben Holland regrets letting Lian Dao go," Tim mused. "If only he hadn't insisted that Lian Dao wasn't a good fit for the team. Now, our perimeter lineup is probably the one struggling."

Tim is grateful to Holland for giving up the team, as it allowed him to acquire a versatile player who can effectively play both the small forward and power forward positions.

"As for Jrue Holiday," Tim continued, his tone full of confidence, "DeRozan will show this talented kid what a real genius on the court looks like."

But one name still worries Tim: Darren Collison. At 183 centimeters tall, Collison's speed and scoring ability pose a significant challenge.

"Hackett will have a very difficult time guarding Collison," Tim admitted. "We need to strengthen our perimeter and interior defense as soon as possible."

However, Tim remains optimistic overall. The team's strong overall strength gives him confidence for the game.