Chapter 10 Trial Training
Using the No. 1 pick to select LeBron James? Yes, I would seriously consider it, haha! - Jim Paxson, General Manager of the Cavaliers.

Darko Milicic, we are very interested in him, I have heard his story from many people, we will consider him! - Pistons General Manager Dumars.

This year's No. 1 pick will obviously be James, but who will be the No. 3 pick? I think Carmelo Anthony should be the first choice. He just led Syracuse University to win the championship. As you all know, that is not an easy thing. - ESPN Magazine

I don't think it's a good idea for Zheng to participate in the draft this year. He is still very young and should go to college to play some more games. The competition this year is too fierce. I feel that this year is even more fierce than that of 96. - TNT TV

Dwyane Wade: I am not anxious about which team will select me. I never do such boring things. I just want to maintain a good competitive state and make my tryout journey smoother. - Los Angeles Daily News

……

As the lottery conference is over and the draft conference is about to begin, major news media have begun to report on this year's hot rookies and started to predict the results of this year's draft.

According to various media reports, Zheng Yang's best result was being selected in the first round at number 30, and the worst result was being eliminated directly.

Of course, the possibility of the latter is very small. After all, I believe there are still many teams willing to use a second-round draft pick to scratch Zheng Yang's lottery ticket.

Of course, it can be seen overall that Zheng Yang’s current draft prospects are not optimistic, and the possibility of being selected in the lottery area is very low.

The impact of the draft ranking is not only on face, but also on the contract and the team's subsequent training efforts, which is very important.

Let's talk about Zheng Yang's agent Eric Fleischer. He came to Zheng Yang on his own initiative. Zheng Yang knows him well. The most famous player under his management is Garnett. He helped the Wolf King skip college and enter the NBA directly with the fifth pick in 95.

Although Garnett is very talented, it was only with the help of Eric Fleischer that the group of NBA general managers noticed his talent. It can be said that he played a great role in Garnett being selected with the fifth pick.

Therefore, when such an excellent agent came to him, Zheng Yang had no reason to refuse him.

The two parties did not have much disagreement on the signing of the contract. Anyway, it was based on the market price and no one suffered any loss.

After signing the contract, Eric Fleischer confirmed with Zheng Yang again.

"Have you really decided to participate in the draft this year? I have received news that most teams with lottery picks have already found their favorite candidates. It is not easy to change those old foxes' minds.

Kevin skipped college to participate in the draft because he was a terrible student. You know, his academic performance was not good enough to go to college.

If he wasn't playing in the NBA, you'd probably see him in the kitchen of a restaurant.

But you are different. I have learned that your academic performance is enough for you to go to any famous basketball school with a full scholarship.

If you play one more year in college, even if you're not as good as you were in high school, you'll be in the lottery next year, I guarantee it."

From all angles, it would be the most conservative decision for Zheng Yang to study in college for another year. With his talent, he would definitely be a lottery pick by then.

Moreover, next year is not a big year for the draft, so the competition will be relatively less fierce.

Faced with Eric Fleischer's admonition, Zheng Yang just shook his head.

"Mr. Fleischer, I have decided that I am good enough to play in the NBA, I just lack the opportunities.

Please help me get a tryout with a lottery team, and I will show my talent."

He is very determined and he doesn't want to waste any more time. He already has the ability to play in the NBA, so why not go?

He couldn't wait to compete with Kobe, Iverson, O'Neal and others. There was a wider world where he could fly freely!
Eric Fleischer nodded and did not try to dissuade him further.

"Next, wait for my news. I will contact the team for a tryout. I can't guarantee whether I can have an individual tryout, but I will try my best."

"Ok."

……

The next morning, Zheng Yang received a call from Eric Fleischer.

“Zheng, pack your things, I’ll come pick you up right away.

The Chicago Bulls are willing to give you a tryout opportunity. There won't be many people participating in this tryout, but they are all hot candidates in the lottery area.

You have to be ready to compete with them.”

"Okay, I'll clean it up right away."

Zheng Yang shouted excitedly, and then began to pack his luggage. He also called his aunt Zhang Lin and told her that he was going out for a tryout.

Zhang Lin didn't know much about these things, so he didn't ask too much. He just asked him to bring more money just in case.

But Zheng Yang had anticipated this and had already borrowed some money from Eric Fleischer in advance, and would pay him back when he made money later. Otherwise, the travel and accommodation expenses during the tryout period would also be a considerable expense.

Half an hour later, Eric Fleischer drove his car to the vicinity of Zheng Yang's home. After Zheng Yang got in the car, Eric Fleischer threw a piece of information to him.

"Here are the candidates for this tryout that I know of so far. You can take a look at them and get to know the situation. This will be of great help to your tryout the day after tomorrow."

Zheng Yang nodded, feeling lucky that he had hired an agent, otherwise, how could he have collected so much detailed information in such a short time.

"Chris Bosh, power forward or center, from Georgia Tech, averaged 15.9 points and 9 rebounds per game this season..."

"Dwyane Wade, a guard from Marquette University, has a very fast breakthrough speed. He had his meniscus removed due to an injury during college, so he has a risk of injury. However, he is very talented and will most likely be selected in the top five..."

Since the Bulls have the seventh pick this year, they did not invite many people to tryouts, and most of them were players with lottery prospects.

Among this group of people, the most famous ones after entering the NBA are "Dragon King" Bosh and "Flash" Wade.

Of course, under normal circumstances they would not drop to seventh place, and they came to participate in the tryout just in case.

Under normal circumstances, the Bulls would not have allowed Zheng Yang to participate in this draft. They were not optimistic about his draft prospects, but Eric Fleischer had a wide network of contacts and helped him get this opportunity.

"Isn't Carmelo Anthony here?"

After reading the information, Zheng Yang asked.

Eric Fleischer, who was driving, shook his head.

“I heard that the Bulls invited him to participate, but he turned it down.

He can't fall out of the top three...

Originally, he would have been the second pick, but unfortunately the Pistons seem to be very interested in the tall guy from Serbia. I guess he will be selected by the Nuggets!" Zheng Yang nodded. This was exactly the same as the situation in his previous life.

Originally, the Pistons had been flirting with Anthony and all they needed to do was sign a lifelong contract. But that "mistress" from Serbia stole the heart of the Pistons' general manager during a tryout, and ultimately, in an era that had a special liking for big men, the Pistons abandoned Anthony.

Many years later, Carmelo Anthony is still indignant about this incident. He said in an interview: "If I had been the second pick that year, I would have helped the team win two consecutive championships." (Note: The Pistons originally won the championship in 04)
Of course, if Anthony really goes to the Pistons, it is hard to say whether he can still play well in the future. After all, the Pistons, who want to attack the championship, don't have so much time for a rookie to grow...

“Pay attention to your diet these two days and don’t go out to avoid accidents. Tell me wherever you go.

The trial the day after tomorrow is very important to you, but don’t be nervous. You don’t need to be the most dazzling one, but you must show your potential…”

Eric Fleischer instructed Zheng Yang on many details. He never forgot that his new client was just a minor who was not even eighteen years old.

Even though he has always behaved very maturely, he is still worried that he will fail at critical moments. It is not that easy to make it to the NBA.

"I will! Don't worry!"

……

A day passed in a flash, and the tryout organized by the Bulls was about to begin!
Let’s talk about the Bulls first. Unlike the Lakers and Celtics, the two major league powerhouses, the Bulls’ peak only appeared in the era of Michael Jordan.

The team has reached the finals six times in history and won the championship six times, all of which were achieved during Jordan's two consecutive championships. It can be said that without Jordan, the Bulls' popularity would definitely be several levels lower than it is now.

After Jordan retired for the second time, the Bulls dynasty fell apart. Pippen left for the Rockets, Longley went to the Suns, Rodman went to the Lakers to continue pursuing the championship, and Kerr, the later Warriors coach and founder of meritorious basketball, went to the Spurs...

The Bulls have entered into a rebuild!

It's a pity that this construction took twenty years. After selecting Derrick Rose, there was a barely glimpse of hope for revival, but who would have thought that the Eastern Conference Finals would become the Bulls' only peak in nearly 20 years!
But the Bulls' failed rebuilding journey is not because God is always against them. The multiple failed trades caused by the general manager's stupidity may be the main reason!
Of course, these are all things that happened later. In the fifth year after Jordan left the Bulls, that is, in the summer of 03, the media still had great hopes for the Bulls' resurgence, so the tryouts they organized this time also received a lot of media attention.

A month ago, Krause resigned from the management due to health reasons. The general manager who had worked for the Bulls since 85 left the Bulls at this moment, and he was replaced by John Paxson.

Before the tryout started, he was stopped at the entrance of the stadium by a reporter from the Chicago Sports Daily, who asked him a question with a microphone.

"Mr. Paxson, have you decided who you are going to take with the seventh pick this year? Will he be the next Jordan of the Chicago Bulls?"

Paxson, who had just taken office, had already drawn up grand plans in his mind. Even someone like Krause could select Jordan and Pippen and establish two dynasties, so of course Paxson could do it too.

So he smiled and said to the reporter.

“Yes, we already have some targets, but that is not certain, we have to see how the result of today’s trial is, it will affect our judgment.

As for whether that person will be the next Jordan?
I think maybe, when Jordan was first selected, no one thought he would win six championships.

But I can assure the fans in Chicago that we will return to the playoffs as soon as possible and attack the championship. This team has championship blood and they will perform well. "

After finishing the interview, Paxson entered the stadium and walked towards the group of young people waiting for tryouts with Bill Cartwright, the team's new head coach last season.

"Bill, what do you think of that guard from Kansas?"

Paxson asked Bill, who knew he was talking about Kirk Hinrich, a guard who was good at scoring and assisting, and his defense was very good, much better than ordinary guards.

He is also the most likely candidate among Paxson's favorites.

After all, the Anthony he wants will not fall to the seventh pick!
Bill knew that the guard was pretty good, but he actually had other ideas in his mind. However, as a rookie coach in the NBA and with very mediocre team performance, he knew that his opinions would not be widely adopted.

So I just nodded and followed what the other person said.

"I like that guy a lot, he's seen his tape, he's great."

"Yeah, you think so too.

Let's go and have a look, they have been waiting for us there for quite a while."

Paxson was very happy to get the "recognition" from head coach Bill. He knew that he had a sharp vision. Maybe this was the Jordan he chose.

The young people in the center of the court had done warm-up exercises before Paxson arrived, and Zheng Yang was among them.

Including Zheng Yang, there are twelve people in total who came for the tryout today, but except Zheng Yang, all the others are college players.

This shows how rare it is for high school students to skip college and participate in the draft.

It's just that high school players like James, Kobe, and Garnett are relatively famous that outsiders think it's common for high school students to participate in the draft, but the fact is completely the opposite.

During the warm-up process, the others gathered in groups of three or four to warm up. After all, they were all talented players of the same age group and had met each other in many competitions before, so they were considered acquaintances.

Getting together and chatting at this moment can also help you relax and avoid being too nervous.

It was a pity that Zheng Yang didn't know anyone, so he had to warm up alone. During the warm-up process, many people were secretly looking at him.

After all, he has been very popular in the past year, and with the two labels of "high school student" and "yellow man", it is hard for others not to be curious about him.

"Hey, Chris, have you heard of him? I heard that when he played against LeBron, he scored over 40 points and he could kiss the rim when he jumped up.

If LeBron's talent is 10, I think that guy should be 9."

Wade said to Bosh with a smile, his cheeks were not puffed up at this moment, so he did not disappoint the American sports magazine's selection of one of the 50 largest men.

Bosh followed his gaze and shrugged.

"I don't care about that. If he dares to shoot in front of me, I will let him know the gap between him and us."

"Hahaha, you're still the same!"

Wade laughed, but this smile also revealed a bit of disdain for Zheng Yang.

How strong can a high school student be?

Do you really think everyone is LeBron James?
After he goes through today's tryout, he will understand how far he is from the NBA.

　As long as the book performs well, there will be a lot of updates.

　　By the way, is there really no one curious about which team the protagonist will join?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)