Chapter 35: The Draft, Could It Really Be the Lakers?
Guys after 100 chapters I will start uploading 2 or 3 chapters per day and if we get incentives either more collections, views, rankings, reviews. I will upload more chapters, and I will start uploading the new novel next week: Warriors Godfather, super handsome man or Hollywood: Best Movie Star just one. If you want any, leave a comment.
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David Stern smiled and shook hands with LeBron James.
He was very optimistic about this young high school student and had the idea of making him the next Jordan. After all, the last player like James who had become very famous before entering the league was Tim Duncan.
However, unlike Duncan, who had a calm personality, a low-key playing style, and a style that wasn't particularly attractive to fans, James had explosive athleticism and loved to perform dunk exactly the style fans love. As long as the league supported him, he would definitely become a national idol.
The only drawback was that it was the Cleveland Cavaliers who selected James. Being in such a small market team posed a challenge to the exploration and development of James's commercial value.
While Stern thought about this, the Detroit Pistons, who held the second pick in the first round, also made their choice.
After watching James leave the stage, Stern opened the envelope, glanced at it with a knowing expression, and then smiled at the camera.
"The No. 2 pick from the Detroit Pistons, their selection is Serbian center, Darko Milicic."
This time, the applause was noticeably weaker.
Many people didn't even know Milicic's name. After all, he was a player from Europe, and his popularity in the NBA was naturally limited.
But it was undeniable that in 2003, Milicic was definitely one of the few high-quality big men available.
The reason why the Detroit Pistons chose Milicic over another top pick, Carmelo Anthony, was simple.
On the wing, they already had Tayshaun Prince. Although Prince, who had just completed his rookie season, didn't have as much potential as Anthony at the small forward position, his talent was still evident.
Compared to a forward, the Pistons needed an interior player more.
Although Ben Wallace was still the undisputed core of the Pistons' defense, his role was entirely on the defensive end, with almost no offensive ability.
Milicic, who had demonstrated superb offensive skills in the European League, naturally became the Pistons' first choice. Considering his talent and future potential, Milicic was not necessarily a weaker pick than Anthony.
But when Milicic walked onto the stage with a smile, Anthony's expression became noticeably strained.
As a top prospect before the draft, it was bad enough that he had lost the No. 1 pick to James, but now he wasn't even the No. 2 pick.
No one would feel good in Anthony's position.
However, Milicic's second place was not worth envying at all.
As a time traveler, Wang Chong knew exactly what fate awaited Milicic.
Larry Brown, the renowned coach of the Pistons, was the championship-winning coach who led the Pistons to defeat the Lakers in the 2003-2004 season.
In terms of coaching, Larry Brown was definitely at the top level in the league, but he was obviously not good at developing rookies.
Brown, known for his strict coaching style, was a representative of old-school coaches. European-style big men like Milicic were not his type at all.
During his time with the Pistons, Brown had only one requirement for Milicic: play like a tough guy.
To put it simply, he wanted Milicic to imitate and learn from Ben Wallace's style of play.
But that was not how European centers were used at all.
Flexible footwork, comprehensive skills, and the ability to play both inside and outside have always been the hallmarks of European centers. Numerous outstanding European centers have proven that this style can adapt and thrive in the NBA.
Asking them to train their strength and jumping ability like American big men to block shots—how could they possibly do that?
Even if Larry Brown asked Pau Gasol to do the same, he would have ruined Gasol with his stubborn and inflexible coaching philosophy.
The result was that Milicic, the No. 2 pick in the 2003 draft, became nothing more than a benchwarmer for the Pistons for several seasons. He was ridiculed as the "human victory cigar"—only allowed to play when the Pistons were leading by a large margin.
Of course, Anthony and Milicic played different positions, so if Anthony had ended up on the Pistons, he might not have been sidelined like Milicic. However, it was unlikely that he would have become the primary offensive option with unlimited shooting opportunities as he did with the Nuggets.
But there are always trade-offs. If Anthony had joined the Pistons, he might have been the first player from the 2003 draft class to win an NBA championship, and his career could have taken a completely different path.
——
When Anthony, who was feeling a bit down, finally heard his name as the third pick, he smiled again. He accepted the baseball cap with the Nuggets logo from the staff and walked onto the stage with a bright smile.
As Anthony took the stage, Henry Thomas approached Wade and Wang Chong, sitting next to them and speaking softly to Wade.
"I have some good news. Don't act too surprised. The Heat management just called me and said they're going to pick you soon..."
Wade was startled, his eyes widening in surprise.
The Heat? The Miami Heat?
He remembered that the Heat had the fifth pick in the first round, an incredibly high pick!
Before the draft, Wade's predicted draft position was the 13th pick in the first round. Even he didn't have high hopes for this, and he never expected to be selected as the fifth player in the draft!
Wang Chong overheard this from the other side but didn't show any particular surprise. He knew this was going to happen. On the contrary, he would have been surprised if the Heat hadn't chosen Wade.
But what he didn't expect was that after talking to Wade, Thomas turned to him.
"I also have good news for you. The Lakers are very interested in you."
Wang Chong: "…"
So what?
The Heat had the fifth pick in the first round, while the Lakers had the 24th pick in the first round. How is that good news?
Seeing Wang Chong's expression as if he wanted to curse, Thomas added, "The Lakers know you'll most likely be picked in the middle of the first round. To make sure they get you, they're planning to trade with a team with a higher pick. It's very likely to be a team with a lottery pick."
This time, Wang Chong stopped himself from cursing.
Now that was promising!
Every year in the league's draft, there are always cases where players are traded right after they're drafted. As long as a team has enough assets, even the No. 1 pick can become a trade piece, let alone picks further down the order.
If the Lakers were really determined to get him, they could do it as long as they were willing to pay enough.
Although Wang Chong had said he wasn't interested in the Lakers, that was because of the complicated situation within the team and the fact that they only had the 24th pick.
If the Lakers could get him with a lottery pick, it might not be a bad thing. After all, they were the prestigious Lakers, based in one of the most prosperous cities in the United States—the City of Angels, Los Angeles. Who wouldn't love that?
End of this chapter
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