Kapitel 97: Shocked United Center
After exchanging a few more words, it was time for the trial training to begin.
The joint trial training consisted of several components: measurements, strength and agility tests, shooting drills, half-court training, five-on-five scrimmages, and a physical examination.
The first step was the measurements, starting with height. Lian Dao stepped forward to be measured.
"6.71 feet?" the staff member confirmed.
"6.71 feet," Lian Dao replied, knowing this was equivalent to a barefoot height of 204.5 cm.
The staff member had confirmed the height with him because players are allowed to provide a number that isn't too far from their actual height, with a range of 1-3 cm being acceptable. This was more of a tradition than a strict rule.
In reality, the measurements from the joint trial were only used as a reference for the teams. During individual trial sessions, teams would conduct their own tests to gather more precise data. While height was important, teams focused more on wingspan, strength, jumping ability, speed, shooting accuracy, rebounding instincts, passing, and other skills. Minor discrepancies in height weren't a major concern.
Ty Lawson stepped up next for his measurement.
"6 feet?" the staff asked.
"6 feet," Ty Lawson answered confidently, inflating his 180 cm height to 184 cm.
Well, that was quite a stretch.
After the height measurements, Lian Dao continued through the other assessments.
Lian Dao's speed and jumping ability had improved significantly during the training camp, along with increased strength and progress in other skills.
Before the camp began, Lian Dao had unlocked the reward for his championship win: a mysterious gift pack. From this gift pack, he received Grant Hill's breakthrough skill pack, which instantly elevated his speed to an S level.
Additionally, he unlocked the Grant Hill badge: "Fastest First Step," which increased his breakthrough speed by 5%.
Lian Dao's sprint speed and lateral quickness had also become subcategories under the overall speed attribute.
The gift pack also contained a 2x bonus card for all skill training effects (valid for two months) and a 4x bonus card for vertical leap training effects (valid for 24 hours).
The system also introduced a new feature: the training space, which was currently at level one and consisted of two parts.
The first part was the immersive training, which allowed for two hours of training per day, providing a 2x training effect bonus. The training time could be extended by 1 minute for every point spent. This feature could also be used in conjunction with the training effect bonus cards.
The second part was the exclusive skills training for retired players, although this feature was not yet available to Lian Dao, as it required upgrading the training space level. Upgrades would allow him to access exclusive training and learning opportunities for the skills of retired players, which could also be unlocked through task rewards.
These rewards marked another leap forward for Lian Dao, who made significant progress over the two months of the training camp.
At the United Center, Lian Dao showcased his skills to the astonishment of the audience. They hadn't anticipated him revealing his full potential.
During the 3/4 court sprint, Lian Dao recorded a time of 3.05 seconds. To put this in perspective, Wade and Westbrook both had times of 3.08 seconds.
Lian Dao's speed was faster than those two. The key factor was that Lian Dao was a forward, a player over 2 meters tall, not a guard.
As soon as the data was revealed, everyone looked at Lian Dao as if he were an alien.
"This guy was holding back in the finals!" This was the consensus among everyone present.
The next jaw-dropping moment came during the bench press test.
The 185-pound bench press was the final component of the measurements.
Lian Dao completed 30 reps of the 185-pound bench press with apparent ease, prompting the staff to call him a monster. It's widely known that a longer wingspan makes bench pressing more difficult. With a wingspan of 223 cm, Lian Dao is already in the range of a gibbon, yet his upper body strength was unexpectedly impressive.
When this data was revealed, all the players participating in the trial looked at Lian Dao like he was a monster.
Blake Griffin managed 23 reps on the bench press, having been spurred on by Lian Dao to complete one more rep than he had planned.
Historically, Griffin managed only 22 reps.
After the first day of joint trial training, Lian Dao planned to return to the hotel to rest.
However, Chris Mullin stopped him, wanting to have a chat.
Guo Yuwei proposed to join the conversation, and Chris Mullin nodded in agreement.
Interestingly, Lian Dao did not include the Warriors in his list of potential teams for the draft. The first reason was that the Warriors already had Stephen Jackson at the small forward position, and he was their main player. Even if Lian Dao were to join the Warriors, he likely wouldn't have many opportunities during his rookie season.
The second reason was that the Warriors' record indicated they wouldn't have a high pick in the draft.
During their exchange, Lian Dao was surprised when Chris Mullin promised to find a way to get a higher pick, just to gauge Lian Dao's interest.
Lian Dao didn't refuse the idea, since the Warriors were showing genuine interest. Plus, with Lian Dao attending college in California and the Warriors based in San Francisco, he already had a large fan base there.
Guo Yuwei hinted that if the Warriors wanted to secure Lian Dao, they would need at least a second overall pick.
Initially, Chris Mullin hoped Lian Dao might express a preference for joining the Warriors. However, seeing Guo Yuwei's protective stance, he realized it was unlikely.
Thus, Chris Mullin refrained from pursuing the topic further and instead focused on finding a way to secure a high draft pick.
Meanwhile, Guo Yuwei's phone was flooded with calls, as scouts sent Lian Dao's performance data to the general managers of their teams as soon as they had it.
At this point, Lian Dao's talent had captured everyone's attention.
...
There were still several days left for the joint trial training, but aside from the first day, it didn't matter much to Lian Dao whether he participated in the remaining days.
Many of the top players in the draft had decided not to participate, and Lian Dao didn't plan to either. Although many team managers had called Guo Yuwei the previous day, after discussing it, the two decided not to change the trial training plan.
They would stick with the teams already scheduled for trial training.
Lian Dao's performance at the United Center was impressive enough to support this decision.
Next, Lian Dao embarked on his personal trial training journey.
The first stop on his workout tour was with the New York Knicks.
The New York Knicks were no strangers to Lian Dao. Madison Square Garden was a place he had visited to watch games in both his previous and current lives.
Known as the "Basketball Mecca" of the NBA, Madison Square Garden had a storied history. However, since Ewing's departure, the New York Knicks had been in a constant state of rebuilding. Even by 2022, the Knicks had not completed a successful rebuild.
The Knicks were like a huge quagmire—many excellent players seemed to struggle and decline after joining the team.
The Knicks' struggles had much to do with their owner, James Dolan. Known for his wealth but questionable decision-making, Dolan had turned the Knicks into a laughingstock in the league.
He hired rookie general manager Isiah Thomas, known as the "Smiling Assassin," which led to further chaos within the Knicks organization. Even when they made the playoffs, they rarely advanced beyond the first round.
These hiring decisions highlighted the significant problems under Dolan's leadership.
However, this time, Dolan was determined to shed the label of "rich and foolish." He appointed Donnie Walsh as the team's general manager and Mike D'Antoni as head coach last season.
This season, Walsh played a tough role in reshaping the team. He traded away several players with bad contracts and decided to part ways with Marbury.
New York was fully committed to a complete rebuild this season.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein