boyutpedia Chapter 37 A Sharp Stroke of the Tongue
Chapter 37 A Sharp Stroke of the Tongue
After a short while, Anderson finally finished tidying up, dusted himself off, sat down, took a sip of water, and then casually asked, "How does this tea taste? I went to several neighborhoods before I finally found it at a Chinese supermarket."
Du Ze was speechless.
Isn't this just ordinary green tea? Why did you have to go to several communities?
But then I thought about it again. This is Phoenix, which isn't a major area for Chinese immigrants. If I suddenly need to buy tea, I'll definitely have to go through some trouble to find it.
The old man was so thoughtful, which inexplicably touched him.
But the next second, he felt a chill run down his spine.
To treat myself, I went out of my way to buy tea and made such a big deal out of it.
A bad feeling crept over him, and the little bit of emotion he felt vanished instantly. He cleared his throat and replied, "The flavor is quite rich."
Anderson smiled slightly: "I'm glad you like it. It's a pity I'm not used to this taste."
Du Ze became increasingly convinced that something was definitely wrong.
But he remained nonchalant: "That's a shame."
Anderson straightened his expression: "Here's the thing, the reason I called you here today is to talk to you about your next opponent, Hashem Thabeet. He's the mainstay of Connecticut's frontcourt, and he has a height and wingspan advantage over you, which will be a big challenge for you."
Du Ze puffed out his chest and replied in a strong voice, "I am never afraid of challenges."
Thabit?
This big bust, taking advantage of this year being a weak draft year and a year with a lot of guards, has been packaged up like a respectable person, with the media touting him as the next generation of Dikembe Mutombo.
In addition, the Memphis Grizzlies already have Conley in the backcourt, and Lowry is emerging off the bench. Last year's draft pick, the prodigy OJ Mayo, put up top numbers of 18.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in his rookie season, and looks like he has the potential to become a super scorer.
They don't actually need a defender.
But 09 happened to be a year with a bunch of talented guards. Harden, Jennings who came from a five-star high school, Curry, Rubio, and Evans were all top contenders with the potential to be in the top five.
If we choose them, there will be a serious overlap in positions.
Unfortunately, Marc Gasol hadn't fully developed yet, with only 11 points and 7 rebounds per game. So, after much deliberation, the Grizzlies made what seemed like a safer choice at the time: they picked Thabeet, a center they considered reliable.
Well, this "safe and reliable" refers to the situation relative to the top five most popular candidates.
This move completely screwed up the Memphis Grizzlies, leaving them utterly humiliated and frustrated.
In fact, apart from his height and wingspan, Thabeet is useless.
That's right, this phrase "utterly useless" has no negative connotation; it's simply a statement of fact.
Thabeet has absolutely no fundamentals. He can't dribble, can't shoot, can't do low post footwork, and his finishing ability under the basket is terrible. It's a waste that he's so tall.
That's not all. What's even more problematic is that his lateral movement speed on the defensive end is incredibly slow, his positioning is poor, and his rebounding awareness is also very weak.
Don't be fooled by his 10.8 rebounds per game in the NCAA; those were all thanks to his height and ability to hold his position under the basket. Once you get to the NBA, there are plenty of talented players out there, and you won't even have that advantage anymore.
What's even more disheartening is that he can't box out, and his screens and picks are a complete mess, stinking and rotten.
He can't even do the most basic things a blue-collar center should do, so his defensive selling points are completely gone.
This is undoubtedly the worst second overall pick in history, arguably without exception.
He certainly wouldn't be afraid of such a dead wooden stake.
Anderson, unaware of this, assumed Duze was just being stubborn and chimed in, "Very good, but we still need to take it seriously. Just standing under the basket is a barrier in itself."
Du Ze replied confidently, "Sir, please rest assured, I will handle him."
Anderson raised an eyebrow: "How much do you know about him?"
After a moment's thought, Duze revealed his strategy: "He's 221cm tall, which is the size of a giant, but the cost is also obvious. He'll be slow and his range of movement will be very limited. If I just move to the vicinity of the free throw line and make two shots, he'll explode on the spot."
"And once he expands outwards to defend against my cover, the impact of my downward slide will be something he can't withstand."
"Most importantly, I'm not afraid to fight him at all. He's too tall, so his lower body is more prone to slipping. If we really fight hand-to-hand, he definitely won't be able to maintain his position."
Hearing this, Anderson's eyes lit up: "Du, you are the most insightful child I have ever met."
A look of shock appeared in his eyes. "You know what? I watched the video for hours to figure him out, but you hit the nail on the head right away. This is insane."
"I always thought you were just saying you were studying your opponents casually, but I never expected... I have to apologize to you."
Du Ze smiled and said, "I've always been very serious when dealing with my opponents."
His insight stems from information that has already been validated by the future, an advantage that is unmatched by others.
Anderson clapped: "That's fantastic! I admire your attitude in the game. You're one of the best players I've ever had in all my years of coaching."
He paused for a moment, then suddenly his smile vanished, replaced by a serious and earnest expression. "By the way, there's something I've been wanting to ask you."
Du Ze's heart skipped a beat.
"Is this...?" He nodded calmly.
really.
Anderson looked directly into Duze's eyes: "What are your plans after this season ends? Will you stay at the academy, or...?"
Duze answered without hesitation: "After the tournament, I will register for the NBA draft."
Only by entering the NBA can he earn points; staying in the NCAA for another year would be a complete waste of time.
In this life, for him, acquiring enough sword music before the age of thirty-five is the most important thing.
Anderson paused, his voice deepening, "This is a very important choice in your life. Have you thought it through?"
Du Ze nodded: "Yes, I've thought it through very carefully."
There's absolutely no need to consider this. Hesitating for even a second longer would be disrespectful to Dao Le.
Anderson frowned deeply: "This is your own life choice, and I shouldn't have the right to say much. However, as a coach who has been deeply involved in the basketball world for so many years, I still want to remind you to be careful. Once you officially register for the draft, there is no turning back."
The current draft rules state that if a player registers for the draft and withdraws their application ten days before the draft begins, they can return to the NCAA to continue playing.
However, if the deadline is missed and the application is not withdrawn, even if the candidate is ultimately not selected, they will completely lose their eligibility to participate in the NCAA.
This is something that players with potential but whose overall performance is not yet up to par really need to carefully consider.
Du Ze only averaged 9.2 points per game in the regular season, which is a serious disadvantage, making his chances of not being selected very high.
Without his top-tier performance in the tournament, averaging 9.2 points per game, he could be sentenced to death.
Du Ze didn't hesitate at all: "I've thought it through very clearly."
Now he has only one path forward: to lead Missouri to the championship and maintain their current performance.
Only in this way can he have a real chance of entering the NBA, and with his physical talent, it's not impossible for him to become a dark horse that suddenly appears out of nowhere.