NBA: Start with 2 billion, buy the Knicks

Chapter 370 The strongest 175 on the surface, this boss started a cycle?

"Don't make any noise, don't make any noise!!!"

Here, Jimmy Butler was celebrating in the waiting room with his family and friends who came in. Suddenly the phone rang, it was from New York, and he immediately signaled everyone to be quiet.

"Hello?"

"I'm JIang." Jiang Chao's voice came from the other side of the phone.

Butler immediately untied his suit and tie, covered his phone for fear of noise interference, and hurried out of the room.

The relatives and friends who were noisy and carefree also consciously kept silent, obviously they also knew who was calling.

"Hello, boss!"

Butler, who was outside the house, was at a loss as he excitedly introduced himself to Jiang Chao.

"Hello, welcome to the team."

"It's an honor for me to be favored by Boss Jiang."

"I will try my best to keep your idol Yao Ming. Practice more mid-range shots and low-post singles skills in the off-season. Whether you can get the chance to play depends entirely on you." Jiang Chao briefly talked about his goals for Butler,

That is also based on the level of ball handling.

Needless to say on the defensive end, the Knicks must be able to defend, and Jimmy Butler was predicted to be at the end of the first round because of his tough defense or even a little too much defense, so Jiang Chao just told him the direction of his efforts.

"Okay, I will try my best."

"I hope you can get used to and like life in New York. Super God Group welcomes you, and the Knicks welcome you."

Butler, who heard the busy tone on the phone, shed tears of happiness with excitement, roared to the sky, and hugged his girlfriend and family.

Who could not love such a humane boss?

Moreover, Jiang Chao's few words were full of hints.

Welcome to the Chaoshen Group. Chaoshen said it first, implying that Butler has joined Jiang Chao's family and it is only a matter of time before he signs with Chaoshen Sports!

How difficult this is for Butler's environment.

The next second, Hayward, who was chatting with Butler, invited him to join the Knicks player group.

In fact, Curry has played with senior players like Butler, but it was just a one-time encounter, and now he is older than Curry.

Naturally, the team also congratulated him, and then looked forward to the Knicks' final second-round pick.

Of course, there was also talk about the amazing kiss that Czech athlete Veseli had with his girlfriend after he was drafted. Many people said that his girlfriend was really pretty... and the TV screen was just reviewing the scene when the Wizards selected Veseli with the fifth overall pick.

.

Jiang Chao was lying on the sofa and remembered that he was still a high school student in his previous life. He got up early at six o'clock in the morning and ran to the Internet cafe to wait for the draft. At that time, there were a lot of Cavaliers fans who stayed behind.

The No. 1 pick and the No. 4 pick.

This is a year that has changed the landscape of the league. Just imagine if the Cavaliers had not made a deal with the Clippers, then they would not have the No. 1 pick. The Clippers would have selected Irving and Griffin to form a new lob city, and Paul's fate would change from now on.

Changes, and without Irving, maybe James would not have returned to Cleveland in 2014. This year, the Warriors selected Thompson to form the Splash Brothers, and Leonard's trade also made everything different.

In Jiang Chao's view, Vesely's stunning kiss with his girlfriend after he was selected turned out to be the only highlight moment of his career.

Sorry, please allow me to laugh for a while...

So it was very funny for Jiang Chao to see this scene. This white small forward returned to Europe to play after completing his 3-year rookie contract in the NBA. Otherwise, all the best small forwards in the future will come from this class. It’s so embarrassing.

.

Shooting guards who are young in the draft are not very popular, such as Thompson, who was selected by the Warriors with the 11th overall pick. If Jiang Chao hadn't cared about him, to be honest, there wouldn't have been much news.

Speaking of which, compared to the 2009 class that I started, this class should have the second largest number of All-Stars in the past 20 years, second only to the 2003 Platinum. No wonder the fifth overall small forward cannot play every minute.

.

The people here have almost left. The players selected next are basically in the camera screen at home. Vice President Ryan’s speed is also getting faster and faster:

"With the 26th pick in the second round, the Knicks selected Isaiah Thomas, a point guard from Washington University!"

"What? Smiling Assassin?"

The Knicks fans who were waiting for this moment were stunned for a moment, subconsciously thinking that Thomas was the Smiling Assassin.

"No, his full name is Isaiah-Jamal Thomas, you can call him Thomas Jr., our neighbor in Tacoma, Washington."

"Yes, I often played with him when I was a kid. He and I are about the same height. I didn't expect him to be able to play in the NBA at his height?"

"etc……"

In fact, no one knew much about this player, but many managers backstage looked at Sean Marks and the others with disbelief.

They all know this player. During his college career, Isaiah Thomas played for the University of Washington for three seasons. He played in a total of 105 games, averaging 30.4 minutes per game, averaging 16.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

He is a combo guard who is a good scorer, but he has a fatal flaw - short!!

The draft report said 175, but in reality it was probably around 172.

President Trump, who was sitting next to the Knicks, said directly:

"Hey, did you make the wrong choice?? You have a bunch of 2-meter strikers in your team. Why do you suddenly want a short guy?"

But actually Sean Marks and the others were a little confused.

Because there is a shortage of point guards in the team. The shortest player, Mills, is 185. What the hell is this 175?

However, externally they must be full of confidence:

"At the end of the second round, let him go to the Development League and kill everyone, so that the tickets in the Development League can be sold more easily." Max said with a smile.

They had no brainless support for Jiang Chao's decision.

Although I don’t understand it now, I will definitely understand it in the near future, in less than two years anyway!!!

Almost all the management on the scene had the same idea: Is this guy defensive??

Peng next door knows this very well. Nate Robinson is already considered the most defensive among the 175 players. Will he not be targeted to death by the Lakers for two consecutive years in the playoffs?

Seeing Jiang Chao's absence, some management members began to mutter secretly:

"I really thought I was a genius and picked Allen Iverson in the second round? Haha."

"You're just showing off after winning the championship. Understand." Anji and others didn't get involved too much. This young boss is in deep water. Don't look at him blindly choosing eight, but it is this kind of unexpected choice that will create a difference.

The value of it.

Moreover, he also got the news that Leonard's trade was Jiang Chao's final decision. Even the Spurs were referring to Jiang Chao's opinion. The second-round draft picks always have a use.

At this time, the scene appeared in the crowded apartment home of Thomas Jr. in Washington State. He looked confused after being selected, and then he hugged his sister and the others, all the while making a gesture of prayer and thanksgiving with his hands clasped together.

Obviously this was beyond his expectation.

However, Jiang Chao and Max didn't call him. According to Jiang Chao, this player has a very aggressive personality and cannot be spoiled.

That is to say, the Knicks internally knew that he was the second-round pick that Jiang Chao wanted to select, but what Thomas himself wanted to know was that the Knicks just randomly selected him, and it was up to him to decide.

TV screens and major sports media also released player statistics that had been prepared long ago.

Although this is an upset, after all, he is a player who is killing everyone in the college league, and there are many statistics and scouting reports.

The physical measurement is 1.75 meters tall and weighs 84 kilograms!

As soon as this data appeared, netizens on Tieba, Reddit and Super God Forum, the three most trafficked basketball forums, started to criticize:

“What the hell???Choose a dwarf??”

"Damn, I thought it was pretty cool when I heard the name, but it turned out to be so high??"

Many fans don't know anything about this person until the data comes out.

"When I see some pretty cool-looking people on TV, there are pictures of superstars, but when I compare them with the figures of the people around me, I think, oh my god, The Hobbit?"

"Brother... From an ordinary person's perspective, 175 is okay. It doesn't really count as a Hobbit, but in the sport of basketball, you really have to be a little higher to win the championship!"

"Yeah, look at the Knicks' championship lineup this year, with 3 forwards + 2 centers at the end, how cool it is, full of experts!"

"With such a height-to-weight ratio, you can at most be considered a small outside cannon on the field, right?"

"I am the center of the school team, and I think I can kill this little Thomas from behind."

"Such a small one, hahahaha?"

"I'm a CUBA Sunshine Team defender, 194. I feel like I can beat this guy from behind!"

Dongre Evening News:

"James Thomas, the father of Isaiah Thomas selected by the Knicks, is an avid basketball fan. Thomas's name is highly consistent with that of the Pistons' famous "Smiling Assassin" Isiah Thomas.

Thomas Sr. is from Inglewood, California. He has been a die-hard Lakers fan since he was a child. He originally made a bet with a friend that if the Pistons defeated the Lakers in the Finals, he would name his son "Isiah."

Thomas".

Apparently Thomas Sr. lost the bet in the end. Fortunately, his wife also liked the name, but at her insistence, Thomas Jr.'s name was changed from "Isiah" to "Isaiah", which is the spelling method in the Bible.

The pronunciation is the same but the writing is different."

But after the data came out, the clamor of the school team became much quieter.

Thomas has a wingspan of 1.87 meters, a standing reach of 2.32 meters, a run-up bounce of 102 centimeters, a run-up reach of 3.34 meters, and a body fat rate of 6.7%, which is the same as when James was a rookie.

Once this set of data comes out, everyone will know why he was selected by the NBA while he could only stay at home.

A normal person's wingspan is approximately equal to his height, and his bounce is 60 centimeters. However, Thomas's wingspan is 12cm longer than his height. What a talent. And his 102-centimeter bounce can be called a monster bounce, so he can easily perform in the game.

Dunking, this is much better than Curry.

The 84kg bench press reached 13 times. The bench press ranked among the best in the same draft. This strength is really terrifying, and Durant's bench press as a rookie was directly above 0.

Sports Illustrated said of Thomas:

"Taken together, Thomas's athletic ability is pretty good. His speed and agility are his biggest strengths. He has excellent jumping, a quick first step when breaking through, and a very rhythmic dribbling. He is a natural born player.

A leader with a tenacious will and a certain accuracy in mid-range shots and three-pointers."

Then multiple draft reports leaked after Thomas was drafted.

Knicks' original draft report strengths description:

"He is a very flexible scorer who can always find opportunities under strict defense; his passing skills have improved to a certain extent in the past college season; he has a big heart at critical moments; he is very fast and an excellent first

He has quick steps that allow him to get away from defenders; he is a natural leader; his performance in the team sometimes exceeds expectations."

Spurs scout Paul's draft report:

"Thomas has very good athletic talent and outstanding jumping ability; he can use fake moves to deceive opponents while moving; he can hit the penalty area and create scoring opportunities; he is also good at using his body when facing opponents who are taller and stronger than him.

Protects the ball with his body; is a capable three-point shooter."

In terms of shortcomings, two scouting reports described Thomas as follows: Even for a point guard, he is still too small; he has the ability to get inside, but he will be guarded by NBA players who are much larger than him.

Bottom; Thomas is a shooting-oriented point guard who sometimes gets into trouble with mistakes; on the defensive end, it is difficult for him to compete with NBA guards.

Rather than simply passing the ball, Thomas sometimes tries to pass the ball to hurt the team; he is prone to getting into trouble with dribbling too much; he spent a lot of time in college learning to play shooting guard; sometimes he has bad

offensive options; sometimes giving up defense in order to play fast break.

Then the most outrageous one appeared.

On Twitter, Nate Robinson, the former top 175 who was traded away by the Knicks two years ago, tweeted:

"?"

A simple question mark is also a question in the minds of many fans.

yes!

If you want a point guard with 175 who can score, didn’t you trade for one yourself 2 years ago???

What the hell is this?

When it comes to dunking, Nate is the dunk king. In other physical tests, he basically beats Thomas.

Maybe the only advantage Thomas has in comparison is his wingspan?

So there are also a lot of "?" comments in his comment area.

????

We were just asking questions to the Knicks management together.

One fan gave a good reply:

"If the Knicks hadn't won the championship this year, I would have blocked the door again."

Besides, not all 175s are the strongest 175s on the planet. This little Thomas is obviously not as strong as Nate, okay??

His draft template turned out to be an undrafted guy named Jerome Randall, and you wouldn't even know who it was!

He couldn't even touch Nate Robinson's back, but Jerome Randall, who was also a point guard with a height of only 1.75 meters. In the 2010 draft last year, Jerome Randall unfortunately lost the selection.

I can only go to the Development League and play overseas...

Looking at such a template, it is not unfair for Thomas to be selected with the 56th overall pick.

Just being drafted by the Knicks, who have always been good at winning awards, fans just feel that the boss has lost his mind.

"Is this boss in a loop?"

"What do you know!! The Knicks can't live without 175, just like the West can't live without Jerusalem!!"

"Hahaha, good life!"

"Sow a 175 and reap a little Iverson??"

"If I can reach half the level of the Smiling Assassin, I will lose."

"I am a student at the University of Washington. I have watched this kid play. Because of his height restriction, defense is his biggest disadvantage. The players he is facing are basically out of position.

In fact, what is puzzling is that Paul, who is 1.83cm tall, is the representative of the defensive first team. Is it just an 8cm difference in size?"

"Brother, in the NBA, every 1cm is a gap, not to mention his height seems to be fake."

"You said it was Paul. This is the only one in the entire Sao Paulo league!"

"Chris Pao, YYDS, Thomas, this draft pick, does he have the ability to control the field? He looks like a solo player."

"Boss Jiang wants to start over? Fast forward to the strongest 175 on the surface and make trouble. Don't trade him!"

"Haha, Boss Jiang writes too many scripts, has he entered Inception?"

"Maybe. I recently heard that Boss Jiang will attend the Oscars and bring a mysterious gift."

In fact, not only the fans, but also the Knicks are also talking about it.

Some approve it and some don't.

The player group is lifeless and feels like it's stuck in Bengbu. He was undrafted the year before last but signed a strong player like Matthews, so everyone thinks that even if Jiang Chao chooses a rookie, he will be extremely talented.

This one is 175... everyone secretly laughed under the covers. To be honest, it won't affect any of their players who are currently under official contract!

Messina and Clifford actually wanted to draft a big center.

D'Antoni and the young coach like this kind of fast-break players who charge into the battle. Stevens also praised him when the Indiana media asked him:

"Isaiah Thomas always makes some good choices and moves the ball.

He can truly affect the performance of the entire team, can break into the paint and take over the scoring responsibility, and at the same time, in terms of scoring efficiency, he will also be a powerful end point on the offensive end."

Tyronn Lue, who has now become the head coach of the Bobcats, sent a message to Jordan and others:

"Isaiah Thomas is a short and fast pick-and-roll guard. He has a tough style of play and can break through. He has a three-point range and his first choice is to score rather than pass. He is very diligent in defense and has no fear of confrontation. He is seriously disadvantaged by his height."

"Then why did Boss Jiang choose him?" Jordan asked.

Tyronn Lue: "I don't know the details, but it is still possible to select him with the 56th pick. He will play in the Development League and maybe he can be replaced by a future second round."

"Oh, you can't even see through your boss."

"Our boss's approach makes sense, just look forward to it."

As an analyst, Downey Jr. was also puzzled. He had actually communicated with his father about this person, and the Suns had the same view of him.

Everyone's draft report has a certain degree of affirmation of Thomas' athletic talent. His leadership temperament, key ball ability, and speed are indeed outstanding, which can be felt in the college league.

However, the evaluation of Thomas's disadvantages is almost fatal - he is small in stature, has poor defense, plays a shooting guard style as a point guard, and has poor offensive choices.

But could Jiang Chao not know this?

Of course he also saw the discussions in the group and the criticism on the news.

To be honest, these are indeed Thomas' shortcomings, and even the reason why he had no ball to play in his previous life - Thomas' registered height is 5 feet 10 (approximately 1.78 meters) and weighs 186 pounds (approximately 84 kilograms).

This kind of figure is indeed a bit small for an NBA player. His overall rating is 86 points, of which only 5 points are for size, and 6 points for potential and defense. It can also be seen how unfavorable he was at that time.

But from Jiang Chao's time-travel perspective, Thomas's career cannot be defined by his pick. He eventually became one of the most inspiring stars in history and inspired many fans and even players.

It is a pity that Thomas suffered an injury later, which took away his explosive power and amplified his disadvantages. In addition, this guy was confident and talkative on the court. Later, the Cavaliers did not even take James seriously.

If you offend James by commanding James, you will offend half of the league. Naturally, no team will want you again.

But when Scarlett called to ask, Jiang Chao’s answer was simple:

"Don't you want to see the cavalry company charging? He and Curry charge very quickly!"

When Swift called, he said the same thing: It's okay to play fast break. I selected two passionate players this time.

Finally, there was a call from Messina. He and Clifford were both defensive coaches, and they really didn’t know what use such players were:

"Don't worry, he is more than enough to play as a substitute on the opposite side. Whether in the Development League or the NBA, his style of play can earn a lot of tickets."

However, Jiang Chao only answered these people close to him, and he did not respond to other online questions.

Just kidding, a player at the end of the second round has to be questioned over and over again???

Besides.

Do these idiots know what kind of player this is???

At his peak, he averaged 29 points per game, was an All-Star player, and ranked among the top five in MVP voting!

The real strongest one on the surface is 175. His achievements are so much higher than Nate's. He is a super genius who can beat anyone in 1V1 in one step, okay!

The man known as the King of the End!

Later, he was the leader of the Green Army who rushed to the Eastern Conference Finals with a civilian lineup under the system equipped by the young marshal.

Although later in the 17th season, hip injuries and his over-inflated self-confidence caused him to start wandering. Of course, this was also related to the ruthlessness of the old fox Anji. When Thomas was in the top 5 of the MVP, he was decisively traded after finding that his explosive power was not enough.

Let him fall completely.

But at least Thomas, who is only 22 years old now, will definitely perform well under the guidance of the young coach.

He is indeed a ticket seller. Thomas Jr. embodies the basketball dream of ordinary people. The better he plays, the more fans he will have. Jiang Chao will not reject such a super master who can sell tickets.

If they can select him with the 26th pick in the second round, the Knicks will definitely make money no matter what.

…

After 10 minutes, the draft ended.

Everyone got what they wanted. This year's draft was particularly quiet except for the Spurs' big move, but secretly they all came back with a lot of success, especially Jordan and Cai Chongzin who listened to Jiang Chao's advice. They were full of confidence and hope for the future.

expectations.

And with the final group photo, the rookies each left the scene with their expectations for next season.

There is a lot of news about teams signing undrafted players. The Knicks and Spurs, who like undrafted players, have no news.

The fans who had been waiting were a little irritated and started to complain involuntarily.

"Wow, Spurs, don't you sign a successor inside?"

"What are the Knicks doing, not drafting a big man?"

"Other teams are starting to grab people. What are they doing?"

"I think the Knicks need a backup center."

"It's okay. Yi Jianlian and Ibaka can play. Isn't David Lee the center?"

"Training! Do you understand training? Boss Jiang has always liked to train people!"

"I, Boss Jiang, need to explain to you what I do???" an unknown player Whiteside commented...

"Yes, we have already won the championship, please be tolerant!"

"Sign a suspended player from Agen. Boss Jiang and Manu have such a good relationship!"

"Are there any good players in Argentina now?"

"Yes, Messi, Martinez..."

"I went to the wrong studio upstairs. I nominate the child prodigy Campazzo. He is not very tall, but he is really good at passing the ball!"

"The nomination is invalid, no nominations are made if there are less than 175..."

Not only was Dabai Bian eliminated, but his junior brother Stephenson, who was also recalled by the Knicks, was also eliminated. In fact, everyone has forgotten these two second-round picks selected by the Knicks last year.

After a year of training in the Sujiang Men's Basketball Team and winning the championship, they were waiting to shine in the Knicks, so Whiteside breathed a sigh of relief after the draft.

If a forward is not chosen, then his chance has really come!

The same goes for Stephenson. He didn't choose a pure shooting guard, and his chance is still there. In his opinion, his style of play is much more exciting than Harden's, and it's just around the corner to squeeze out Harden!

Jiang Chao, on the other hand, didn't even care about losing the draft.

This is because the front office is actually pretty good this year. No good players were drafted. They were all among the 60 players. The Knicks got two more rookies this year. The Knicks have too many choices to make next.

Should we give a formal contract? If so, should we delegate it to others? How to train???

What to do with the old players??

Should the Knicks sign the two second-round picks from last year who have priority rights?

How to arrange the roster for the new season?

There are still many troubles left for the defending champion team.

In fact, other management also think that the Knicks are a bit too special. Generally, teams win championships to consolidate their championship strength and upgrade existing players. At this time, they will use draft picks and so on.

For example, it was a cool operation like upgrading Turk Drew to Durant, but now it seems that this boss Jiang is really interesting. He wants draft picks every year and likes to choose rookies.

Little did they know that Jiang Chao had selected two future All-Star players this year!

His lineup will be upgraded from the original Galaxy Battleship to Space Battleship!!

…

While some people were still expecting the Knicks to package up the two rookies to upgrade their lineup, the Knicks signed contracts extremely quickly.

2 days later.

Knicks general manager's office.

Sean Marks and others signed the contract and took photos with Jimmy Butler and Thomas Jr.

There is another person behind him, and that is Matthews, who is coming to renew his two-way contract in advance.

This year both first-year players signed a 4+1 standard rookie contract. Due to salary inflation and the times, Butler is a bit higher, 18 million in five years.

Thomas Jr. is worth 6.5 million in five years. For a player like him who almost lost the draft, he is lucky to get a rookie contract, and it is not a two-way contract.

This actually indicates that the Knicks must reduce the original championship lineup before the start of the regular season. The two-way contract does not need to be included in the roster, but the Knicks only have a two-way contract for Matthews.

In other words, if there are two more rookies, the roster will have 16 players, who will definitely leave the Knicks through trade or the players themselves becoming free agents.

But not many people think about this now, and the grass-growing period is still going on.

The only thing the Knicks management has done now is to renew Matthews' contract in advance.

Anyway, Matthews' two-way contract was extended for two years in advance before other teams made offers. The contract was extended from 500,000 for 3 years to 3 million for 2 years. It is almost the same as an ordinary rookie contract.

Moreover, although Jiang Chao does not make yin and yang contracts, he can "bribe". Matthews has worked hard for the team for two years and it is appropriate for him to renew his contract in advance for the third year.

Of course, he was also afraid of being robbed, so he directly renewed the contract in advance. He could guess how popular Matthews would be if the two-way contract expired next year, and renewing the contract in advance would not be so troublesome.

Originally, Matthews' agent didn't want to renew at such a low price, but Matthews himself and his mother felt that Jiang Chao was Matthews' benefactor and it would be a good thing to continue with the Knicks, so they agreed directly.

For this reason, Jiang Chao did not hesitate, and directly prepared a small villa for Ma Dadu and his wife, and he could also bring his wife and family to live together in the future.

It is equivalent to giving him 2 million US dollars indirectly.

After Jiang Chao signed the contract, he also learned that Okur, with an annual salary of 11.85 million, had finished his contract and entered the free market. Since he had not signed a restricted contract before, the Knicks did not have the right to match the offer.

That is to say, the same salary depends entirely on the player's own opinion. Of course, if the player only wants to go to one team, he will go with a lower salary.

Therefore, if the Knicks free up the 11.85 million, their salary space will be very healthy again.

Therefore, apart from Okur, who must leave, Jiang Chao will not take the initiative to dismantle the championship lineup. The contract renewal and the price will be negotiated slowly. The Knicks' expiring veterans are not people who are greedy for money. They should

Can be negotiated within the luxury tax line.

Dismantling the lineup hurts feelings. As long as the players don't mess around, Jiang Chao will never mess with the championship lineup like Cuban in his previous life.

Why are all the teams staring at the Knicks' draft? Now the advantage is reflected. The rookie bonus period is fully utilized. A team has 10 rookies aged 1-3... This way they can continue to compete for the championship. This

It’s not okay if your vision doesn’t satisfy you.

After signing with the team, the two rookies also arranged a special car directly to Lai Shixian's office to complete the contract for Chaoshen Sports sneakers.

Both of them have product endorsement contracts, which are definitely not at the level of a signature contract, but both of them have sold their shoes well in the future.

Thomas Jr.’s shining moment was in the Eastern Conference Finals when he sold Nike shoes to Kobe Bryant 8 until they were out of stock.

Jimmy Butler later became the spokesperson for Li-Ning and was one of the spokespersons that Wade later promoted.

"Now that you are in the Knicks, you will become a family. You can shout together during training, fitness, and recreation, and strive to integrate offense and defense."

Here Matthews became the big brother and said to the two younger brothers.

"OK!" Butler here looks like an NBA athlete, while Thomas, who has no muscles in his arms and a big butt, looks more like an ordinary person.

But what neither Lai Shixian nor Jiang Jiang expected was the two executives in front of them.

A year later, these two people turned out to be more like ordinary people. Thomas's sneakers sold better...

8000 words, make up yesterday’s chapter~

(End of chapter)