The rest is just noise

Chapter 1323 Everything is fine

All the best

It was certainly a violation of the rules for Jim Bass to use the momentum of winning the No. 1 lottery to promote his new bar, but soon everyone's attention was diverted by another terrible thing.

Lakers got No. 1 pick?

This result is shocking. A team that reached the Western Conference Finals received the most valuable No. 1 pick since 1992.

Sitting next to Louis, McHale felt a sense of bitterness.

So close!!!

"Coach Lu, do you want to trade this draft pick?" McHale asked without hope.

Louis asked with a smile: "If it were you, would you trade?"

McHale nodded like a kid: "Yes, because the Lakers already have Kevin Garnett."

Louis laughed: "The 1986 Knicks already had Charles Oakley and Dennis Rodman, but I wouldn't mind getting a player named Kevin McHale through a trade."

A few words from Louis clearly stated his attitude towards this draft pick, which is not to trade it.

Sigh... at least they still have Keith Van Horn to choose from.

Wait, does Van Horn really get to choose?

McHale looked at Louis again, "Coach Lu, who do you think is the best candidate for the second pick?"

Louis gave no answer.

However, he helped McHale rule out a wrong answer.

"I don't know, Kevin, I really don't know. In my opinion, the only one worth paying attention to in this draft is Tim Duncan. Everyone else has risks of one kind or another. However, if I were to choose, I would

Keith Van Horn will not be considered."

McHale was shocked.

Louis actually so easily rejected Van Horn, who was recognized as being only inferior to Duncan.

"Why? Isn't Keith known as Larry II?"

Louis joked: "This is the first Larry II we have seen? What was the current situation of the previous Larry II?"

In fact, every team that selects Bird II does not expect this second player to actually become Bird.

As long as they have Bird's final year level during his peak period, that's enough.

However, every Bird II before Nowitzki left people with nothing but disappointment.

McHale did not continue to ask, and Louis also said that he did not know this year's rookies, but since he said that Van Horn could not be selected, there must be some huge hidden dangers in this person.

After all, Louis' draft success rate is obvious to all.

Afterwards, Louis walked up to the stage and patted little Buzz.

This brainless dude actually advertises his bar on such an important stage.

Forget about advertising, the name of the bar sounds too stupid.

The next day, the news that the Lakers won the No. 1 pick was reported in major media.

Little Bas even advertised his good luck everywhere in the forum, as if another person would have had a different result.

Since the lottery meeting was a top secret, Louis just let Bass get excited.

It does no harm to Louis that he takes this opportunity to increase his status and voice in the forum.

Some teams were frustrated with the result.

For example, a team representative from the Toronto Raptors, the champions, said: "The first-ranked team in the league has obtained the right to sign Tim Duncan. So, how many games will they win next season? 74 games? Or 80 games?

?”

"This is a disaster!" Sixers draw representative Pat Williams said.

If they complained that their mess had no good results, Louis would not take it seriously yet, but now that they said it was a disaster, he would have to respond a few words.

"If I were a hot prospect going into the draft this year and I knew I was going to start my career on a bad team, I would be trepidatious," Louis said sarcastically, "because I don't know where I'm going to be.

The team becomes Benjamin Wilson or Derrick Coleman."

"I think this is a disaster."

"As for the Lakers, although they are not a very good place to go, they are the favorites for the championship this year and for a long time to come. The atmosphere in the team is good. If young people who are about to enter professional basketball can choose, I think

They will all choose the Lakers, right?"

In addition, Louis also made a joke with reporters.

"We haven't decided whether to choose TD yet. Can we stop the discussion about what jersey number he will wear with the Lakers?"

The matter of winning the No. 1 pick also triggered a positive response within the Lakers.

Both Garnett and Kobe knew that Duncan was coming.

Barkley began to worry about his position. If the team were to select Duncan, who would start in the two frontcourt positions?

Garnett was selected as an All-Star this year. He has basically played well and will only get stronger in the future. As for Duncan, Barkley has played against him on the Dream Team.

At that time, Duncan was still just finishing his junior season, but his abilities in all aspects were already very good. Even if he entered the NBA immediately, even if it is a conservative estimate, he should have quasi-All-Star level fighting ability.

After a year of growth, Duncan is definitely better than last year.

So Buckley came to see Louis.

He wants to know what position the team will give him after Duncan comes.

Louis had no intention of hiding it, "Chuck, I can only tell you three things about your concerns."

"First, when it comes to starting the starting lineup, those who are capable will be promoted and those who are not strong will be demoted."

"Second, at least until the end of next season, you will still be our starter."

"Third, if one day you feel nervous about the competitiveness within the team and feel that you are unable to cope with it, you can come to me to apply for a trade so that we can get together and part ways."

After hearing the first two things Louis said, Barkley was already relieved, and this third thing aroused Barkley's competitive spirit.

"Coach, what are you talking about? I don't know what nervousness is in my life! Let them do it. If we really can't compete with the young people by then, even if I am asked to come on the bench, I have nothing to say!"

Louis doesn't believe that Barkley will really sit on the bench when the time comes, but with what he said today, he will be able to hold him firmly when the time comes.

After Barkley, Wilson also came.

Although I played against each other in the Dream Team and knew Duncan's strength, I didn't know what kind of person he was.

Wilson had spent the first half of his career working with people with bad personalities, and it didn't work.

He wanted to know what Duncan's personality was like.

"Didn't you say before that if the person you were working with in New York was TD, you wouldn't leave?" Louis asked with a smile.

Wilson just followed the coaching staff's wishes that day and complimented Duncan.

"Actually, I don't know him very well..." Wilson said, "But I know he is capable."

"Patrick is also capable. Why don't we trade him with the No. 1 pick? I think New York will seriously consider this plan." Louis teased Wilson.

Wilson rolled his eyes after hearing this.

"Okay, you don't have to worry. Before the draft starts, we will make a comprehensive evaluation of Tim Duncan. If he is really not a good teammate and may even bring adverse effects to the locker room, I will

I won’t choose him.”

Although Louis knows that Duncan is definitely the starter of the "best teammate in history" team and is the number one player on any list of "the player I most want to work with" in the new century, he still focuses on stabilizing Benj's mentality.

After all, others are not time travellers, so who knows whether there is an angel or a devil hidden under Deng Daidai’s pure smile.

Winning the No. 1 pick, they lead 3-1 in the Western Conference finals and are only one step away from the finals. The Lakers have not encountered such a good situation since the tragic star retired.

Just when everyone thought they were going to defeat the Trail Blazers with this momentum and advance to the Finals again after six years, the Portlanders, who had no way to retreat, gave them a fierce blow at the forum.

(End of chapter)