The rest is just noise

Reynolds Coliseum

Louis rushed to the home court of North Carolina State University from Boston. Compared with various large arenas in the future that can easily reach 10,000 seats, Reynolds Stadium is obviously much smaller.

Under normal conditions, it can only seat 5,600 people.

What Louis didn't expect was that it would be hard to get a ticket for this competition.

Fortunately, he came here a day in advance to check out the location, and invited a female classmate from North Carolina State University to have a few drinks, and by the way, he showed off his sex appeal and asked the other party to help him get a game ticket, and then he was able to enter.

Louis discovered that many teams sent their own scouts.

Anyone who has a chance to get the No. 1 pick in June will basically pay attention to Sampson.

At a glance, Louis knew that he knew a lot of people. Scouts from New Jersey, Utah, Golden State, and even the general manager of the Chicago Bulls came in person.

It’s no wonder that Sampson is widely considered to have Chamberlain’s talent and the potential to become the ultimate winner like Russell. As a combination of two giant beasts, he does not have the cynical, nagging, and careless eldest daughter of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

temper.

According to a scout, Sampson's NCAA debut a while ago directly defeated a senior center with NBA potential.

He also sent out a shocking block shot from the top of the backboard.

Tonight, the opponent's lineup indirectly set a good stage for him.

North Carolina State does not have a substantial inside line. The tallest among the starters is 6-foot-7 Art Jones PF, who is only 2.01 meters tall.

"Lu, you are here too!"

With that voice, Louis knew who it was without even looking.

Jack McMahon, this old man is also here. He is very strange, because Philadelphia should not have such a high pick.

"Uncle Jack, where are you running from?" Louis asked with a smile.

"Ralph is the most unmissable player in the past ten years. Of course I have to come and take a look!" McMahon's conclusion is quite astonishing.

But then I think about it, although Magic and Bird are both excellent, at this time, people don't know how much they will grow on this basis in the future.

And Sampson is indeed a talent that is visible to the naked eye.

"Do you like him too?" Louis asked.

"Of course, and there is actually no need for you to observe him. This guy will definitely become a talent, and he will definitely not belong to you."

"Why?"

"Do you think he's the kind of short-sighted young guy who's going to jump to the NBA after a year or two in the NCAA?" McMahon seemed to be a big fan of the rule that players must attend college for four years before entering the draft. "He's good.

, also has a bright future, but it is still just an embryo."

Louis was noncommittal about this.

After talking to him, McMahon returned to his seat.

After the game started, Louis took out a pen and notebook.

In the match against the "Dwarf Kingdom", Sampson established his dominance from the very beginning.

He blocked North Carolina State's ace Hawkeye Whitney (SG)'s throw like a flying eagle.

Then, move down quickly like a 1.8-meter guard.

"His agility is impressive, he spreads his hands like he's gliding on the ground, has cat-like agility, incredible athleticism, the best ever."

Louis couldn't believe he was recording this observation.

But unless there's a second 2-foot-24 player who displays this kind of athleticism in front of him, Sampson is the best ever.

The advantage that distinguishes him from other tall men is this incredible athletic talent and exaggerated coordination.

What’s even more exaggerated is yet to come.

Sampson picked up the ball from outside the paint area, dribbled it with the ball, raised it up, and poured the ball in with his head seemingly flat against the basket.

From this moment on, the alumni who spontaneously came to cheer for North Carolina State felt like they had seen the most absurd thing in the world.

Sampson, who is 2.24 meters tall, is the best inside player, rebounder, shot-blocker, stealer, attacker, and defender... and he completed a high-position turn with the ball in the 10th minute of the first half.

The scene of a man getting to the basket and dunking hard with one arm left Reynolds Arena completely silent.

"Comprehensive skills, can dribble with both hands, and can handle defenses one-on-one like a defender in the open area."

"The shooting ability needs to be developed."

"The ball-holding ability is very outstanding, and he can briefly take over the basketball and carry the ball through half the court."

"Has the ability to respond."

"The body is thin and weak, and the resistance ability is insufficient. The upper and lower limbs need to be hung..."

Louis has gotten over the original shock and is looking at everything about Sampson from a scout's perspective.

He acknowledged that Sampson had the talent to achieve great things.

But he wants to use an inappropriate metaphor that Chinese fans can understand - just like Zhou Qi.

The 14-year-old Zhou Qi plays like a small forward, but is 2.11 meters tall. In the youth team, his disadvantages in confrontation are not exposed. The advantages of physical talent and the basic skills of guard since childhood make him invincible and invincible.

Louis has no doubt that at some stage before the age of 15 he was the best of his age in the world.

From Liaoning to Xinjiang, the team never had a good plan for his growth. Louis admitted this. Later, he would practice the skills of the second position, and then practice the skills of the third position.

He was regarded as a Greek monster, and for a while he practiced space five with the Rockets, and then he returned to the national team and was asked to be the core... Such a chaotic career plan, and the slow growth rate, caused him to be unable to survive in the NBA, and again in the CBA

Without dominant offensive ability, he can only rely on talent and defensive awareness to become a top player in Asia.

In Louis' view, Sampson has the same problems and hidden dangers.

He is too comprehensive, has too many techniques, and has too many possibilities.

From the third quarter onwards, the game has turned into a slaughterhouse for Sampson.

22 points and 14 rebounds, it’s not over yet.

You know, the NCAA in 1980 was still playing the most primitive no-shot-time limit game.

In other words, they can drag on indefinitely in one turn.

Because of North Carolina State's lineup, they must play fast, but playing fast can maximize Sampson's athletic talent.

Tonight will be a massacre.

"The future is limitless."

Louis originally wanted to conclude this observation report with this.

But he added: The future is unpredictable.

In scouting reports, "unpredictable" is not a complimentary term, but a neutral term with a slightly derogatory connotation.

If players like Beasley, Cousins, and Rasheed Wallace appear "unpredictable" in their scouting reports, then the scouts are basically warning the teams, "There is something wrong with this guy, so choose carefully."

”.

For someone like Sampson who is destined to be the top pick, if such words appear, it means that he has no confidence in his future.

In the eyes of scouts and observers' articles, Sampson is the ruler of the next era.

Louis cautiously gave him a conclusion that "the future is unpredictable."

Just like the sensation Sampson has brought and the impact he has brought to the NBA, many teams are coveting him. However, in the current climate, few players will leave school and enter professional basketball during their freshman or sophomore years.

.

Therefore, players always have time to hone their skills and become stronger before entering professional basketball.

Sampson is a piece of gem that needs to be polished, but the university has not polished his soil.

Virginia also doesn't have a tradition of producing great centers.

Even if there is, it may not be possible to cultivate it.

Because he is different from those centers in history.

Everyone says Sampson can play five positions, including Virginia's coaches, but no one really wants him to play positions other than inside. That kind of thinking is totally counterintuitive. He is better than any super center in history.

He is taller, but faster than them all. His jumping ability may only be inferior to that of Chamberlain, and he has skills that they do not have... Everyone hopes that he will be a combination of Chamberlain, Russell, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with some defender skills. But he is still

A center.

Kevin Garnett can only become the Garnett that fans are familiar with in his era. If he were in the 10s, he would be another Greek Freak - and there is reason to think that he will be stronger than the Greek Freak.

Sampson is like Garnett, a unicorn who transcended his time.

Except for Louis, no one in this generation knows what path he should take. If he stays in college and goes to the NBA after his junior and senior years, he will waste two or three years of precious time and then most likely join a team.

A team with the bottom record wants him to be its savior. That kind of team can't train people, they will only give you the ball, and then it doesn't matter whether you live or die. His mission is to lead them out of the quagmire, and he absolutely can't do it because he can't even do it.

I can't even find my location.

Thinking of this section, even if Louis doesn't understand the NBA in the 1980s, he still knows why a proud man like Sampson was unheard of before he traveled through time.

Even if this person is not a genius like Oden who was destroyed by injuries, it is very likely that his talent disappeared for various reasons after a short period of blooming.

"It seems you have gained a lot today!"

After the game, McMahon was very happy and happy to have such a genius in the world.

He looked at Louis, "I noticed that the pen in your hand never stopped."

"I can't help it, Ralph's talent is so dazzling." Louis was telling the truth, but it was also against his will.

McMahon laughed so hard that his fat face trembled.

He was very happy, "What a pity, you will definitely not get him."

"It doesn't matter, it's an honor for all of us to meet such a player who transcends his era."

McMahon asked Louis to have dinner with him at a nearby restaurant, and Louis agreed.

In fact, there was still something unsaid in his heart.

And this is an important reason why he is not optimistic about Sampson's future. In this world where no one but him can point out the way for Sampson, is there any difference between being ahead of the times and being behind the times?

The philosophers and scientists who were burned to death in the Middle Ages were also ahead of their time.