It took only one day for the Lakers to scout to gather a profile that cared about Tecside, from his high school days, including various tryouts and tests before the draft, his performance with the Kings, and the evaluation given to him by the Kings coaching staff. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

"This guy came out of Patterson Middle School, which has a good record in the United States. The university chose Marshall University, which can be regarded as a strong team in the NCAA, and won the NCAA block king in the first year of college! I seem to have a little impression of this player, and some people even think that he can enter the lottery because of the draft predictions of that year, at least in the first round. We Lakers didn't have a first-round pick in 2010, so I didn't pay much attention to him at the time. ”

"By the standards of a rookie, his physical stats are good, and the vertical bounce is the same as Cousins, so Whiteside is also a very talented player, at least he will be drafted in the first round, how could he fall to the 33rd pick? Hey? Wearing slippers to participate in the rookie physical test, what kind of attitude is this! Kupchile's brow furrowed.

When the NBA rookie physical test, many team managers will be there, but in 2010, the Lakers did not have the first round of draft picks in their hands, and last season the Lakers defeated the Celtics and won the NBA championship.

As a player who is about to enter the profession, the minimum professional attitude should be, not to mention that the draft is related to the future of a new player. And Whiteside actually wore a slipper to participate in the rookie physical test, which in the eyes of many managers and scouts is a very unprofessional performance, and the rating will naturally be much lower. Many teams will even directly pull him into the blacklist because of this.

However, Kupchak thought about it, this Whiteside wore slippers to participate in the physical test, and the data turned out to be very beautiful, and the vertical bounce was almost the same as Cousins, which shows that his physical fitness and athleticism are really strong!

'Managers and scouts across the league are not stupid, they are certainly aware of it, but they still didn't pick Whiteside, it looks like the player has a flawed character.' Kupchak then looked at the information in his hand, and then laughed suddenly.

After the game, the reporter complained about why the team in front of him didn't choose him, claiming that the lower limit was Garnett! Does he even know who Garnett is? Many people say that their upper limit is Garnett, and they will be despised, and this guy actually says that his lower limit is Garnett! Hehe...... Is this guy an idiot? The IQ is worse than Cousins. No wonder no one wants it! No team wants to choose an ADHD person, this kind of guy is a ticking time bomb in the team! ”

Kupchak shook his head to himself, and then continued to look at the information given by the Kings.

"I was with the Kings for two years, and spent most of my time in the Development League. Played only one game in the first year, played 2 minutes, 2 fouls and 0 stats; In the second year, he appeared in 18 games, averaged 1.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 6.1 minutes per game, and was a very ordinary blue-collar statistic. ”

"I don't train seriously, I don't concentrate, I don't even do warm-up exercises, I just mess up in the team. Very narcissistic and dismissive of assistant coaches. On the first day of the training camp, I drove a Mercedes-Benz of more than 200,000 yuan, and I remember that the first contract of the second round of rookie contracts was more than 800,000 yuan, deducting the necessary taxes and insurance, at most 400,000 yuan, this guy actually spent half of his salary to buy a car! Brain-dead! Do you think you're getting a big contract at the level of 10 million? ”

American cars are cheap, half of the middle class is to buy a car for 30,000 or 40,000 US dollars, and 100,000 US dollars can almost buy a car with a domestic price of about 2 million. And spending $200,000 to buy a car in the United States is definitely a top luxury car. The top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz G-Class that Whiteside bought for $200,000 is the same as Curry's Mercedes-Benz. But Curry only changed to a new car after taking a big contract, and Whiteside was just a second-round show, holding a precarious job but buying a star's luxury car, which shows that Whiteside in the rookie period is really a king-sized brain-dead.

"I really don't understand, why Zhang Guan wants me to pay attention to such an idiot! Is it because he played in China? Even China's first-class league can't be mixed, how much potential can such a player have? ”

Kupchak pursed his lips disdainfully, but considering that Zhang Guan is the team's small owner and the core of the team after all, Kupchak feels that it is better to give Zhang Guan a face and let Whiteside come to the team for a tryout, but if it is just a trial, it will not bring any loss to the Lakers.

……

Entering April, the situation in the playoffs is becoming clearer, and there are 7 teams in the East with more than half of the winning rate, and it is relatively stable to enter the playoffs. In the West, the competition between the Grizzlies, Mavericks and Suns is becoming more and more fierce, and the Lakers, who are in a winning streak, are gradually entering the playoffs.

On April 4, the Dallas Mavericks visited Los Angeles.

On the field, Nowitzki gasped for breath, he has played 38 minutes today, for a 36-year-old veteran, playing in the heat of the game for so long, the body has indeed reached the limit.

However, even so, the Mavericks still lagged behind. The excited shouts of the home fans even made the Mavericks players a little breathless.

Whenever Zhang Guan held the ball, the scene where the fans shouted "MVP" made Nowitzki feel as if he was back in Los Angeles five years ago, when the Lakers were aiming for the championship, and the fans in Los Angeles were extremely crazy at that time.

"When did the Lakers' home court become like this!" Nowitzki wiped the sweat from his head.

This Mavericks team has brought together a lot of former star players, but the overall age is indeed older. Nowitzki is 36, Marion is 36, Hellam Porter is 33, Calderon is 33, Carter is 37, Harris is 31 and Monta Ellis is young, and already has 29 years old.

Such a team may be better than the Spurs in terms of experience, but it is really a bit inadequate to play a long-term battle.

What's more, this game is also the second game in a back-to-back for the Mavericks. Last night, also in the same court, the Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 113-107. Today's game with the Lakers, although it was not tiring for the Mavericks, was a back-to-back game. A group of old men can last for more than 30 minutes, and they are really a little unbearable.

It is also because of age that many experts in the United States are not optimistic about the Mavericks entering the playoffs. Compared to the Mavericks, both the Grizzlies and the Suns are younger and more energetic, and it is difficult for the aging Mavericks to make a difference even if they barely make the playoffs.

In this game, the Lakers also lost 117-107 to the Mavericks for the 31st loss of the season, and because the Grizzlies lost to the Timberwolves the day before yesterday, the Mavericks, Grizzlies and Suns all became 31 losses at this time, returning to the same running line. They are only two losses away from the Lakers, who have lost 33.

After the victory over the Mavericks, the Lakers have their final six games left, against the Clippers, Rockets, Warriors, Grizzlies, Jazz and Spurs, and none of the six opponents are easy to bully except for the Jazz at the bottom. In particular, the game against the Grizzlies was a key battle for the playoffs.

And the day after the victory over the Mavericks, Whiteside also arrived at the Los Angeles Lakers' training facility.

Since being waived by the Kings, Whiteside has run out of balls at one point. Due to his poor reputation with the Kings, Whiteside was already a little uneasy in the United States, so he sold the luxury Mercedes and then looked for opportunities to pan for gold overseas. However, those European teams did not need Whiteside's insider, so Whiteside moved to China's CBA.

But the CBA still doesn't need Whiteside, what the CBA needs is the kind of foreign aid who can score, not a block spring man like Whiteside. Whiteside's offensive means are relatively simple, and no CBA team is willing to waste valuable foreign aid spots on Whiteside, so Whiteside has no choice but to play for the CBA's development league. Although Whiteside's offensive level is not very good, in the lower league, it is still easy to bully the opponent.

The encounters in the past few years have smoothed out Whiteside's edges, and only helped him to fill up his IQ. Before the draft that year, Whiteside was so unpopular that he once felt that his talent could be in the top three, and after being selected by 33, Whiteside felt that all teams had no eyes. However, after being slapped in the face by reality, Whiteside matured a lot, and he knew he had to take any opportunity to return to the NBA.

Because of this, on the first day of the trial, Whiteside's attitude was very positive, honestly like a good child, and he didn't have the "brain-dead" appearance of the year.

Kupchak stood on the edge of the training court, and he couldn't help but gasp as he looked at Whiteside, who was leaping high under the basket.

"This physical talent, this athleticism, is not much worse than Jordan Jr. and Drummond! The offensive means are not very good, the weight is slightly lighter, but there is no lack of physical confrontation ability, and that arm span, which seems to be longer than Anthony Davis, this is really a good player for rebounds and blocks! Where did Zhang Guan find this guy! Are all the scouts blind? Let such a great talent slip away in front of your eyes......"

If it weren't for Whiteside's bad track record, Kupchak would have really wanted to sign with Whiteside right away.

Next to him, Coach D'Antoni also nodded frequently.

"The offensive means are relatively simple, and I can't shoot threes, although this is not the type of center I want, but such a good physical talent, no coach will let go! This Whiteside is 25 years old this year, a little older, and the plasticity may be lower, but if it is simply used as an interior defender, there is not so much to think about. It's athletic, it doesn't slow down the team, but it has a place in my system. It feels so much more useful than Thackeray's stupid big one. D'Antoni commented silently in his heart.

The arrival of Whiteside also put Thackeray and Ryan Kelly under pressure. These two are on a one-year rookie base salary, and they may be cut at any time, and now there is a new inside player to try out, which naturally makes the two nervous, and the two are also extremely hard in training.

On April 6, the Rockets challenged the Clippers away. It's said to be an away game, but it's actually played at Staples Arena, and the fans are all Los Angeles fans.

The Clippers' current record is 53-24, ranking third in the West, and the Rockets, who are fourth in the West, also have a two-game win difference, and the position is relatively stable. So in Coach Rivers' opinion, there is no need to go head-to-head with the Lakers.

Moreover, today's Staples does not have the atmosphere of the Clippers' home stadium at all.

“Defense! Defense! Defense......" The fans kept shouting for defense, and Paul, who was holding the ball, became more and more gloomy.

"Whose home field is this! Now I'm attacking with the ball! The home team is attacking with the ball, but the fans are chanting 'defend', what kind of home is this! That's too bullying, isn't it? Paul suddenly felt the urge to cry without tears.

Los Angeles is like this, as long as the Lakers play well, the Clippers will become the queen mother.

Since Zhang Guan came to Los Angeles, the Lakers have never lost at home, and the Lakers have won all the way, from a street team to a team that is expected to enter the playoffs, this inspirational story is the easiest to fan in the United States, Los Angeles has a lot of people who realize their dreams, and an inspirational Laker will naturally be sought after by everyone.

In fact, if it weren't for the Lakers, the Clippers would still have gained the support of the home fans. It's just that the Lakers have too much heritage in Los Angeles, they are the symbol of the city, and fans want the Lakers to win.

Coach Rivers replaced Paul shortly after, along with Griffin and Jordan Jr. on the sideline. Anyway, the Clippers have entered the playoffs, and the current ranking is relatively stable, so it is better to let the main players rest. Moreover, this kind of home atmosphere is more difficult than the away game, and it is also a waste of guilt for the main team to stay on the field.

……

On April 8, the Lakers host the Houston Rockets.

The Rockets have back-to-back games on the road, with Los Angeles as the first stop, and tomorrow they will travel to Denver to take on the Nuggets.

Maybe it was the last time I went to the nightclub, and the group turned into soft-footed shrimp, this time the Rockets coach McHale specially ordered that it was forbidden to go to the nightclub, and everyone must stay in the hotel honestly.

However, even so, the Rockets still couldn't take away a win, mainly because the Rockets didn't have a complete lineup.

Howard had a surgery to remove a cyst in his left ankle not long ago, and after a few games after the operation, he felt some pain in his left ankle. Approaching the playoffs, the Rockets didn't want Howard to be injured again, so they simply arranged for Howard to take a break.

The Rockets' vacant Beverley, who had surgery for a torn meniscus in his right leg at the end of March, was already good to be able to return in the playoffs, so he also missed this game.

Asik and Jeremy Lin, replacing Howard and Beverley, respectively, took the starting position. Without Howard, the Rockets have one less offensive point on the inside; Although Jeremy Lin has good scoring ability, he is not trusted by Rockets coach McHale, and his playing time in this game is not even comparable to the Rockets' third point guard, Cannan.

Nick Young's nerve-knife, which doesn't know when it will kick in, was hungry again in this game, and he scored 32 points in just 23 minutes on 4-of-6 three-point shooting, which is enough to put the league's top scorers to shame.

The Rockets also lost 115-130 to the Lakers again.

For the Rockets, it doesn't matter if they lose now, the Rockets are currently ranked fourth in the West, and judging from the record of the Western team, it is difficult for the Rockets to rise to third in the West, and at the same time, it is difficult for them to fall to fifth in the West. Moreover, for the Rockets, the fourth is to play the Trail Blazers, and the fifth is also to play the Trail Blazers, the difference is only one more home court, which is not a decisive factor, not enough for the Rockets to fight hard at the end of the regular season.

And the Lakers won this crucial game. For the Lakers, every game is a pivotal battle right now.

The next day, the Lakers finally announced that they would cut the team's backup center, Thackeray, and sign Hassan Whiteside with a one-year salary.

This layoff and signing did not attract people's attention, a player of Thackeray's level will be cut at any time on any team, and it is not surprising that the Lakers cut Thackeray.

And Whiteside, who was only a second-round rookie and couldn't play at all in the Kings, is a player who grabs a lot of players in the development league, occasionally goes to the NBA to play short-term jobs, and it's normal to make up a number of players, and he is also a player who will be cut at any time.

As for Whiteside himself, he cherished this opportunity immensely. Although he was given this contract, it was only a one-year salary, and only a quarter of it was guaranteed. If he can't get a chance to play and show himself in the NBA, then he may have to go back to China's Development League at the end of the season.

Whiteside is 25 years old, and a player of this age has no potential in the eyes of many people, and if he can't return to the NBA, when Whiteside is older, he really won't have a chance.

"Gotta stay in the NBA this time! First of all, start with the bag. Whiteside picked up Zhang Guan's bag with a panicked look and followed honestly.

"This little brother is not bad." Zhang Guan looked at Whiteside with a smile, and said secretly in his heart: "I hope he can play at the level as soon as possible!" After all, I recommended it, and if it was still the same bad attitude and performance as before, I would be very shameless. ”