After two days of back-to-back games, the Timberwolves won two straight games at the beginning of the season.

Just as the Timberwolves players boarded the team's airline-chartered plane on the day of 11.2 and set off for the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon, USA.

Minnesota fans are already in a frenzy because of an explosive piece of news in the local media.

"The Timberwolves won two in a row, and the high school rookie scored 90 points in two games, and the gods descended to earth!" 》

With bold big print and sensational headlines, Minnesota's sports morning newspaper was sold out by noon as soon as it came out early in the morning.

I don't know the martial arts on the Timberwolves' special plane, it's just a morning, and my popularity is a lot bigger.

Not only the local media in Minnesota, but also the media in some other cities have taken note of the rising star when Wudao has played 40+ in two consecutive games.

After the start of the NBA regular season, the most high-profile people are, of course, those star teams, star players, and secondly, the high-pick rookies selected by each team this year.

For the rookies who entered the league this year, the NBA also made a special list, and as the game progressed, the data obtained by the rookies on the list will be updated in real time.

Wu Dao has ranked first on the rookie list with a terrifying record of 45 points per game, and even his scoring data is the first in the league.

It is obviously impossible for such a high school rookie not to attract attention.

Wu Dao doesn't really pay much attention to the voices above the media, and he is only focused on the arena now. The NBA is a very realistic place, a player, and you only have the possibility of getting something else after you show your value on the court.

Big contracts, reputation, wealth, these things are closely related to your strength and achievements.

Strength and achievements are the basis for getting those things, otherwise, the higher the media praises you, the harder you fall when you fall off the altar.

Yi's defeat in the NBA back then was related to his personality, injuries, and the team he chose, and it was also related to the cerebral palsy editors who boasted about "Yi Di" on various domestic platforms.

The Timberwolves team pack on the plane.

“oh~”

"It's so uncomfortable, this seat is inevitably too small, can't it be expanded and stretched a little longer?"

Soon after the plane took off, Garnett wanted to lie down for a while and rest, but the seats on the plane were designed according to "normal people", even the distance between the first-class seats and the front row was only more than one meter.

Not far from him, Wu Dao was sitting by the window, leaning on the armrest of the plane diagonally, holding his chin and reading a magazine, and when he heard Garnett's voice, he couldn't help but tilt his head slightly.

"Hey, Kevin, calm down."

"It's not your first time flying."

Old bird Sam Mitchell just thought Garnett was complaining, turned to Garnett and smiled and said. After speaking, Mitchell also handed over the fried chicken he was eating in his hand, and asked Garnett:

"I bought quite a bit"

"Would you like some?"

"Or do you want a burger?"

I have to say that compared with the domestic food desert Hangzhou, Lao Mei can really be regarded as a food desert. On Laomei Street, the most commonly seen food is barbecue, fried chicken or various pastries and sweets, in addition to these, the most common is a variety of martial arts unnamed "national specialty food".

For example, Taco, Atan's favorite food, is Mexican food.

Mitchell is not so particular about what he eats, and a veteran like him at the end of his career often indulges himself.

Players like Sam Mitchell are already relatively self-disciplined people in the league, and it is precisely because of his self-discipline that he can become the coach of the Raptors after retiring and continue to shine on the NBA court in another capacity.

In fact, there are many NBA players who were full of pornography, gambling and drugs when they were players, and they went bankrupt not long after retiring.

Sam Mitchell is in the team, with a little bit of the attribute of "confidant big brother".

In the face of Mitchell's kindness, Garnett shook his head, and then slammed the back of the seat hard, and couldn't help muttering:

"I'm really fed up with this little plane."

"If it's possible, I'm going to go to a team with a team plane!"

In the league, there are very few teams with turnarounds, the Bulls of the "God", the Purple and Gold Lakers of Los Angeles, and one team, that is, the Dallas Mavericks, who will be renamed the Mavericks in the future.

Garnett's seemingly casual remark caught the attention of Coach Philip Saunders, who was sitting in the front row.

He stared at Garnett for a moment, then turned back and sat down in his place, exchanging a look with Kevin McHale, an old fellow who was sitting next to him reading the newspaper.

With the start of the new season, Kevin McHale has become the executive chairman of the Timberwolves, and under owner Glenn Taylor, he can be considered one of the team's top decision-makers today.

He, like Philip, heard Garnett's whining.

And he and Philip both knew very well that Garnett's words were not unintentional at all, they were pointing at them.

NBA rookie contracts, generally 4 years, in the second two years, there are two team options, the team options need to be completed at 10.31 after the first season and before 10.31 after the second season, if the team chooses to continue to execute, then the rookie will continue to play in the team, if the team is not willing to have this player, then the rookie is likely to face a trade.

In the third season of the rookie contract, the rules will be a little different, and the player's contract can be extended by mutual agreement on August 1 and October 31 after the third season.

Note that this is a mutual agreement.

Since Garnett entered the league in '95, he has played two seasons in the '95-'96 and '96-'97 seasons, and the Timberwolves have of course chosen to continue to execute his contract in those two seasons, but in Garnett's third rookie season, the situation is different.

In other words, after the 97-98 season, that is, the current season, Garnett has more options.

Garnett's agent is already negotiating with team management about Garnett's salary, and Garnett's idea and purpose are clear, if the Timberwolves still want him to continue playing for the Timberwolves, he needs an offer worthy of his value.

If that price doesn't make him feel "respected," Garnett won't stay with the Timberwolves and continue playing.

He is now receiving a "child labor" salary of 2.11 million yuan per year.

Due to the relationship between the martial arts, the labor negotiations between the Timberwolves management and Garnett's agent have not been officially finalized until now, and generally speaking, the team tends to say hello to potential players in advance, and will never wait until the contract period to talk about this kind of thing.

From the beginning of the new season, every game of Garnett's game will be related to his own value, although the first two games of martial arts play is very dazzling, but Garnett's play is also an All-Star level, he thinks he deserves a big contract, of course, the fact is also true.

But as far as the management of the Timberwolves is concerned, if you can give less, of course, you have to give less.

Fortunately, the current salary of the Timberwolves is quite abundant, and there is still a lot of distance from the $30 million salary cap, so when negotiating with Garnett's agent, the team management is very confident, and Garnett's agent, who has the ability to support him, is also very confident.

However, the Timberwolves management has a long-term view after all, and they have to consider Garnett, the development of the team, and the vision of the rest of the team.

Wouldn't it be a serious problem to give Garnett a big contract directly, and other newcomers to follow suit?

For example, Wu Dao, who just entered the team this year, entered the team with the No. 5 pick in the first round and got a rookie contract of $195w.

With the current momentum of martial arts, by the end of his rookie year, he may not be worth a few million or a few million, I am afraid that he will have to be millions or even more than 10 million to be able to do it.

In the case of ensuring that the team is competitive enough, the management of the Timberwolves is thinking about how to use the most appropriate money to build a super playoff team and even a championship team.

In the NBA, there is no team that does not aspire to a championship, which is an honor and a "certificate" for selling tickets.

Kevin McHale and Phillip, after seeing the performance of the two regular season games in martial arts, are actually thinking about how to build a championship team now.

Don't think it's only two games, the sample is too small to represent anything.

In fact, for the management of the Timberwolves, these two games are enough, one against star player madman Latrill Sprewell, and one against New York beast Anthony Mason Jr.

These two games have enough gold.

While Martial Arts was still focused on the game, the Timberwolves' management was already thinking about how to build a championship team around the combination of Martial Arts and Garnett.

At the same time, the current "boss" of the team, Tom Gugliotta, has actually been put on the negotiating table by the Timberwolves without his knowledge.

The Timberwolves' main problem right now is the distribution of the ball.

Starting vacant Marbury, Tom, Wu Dao and even Garnett, are all good at holding the ball, Tom and Wu Dao can play without the ball, and their ability is enough, but this is a bit too much waste of offensive firepower, rather than this, it is better to make a better 3D, but it is more beneficial for the team.

But if you put Martial Arts or Tom on the bench.

Not to mention how well they can play on the pitch, the team's locker room must have exploded.

Although Wu Dao is a rookie, Philip can see that if he dares to keep Wu Dao on the bench, once the rookie contract expires, Wu Dao will inevitably leave.

And Takedo is not the kind of rookie who hasn't played yet, with 40+ consecutive games and an average of 45 points per game, which has already made Takedo a player who has attracted the attention of fans.

For martial arts, even if the team wants to PUA him, it is impossible to PUA from the playing time.

And Tom, who is an All-Star substitute and thinks he is the boss of the team, how can he be willing to sit on the bench.

Garnett's labor problems, the ball ownership problems on the court, these things are now the big thunder buried under the victory.

If either one is not handled well, the Timberwolves will no longer be in the situation they are in today.

Garnett's complaint on the plane was just a small episode, but Garnett was not the only smart person, Wu Dao, Marbury and even Tom, how could they not know what Garnett meant.

In this regard, Tom behaved very indifferently, he was 5.5 million US dollars / year anyway, the boss of the team!

And Marbury's brain is more active, he is a 96 year show, a year late Garnett, and now with a $2.27 million child labor contract, Garnett wants to increase the price, he will also increase the price in the future, the more Garnett grows, the more he will rise in the future!

As for Garnett, it's a little simpler, he just wants to get the "respect he deserves" from the team!

As for martial arts, he is purer than others, he is in the first year of his rookie season, $1.95 million is not high, it is not low, it is in line with his rank, it is not in line with his strength, but in the first year of his rookie season, unless there is a real irreconcilable contradiction between him and the team, he will not break with the team for money.

Rookies and teams have a falling out over salaries, if this kind of thing really happens, in today's NBA public opinion environment that promotes "loyalty", it is very likely that Wudao will become out of ball.

As for the role players of the Timberwolves, this moment is also a wandering mind, each thinking about their own things.

The plane became unusually quiet and the atmosphere was a little oppressive.

When the Timberwolves flew to the Rose Garden Arena, home of the Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers, who won 82-74 away to the Los Angeles Clippers the day before, also got on the plane back.

The game between the Trail Blazers and the Clippers was more entangled, and the two teams battled for four quarters, and the winners and losers were officially separated at the end of the game.

The Trail Blazers are also preparing to return to their home court to face the Timberwolves from afar.

"Ryder, the day after tomorrow against your old club, the Timberwolves, you should be playing, right?"

"The injury should be about the same, you didn't play in the first two games, and the team played very hard."

On the plane, Trail Blazers head coach Mike Dunleavy smiled at Isiah Rydell.

Isaiah Lyder was the No. 2 pick on the Timberwolves' team that year and was the No. 5 pick in the first round selected by the Timberwolves in '93. But then the Timberwolves management sent the former "team boss" away in order to correct Garnett.

Of course, part of the reason is that Wudao went to the Timberwolves for a tryout and blew up Ryder, in order to be able to "unimpeded" on the road to martial arts, it is also an inevitable thing to send away the locker room bomb Ryddle.

"Hmm!"

"I'm going to play!"

"Not only to win, but also to win!"

Ryder heard the coach's words, nodded emphatically, and said.

Mike Dunleavy glanced at Ryder with a smile, turned his head, looked down at the newspaper in his hand, and said with a seemingly casual sigh:

"A high school rookie, 40+ for two consecutive games."

"Amazing, isn't it?"

The Trail Blazers, from the mid-80s, have never dropped out of the playoffs for more than a decade.

89-90, 90-91, 91-92 The Trail Blazers all reached the Western Conference finals in the three seasons, and although they often traveled in one round, they were not something that a team like the Timberwolves that had never entered the playoffs could touch!

(End of chapter)