Chapter 5: Invisible Talents
The 1996 draft had not even begun, and a lot of the media had already begun to build momentum for some of the players.
David Falck, a well-known agent in the 90s, currently represents Aaron Iverson.
Michael Jordan's success is also inseparable from the support of David Falck, who together pioneered sports marketing in the field of team basketball.
In agent circles, David Falck represents success, and Mark Battlestein has been eager to replicate the experience of his predecessors since he started his business.
It's in his interest to send Ray Allen to a big ball market like the Celtics, and as for Lee You, he wants to be the first to eat crabs.
In this era of slower information flow, if you want to find talented players, you usually have to start in high school.
But the United States is big, and there will always be geniuses who miss, and after sending off Li You and Ray Allen, Mark Battlestein ordered another cup of coffee and took out the documents in his bag by the way:
Lee You: Point guard
Date of birth: December 31, 1977;
Barefoot height: 6'3.25 inches (191cm)
Arm span: 198cm
Weight: 87.7 kg
Body fat percentage: 9.1%;
Standing touch height: 249cm;
In-situ vertical bounce: 74.6cm;
In-situ height: 325cm
Running vertical bounce: 90cm;
Running high: 340.cm;
Baseline switchback: 11.07 seconds;
3/4 sprint: 3.28 seconds;
185 lb. bench press (84kg): 10 reps;
The lateral speed is not fast, it is difficult to defend effectively against speed players, the physical talent is mediocre, the athleticism is not good enough, the over-reliance on outside shooting, and some shooting options are a bit terrible;
Skillful in ball control with both left and right hands, able to shoot within 0.5 seconds, extremely fast shooting, not afraid of confrontation, has a high basketball IQ, can strictly implement tactical arrangements, and has an understanding of the game that does not match the age group.
Completely different from traditional point guards, if you improve your shooting consistency, you may be able to become a good shooter.
Draft template: Mahmoud Lauf.
The report was evaluated in early March, and unlike scouts with a coloured eye, this is what Priority Sports Entertainment has to say internally.
His past experience at Morgan Stanley Investment Bank has led Mark Battelstein to prefer the future of investors.
After founding the company in 1985, he signed role players without signing big fish, and as long as the contracts were high enough and the number was large enough, the profits were still considerable.
On Lee You's scouting report, Mark Battlestein drew a wavy line at age and encouraged himself again:
"The physical condition has surpassed Steve Nash, he is not yet 19 years old, he will still grow, the future is promising, and he will not be defeated!"
...
On March 16, the RCA Dome Arena in Indianapolis welcomed the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Eastern Michigan Eagles are also an outside-based team, and the current leading scorer is senior Brian Tolbert.
Another junior backcourt miner Ekins is the team's second leading scorer, neither of them is taller than 1.9 meters, and his size is not dominant, but his shooting around the screen is accurate.
In the first 6 minutes or so of the opening game, Doron Marshall, who was in average form, continued to leak and shoot iron.
After resting for more than a day, the player's state was affected, and Coach Calhoun on the sidelines saw that the game was a little anxious, and immediately waved to Li You.
The freshmen on the bench were hot-eyed, and when it came to the tournament, they fell out of the rotation.
"Attack their interior and don't let the opponent easily counterattack."
Coach Calhoun took in senior Rudy Johnson tonight, a big black man who is good at hand-to-hand combat inside but can't do anything about long rebounds after hitting iron from beyond the three-point line.
Taking advantage of the opponent's free throws, Doron Marshall, who was substituted, was a little frustrated.
He just couldn't find his touch, and the defense of the nimble little man on the opposite side made him feel uncomfortable.
At 18:16, the game went on for 7 minutes and 58 seconds, and the University of Connecticut temporarily trailed.
Perhaps influenced by star player Iverson, the 1.83-meter-tall black man Eakins also led the defense throughout the court, while constantly interfering.
It's just that the physical fitness of the two is different, and the defensive pressure caused is also different, close to the halfway, Eakins suddenly strengthened the confrontation, quickly cut the ball with his right hand, and tried to cause Li You to make a mistake.
After taking advantage of the situation, he circled the ball behind his back sharply, dodged the opponent's steal, and after switching to his left hand, Li You suddenly accelerated.
Approaching the three-point line, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, suddenly stopped suddenly, and vigorously exploded the ball on the spot.
At this time, the players of both sides had just settled down, and the big man on the inside, Theron Wilson, only felt that in the blink of an eye, he saw Li You's feet jumping up and down in the paint area!
Wilson didn't have time to reach out to make a block, Li You grabbed the ball with one hand with his right hand, pulled his arm back, and directly came with a tomahawk-style violent buckle!
"Boom!"
The basket exploded, Wilson was knocked by Li You, and the big man stood under the basket in embarrassment, with the excited shouts of the fans in his ears.
“OH——!”
"I think Lee made the right choice to go to the draft this year and get a job in the NBA!"
Jim Naz was the commentator for tonight's game, and the famous sports journalist shouted loudly in a panda-watching tone...
A dunk always boosts morale, and after Lee Woo landed, his teammates shouted excitedly.
When retreating, Li You smiled at the opponent's backcourt combination, compared to the talent monster, he is indeed almost meaningless, but in the face of the average short backcourt, then he is tall, strong, and fast.
Li You, who was instructed by his coach, completely let go of his hands and feet, and easily broke through to the inside line for several rounds in a row.
After breaking through, leaned over to pick up the basket and carried the big man to complete the throw, Li You suddenly scored 6 points in a row and directly stopped the opponent.
The timeout didn't solve the problem, and the inside attack scored two points, and Li You suddenly picked up speed after serving from the baseline.
Approaching the top of the arc, Li You, who was holding the ball in his right hand and accelerating, suddenly dribbled the ball under his crotch, lowering his center of gravity while scooping the ball with his left hand slightly.
Lee Woo swayed to the left to deceive Eakins' defense, and then changed direction sharply.
Ekins, who was still sliding to the right, was instantly passed by one step, and Li You, who lowered his center of gravity, was almost close to the ground at this time, rushed into the paint area to top the block, and grabbed the ball with his left hand to complete the pick-up!
"Squeak!"
At the same time as the referee blew the whistle, the ball almost hit the edge of the rebound, and after hitting the board, it still fell into the basket.
"Oh!!"
UConn fans shouted with joy again, and coach Calhoun waved his fist in celebration as he made the right substitution.
Li You, who lost his center of gravity, slipped and fell on the floor, and his teammates rushed to him as soon as possible.
After Ray Allen pulled Li You up, he whispered excitedly in a surprised tone:
"Beautiful finish!"
Li You high-fived his teammates with a smile and celebrated, and when he walked to the free throw line, he had a lemon in his heart:
"Iverson's excellent ball sense is truly talented! ...”