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Chapter 921 - 387._3

Chapter 921: 387._3

Yoho, even Dumb Dog has grown up, starting to notice these aspects!

Zhang Yang put away his sarcasm and analyzed: "Your team’s trade is indeed a loss on the surface but a gain in reality. However, the Timberwolves benefited the most. I estimate that they initially wanted Love, but their pick was too high, and Love’s expectations weren’t that high. They didn’t want to give Love the second-highest rookie contract. Now they’ve swapped the 2nd pick for the 5th pick to select Love, reducing the salary while getting Maggette at his peak for free."

Harden: "Right, the Timberwolves were the biggest winners. The Clippers signed and traded to get the Beard back. Although they took on Randolph’s expiring contract, at least they didn’t lose out. The Warriors seem to be the biggest losers, losing Davis and Jackson, only getting Crawford."

DeRozan interjected: "The Warriors probably couldn’t keep those two. Jackson and Artest didn’t get along. They were willing to cooperate last season because their contracts were about to expire. The Crazy Scientist said Artest was a part of their future plans, and with Jackson’s contract expiring, he definitely wouldn’t want to stay with the team."

Davis was dissatisfied with his shots being taken by Ellis and Artest. Last season, they reached the second round Game 7 and performed very well, but most praises went to Ellis and Jackson. I saw in the news that Davis privately said a lot of unpleasant things and didn’t want to stay with the Warriors.

Jackson wanted to go to New York, and Davis wanted to go to Los Angeles. It was probably their decision. If the Warriors didn’t accept this trade, they would lose both for nothing, not even getting Crawford.

For Maggette’s trade, it’s almost the same situation. Last summer, he was asking the Clippers for a big contract, but Thornton played very well in his rookie year. They still had Livingston to renew, unwilling to pay, so leaving was certain."

Zhang Yang blinked and agreed: "I think so too."

He didn’t expect that the usually quiet and reserved Big Lo would be so articulate when analyzing these matters!

He, Zhang San, really became Zhang San, except his face wasn’t that dark.

When Dumb Dog saw that Zhang San agreed with Big Lo’s statement, he also nodded to show his agreement. Big Brother and Third Brother are right!

Seeing Stern return to the stage, Harden said: "I suddenly thought of something, Mayo really dropped out of the top 5! Who do you think will pick him?"

Zhang Yang: "I don’t know where he’ll go, but the Celtics’ GM Ainge is definitely praying on his knees, hoping Mayo’s pick drops further."

Harden: "Why?"

DeRozan covered his head helplessly: "James, won’t you think about the answer yourself before asking a question?"

Harden: "Huh? Why should I bother? With you guys around, you’re certainly more accurate in analysis than me. I’ll just listen to you."

Zhang Yang: "...I don’t even know how to refute you."

Dumb Dog: 乀(`へ´)ノ

DeRozan was defeated and helped analyze: "I think Jack means Ainge is eager to grab Mayo. The Celtics even traded Pierce to tank, letting Farmar be the main guard just to pick one of you, Rose, Westbrook, or Mayo, but they didn’t get a top 5 pick. They were desperate, but Mayo got pushed down by Jack, giving Ainge hope to select Mayo again..."

Soon, Stern announced the name DJ Augustin; the Bucks didn’t pick Mayo.

The TV broadcast focused on ’Super Jordan’ sitting at a small table. At this point, Mayo no longer looked at Zhang Yang and Harden but was in tears.

A few minutes later, at the 7th pick, the Celtics finally called Mayo’s name from Stern’s mouth.

Watching Mayo wipe away his tears and force a smile walking onto the stage, wearing a Celtics cap, shaking hands, and taking a photo with Stern...

Harden: "The Celtics really got a bargain! Jack, Ainge must love you to death!"

Zhang Yang: "No, no, no, that’s unnecessary. But I didn’t expect Mayo to go to the Celtics. For him, it might be better than being picked in the top 5."

Harden: "Eh? Why?"

Zhang Yang: "When I had a one-on-one with him last time, I found his mental strength excessively weak. He has high aspirations but can’t see reality and can’t accept reality. After entering the NBA, no matter what team he goes to, he can’t really become the ’Super Jordan’, and he will be hit hard. It’s very likely he’ll run away like he did in our one-on-one, getting worse, but the Celtics are different. Ainge is a ruthless GM. He’ll continue to put pressure on Mayo. Rivers’ coaching ability is unknown, but I’ve heard from teammates that this coach is strong at psychological counseling. This GM-coach combination might suit Mayo well."

Harden tilted his head and thought, then said: "Jack, are you comforting yourself with this explanation because you feel guilty for making Mayo’s pick drop?"

Zhang Yang: "..."

Can you really do reading comprehension this way?

Seeing Zhang San’s speechless expression, Big Lo, the two agents, Harden’s mom, and DeRozan’s parents all burst into laughter.

Then came the 8th pick, where the Brooklyn Nets, as predicted by the media, selected Danilo Gallinari, the 19-year-old Serie A white forward.

By the 9th pick, it was DeRozan’s turn to burst into tears, but not out of sadness, but because his wish came true!

Big Bird selected DeMar DeRozan, the freshman guard from Kentucky, with the 9th pick!

Next, the Kings picked Jason Thompson, the talented Power Forward from Rider University, with the 10th pick; the Rockets selected Brook Lopez, the elder of the Stanford twins, with the 11th pick, and the Trail Blazers selected Jerryd Bayless, the freshman Point Guard from Arizona Wildcats, with the 12th pick.

At the 13th pick, someone cried again when the 76ers selected Eric Gordon.

Only then did Zhang Yang realize that the biggest influence from Mayo being pushed down was not on Mayo himself, as he still entered the top 8, but on Eric Gordon who suffered the most!

Eric Gordon was initially predicted to be picked by the Celtics, but with Mayo dropping, the Celtics picked him instead. The following teams all had their preferred targets. Eric Gordon was once a top-three pick favorite but dropped to a top-five favorite after March Madness and further down to 7th on the prediction list post-workouts. Now he’s fallen to the 13th pick...

When the Grizzlies picked Brandon Rush with the 14th pick, filling their year-long vacancy at shooting guard, the lottery picks were complete.

Two green room attendees - Joe Alexander from West Virginia University and DeAndre Jordan from Texas A&M University - both fell out of the lottery, sparking commentary from analysts.

The Three Draft Kings from Compton here weren’t too concerned with the later picks.

Both Harden and DeRozan were picked at unexpectedly high positions; DeRozan went to his dream team after performing well in tryouts with the Pacers, fulfilling his wish. Harden was unexpectedly traded back to the Knicks, a pleasant surprise.

The trio chatted while watching the fun.

Harden dreamed of a beautiful life in New York, while DeRozan kept pouring cold water on him to prevent Dumb Dog from losing himself in the big city.

Zhang Yang occasionally chimed in... no, made comments, keeping an eye on the whereabouts of the talented players of the 2008 draft class.

The later picks largely went as he remembered: Lopez was picked by the Suns, Hibbert was picked by the Raptors and immediately traded to the Pacers, McKie was picked by the Wizards, and Batum was picked by the Rockets and promptly traded to the Trail Blazers...

The player Carlisle favored, Serge Ibaka, was taken early at the 24th pick by the SuperSonics.

If Ibaka could be acquired via trade, he’d be naturally better in immediate performance than Jordan, but as expected, they didn’t get him.

Zhang Yang remembered the newly-appointed GM of the SuperSonics had a notoriously sharp eye for talent.

When the first round concluded, Joe Alexander was finally picked at the tail end of the first round, but DeAndre Jordan was still without suitors, leading him to tears, influenced by those who cried earlier.

In the second round, Stern exited, and Vice President Stu Jackson took the stage.

With the Miami Heat’s second-round pick, the Timberwolves chose Walter Sharpe from the University of Alabama at Birmingham at the first pick of the second round.

At the second pick of the second round, the SuperSonics selected DeAndre Jordan!

Just as Zhang Yang was surprised, the spotlight turned to the sub-stage, and his eyes lit up; it seemed to have happened!