Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 1017 - 587 Frye Says Hes Not Here
Chapter 1017: Chapter 587 Frye Says He’s Not Here Chapter 1017: Chapter 587 Frye Says He’s Not Here Jokić was shrouded in a layer of mist.
This mist was created by scouts.
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Modern NBA scouts are vastly different from the past; they rely on abundant data and detailed videos to evaluate the prospects of young players. This is in stark contrast to a few decades ago when even legendary coaches like Red Auerbach depended greatly on college coaches’ recommendations when selecting players.
Auerbach believed in his own channels and insights, so he might have missed Chet Walker because of a negative comment from a friend, and he might have decided to draft Dave Cowens after watching just two games based on his own judgment.
So, what do the scouts with the best observation conditions in modern times believe in?
It can be summarized in one sentence: “What you see is what you get.”
Data and videos are enough to reveal all the secrets of a young player.
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They only need the videos of a dozen or so games to see that Andrew Wiggins had the highest ceiling in the 2014 draft class, but also to judge that he lacked the spirit and competitive mindset needed to achieve greatness.
However, that didn’t matter, as talent was enough for professionals to overlook Wiggins’ personality flaws.
Jokić was also a player whose strengths and weaknesses could be observed with the naked eye.
Moreover, it didn’t take too many games to see through him; one was enough.
His speed and agility were not up to NBA standards, his static talent was somewhat mediocre, though his shooting was fine, it definitely couldn’t carry a reputation like “Nowitzki.” His basketball IQ was very high, but what could high intelligence bring if there wasn’t enough talent?
The scouts evaluated him based on the established fact that “Jokić could not utilize his basketball IQ in the NBA.”
Therefore, when Yu Fei stubbornly insisted that Arne Trem select Jokić, Trem thought they were making a mistake.
However, after calming down, Trem recalled Yu Fei’s decisions at previous drafts; had he ever been wrong?
Not to mention, before joining the Clippers last year, Yu Fei had recommended Giannis Antetokounmpo, who proved to be the most promising player in the 2013 draft class.
Yu Fei’s high regard for Jokić was not as simple as it seemed on the surface.
Consequently, the Bucks invited Jokić for a one-on-one trial.
In the trial, certain obvious characteristics of Jokić were further magnified.
Kwame Brown participated as a trial player.
By the end of the trial, Brown was considering retirement.
He felt he had become useless.
Initially, he did not want to help the team with a trial during his vacation, but after receiving a call from Yu Fei, he finally agreed. Facing Jokić, the European “chubby kid,” he didn’t take him seriously at first, believing the latter didn’t stand a chance in the NBA, even thinking he could easily defeat him in his current state.
However, Jokić made Brown look like a clown during the trial.
Brown didn’t get a single rebound over Jokić and didn’t complete a successful defense.
Jokić exhibited two traits that stunned the Clippers management.
The first was his coordination with the ball.
When Yu Fei heard that Giannis Antetokounmpo only started receiving professional basketball training at the age of 13, he immediately regretted it. Because of the lack of training from a young age, Giannis could never open up the offense like Durant, significantly limiting his offensive impact in high-level games.
Jokić, this seemingly unrefined European “polar bear,” was actually a player with refined skills, and moreover, he played entirely at his own pace.
His astounding coordination was fully showcased today.
Secondly, it was his hands.
Usually, when professionals praise a player’s hands, they are referring to the player’s wingspan or the size of his palms.
But Jokić’s hands were magical in themselves. On him, those seemingly ordinary hands could deliver the world’s most beautiful passes, make the most improbable shots, snatch the most incredible rebounds, and even compensate for his deficiencies on the defensive end with disruptions.
Jokić possessed a pair of “Hands of God.”
After the trial, a disheartened Kwame Brown called Yu Fei and said he was retiring because he had been outplayed by a slow European.
Yu Fei told him, “You don’t have to.”
“Big Fei, do you really think I’ve fallen to this level?” asked Brown.
“No, I mean, it’s not your fault; it’s that your opponent is too strong,” Yu Fei said seriously. “This kid you faced today will become the best player of the 2014 class. One day, he will be the best active player.”
Brown, after hearing this, still felt that he should retire.
Big Fei, in an attempt to console him, was already scrambling to make things up.
But in the end, Brown only retired verbally.
He still had a contract, and since he didn’t know what to do after retirement, he thought it better to stay in Los Angeles, collecting a few million a year in salary, and with some luck, he might even win another championship with the Greatest of All Time.
The Clippers then took a serious attitude towards Jokić.
Originally, Jokić was prepared to withdraw from the draft.
Because so far, no NBA team had promised to draft him, although teams like the Spurs and Denver Nuggets had indicated “interest,” but none of them showed the sincerity of “cannot do without him.”
