Chapter 94: Spring for the Defenders, Rookie Selection
Yang Rui's high-profile approach was timely because the league wanted all teams to embrace offensive basketball.
David Stern convened a meeting to discuss the tone for the next season and specifically mentioned Yang Rui. "As long as Chinese coach Jerry Yang strengthens the Raptors' offense, we can promote him and the Raptors next season."
Mark Barak, the head of the International Development Department and one of the vice presidents, asked, "Isn't he too young? If we focus on promoting a 24-year-old, it might cause dissatisfaction."
"Let them be dissatisfied," Stern snorted. "I'm dissatisfied with those old coaches who cling to outdated methods. The NBA doesn't need rough defense or malicious fouls that injure stars. The NBA needs dazzling offense! Understand?"
Barak nodded, not daring to question further.
Christopher, the head of NBA sports merchandise and another vice president, chimed in, "I agree with focusing on the Raptors. Jerry Yang not only helped the Knicks defeat Jordan's Bulls but is also the innovator the league needs. His basketball philosophy is about winning through offense, not strict defense. He emphasized this at the press conference when he joined the Raptors."
"Yes, as long as he's capable, he's a good coach, regardless of age," Stern smiled. "It would be even better if the Raptors could produce a superstar."
After the discussion, the league decided to continue searching for the "next Jordan." Next season would be the springtime for star guards.
Jordan's playing style was not only entertaining but also championship-winning. During the NBA's downturn, it was Jordan who saved the league and promoted it worldwide. Therefore, many people imitated Jordan.
The officials were naturally pleased to see a wave of high-flyers emerge. Previously, the NBA was dominated by muscle-bound players, but after Jordan, the playing style increasingly favored the perimeter.
This ensured that in the coming years, there would be three types of "next Jordans": those with similar playing styles and skills, those with different styles but strong skills, and those who were overhyped.
Meanwhile, the Raptors' management also held a meeting to discuss their draft targets. As a new member, Yang Rui participated in the meeting and had the right to make suggestions.
He greeted scouts Gary Worth and Maury Hanks, and assistant manager Jimmy Walker warmly, then quietly listened to the discussion.
The Raptors' plan was to draft a potential scorer, but they hadn't decided whether to pick an inside or outside player.
At this point, Glen showed enough respect to Yang Rui and asked, "Jerry, do you have any suggestions? We have two targets for the fourth pick, both stars from UNC: power forward Antawn Jamison and swingman Vince Carter."
Yang Rui asked knowingly, "Do you have detailed information?"
"I'll give a brief introduction," said scout Hanks, who didn't have the documents but had done thorough research and could speak about the two players off the top of his head.
Jamison was UNC's top star, averaging 19 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. He was predicted by experts to be a future All-Star.
In high school, Jamison balanced basketball and football and was an excellent quarterback with good vision. He played three years at UNC, helping the team become the strongest in the NCAA alongside Vince Carter. In his junior year, Jamison was named the best athlete by both the Naismith and Wooden Awards.
Carter's college stats were much less impressive. In 103 games, he averaged 12.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. In his junior year, he played 38 games, averaging 15.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2 assists, making the ACC All-Conference First Team and the All-American Second Team.
Carter's advantage was his incredible physicality. Some experts said he reminded them of the late Len Bias, who was rumored to have been able to beat Jordan one-on-one but died of a cocaine overdose two days after being drafted.
Even without the scout's introduction, Yang Rui knew these two well. In his previous life, both were All-Stars and represented the Dream Team.
As a reborn individual, he would naturally choose Carter. Only a fool would pick Jamison over Carter, whose nickname "Half-Man, Half-Amazing" said it all.
Carter's physicality was top-notch among perimeter stars. He wasn't just a dunker; he could drive and shoot. In his early career, he was rated higher than Kobe and McGrady.
He was immensely popular, being voted an All-Star starter four times with the Raptors and winning the fan vote three consecutive times.
Unfortunately, his career started in Canada, where his teammates were mediocre. After McGrady left, he had no support, and the team's performance was poor. Later, injuries caused his form to decline, and he didn't reach the heights fans expected.
Yang Rui had a clear answer in his mind but smiled and said, "I have no suggestions. I'll follow your lead for the first round. Whoever we pick, I'll do my best to develop him into a star."
By not expressing an opinion, they would definitely choose Carter, and he naturally wanted to seize the opportunity to be humble.
Yang Rui's words made everyone in management feel comfortable. They didn't want the youngest newcomer to make the final decision. Especially Glen, who felt Yang Rui was very sensible.
As the manager, Glen hoped Yang Rui could lead the team to good results but didn't want someone to take over all his responsibilities. Otherwise, what was his role?
The discussion continued, and after considering various opinions, Glen said, "The Raptors' weakest position is power forward. If Jamison comes, we'll definitely see results next season. If we pick Carter, he might need some time to develop, but Carter has better physicality. I think he has more potential. What do you all think?"
From a tactical perspective, picking Jamison made sense, but Carter's playing style was more attractive to fans, with his ability to drive and dunk. They voted, with four choosing Carter and one choosing Jamison, then looked at Yang Rui.
Yang Rui smiled, "Let's pick Carter then. I'll design tactics that suit him."
Glen breathed a sigh of relief. The college stats gap between Carter and Jamison was significant, and he feared the head coach might object. Although he didn't have to listen to Yang Rui, starting their cooperation with a disagreement wouldn't be good for the future.
Everyone was surprised that Yang Rui was easier to talk to than expected.
Shouldn't young people have some temper? Especially Yang Rui, who wasn't known for being easygoing. Many media outlets believed that Bowen's deliberate injury to Rodman was orchestrated by Yang Rui.
And then there was last summer's racial discrimination scandal exposed by hidden cameras. Besides being a genius, Yang Rui was also seen as someone not to be trifled with.
Glen asked, "Do you have anything to add?"
"I have just one small request. Our power forward position has a fatal weakness. During the offseason, we must trade for a power forward who can shoot and has good athleticism. It doesn't matter if he's not famous or even a rookie. If our inside players are all blue-collar, even I can't improve the offense. We need to create space in half-court sets," Yang Rui said with a smile.
"No problem, don't worry," Glen said, feeling relieved. This request was simple.