ctnovel Chapter 46 Jordan: I don't think Zeng is very good.
Chapter 46 Jordan: I don't think Zeng is very good.
"Okay, I'll talk to him about it," Schwartz readily agreed.
Larry Bird suspected Schwartz wouldn't tell, but he couldn't control it anymore. After the trial, the initiative was now in Zeng Zhen's hands.
"Zeng, that's enough, that's enough, come on, come down and rest for a bit." Larry Bird quickly grabbed a towel and water and went over to talk to Zeng Zhen, his enthusiasm was completely different from before the trial.
Zeng Zhen took the towel, wiped his sweat, and took a sip of water. Not everyone gets to be served by the "King of Fighters."
"Thanks."
"To be honest, Zeng, your performance in March Madness had the flair of my younger days," Larry Bird said, trying to sound cool.
"I'm honored to receive praise from NBA small forward Dogt," Zeng Zhen said with a smile, engaging in mutual flattery.
"You're good with words." Larry Bird smiled broadly when he heard the word "dog," completely unaware that another small forward would use it in a way that would be used inappropriately.
Zeng Zhen and Larry Bird had a very pleasant conversation. When Larry Bird learned that Zeng Zhen's father used to be his fan, he even had Zeng Zhen open a QQ video call with his father on the spot.
This made Zeng Zhen's father extremely happy.
At the end of his farewell speech, Larry Bird also presented Zeng Zhen's father with a signed jersey.
After seeing Zeng Zhen and Schwartz off, O'Brien said from the side, "With Zeng's performance, I'm afraid our draft position isn't secure enough."
When O'Brien first met Larry Bird, he fawned over a rookie like a lapdog, even playing the family sympathy card.
"We can't be so passive. I'll try to make an upward trade and see if there's an opportunity." Larry Bird put his hands on his hips, his mind racing.
......
At the first stop of his trial, Zeng Zhen received a promise from Larry Bird, which gave him a lot of confidence.
Zeng Zhen then traveled to Chicago and Miami, where they held the first and second picks respectively.
Zeng Zhen performed exceptionally well in Chicago, but Bulls general manager John Paxson didn't seem to have much interest in him, and the two didn't communicate much.
During his time with the Miami Heat, Zeng Zhen's performance in the tryouts was not as impressive as he had been with the Pacers and Bulls, and his shooting touch was also average. Riley, who had high expectations for him, frowned.
Riley expressed his optimism about Zeng Zhen, but ultimately made no commitment.
Schwartz learned through his connections that before Zeng Zhen's tryout, Michael Beasley had tried out for the Heat, and his performance was unanimously praised by the Heat.
Subsequently, Zeng Zhen went to try out for teams such as the Timberwolves, Knicks, and Clippers.
These teams have high draft picks, and many players predicted to be lottery picks are eyeing them. Many of their management teams gave Zeng Zhen a thumbs up after his tryout, but they did not continue to make commitments like the Pacers.
After discussing with Zeng Zhen, Schwartz roughly understood their process. Decisions for high-draft teams like theirs are not so easy to make on a whim; they require constant meetings and discussions, and ultimately, the owner's approval.
Therefore, their lack of commitment to the draft does not necessarily mean they do not want to select Zeng Zhen, but rather that they may have multiple options being considered simultaneously.
They are very likely to make their decision on draft day based on the choices made by the top few picks.
For the penultimate stop, Zeng Zhen arrived in Charlotte, where the Bobcats held the No. 8 pick.
When Zeng Zhen dribbled past DJ Augustin's defense one-on-one, dodged Brook Lopez's block under the basket, and lobbed the ball into the basket, Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins nodded in satisfaction.
Roderick Higgins greatly admired Zeng Zhen. Originally, he wanted to select DJ Augustine, but DJ Augustine's performance in training was far inferior to Zeng Zhen's.
In addition, DJ Augustine's talent is only average, while Zeng Zhen's talent is better than his.
Roderick Higgins decided to suggest to his boss that he choose Zeng Zhen.
Roderick Higgins even believed that Zeng Zhen would be the key figure in leading the Bobcats to rise to prominence, and that as long as Zeng Zhen developed normally, he would become the next Bobcats' next king!
However, Bobcats owner Michael Jordan, who was passing by in a suit, offered a different perspective on Zeng Zhen: "Zeng's playing style is far from the basket. Can he adapt to the NBA's three-point line?"
"I often see him try to get past defenders to shoot. He has great physical talent, so why doesn't he just pull up for a jump shot?"
"Furthermore, his regular season performance was terrible. I have doubts about whether he can maintain his performance in the NBA!"
Upon hearing Jordan's three questions, Roderick Higgins felt that Jordan might be very dissatisfied with Zeng Zhen's elimination of North Carolina.
First, this guy shot all sorts of super long-range threes in the NCAA, how could he not adapt to the NBA? Boss, you said his mid-range shot is okay, but his threes...
Secondly, this guy can easily dribble past defenders and create open shots, so why would he take an inefficient shot against the defense?
Third, doesn't the fact that he excelled in March Madness prove that he can fight tough battles?
Unfortunately, Higgins could only keep these arguments to himself; Jordan held absolute authority in the Bobcats.
Higgins chose to follow his heart!
"Yes, boss, you're right. So, who should we choose?" Rod Higgins asked.
"I think Joe Alexander, DJ Augustin, and Jerry Bayless are all good players," Jordan said without hesitation.
Higgins wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. Could these three really handle it?
During the trial game, Zeng Zhen scored 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists in 20 minutes. Zeng Zhen was unaware that Jordan had raised three questions about him.
Even if he knew, he wouldn't argue, since the other party is an active draft pick, and no one can understand his draft logic.
Schwartz walked over and asked Higgins, "Hey, Rod, how was Zeng's performance?"
Schwartz was full of confidence. Zeng Zhen performed brilliantly in the training game, completely dominating the other rookies, including DJ Augustin with only 8 points and 4 assists and Brook Lopez with 11 points and 8 rebounds.
Jordan remained silent, while Higgins said, "Zeng has been playing exceptionally well, you know. We've been studying Zeng for a long time, but I'm sorry, Jeff, we can't give you a commitment right now. We'll discuss it carefully and then make a final decision at the draft."
Higgins' words were somewhat polite.
Schwartz watched Higgins's expression change after Jordan arrived, and he believed it wasn't due to basketball reasons.
Schwartz glanced at the quiet Jordan beside him, nodded, and said nothing more.
The Bobcats have had some good draft picks in recent years, but they haven't been very smart in their selections.
It's highly likely that Jordan led the Bobcats astray.
Schwartz felt that if Zeng Zhen came to Charlotte, he probably wouldn't have a good future.
"Zeng, you did a good job." Schwartz went over and gave Zeng Zhen a high five.
During the trial period, some people questioned Zeng Zhen while others praised him, but Schwartz always encouraged him.
Schwartz knew very well that Zeng Zhen was great, and if the Bobcats missed out on Zeng Zhen, it would be their loss.
"OK, did they make a promise?" Zeng Zhen asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder and preparing to leave.
"No, but I think they have high hopes for you." Schwartz smiled and chatted with Zeng Zhen as they walked.
"Haha, why do I feel like Mike's expression is a bit off?" Zeng Zhen was very perceptive and probably already knew the result.
"I guess you eliminated North Carolina."
"As a dog-specialist, he shouldn't be that petty."
"It's hard to say, but his taste isn't very good."
"That's right, he only has his eye on trash players."
"Let's go, we have one last stop."
The team at the last stop showed the most sincerity.
During Zeng Zhen's trial period, they frantically called Schwartz, hoping that Zeng Zhen would not make any promises to any team!
Compared to Jordan, their general manager's vision is like heaven and earth.