July 10, Beijing time, Las Vegas, Valladolid Arena.
The 2010-11 season, NBA Summer League officially begins!
The two sides in the opening game are two teams from the Western Conference-the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Since the famous stars did not participate in the summer league, and both sides of the game were not considered strong teams, the game did not attract much attention.
Most of the fans who came to the scene also wanted to see last year's No. 1 pick, Blake Griffin.
Despite this, Shen Fei was very concerned about this game.
Today, he arrived at the scene early and was in the box with Lawrence, the general manager of the Clippers, waiting for the game to start.
There was nothing to do, and the two chatted casually.
"I heard that Paul George, the No. 10 pick you selected this year, was your favorite, and you made a special deal to get him?"
Frank asked with a smile.
His question seemed casual, but Shen Fei immediately sensed the other party's intention.
George's talent is obvious, and Frank's mention of this at the critical moment when the two parties are discussing the deal is very likely to pave the way for subsequent discussions on bargaining chips.
"Actually, it's the boss's opinion. I just took office and haven't done much research on this year's rookies."
"And George sprained his ankle in training two days ago."
"Hey, you said this was a big deal. Alexander has high hopes for him, but if he is a glass man, it will be a big loss."
Shen Fei joked casually.
"Hahaha, Shen, don't worry too much. An ankle sprain has more to do with luck."
Frank heard something in Shen Fei's words.
If he does not refute at this time, it is equivalent to admitting that Griffin is at risk of injury, and the transaction value will inevitably drop.
"Although George will not play today, there are other rookies on our team who will play in this game. You can look forward to it."
Shen Fei said with a smile.
"Oh? Then I have to look forward to it."
Frank responded.
............
The game is about to start, and players from both sides have already appeared one after another.
For this game, ESPN sent a team to broadcast live, and the person in charge of the commentary was the famous commentator-A-Smith.
"Hello everyone, I'm your old friend Stephen A. Smith, welcome to the NBA Summer League!"
"Now I've got the starting lineups for both sides."
a-Smith started to introduce while looking at the materials in his hands:
"On the Rockets' side, the backcourt partners are two undrafted players this year - Ishmael Smith and Jeremy Lin;
The small forward position is this year's second-round pick - Lance Stephenson;
The inside line is composed of PJ Tucker, who has returned from overseas gold mining, and potential rookie Jordan Hill."
“On the Clippers’ side, the backcourt is composed of this year’s rookie Eric Bledsoe and veteran Rasu Butler;
The center is a two-way contract player - Craig Smith;
On the front line are Al Aminu, this year's No. 8 pick, and Blake Griffin, last year's No. 1 pick.
I believe many people are here today because of him. This is also the first official game Griffin has participated in since entering the NBA!"
As soon as his introduction was over, the referee had already taken the ball and walked to the center of the field.
"Okay, the game will start soon, let's wait and see how the No. 1 pick will perform!"
a-Smith said excitedly.
............
As the referee throws the ball high, the game officially begins!
Jordan Hill leaped high and won the scrimmage.
Rockets attack first!
Ismail Smith advanced with the ball and began to direct his teammates to run tactics at the top of the key.
a-Smith promptly began to analyze the situation:
"Judging from the talent of both teams, the Clippers are obviously the stronger team."
"They have three high first-round picks in their starting lineup, and Griffin was last year's No. 1 pick."
"Looking at the Rockets, they are all second-round picks and undrafted players, and there are even overseas players who have been abandoned by the NBA for many years."
"I personally think that if the Rockets want to win today, they have to see whether their center Jordan Hill can take advantage of his experience!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Stephenson received a pass from his teammate and faced the defense of this year's No. 8 pick, Aminu, and directly shot a three-pointer.
"Shua~"
The basketball draws a beautiful arc and hits the net!
3:0, the Rockets took the lead.
"Ah...is this second-round pick named Lance Stephenson so determined?"
"He just used the cover of his teammates to make a comeback, but Aminu was very fast and didn't allow Lance to get many openings."
"But Lance just voted like that? This is too decisive!"
a-Smith's tone was full of surprise.
"Eh? I suddenly discovered that the Rockets' starting lineup does not have a center!"
"Jordan Hill has been playing the power forward position since his rookie season."
"And Tucker, who is partnering with him in the post, is just over 2 meters tall and has the body of a small forward!"
a-Smith was shocked. After watching the NBA for so many years, it was the first time he saw a team with such a low inside height!
Clippers coach Vinnie DeNagro also discovered the "weakness" of the Rockets' lineup, and immediately stood up and walked to the sidelines, instructing his players to play inside.
As the most watched player in this game, Griffin did his part and began to gain position in the penalty area.
Bledsoe hit the ground and passed the ball inside.
In the stands, Shen Fei said with great interest: "Here it comes, Griffin's first personal attack."
Frank nodded and asked in confusion: "What's going on with your formation? I'm afraid Blake will penetrate such a short inside line."
Shen Fei smiled slightly and did not explain anything.
Soon, Griffin moved!
He holds the ball with his back, sends out about 7 points of force, and tries to push inside.
"Bang~"
"Bang~"
After pushing twice, Griffin suddenly discovered that the other party was not moving at all, and he himself took half a step back.
"woo..."
The scene immediately erupted in exclamations from the fans.
Griffin was a little embarrassed.
The next moment, he exerted all his strength and pushed hard against Tucker.
"Bang~"
"Snapped!"
After the confrontation, Tucker fell to the ground.
"Beep~"
The referee's whistle immediately sounded, offensive foul!
Griffin looked confused and spread his hands to express his incomprehension.
The Rockets players immediately ran to Tucker and pulled him up.
"Hey, Griffin was defeated in the first round!"
"No way. Do you know the guy who guarded him? I've never heard of him at all."
"I haven't heard of it either. They seem to be players with a minimum salary who came back from overseas leagues."
In the stands, several fans talked to each other and had a great time chatting.
They spoke loudly and were located very close to the VIP box.
Therefore, Frank and Shen Fei heard everything they chatted about, word for word.
"Humph, this is only the first round."
"Blake hasn't played in a game for a year, so he will inevitably be rusty. He will be fine from now on."
Frank looked disdainful.
In his opinion, Tucker just took a trick and used his experience to make a foul. He was not really able to guard Griffin.
Shen Fei smiled slightly when he heard this and did not make any rebuttal.
A minute later, the Clippers made a comeback.
Bledsoe once again passed the ball inside.
The one-on-one confrontation between Tucker and Griffin is on again!