Chapter 26 I want to bring my talent to the NBA
"...For others, it is necessary to hone their skills in the NCAA, but for you, playing in the NCAA for a few years may not improve as much as in the NBA.
The NCAA is not going to build plays around a run-and-gun shooter anymore, but you've passed the stage of honing your mid-range jumper, and if the play isn't built around it, then in my opinion, it's a waste of your time.
In the NBA, there may be an opportunity to build a strategy around a shooter...
This is just my opinion and I know it’s crazy but I have faith in you.
But I can’t make a decision for you, please think about it, I have a flight tomorrow afternoon, and I will be at school tomorrow morning, you can come to see me anytime…”
After hearing what coach Scott Collins said, Zhang Hao, whose thoughts were originally confused, began to become clear.
When he first saw the draft application form, the thought that popped into his mind was not where he would be more suitable, but - what the hell, I want to participate in the draft as a high school student?
As for the characters, you can now choose any university you want. As long as you choose target 1, you will directly receive a gift package.
If you choose target 2, you must at least be selected by an NBA team to get the gift package. If you are selected in the second round, you will only get a bronze gift package.
The average career lifespan of an NBA second-round pick is just over a year!
Not only second-round picks, but first-round picks also have a career lifespan of only more than two years but less than three years.
A high school student participates in a talent show...
But after hearing coach Scott Collins' analysis, Zhang Hao felt that the coach was not acting on impulse, but had really considered it and made suggestions to him based on his current strength and playing style.
Also, Zhang Hao seemed to feel an emotion from Scott Collins - dissatisfaction with those universities.
Zhang Hao felt the same way!
He has been struggling these days. Even though there are three very good options, namely USC, University of Kansas, and Stanford University, he still cannot make a decision because he is very angry.
He also has a temper, and he will endure it when he is not qualified to express his dissatisfaction.
But now that he had gone from being the one who was ignored to being the one who could make the choice, those emotions kept coming back.
It's just that he still has to go to college, so he can't expose it, but he's already becoming more and more unhappy...
After putting away the draft application form, Zhang Hao returned to the training ground and left the stadium with April Clark, who was helping the team manager pack up, and prepared to return to the apartment.
They went back to the apartment to rest up as they and Pierce were going to have dinner together tonight.
Get together as much as possible. As for Pierce, he will go to his second brother for training soon. April Clark also wants to prepare for the art exam and has already signed up for a training class.
The three of them lived in the same apartment, were prominent figures in school sports, lived together, and had similar reputations on campus, so it was natural that they were good friends.
But the time we can get together is getting less and less.
When Zhang Hao learned that April Clark decided to apply for an art major, he knew that April Clark had given up her dream of becoming a professional tennis player and instead continued her mother's dream of becoming a drama actor.
This made Zhang Hao realize how difficult it is to become a professional athlete!
When it was time for dinner, both friends could see that Zhang Hao was worried.
"Aix, are you still struggling over where to go? Didn't the University of Kansas invite you? Continue to be my teammate..." At this point, Pierce suddenly looked at April Clark and raised his voice: "Hey, Aix, you don't want to go to USC, do you..."
But when he said this, Pierce suddenly felt a little "warmth" again. Zhang Hao did not choose to follow the girl directly and was still hesitating. This meant that his good friend still had weight, at least he was not overshadowed by the girl.
According to Pierce's logic, April Clark is also a good friend, and Zhang Hao did not choose the girl's side just because of the combination of friend + girl, which means that his friend status is higher than April Clark!
Zhang Hao glanced at the two of them. He really couldn't make a decision easily...or rather, he needed motivation or resistance to make a choice.
He decided to be more direct and asked, "I decided to directly enter the NBA draft. What do you think?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the relaxed atmosphere of the dinner, which had originally been resolved because Zhang Hao's college basketball scholarship issue had been resolved, immediately froze.
Neither of the two friends expected that Zhang Hao was actually worried about this!
"Axl, this is not a good idea. Drafting high school students, this is too exaggerated..." April Clark shook her head repeatedly.
The NBA does not refuse high school students from participating in the draft, but over the years, only Moses Malone has made it.
Even when Garnett participated in the draft, although the media reported it enthusiastically, not many people were optimistic about it.
April Clark's reaction was within Zhang Hao's expectations.
Just when Zhang Hao's thoughts began to shift towards going to college, Pierce let out an exaggerated cry, and then said excitedly: "Oh my God, Axl, you mentioned another idea that I haven't thought of. How about we participate in the NBA draft together? That's so cool! Playing in the NBA directly after graduating from high school..."
As soon as Pierce said this, Zhang Hao's emotions that had just begun to fluctuate were immediately annihilated...
She rubbed her Jingming acupoint, thought for a while, reorganized her words, and said, "Paul, if you fail in the NBA draft, you won't be able to participate in college games, and Auntie will beat you to death..."
After saying this, he ignored Pierce who seemed to be frozen in time, turned to the calmer, more rational and more mature April Clark and asked: "If, at this moment, a professional tennis club invites you to participate in a training camp, but you will lose the opportunity to prepare for the art exam, April, what will you choose?"
The question was not quite accurate and was not consistent with the situation Zhang Hao had experienced, but April Clark understood what Zhang Hao meant.
She discovered that Zhang Hao actually had a more preferred choice, but perhaps Zhang Hao himself had not discovered it.
If he didn't try and chose a stable path, perhaps one day Zhang Hao would regret it...
However, if you try, the chances of regretting it will be greater.
April Clark struggled for a moment, and finally, she smiled and said, "I'll try."
At this time, Pierce also reacted, but what he said this time was completely different from before: "Axel, you have to think about it. It's cool to directly participate in the draft, but the risk is too great."
Zhang Hao asked again: "Do you think I can do it?"
"Of course!" Pierce answered without hesitation.
"I think you can do it too!" April Clark chose to give Zhang Hao confidence at this time.
Both April Clarke and Pierce discovered that this good friend was even wilder at heart than they had imagined!
In fact, Zhang Hao is more inclined to take a chance. It is not simply that he wants to participate in the NBA draft immediately, but the comprehensive impact of what happened during this period of time has on him.
The most important thing is - how can a teenager not be crazy?
…
On the evening of May 24, Olajuwon led his team as the sixth seed to defeat the Spurs led by this season's regular season MVP David Robinson in two consecutive games in the Western Conference Finals, with a score of 2-0.
On May 25, Inglewood High School head coach Scott Collins submitted his resignation to the school and went to New York to meet with his brother's team management, also bringing a draft application form.
On the other hand, with the help of Pierce, April Clark and the school, Zhang Hao contacted some media and held a small press conference at the Inglewood High School stadium.
There were more reporters than Zhang Hao expected. Sports Illustrated and CNN, two national media outlets, came. There were also more local media from Los Angeles, and some media from cities where famous universities were located.
I don’t know what Zhang Hao is going to do, but the media likes to report unexpected news. Also, Zhang Hao has been quite popular in the past period of time. Recently, he has met with head coaches of many NCAA teams... It was a bit exaggerated to announce where he was going at the press conference, but they can mock it. Anyway, it’s news no matter what.
Today Zhang Hao rented a suit, adjusted his mood, organized his words, and then entered the venue of the press conference. Cameramen from ten or twenty media outlets began pressing shutter buttons.
At this moment, Zhang Hao felt his blood rushing again. He was so excited that he was excited just to announce this decision.
But he has experienced too many similar scenes during this period, so he can try to calm himself down.
The media didn't have much patience for a high school student. After Zhang Hao sat down, a reporter asked directly: "Zhang, are you going to announce which university you are going to today?"
Zhang Hao did not hesitate, shook his head and said directly: "I have thought about entering the NCAA and have been working hard for that goal.
Now I have successfully received invitations from many universities.
But I thought about it for a long time and made my decision.
I don’t want to play in college anymore, I’m going to skip college and enter the NBA draft.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the chaotic noise at the scene, which had been going on for a long time because there was no professional person to maintain it, quieted down.
They originally predicted that Zhang Hao wanted to be in the spotlight and hold a press conference to announce where he was going. They were all discussing how to write some news that would make Zhang Hao look bad, as this kind of news would sell the best.
Sure enough, Zhang Hao really said something that attracted attention, but it was something that the reporters from more than a dozen media outlets had never expected.
This Chinese high school student, who had just become an instant hit, actually skipped college and announced that he would directly participate in the NBA draft!
At this time, a female reporter, perhaps out of kindness or wanting to dig up more news, reminded him: "Axel, if you sign up for the NBA draft, you will lose the opportunity to participate in college sports!"
"I have thought about this matter and I am very clear about the NCAA's regulations, but I don't think I will regret the decision I made."
Zhang Hao was talking about this when suddenly an idea came to him. He said, "I want to bring my talent to the NBA!"
…
…
Recently, American basketball fans often see the name of a Chinese teenager in newspapers or sports news.
Especially a week ago, the Chinese teenager defeated Kevin Garnett, the best high school student in the United States, and won the Adidas Training Camp Elite Tournament MVP, which has left an impression on many basketball fans.
In recent times, more than a dozen NCAA Division I universities, which have very high academic performance requirements, have tried to recruit Zhang Hao, and Zhang Hao has frequently appeared in the news.
But those news are nothing compared to this news.
Zhang Hao chose to participate in the NBA draft as a high school student!
For overseas players, they either play in other professional leagues and then participate in the NBA draft, or study in college in the United States for a few years and then participate in the draft.
This is the first time that an overseas player comes to the United States to participate in the draft directly after finishing high school!
Without considering this, just the high school draft has caused Zhang Hao to suffer the same public opinion baptism as Garnett - overestimating his own abilities!
Yes, even Garnett has such comments in the media.
Nowadays, drafting high school students is a mistake. Before, there was only one exception: Moses Malone. Other players who successfully entered the NBA as high school students ended up wasting their talents.
The reason why fans and the media have such a view is that if a high school student can be selected by an NBA team, he or she is definitely the most talented high school student. They will most likely be able to successfully hone their skills in college and will most likely be able to successfully enter the NBA and become an excellent combat force. At least that's the case.
But they entered the NBA as high school students, their bodies were not mature enough, their skills were not good enough, and they had no playing time, and their talents were wasted...
Most people agree that it is a wrong decision for high school students to participate in the draft.
Although there are good reviews, there are more negative reviews.
The high school players of their generation are pioneers. Only when they perform well can they pave the way for the high school rookies in the first few years of the new century.
If there is any benefit to Zhang Hao from announcing this matter, it is that more people know his name.
The next morning, Zhang Hao was eating breakfast while reading the morning paper. Pierce took another newspaper and started a new day of talk. This time he was criticizing the news that looked down on Zhang Hao.
For example, the Boston TV station's comment was sharp, but also very reasonable: "Aix Zhang originally had a bright future. If he had gone to college to hone his skills for a few years, he could have entered the NBA smoothly. He is really talented, but he chose an obviously wrong path..."
This is considered a nice statement, and many media outlets directly started mocking the issue.
The media's reaction was more intense than Zhang Hao had imagined, and the public's views are easily influenced by public opinion. The media said that, so they naturally thought it was like that, and the fact was that it was really like that. It seemed too unreliable for high school students to participate in the draft, and many high school geniuses became mediocre when they arrived in the NCAA.
Does Zhang Hao regret this situation?
He didn't have time to regret. Yesterday afternoon, after Coach Scott Collins submitted his draft application to the NBA and it was approved, the NBA sent real-time updates of the draft registration to each team, which included the contact information of each player, that is, the address and phone number. From last night to now, Zhang Hao actually received calls from several teams, inviting him to participate in the tryout...
Maybe it was just curiosity, or maybe he was casting a wide net, but Zhang Hao no longer has much time to think about whether he would regret it later. When he announced his participation in the NBA draft, it was equivalent to telling those universities that he would not go to college to play and would not accept a basketball scholarship.
In addition to the youthful energy and the experiences of applying to colleges in the past few months, there is another reason for making this decision - there are so many NBA games!
More than 80 games a year!
Now that you have made the decision, just give it a try!
It is not easy to be selected. He has to consider carefully which teams to try out, or in other words, consider which teams are really likely to select him. If some teams do not send him a tryout invitation, he will take the initiative to apply for a tryout. He does not care about the embarrassment of actively participating without being invited. He wants to maximize the probability.
After breakfast, Zhang Hao began to collect information. April Clark and Pierce also helped. They checked the tryout times announced by the teams after the draft draw, the draft results of each team in recent years, the roster of each team, and the expiring contracts of each team this summer...
April Clark and Pierce never thought that there would be so much preparation involved for the draft... In fact, when Garnett participated in the draft, there was not so much preparation.
But Zhang Hao is different. He has this awareness. In this respect, other high school students participating in the draft cannot compare with him, unless they have an agent after studying in college for a few years and let the agent handle these matters.
But he doesn't have an agent now, so he has to do it himself.
These materials are not secret and can be found with a little time, but Zhang Hao feels that they will be of great use.
Looking up information, answering calls, making phone calls... Zhang Hao was busy with these things in the next few days...
…
Zhang Hao's participation in the NBA draft not only made him famous in the American sports circle, but the news also spread back to China!
The media will definitely hype up the issue of yet another high school student participating in the draft. Garnett's issue has been hyped up for a long time, and the fans are a little fed up with it. Now they can hype up the same topic over and over again, how great!
As a result, many NBA teams were asked at regular press conferences whether they were interested in Zhang Hao, a high school student, and some teams revealed that they had already sent tryout invitations to Zhang Hao.
Several large media outlets actually revised their draft prediction lists just for Zhang Hao. This is not a big deal. On the contrary, adding a name can make it a news story and sell newspapers again...
Thanks to his performance in the Adidas training camp, Zhang Hao ranked 58th in the draft ranking given by the American cable TV station and was considered likely to be selected in the late second round. With 29 teams and two rounds of drafts, 58th is the lowest pick.
Although many media used derogatory terms when reporting on Zhang Hao's participation in the talent show as a high school student, the ranking given by the American cable TV station was not the highest, but rather one of the lower ones.
The ranking given by ABC, or the American Broadcasting Corporation, is 44th, and the ranking given by Sports Illustrated is 37th. This pick is the Lakers' second-round draft pick. The Lakers only have this one draft pick this season. The highest prediction is that the Jazz will select it at 28th in the first round.
All major media outlets have predicted that Zhang Hao may be selected in the second round or even at the end of the first round, and this situation seems very normal to American basketball fans.
First of all, this year's draft was not a big year for the draft, because Duncan again refused to enter , which directly turned this year from a top-notch draft year into an ordinary draft year; then, Zhang Hao did show his talent in the Adidas training camp; finally, among the players selected in the second round, almost one-third of the players are directly abandoned every year, and more than half of the second-round picks do not get guaranteed contracts.
The draft market is better than Zhang Hao expected. After all, he has no agent and no professional to analyze the situation for him, so he is making plans based on the worst possible scenario.
His outstanding athletic ability, performance in the Adidas training camp, physical condition and performance have made many teams willing to select him in the early to middle second round or late first round. In other words, his draft stock is already comparable to the NCAA MOP.
But that's all. These days, more teams in the lottery and even the first round want players who can be used right away. If the players' strength reaches the level of O'Neal, Duncan, Grant Hill and others entering the NBA, who would bet on talent? Or does their level not mean they have talent?
The term "older rookie" did not exist in this era. Instead, finishing college meant being reliable.
After such public opinion came out, Zhang Hao felt a little more confident, but he still had to plan well, choose the right team for trial training, and try his best in the trial training.
He knew he had second-round prospects thanks to his performances in the McDonald's Slam Dunk Contest and the Adidas training camp, but if he was going to convince any team to draft him, he would have to rely on his performance in the tryout.
