Forty-Eight: No. 10 Pick Vs. Undrafted

Rachel DeMita was shopping with her friends, and the Christmas sale's appeal to girls can be said to be deadly. But when she found out that it was the day of the Grizzlies-Pacers game, Rachel ran back to her dorm and turned on the TV.

As she took off her jacket, Rachel cursed herself for being stupid, for remembering the wrong time the game started.

She thought the game between the Grizzlies and the Pacers would start tomorrow. If she didn't remember in time, she might have missed Link's first game with the Grizzlies.

Rachel remembers the text Link sent her the day she left Oklahoma—“Don’t miss the Grizzlies game.”

She really didn't want to miss it, because, like Upshaw, Link was the pillar that inspired Rachel not to give up on her dreams. She can't keep running away, but must overcome difficulties and return to the embrace of basketball. It was Link who made her decide to pick up everything she loves again.

After a brief commercial, the Consecco Arena finally appeared on TV. Rachel sat cross-legged on the sofa, and instantly changed from a sexy goddess to a girl next door.

At this point, the first quarter of the game is about to end, and the two sides are tied. Just got into the ad because the Pacers called a timeout.

"I shouldn't have missed his performance." Rachel thought to herself, after all, Link was not selected for the roster in his first game with the Grizzlies, and he didn't know when he would play today.

As everyone knows, the camera gave Link a close-up. On TV, Link's No. 0 jersey was very conspicuous, and he was sweating profusely.

At the bottom of the screen, Link's data was also displayed. 6 points, 1 steal, 1 assist, 2 of 2 from the field and 1 of 1 free throw. On the TV, Jeff Van Gundy and Chris Webber were also chatting about Link.

"His performance was amazing. He helped the Grizzlies tie the game within minutes of playing. The last game, Link was not even on the Grizzlies roster. But today, coach Lionel Hollins has Referring him directly to the regular rotation. I believe it was a long-planned move by Coach Hollins."

"Yeah, what I admire the most is how he just lured Granger into a defensive trap. He's smart, he knows how to deal with opponents who are stronger than him. This time, I believe Link will definitely be able to compete with the Grizzlies. The team signed another ten-day short contract."

"No, maybe the Grizzlies will give him a guaranteed contract outright?"

After listening to the voices of the two commentators on the TV, Rachel realized that she had missed the beginning of Link's gorgeous performance today.

But it doesn't matter, at least she can witness Link's next performance.

※※※

This time out, Lionel Hollins was put on the second team. Although Hollins also relies on the starter, he is still different from Thibodeau, the main madman. Dependency is dependent, and he will still give enough basic rest time.

So, Venezuelan guard Vasquez replaced Conley, Tony Allen replaced Mayo, Arthur and last year's No. 2 Thabeet replaced the Black and White Bears, Link remained unchanged and continued to replace Rudy Gay Appearance.

The biggest problem with the Grizzlies' second unit is that there is no offensive point. Vasquez is a point guard who passes more than he scores. Not to mention Tony Allen, this guy's skill tree is completely skewed. Arthur and Thabeet have limited abilities and are mediocre in the scope of role players.

Link's scoring ability is acceptable, but in the NBA, he is far from a scorer.

Therefore, Hollins gave the second unit only one task - to hold the situation until the second quarter of the game!

"Give me full offense, don't let them get a second of respite! I won't allow us to go into the second quarter with a disadvantage, this is our home,

There's no reason for them to do anything wrong! "

On the other hand, Jim O'Brien naturally wanted the team to quickly open the score. The offensive strengths of his second unit are Paul George and Brandon Rush. However, these two guys just collided with the flanking defensive line formed by Link and Tony Allen.

This is a battle of spear and shield.

Seeing George's appearance, Link was also excited. Men's friendship is like this sometimes. The better friends in private, the more true they will be on the field. After all, it's a way of showing respect between men.

"We're going to be attacked very violently, Link. But as long as it's more violent than them, they'll be out of action. So, come on!" Tony Allen muttered in Link's ear when he saw the opponent's players attack.

He knocked punches lightly with Link, and it seemed that Link had won the trust of his teammates with his performance. At least Randolph and Tony Allen trusted him.

The last two minutes, in fact, the Pacers did not have much time to widen the point difference. Therefore, George and Rush are a little impatient.

At this time, George is not yet complete, and his offensive ability with the ball is very poor. With the Pacers, O'Brien used him as an off-ball shooter.

Link is not mobile, and he is most afraid of defending against powerful singles. But because of Grant Hill's rich experience, Link's best defense is precisely the off-ball shooter.

And because he was a teammate with George, he really knows the 24 too well. How he likes to move, what is true and what is false, Link can clearly feel it.

After several runs, Link failed to give George a chance. The matchup between two players from the NCAA Division II league was unexpected.

"It's unbelievable, I don't think anyone in this draft class can defend at Link's level. He predicts the situation so accurately, he always seems to know in advance where George will go in the next second. "

"Yeah, it's impossible to have this sense of smell without more than ten years of NBA experience. But Link...he seems to have played in the NBA for a long time before."

Seeing that George couldn't get a chance, the Pacers had to give the ball to Brandon Rush. However, how could Tony Allen's defense be easily overwhelmed?

As soon as Rush caught the ball, Tony Allen tangled up. This is a ruthless character who was sent to defend Kobe during the Celtics era. What's the point of facing a mere Brandon Rush?

Rush just dribbled the ball with two steps when Tony Allen suddenly sprinted to steal. His strike was quick and hard, and before Rush could react, the ball was already owned by the Grizzlies.

Tony Allen and Link immediately formed a 2-on-1 situation in the frontcourt, but George's position was very chicken. He knew that Tony Allen didn't shoot, so he guarded Lin who cut to the basket from beginning to end. beside K.

Link received a pass from Tony and saw George, who was tall and long, and chose to give the ball to Arthur outside the three-point line.

It's a pity that Arthur's three-pointer missed the target and missed. Otherwise, the Pacers may be 3 points behind.

"here you go!"

Even so, Hollins let out a shout of delight. Tony. Allen and Link's defense, enough for the Pacers to drag the game into the second quarter.

The first collision between the spear and the shield, the shield became the victor.

"What are you doing? Be careful, I don't want to see you making mistakes again!" O'Brien's mentality has exploded. The Grizzlies, a second unit that is so weak on paper, actually nailed the Pacers. died. Anyone who changes it will be unwilling.

So, George is ready to take the ball to prove himself. The tenth pick VS the undrafted, this looks like a no-suspense matchup.

However, George's high dribble center of gravity made Link look a bit irritated. George may be strong in the future, but in his rookie season, he can still bully this future superstar.

In the future, when bragging with friends, Link can also pat his chest and say, "I was the one who killed Paul George back then."

During George's breakthrough, Link reached out his hand lightly, disrupting George's dribbling rhythm. In desperation, George had no choice but to hold the basketball with both hands and stopped at the very embarrassing position of a step inside the free throw line.

Although Link didn't grab the ball directly, he was already very successful in forcing the place to stop the ball in the three-second zone.

Seeing this situation, Tony Allen immediately double-teamed up. Link and Tony Allen raised their arms high to prevent George from handling the ball.

George was also anxious, not to mention being double-teamed, but still being double-teamed within three seconds. If you don't pass the ball quickly and run out, you will be called a three-second violation.

In the panic, the referee whistle sounded. George looked to the sidelines, not a three-second violation, but walking with the ball in his panic!

"George was forced to walk, another successful defense, from Link and Tony Allen. The two offensive knives of coach Jim O'Brien just hit the Pacers' toughest shield."

"Link's performance was amazing, he proved that he can not only pass and shoot, but also tough defense. Scouts on each team should reflect, because they actually let a player who can beat The 10th overall pick lost."

Rachel smiled in front of the TV. She couldn't remember how many times the narrator praised Link today. But there is no doubt that Link's second trip to the NBA was much more successful than the first.

Tony Allen patted Link on the back, then walked up to participate in the attack. At this point, there was only 1 minute left in the game, and the Pacers could no longer pull the score.

Looking at Link, who is loved by his teammates on the court, Sam Young sighed. He is very clear that from today, Link will completely replace his position in the team. In this competition with the undrafted, he lost completely.

And Lionel Hollins saw the potential to create a super defensive lineup.

Link and Tony Allen, what an interesting flank duo.