Scouting Report

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"Power... forward?" Mychal Thompson repeated softly, as if he had heard something incredible.

In the silent business car, Green heard what was said and also heard the surprise in Mychal's voice. This surprise was undoubtedly a kind of disdain, but Green didn't react too much. Instead, he politely replied:

"Yes, I'm an inside player."

He emphasized the "inside player" part. Where Mychalcouldn't see, Green silently clenched his fists.

Only then did Mychal Thompson react and smile at Green: "Young man, I hope you can successfully make it to the NBA."

He suppressed the surprise on his face, but his eyes still inevitably mixed with some disdain and pity.

With an interior height of less than two meters, only a few people in NBA history have made a name for themselves. Mychal Thompson doesn't believe that Draymond Green sitting before him is one of them.

"Thank you for your advice, Mr. Thompson," Green replied with a smile, turning to Klay and saying, "Hello, I'm Draymond Green, from the University of Michigan. Are you Klay Thompson?"

A second… two seconds… three seconds…

As Green's smile gradually stiffened, Klay, who had been looking out the window since getting into the car, turned to look at him and smiled: "Hello, I'm Klay Thompson."

"...Well, I wish you good luck with your tryout, haha..." Green twitched the corner of his mouth and still exchanged pleasantries.

"Um."

"..." Green looked Klay up and down, and the smile on his face slowly faded.

Is this guy looking for trouble?

Green, who grew up on the streets, was not an uninformed person.

As Green looked at Klay, Klay was also looking at him. They stared calmly at each other. After a while, Klay suddenly smiled and said:

"You too, man, good luck with the tryout!"

"..."

Green didn't know what to say. He was confused by this mysterious man. Does this guy take a while to react?

"Haha, alright, everything's good for everyone, all good..." Green responded vaguely, turning around to sit down, deciding not to pay attention to this oddball.

At that moment, the business vehicle also turned onto a wide street, gradually speeding up and driving away.

…

Less than half an hour later, the business vehicle arrived at the Oracle Center.

After Klay and Green got out of the car, they entered the arena and training area under the guidance of the reception staff.

The necessary equipment for the physical tests had been set up here. The coaching staff and trainers were waiting at the sidelines, but Liam was nowhere in sight.

Green took a few deep breaths to relax a bit from his nervousness. He adjusted his expression, put on what he thought was the most humble smile, and walked over quickly.

Klay's face was as calm as always as he walked slowly, as though he wasn't attending a tryout but rather a party.

"Draymond, long time no see. Congratulations on your triple-double in the championship!" Jonathan approached Green from the side of the court and congratulated him.

Green laughed and said:

"Thanks. I want to thank Coach Liam. His advice was very helpful. I hit two threes in that game, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten a triple-double."

In the first round of March Madness this year, in the game between Michigan State and the University of Kentucky, Green recorded a triple-double with 13 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds, becoming the 11th player to score a triple-double in the NCAA Tournament and helping his team win the ball.

Mychal Thompson looked at Green with surprise. He hadn't expected Green to know the Warriors staff. It seems this short and stocky forward has caught the Warriors' attention for a long time, just like Klay.

At that moment, Liam walked out of the hallway, greeted them, and said:

"Hello, Mr. Thompson, Klay, Draymond… I've got something to take care of for a moment. Sorry, I'm late."

Liam didn't change his expression when saying this, but only he knew that what he was talking about was watching anime.

Behind Liam was Larry Riley. He gathered Mychal Thompson and Green's agent and discussed Green and Klay's current situation. Liam walked toward the two men who were watching him.

Green stepped forward toward Liam with some excitement: "Sir, long time no see, I..."

Liam hugged him tightly before he finished speaking. Since Liam was only 1.85 meters tall, he had to stand on tiptoe.

"Draymond, I'm looking forward to your performance. If you can satisfy me, I'll keep my promise," Liam whispered in Green's ear.

Green's eyes lit up, and he nodded without saying anything. He didn't forget that Klay was standing next to him.

After Liam let go of his hand, he looked Klay up and down, smiled, and extended his hand: "Hello, Klay, I think you know me, right?"

Even when Klay was standing in front of Liam, his expression didn't change much, as if he had an eternal Antarctic ice face. He nodded, took Liam's hand, and said in a low voice: "Hello, Coach, I'm Klay Thompson, a shooting guard from Washington State University. It's a great honor to come to the Warriors for a tryout. I'm very happy to meet you."

His voice didn't waver at all, only becoming slightly heavier when he said the word "shooter."

Liam nodded: "I know you're a really good shooter. I'm very optimistic about your future development. I hope you perform well in this tryout so I won't have to worry about who to pick."

Klay nodded in response and said in a practical tone: "Of course, I'm the best."

"Haha, very well, I'm looking forward to your performance," Liam smiled brightly, his voice amplified, attracting everyone's attention.

Afterwards, Klay and Green underwent physical tests respectively, with Mychal Thompson and Green's agents accompanying them. The Warriors' coaches recorded the data while Liam and the coaching staff met to examine the scouting report of the two.

"Name: Draymond Green; University: Michigan State University; Height: 2.01 meters; Weight: 104 kilograms; Position: Power Forward; Draft Projection: Around the 40th pick in the second round..."

"Strengths: Green is a player who can act as glue for the team. His biggest advantage is that he can contribute both offensively and defensively. Green is physically strong and not afraid of physical battles with opponents. He has great skills. A relatively reliable mid-range shooter, it's worth noting that he seemed to have developed his three-point shooting ability in the last season. When shooting open threes, he found his rhythm. He can maintain a good shooting percentage, has excellent court vision, a high basketball IQ, and great passing ability. When attacking from behind the rim, Green is very smart, aggressive, and has soft hands. The offensive moves around the rim have decreased during the season, which is worth noting... He's also an unselfish player who has leadership qualities and can make his teammates better."

"Weaknesses: Like many college players, Green doesn't have any outstanding skills. His position on the court is uncomfortable. He's not tall enough to play power forward, and his athleticism is limited to play small forward. He lacks explosiveness and agility after taking the ball. Green is a basketball player, an offensive player, but due to his height, he will face many problems defensively, the first thing he must do is to be overwhelmed. After entering the NBA, he should lose weight."

Liam read the updated scouting report carefully and then glanced at Green's stats from last season. Among them, Green's three-point shooting percentage reached 37.8%, and he nodded with satisfaction.

Although this shot was taken from the NCAA three-point line, which will certainly decrease after entering the league, it shows that Green has definitely practiced his threes a lot; otherwise, he wouldn't have reached this level. In the NCAA, he could be called an elite shooter.

Liam took the scouting report of Klay from Silas' hands and read it:

"Name: Klay Thompson; University: Washington State University; Height: 2.01 meters; Weight: 93 kilograms; Position: Shooting Guard; Draft Projection: Between the 8th and 16th pick in the first round..."

"Strengths: Klay Thompson is one of the best pure shooters in college basketball. His abundant outside offense allows him to establish himself in the NBA. As a defender, Thompson has the advantages of height and wingspan. He's always had a good feel for the game and knows his own weaknesses very well. He doesn't need to control the ball and stays active without the ball. He's always trying to create scoring opportunities. He has the ability to attack with both hands. He's good at using fakes to shake off opponents. His shot is simple and quick, and he doesn't need much space to shoot. He has good shooting speed from mid-range and long-range, and occasionally finishes dunks over opponents. He's relatively mature and rational on the court, has good emotional control, doesn't get angry easily, and maintains a good assist-to-turnover ratio while averaging 1.6 steals per game. His defensive awareness is constantly improving."

"Weaknesses: Thompson's ability to finish at the rim is very average. His athletic ability only shows when he has a strong desire to compete. His athletic talent isn't outstanding enough, so his performance in half-court offense is better than in fast breaks. His lack of speed makes it hard for him to shake off quick defenders, and facing defenders with better athletic ability and size advantages will also be a headache. It's worth noting that Thompson's dribbling ability is very normal and often makes low-level silly mistakes. It's better not to let him attack with the ball... Note: Thompson was suspended for one game for marijuana possession."

Klay's scouting report was very different from Green's. His strengths outweighed his weaknesses, which was consistent with his expected lottery position.

Liam nodded slightly as he looked at the report. NBA scouts are professionals. They rarely make mistakes. A player's description is basically consistent with the characteristics they later showed in NBA games. However, predictions about players' future development are inevitably biased.

For example, last year's scouting report on Curry criticized his "poor shot selection," but now, after just one season, this is no longer a deficiency. In the past, Curry could shoot anytime, anywhere, and that's a good thing for him.

But when he reached the end, Liam raised his eyebrows, walked over to Mychal Thompson, and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Thompson, I need to ask you something."

"What's the problem? Please, tell me," Mychal Thompson turned around and saw Liam's serious expression, and couldn't help but speak seriously.

"I saw that Klay was suspended for one game three months ago for marijuana possession. Does Klay have a habit of smoking marijuana?" Liam slowly said.

He had never seen Klay's scouting report in his previous life, and this was the first time he had learned that something like this had happened to Klay.

Mychal Thompson, relieved, explained:

"You're talking about that. It's because he lent his car to his classmate. When his classmate returned it, the headlight was broken. Klay didn't mind. Then he was driving because the vehicle was damaged, and the police stopped him. Marijuana was found in the car, but only 1.95 grams. The police confiscated the marijuana and returned it to Klay after a while..."

He paused and saw that Liam still had a serious expression, explaining with a bit more enthusiasm:

"But Klay doesn't have the habit of smoking marijuana. I can guarantee that he's never touched that stuff! I've seen too many players fall due to drug abuse in my career. I think the most famous should be Bias, the second overall pick by the Celtics in 1986. He was a real genius, but he suddenly died in his dorm due to drug abuse. To be honest, I was exposed to those things too, but... I never touched any drugs again since then..."

At the end of his sentence, Mychal Thompson's voice gradually lowered, and an expression of loneliness crossed his face.

Liam's expression relaxed, and he smiled, saying:

"Mr. Thompson, you're a good father. I believe Klay will become a star under your guidance."

"Of course, Klay is my pride. He has several brothers, but he's the most talented!" Mychal Thompson laughed when he heard Liam's praise of his son, and his face began to shine again.

Shortly after their conversation, Green and Klay finished their physical tests. The results of their tests were mostly consistent with the strengths recorded in their scouting reports. Both lacked sufficient athletic ability, but their static talents were very good and reached an above-average level.

Subsequently, with the help of a coach, they tested basic skills like shooting, dribbling, and passing.

Green's passing was very good, and his ball handling was surprisingly good, but he was only good at moving in a straight line and struggled to dribble past people.

He could also maintain a good shooting percentage when he found his rhythm, but his jump shot percentage was simply horrendous, and his independent offensive ability was very weak.

Klay was like a shooting machine, hitting 44 of 50 three-pointers, and his mid-range shots were also extremely accurate. He had a shooting threat in the half-court, but his passing and dribbling were very average, and he even made a low-level mistake that hit his foot, leaving Mychal Thompson unable to hide his expression.

End of this chapter

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