My days of working at the NBA

Chapter 17: Lots of acquaintances!

For an undrafted player, Matthews' career is absolutely brilliant, at least in terms of resume, it is much more brilliant than Carroll's.

But at that time, his draft prospects were far inferior to Carroll's, and they couldn't even be compared.

There are many reasons, but in summary, Matthews' "workhorse" attributes are too obvious.

He can only play the shooting guard position. He has neither the ability to score independently nor the height and wingspan required, and his athleticism is far from outstanding.

External projections were not particularly stable during this period, and the sample size was also small.

Most importantly, Matthews was almost 23 when he was drafted, and his future prospects were basically predictable.

Compared to Carroll, she was inferior in every aspect.

However, many of these shortcomings are actually underestimated.

For example, his three-point shooting consistency and reliability are far superior to Carroll's, especially during his time with the Trail Blazers, where his consistency was visibly evident.

His role as a combat engineer was indeed very limiting in the previous battlefield where positional warfare was the main focus. His weight of 100 kilograms meant that his speed could not keep up with the point guards; and his height of 196cm was not suitable for a small forward of the required size.

The shooting guard position was his final destination, and his limited role directly led to his dismal draft prospects.

However, with the advent of the small-ball era, his burly, outside shooting style has become very popular.

It can shoot three-pointers, defend, and guard multiple positions, creating a point-to-area effect. It is the best sweeping defender in the zone defense tactic, with its 3D attributes maxed out.

Of course, the concept of 3D has not yet been formed.

However, the combination of three points and defense is gradually becoming a trend.

Anderson's voice suddenly came through: "Du, what do you think we should do to deal with Wesley Matthews?"

Du Ze abruptly snapped out of his reverie, a sheepish smile spreading across his face, feeling as if he'd been caught red-handed daydreaming.

But without batting an eye, he said, "Wesley's shooting threat is indeed considerable, but his finishing ability under the basket is very limited, so defending against his shot and drive will disrupt his rhythm in the game."

Due to his limited height and weight, Matthews has always had poor explosiveness, and his finishing layups after intense contact are even worse.

Even at his peak, he never had a decent finishing ability under the basket.

Especially in the playoffs, Matthews' weakness was magnified.

Looking back at the years Matthews made the playoffs, his overall field goal percentage only reached 47% in the first round against the Mavericks in the 10-11 season. In the rest of the seasons, it never exceeded 42%, and more often it was even less than 40%, which was truly appalling.

The real bastards are worse off than prostitutes...

This is also why the Trail Blazers' five starting five, despite their seemingly strong stats and impressive individual statistics, have always been mere runners-up in the playoffs.

These five generals each have their own fatal weaknesses, and in the highly targeted playoffs, they will be targeted one after another.

Finally, the Portland Trail Blazers, with their star-studded roster, collapsed.

Aldridge, Matthews, Batum, and Robin Lopez were all cleared out, leaving only his cousin Lillard, thus beginning the rebuilding process.

Anderson nodded slightly: "Good insight. It seems you've looked into Wesley?"

Du Ze boasted in a serious tone, "I will study all potential future competitors in advance."

His expression was very serious, and when he said it, even he believed it.

Anderson nodded even more vigorously this time, clearly believing his nonsense and agreeing with his analysis: "Great, the team needs your kind of hunger and thirst for victory."

He paused, his expression turning cold: "However, I hope you won't get distracted while I'm explaining."

Du Ze awkwardly rubbed his neck, offering no rebuttal.

If you've been caught red-handed and still stubbornly insist that you weren't distracted, then it's not a matter of being stubborn, but rather a problem with your attitude.

As a model young man born under the red flag and raised in the spring breeze, he has always been quite good at admitting his mistakes.

Anderson said nothing more and continued talking about another key figure at Marquette University, Gerald McNeil.

This time, Du Ze started to listen attentively.

Time slips away unnoticed.

Suddenly, the screen switched to display a player's headshot, next to which were his stats for the season.

Du Ze was even more familiar with this person.

Or to be more precise, anyone who has watched the NBA will be very familiar with this person.

Because this person is six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler, known as the toughest-talking JB, the man who became a playoff legend.

Without a doubt, this player is a top-tier star who will have a truly transformative future, impacting the league's landscape.

Du Ze couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Wow, we have so many acquaintances. Our team actually produced two legends who made a name for themselves in the NBA."

However, JB was still a minor player at this time. This season, he played as a substitute at Marquette University, averaging 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists, and 0.5 steals in limited minutes per game.

But his shooting percentage was astonishing, reaching 51.4%.

Anderson began by introducing Jimmy, "This is a sophomore at Marquette University. Don't underestimate him. He's very experienced on the court, enjoys physical contact, and his defensive energy is consistently terrifying. He'll be an X-factor that will influence the course of the game, so I'm specifically bringing him up here. Don't underestimate him."

However, after he said that, the others didn't show any expression, clearly not taking it seriously.

Only Du Ze knew that what the old man said was true, and that his worries were not unfounded.

Jimmy Butler may not have the ball, but he shouldn't be underestimated.

A player's attitude during a game can reveal their character and playing style.

Butler, my big dick is tough, and I love going toe-to-toe with you. This advantage will be magnified in a life-or-death match.

Don't underestimate this mental attribute; in competitive sports, especially team competitions, mental attributes are very important.

Was the Heat team Butler led at that time a good roster? Were they very talented?

No.

It's neither good nor strong.

But the fact that they managed to reach the finals in two years is truly incredible.

It's easy to imagine how much influence Butler's mental attributes have on a team.

It's a kind of magnetic field infection that can directly affect teammates' attitude and even their performance in the game.

For example, defensive attitude and fighting spirit.

The team's star players fight for every ball, scrub themselves to defend relentlessly, and are fully engaged in physical battles. As a member of the team, how could you not get infected?

The answer is yes.

Everyone will give it their all, even going all out in their fight, to battle and entangle with their opponents.

Anderson didn't say much, but instead played a few clips from Butler's game.

In these rounds, his fighting style was very unique. He would fight for position from all angles, but not by brute force. Instead, he was very clever and knew how to use his body to occupy advantageous positions.

Anderson continued, "Look at his positioning; it's full of skill and intelligence. What our team lacks is that kind of energy. I hope everyone can learn from him and enjoy the passion of physical contact in the game..."

As he spoke, he suddenly looked at Du Ze: "Du, didn't you just say you'd researched potential rivals? What do you think of Jimmy?"

Du Ze said calmly, "He is a very good defender and a very determined fighter. He likes to use his body to create contact and draw fouls, but his three-point shooting is mediocre. If I were to guard him, he would have a very difficult time."

Butler is very strong, but his weaknesses are also very obvious.

As long as Butler isn't given a chance to bluff, he, being a full size larger than Butler, will have an overwhelming advantage.

Because in physical confrontations, Butler is at a significant disadvantage. When things get really tough, all of Butler's strengths become unusable.