The Legend of Small Steel Cannons in the NBA

Chapter 139 Establishing the Core
"Hi! Sorry for the long wait!" Sam pushed the door open, and inside sat General Manager McCloskey and CEO Timothy looked sideways at each other.

"Want some?" Timothy greeted, and took a sip from his cup.

"Thanks! I'm a bit allergic to alcohol," Sam replied, moving to the sofa and laying on his legs.

"We just mentioned you and some questions about the team." Timothy put down the small cup in his hand.

"Yes! Sam did a good job." McCloskey gave a positive evaluation.

"I still need to do more." Sam didn't dare to take credit for it. With such a poor record, he did a good job!It's just a joke.

"You do need to do more. About the team, I think I need to say something, our record has been poor in recent seasons, I don't know why? Sam, can you tell me why?" Timothy Put away your smile and speak seriously.

"Feel sorry!"

"You don't need to say sorry, just like McCloskey said, you have done a good job." Timothy raised his eyebrows, "I just want to know where our crux is?"

This is simply out of the question. What is the crux of a team's record?Where is a sentence that is clear.But who is Timothy?The CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Group owns several sports clubs like the Raptors. If he can come to inquire in person, it shows that his patience is exhausted and he is disappointed with the team controller.Of course Sam understood that.

"We're missing a star, someone who can change the game. Chris is a good guy, but he's still growing up. He's matured a lot this season. I'm sure we'll hit the playoffs next season. We'll go. farther."

"Vince's departure has hurt us immeasurably, and this is the status quo." McCloskey also chimed in, and it's impossible not to help, and he also has an inescapable responsibility for this.

"Star player? This is indeed a problem. Do you have any good suggestions? Sam!"

"It can't be changed for the time being! Please forgive me, it is really difficult for Toronto to recruit those big names, and our team is very young, and the big names don't believe that we can succeed."

Timothy didn't speak, but silently supported his forehead and thought.to be honest!As the only NBA team in Canada, the Raptors have a good attendance rate. They won't lose money, but they don't make money either. This is the most terrible thing.Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Group has many shareholders with intertwined interests. The reason why the Raptors can be established is that the major shareholders want Canada to have a top team.But not making money is a failure, shareholders must be dissatisfied, it is difficult for him to do it.Where is the reason?That is, the jerseys cannot be sold, the extended products are extremely lacking, and there are not many sponsors. All these are due to the unsatisfactory record and the absence of top players.But the Raptors can't attract big names in the free market. Apart from the cold weather, the location in Toronto, high taxes, and the most important thing is that they are not competitive.Top stars, who doesn't want to win the championship with honor and go to a big market?The Raptors don't have all of this.This creates an endless loop that cannot be broken. He understands this truth, but he is here to ask for a solution to the problem, not to listen to complaints.

In fact, it is impossible to recruit stars, and they can cultivate themselves. This is the only way out, and they are doing this.Like Vince Carter is a success story, the team made a lot of money in those years.It's a pity that the good times didn't last long. Because he couldn't make a breakthrough, Carter was dissatisfied with the round tour year after year, and the conflicts with the management intensified, and they finally broke up.

In 03, they picked the tall and thin Bosh in the draft. After two seasons, Bosh has slowly transformed and has the potential to become an All-Star. So this season they chose to strengthen Bosh, and the facts have proved that they From his perspective, Bosh's quasi-21+9.8 average of 20 points and 10 rebounds in six games has already emerged.

"I don't have much time for you!" Timothy could only say that. His patience was limited, and he had to give an explanation to the shareholders.

"Sir! Don't worry! I'll try to do something." McCloskey sat upright with a bubbling forehead, looking cautious. He didn't want to lose this promising job.

"Kyle Lowry played well today! I know him, and I must admire your vision."

"Yes! He is indeed an outstanding player. He plays very smartly and is very mature." Just now Timothy was bluntly disappointed, and Sam also felt sorry for him. Now that Kyle is mentioned, of course he must praise him desperately. is his masterpiece.

"What do you think of the internal and external dual core formed by him and Chris?"

"They are a perfect match. I think they can lead the team back to the playoffs and even create a brilliant period." McCloskey answered first. The boss's meaning is very clear, that is to support Kyle as the head guard. Catering to others is the most correct choice.

"Sam! What do you think?" Timothy was noncommittal, and turned to ask more professional people.

"Kyle's technical characteristics are very distinctive. He is very strong. The combination of strength and speed gives him an absolute advantage in the position of point guard. Breakthrough is his killer move. And he knows what he should do. It is a point. The ball is still shooting. The ability to read the game, excellent vision, and solid basic skills make him a fish in water. He is extremely calm in the game, but also persistent enough, strict with himself and others, and has a leadership temperament. As long as he develops his three-point ability, he will be stable He is definitely a shining star. He has proven himself in college. I think it is more reliable to cultivate him as the team's first core." Hall is placed higher than Bosh.We must know that Bosh has established a firm foothold in the NBA and has demonstrated his star ability, while Kyle is just a rookie who has played well. Who knows that he is not just a flash?No matter how you look at it, establishing Kyle as the first core is a super risky decision. Anyone will think that Sam's suggestion is unreliable, a bit fanciful, and too whimsical.

"Are you sure?" Timothy narrowed his eyes, showing no emotion.

"Extremely certain."

"OK! Just do as you say, I hope your suggestion is correct." Timothy likes Kyle very much. He is passionate, powerful and smart, but this is only one aspect.What's more, he believes that Sam, as a coach, has been with his players for so long, and he should be able to fully understand a player's ability and potential.As the team's signature star, Kyle's image is undoubtedly more suitable than Bosh.He decided to give Kyle a chance, just to see if the guy can grasp it.This is a very risky gamble, but Timothy can afford the consequences of failure. If Kyle can't, the coach and general manager will be blamed. It's no big deal.

Generally, the top management of the team will intervene in the internal affairs of the team, and no team can make an exception, unless you are a meritorious coach, but unfortunately Sam is not.He has several bosses on his head, and there are many constraints in the team. He actually wanted to establish Kyle as the first core early on, but unfortunately he couldn't get support. Now there is a word from the CEO, all obstacles remove everything.

That's right!Sam was betting, he was betting that the Kyle he knew would take off, if only the kid were given the chance.This is his sense of coaching for many years in the basketball career, and he firmly believes that he can't be wrong.

(End of this chapter)