Chapter 570: Changes in the Draft, and the Question of Getting Stronger
On June 25, the 2009 NBA Draft was held at Madison Square Garden.
The draft was broadcast live by ESPN to 203 countries and regions around the world.
Chen Yan watched it from home with Taylor Swift. His parents had flown back to China 2 days earlier, with the arrangements handled by his agent.
The 2009 class had plenty of intriguing rookies. Blake Griffin, James Harden, Stephen Curry, and DeMar DeRozan were all in it. Chen Yan wanted to see whether their paths would change because of the butterfly effect.
When David Stern stepped onto the stage, the crowd greeted him with the usual chorus of boos. At this point, that had practically become part of the draft tradition.
After Stern finished speaking, the draft officially began.
The Los Angeles Clippers held the No. 1 pick, just like in Chen Yan's previous life.
A moment later, David Stern returned to the podium with the card in his hand.
"With the 1st pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select Blake Griffin from the University of Oklahoma!"
That choice also matched Chen Yan's memory. Griffin, known as the White Beast, possessed the kind of explosive athletic talent every NBA team dreamed of.
But starting with the No. 2 pick, the timeline began to shift.
In Chen Yan's previous life, the Memphis Grizzlies had the 2nd pick and used it on Hasheem Thabeet, a choice that baffled people for years. In this timeline, Pau Gasol had never left Memphis, so the Grizzlies' record had not collapsed the way it once had. Naturally, they no longer owned the 2nd selection.
Instead, the Oklahoma City Thunder held it.
Their front office had sharp eyes and was not the kind that would waste such a valuable pick on a player like Thabeet. They made the obvious choice and selected James Harden at No. 2.
Harden walked onto the stage looking a little green, but confident. He still landed in Oklahoma City, just like before. The difference was that this Thunder team no longer had the same future big brother and second brother structure Chen Yan remembered, which meant Harden's destiny would probably take a different turn.
The Sacramento Kings owned the 3rd pick and selected Tyreke Evans.
At No. 4, the Minnesota Timberwolves chose Ricky Rubio.
During this period, Rubio had already made a name for himself in Europe. His elite court vision and passing ability had drawn attention everywhere, and Minnesota truly lacked a traditional point guard. Using the 4th pick on him made perfect sense.
Because of the butterfly effect, the New York Knicks wound up with the 5th pick.
The Knicks were notorious for making bizarre draft decisions, but this time, their choice surprised Chen Yan.
They took Stephen Curry.
When Curry heard his name, he was ecstatic. He hugged his parents immediately. For him, New York had always been an ideal destination, a huge city, the biggest basketball market, and endless exposure.
Compared with Chen Yan's previous life, Curry's draft position had clearly risen.
That, in Chen Yan's view, was part of the Chen Yan effect.
His success had made NBA teams place greater value on elite shooters, especially those with deep range. Curry could not climb much higher only because scouts still worried about his physical limitations. He was too thin, his vertical was ordinary, and his burst was not special by NBA standards.
With the 6th pick, the Timberwolves selected Jonny Flynn.
That decision confused many fans. They had just drafted Rubio at No. 4, so why take another point guard immediately after?
Still, while Minnesota's front office was not exactly brilliant, it was not completely brainless either. There was a reason for it. Rubio still had a contract in Europe, and buying him out would be expensive, so there was a real chance he would have to stay overseas for the time being. With that uncertainty hanging over them, the Timberwolves used the 6th pick on Flynn, a 1.83 meter point guard.
The Warriors still picked at No. 7, but their preferred target was already gone.
After some discussion, they selected Jordan Hill, an athletic big man with excellent mobility.
No one was happier about that than Monta Ellis.
Ellis had repeatedly said in interviews that he wanted Golden State to draft a big man because the Warriors' interior was too weak. In his eyes, the team did not need more guards. He believed he alone was enough in the backcourt.
Toronto selected DeRozan at No. 8.
Milwaukee took Brandon Jennings at No. 9.
…
Soon, it was time for the Suns to make their choice at No. 28.
David Stern stepped back onto the stage and announced Phoenix's selection.
Danny Green.
The moment he heard his name, Danny Green exploded with excitement.
Most projections had him going in the 2nd round, so being taken at No. 28 in the 1st round was both a surprise and a major gift. Because he had been projected so low, he was not even at the arena. Watching from home, he hugged his parents and his agent in disbelief.
Joining a defending champion while being drafted higher than expected, this was a dream start to his career.
The Suns made that pick because re signing Azubuike was becoming increasingly difficult. The front office already felt they might need to find a replacement through the draft.
As for the final pick, No. 60, the Suns selected Robert Dozier.
Chen Yan had never even heard of him.
Still, he did not think much about it. In the long history of the NBA, most players remained unknown. That was normal.
After the draft, Chen Yan and Taylor Swift began discussing their vacation plans.
A day later, they flew together to Italy's Amalfi Coast.
With a cold drink in hand, Taylor Swift in his arms, warm sunlight overhead, and the sea stretching out before him, Chen Yan genuinely felt that happiness did not get much better than this.
Then his phone rang.
It was a call from across the ocean.
"Hey, Chen, what are you doing? Come train with me. I already booked a gym!"
Durant's voice came through the phone.
Chen Yan took a slow sip of his drink and pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose.
"Sorry. I'm on vacation at the beach right now."
Durant sounded as if he had just been struck by lightning.
"Chen, have you fallen off? Are you really starting to enjoy life now? Damn!"
Chen Yan was speechless.
He had already won 2 championships. Was taking a vacation really such a crime?
"Chen, when are you coming back? I'll wait for you," Durant continued.
Chen Yan thought about it for a moment.
"Maybe August. Maybe September. I'm not sure. I still have commercials to shoot, and I also need to go back to China to meet fans. There are a lot of events waiting for me there. I might even write a song or make a movie cameo or something. Who knows. Either way, I probably won't be able to train with you, KD. You just keep working hard on your own."
When Durant heard that, he became even more energized.
In his mind, the situation was simple. He would be grinding through the offseason while Chen Yan was out enjoying the beach. One man was sharpening the blade, the other was lounging in the sun. Once the new season arrived, Durant was convinced he would come back stronger.
After hanging up, Chen Yan silently opened his system panel.
When it came to becoming stronger, he had chosen a very different path.
.....
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