"Wow... Chris... I think Link is quite graceful." Matt Babcock said to Bosh beside him while clapping, after seeing Link being selected as the team's starting Point Guard.
"Graceful?" Bosh, a teammate of three years, looked at Matt Babcock in great surprise.
Link... does he even have that?
"Yeah! Even with such a tall frame, Link didn't choose to play in the low post." Matt Babcock said with a serious face.
Link was at least 15cm taller than the player guarding him. Choosing to face-up and drive with the ball carried a high risk of being stripped; backing down was the most secure way. Therefore, in Matt Babcock's view, Link was quite confident in his Ball Handling.
"Pfft!" Bosh almost burst out laughing.
Seeing Bosh's reaction, Matt Babcock became even more confused.
"Yeah, Link, he really is quite 'graceful'!" Bosh smiled meaningfully.
Matt Babcock didn't ask further, but Bosh's smile grew even wider.
Link...
Do you really think he doesn't want to play the post?
It's clearly because he doesn't know how!!!
However, as a teammate and best friend, Bosh naturally wouldn't expose him.
...
...
On the other hand.
Duncan's 45-degree bank shot?
Having obtained this player's move set, Link was also bewildered.
Isn't this a damn post-up move for big men?
The 45-degree bank shot was Duncan's signature move. After receiving the ball in the low post, he would use his strength and weight to back down, and upon nearing the basket, transition into a half-turn face-up bank shot.
Due to the advantage in height and wingspan, along with a certain degree of fadeaway during the shot, the release point was extremely high, earning it the title of the "invincible shot."
"This damn system, can't it give me some proper Point Guard move sets?" Link couldn't help but complain.
Then again, although Link had a height of 198cm, a weight of 90kg, and a wingspan of 211cm, his post-up game was trash. Yet, many guards in this era had a post-up game.
Not just superstars like Jordan and Kobe, but even Mark Jackson and Andre Miller, who were less than 190cm barefoot, were the same.
...
...
The head coach of the Dream Chasing Warriors, Chris Grant, quickly selected the starters for each position.
Link was the starting Point Guard, the starting Center was Chris Bosh, the starting Power Forward was Josh Smith, and the starting Small Forward was trainee No. 93.
As for the starting Shooting Guard, it surprised Link that it wasn't the "nepotism hire"—Matt Babcock—but a white shooter wearing jersey No. 120.
Based on the strength rankings given to the trainees by the camp, the "roster" of Link's Dream Chasing Warriors was in the lower-middle tier among the teams.
Of course...
To Link, the initial rankings given to the trainees served as a great motivation.
Since it was the trainees' first night at the camp and they hadn't fully recovered their energy, the coaches of the various teams only arranged light-load training.
Uh, calling it training was a stretch; in reality, it was just letting the players pair up and practice on the court, like a warm-up before a streetball game.
However, this segment was necessary. Most people on the team were meeting for the first time and weren't familiar with each other; after all, basketball is a team sport.
Through chatting and communication, they could build a certain level of chemistry instead of staying immersed in their own little worlds.
Having just obtained "Duncan's 45-degree bank shot," Link couldn't wait to try it out.
"Hey man, come defend me for a few rounds." Link found Matt Babcock.
This future NBA reporter.
"Link, how could I possibly be your match!" Having recently witnessed Link's prowess in 1v1 combat, Matt Babcock threw in the towel and waved his hands repeatedly.
"It's fine, I'm just practicing my new move." Link said with a smile.
"Alright then!" Matt Babcock nodded.
Link held the ball in the low post, backing down toward the basket. After grinding his way past Matt Babcock to get close to the rim, he pivoted on his left foot, transitioned into a half-turn, and hit a 45-degree bank shot.
*Bang!*
*Swish!*
The sound of the ball hitting the backboard was followed immediately by the sound of it snapping through the net.
"Wow!"
"Link..."
"That move was so smooth, it's like Tim Duncan himself is here."
Matt Babcock exclaimed.
"It's okay! Again!" Link laughed.
Link himself was quite satisfied with that shot. Especially the transition from the half-turn to the shot—it was indeed very smooth.
Link played 10 possessions against Matt Babcock, making 9 out of 10, missing only once.
"Is this move really this unstoppable?" Link couldn't help but feel overjoyed.
"OMG!"
"Is Link learning from Tim Duncan?"
"The 45-degree bank shot is exactly the same."
"Chris, I didn't expect Link's post-up game to be this good. Are you sure he wasn't a big man at Lincoln High?"
Josh Smith looked at Chris Bosh with a very surprised tone.
Chris Bosh didn't answer immediately; like Josh Smith, he was also staring at Link with a look of utter bewilderment.
"Impossible!"
"This is absolutely impossible!"
Chris Bosh screamed "impossible" in his head.
The two had known each other for three years and knew everything about each other.
Before tonight, Bosh had never seen Link use this move—not in an official game, and not even in their usual practice sessions.
When did Link practice this move? Judging by the proficiency of his footwork and the fluidity of the transition, he must have practiced it for at least two and a half years.
Hmph... this guy hides things so well!
Link's 45-degree bank shot attracted more and more attention from his teammates.
Seeing Link pull off this move, the two guards who had been defeated earlier first frowned, then actively proposed to swap with Matt Babcock to defend Link.
Link, wanting to test different defensive intensities, naturally didn't refuse.
Backing down this No. 120 guard, despite having a significant advantage in weight and strength, was much more difficult than backing down Matt Babcock. He felt noticeable resistance, especially during the turn and jump to face the basket.
Fortunately, Link's shooting touch was on fire. Even though his form was slightly distorted, he still managed to make the shot.
In the next five attacks, Link missed two.
For a guard, this kind of post-up efficiency was already very good.
But Link was unsatisfied and quickly spotted the issue.
The opponent seemed to know he would turn toward the basket and prepared to block him in advance. So, in the next round, Link turned directly toward the baseline instead.
The opponent was caught off guard, and Link took the opportunity to blow past him for an underhand layup.
After adjusting, Link clearly found that the defensive resistance had decreased, and his 45-degree bank shots became accurate once again.
After being scored on by Link repeatedly, the guard in the No. 12 jersey had a look of realization in his eyes.
The other trainees on the Dream Chasing Warriors began to look at Link with more recognition and respect.
But Link didn't let it go to his head.
"My 45-degree bank shot is fine for bullying undersized players for now, but if I run into someone big and agile... I'll still struggle." For this reason, Link refused to let Bosh or Josh Smith defend him in the post.