Just yesterday, Link underwent his latest static physical test.
His height increased by 1.5cm, reaching 201.7cm;
His weight increased by 3kg, reaching 95kg.
His total wingspan increased by 3cm, reaching 216.2cm.
A 7-foot wingspan of 216.2cm, nearly 15cm more than his height, is considered excellent even in the NBA, a league full of monsters. A Point Guard weighing 95kg would also be a solid small tank in the NBA.
His shoulder width increased by 2cm, reaching 63cm. The increase in shoulder width makes it harder for defenders to strip the ball during breakthroughs. Additionally, it allows players to use their shoulders as a screen to shoot over defenders when performing fadeaway jump shots.
His maximum hand length increased by 0.3cm, reaching 23cm, which is comparable to LeBron James, who is known as the Chosen One.
Of course, James's hand size is not considered outstanding among NBA players.
This latest static physical test data was filmed and recorded by Link's documentary team and sent to several well-known high school sports media outlets such as Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and FOX.
In basketball, 'an inch longer, an inch stronger' is highly valued. Link, who is still growing, means he is still in his 'golden development period,' which will undoubtedly boost his draft stock and commercial value as a player.
In the latest ESPN draft prediction list, Link was only projected as the 11th pick in the second round, 41st overall.
2001 was widely considered a weak draft year. Even the 'high school big three' hyped by the media, in the eyes of fans, only Kwame Brown, with his excellent static talent and jumping ability surpassing Kevin Garnett, was seen as having the potential to become a superstar.
Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler both had their own shortcomings.
There are still more than three months until Draft Night, and the draft predictions are currently only for the second round.
ESPN's reasoning was that despite Link gradually showing dominance in the High School League, his athletic talent would make it difficult for him to play Point Guard in the NBA. If drafted, the best outcome would be to serve as the team's backup Point Guard, but he would most likely be asked to switch to shooting guard or even small forward.
Link's static talent is exceptional for a Point Guard, and also excellent for a shooting guard, but his strength might not be enough for the position. As for playing small forward, Link's size might not be sufficient.
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Around 6 PM.
After dinner, Link returned to his bedroom and used the All-Star (Kevin Durant 07-08 Season) sparring partner card to enter the Virtual Space.
Durant at this time was very green...
In a word, 'thin.' He wasn't as strong as the current Link, but his Speed was truly fast... of course, this refers to compared to other 206cm players.
Even though it was Durant in his rookie season, as a dominant force in the NCAA, he was an almost all-around enhanced version of the current Link.
Link couldn't beat the current Durant in pure strength, so he resorted to the old trick: using the infinite Stamina bug in the 'Virtual Space'.
Rookie season Durant had two obvious flaws.
Poor Stamina!
His left-hand dribbling was problematic, a conclusion Kobe Bryant had drawn. However, by his prime, Durant had perfected his shooting form and strengthened his post-up game, making it impossible even for the black mamba to find technical flaws in Durant.
The final round of the Hundred-Point Battle.
98 to 97!
Durant, trailing by 1 point, held the ball at the top of the arc. Link leaned to his right, forcing Durant to go left. *Thump!* Durant exploded with the ball, driving left. Link quickly blocked the path. *Thump!* Durant quickly dribbled the ball, making a huge in-and-out crossover to create space, then stepped back beyond the Three-Point Shot line and shot the ball with a decisive motion.
Watching the basketball leave his fingertips and fly, Link couldn't help but exclaim: "Ahhh! Durant, don't hit the game-winner against me!!!"
*Swish!* The Three-Point Shot went in clean.
98 to 100. Durant's Three-Point Shot game-winner against Link stopped Link's reward at 'Four-Star'.
Durant, who won the Hundred-Point Battle, showed a contractor-like smile. Link, meanwhile, kept rewatching the replay, wanting to confirm if Durant had stepped on the line.
After repeated confirmation, Durant did not step on the line. Uh... the court for this Hundred-Point Battle used the international men's basketball Three-Point Shot line, not the NBA distance.
"Damn it!"
Link, having been defeated by a game-winner, could only receive the Three-Star Reward and Four-Star Reward.
Three-Star Reward:
Ankle Breaker (Bronze) Function Description:
1. Slightly increases the chance of shaking off or crossing over a defender with dribbling moves.
2. To upgrade to the next stage (Silver), you need to shake off or cross over defenders 30 times in 5v5 games.
Durant is a tall Ankle Breaker, with the height of a Center, the ball-handling skills of a guard, and the athleticism of a forward.
Shaking off defenders with flashy dribbling is every basketball enthusiast's dream, even for big men in the paint.
Link felt very 'comfortable' with this Ankle Breaker badge.
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Four-Star Reward:
Hop Step Master (Bronze) Function Description:
1. When performing a hop step shot, mid-range +3.
2. To upgrade to the next stage (Silver), you need to make 30 hop step shots in 5v5 games.
Link's current mid-range attribute is 84 points. If he uses a hop step, it goes up to 87. Additionally, with his height and wingspan, he could 'dominate' not just the High School League, but also the NCAA. The only issue, however, is his body stability after a hop step, which is related to a player's core strength.
Link's current strength is 60. Uh... as a guard, he has strength comparable to high school interior players, so body contact and collisions during a hop step will have little impact. But in higher-level games, it will still be challenging.
Fadeaway Master (Bronze) Function Description:
1. When performing a fadeaway jump shot, post-fadeaway jump shot +3.
2. To upgrade to the next stage (Silver), you need to make 30 post-fadeaway jump shots in 5v5 games.
This item isn't very useful for the current Link, as his current post-fadeaway jump shot is only a pitiful 40, but it's better than nothing.
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After coming out of the Virtual Space, Link logged into his alternate online ID, grim reaper loves chasing dreams.
Link unexpectedly discovered that Sophia Clarke, a reporter from Rivals, had publicly responded online, stating that if Link could score 50+ in the semifinals, she would personally offer her first kiss.
In response, Link... uh, no, to be precise—grim reaper loves chasing dreams struck while the iron was hot.
What if he scores 60+? Are there other rewards?
At the same time, a series of mechanical, icy electronic sounds echoed in Link's mind.
"Ding, Host has triggered a random mission—This is Dominance!"
"Mission description: As a rising star entering the NBA, it would be too regrettable not to score 60+ in a high school game. In any upcoming game, the Host needs to score 60+."
"Mission reward: 500 Goat points; Random All-Star sparring partner card x1."