Link used Brendan Haywood's solid screen to drive left with the ball. With a loud 'thud,' he suddenly exploded into motion. Although his Speed couldn't compare to the 'budget version of Iverson,' Speedy, his first step was incredibly quick. The opponent failed to react entirely. Facing pressure from the 76ers' wing defenders, Link's slightly raised off-hand successfully warded them off.
Despite a forceful swipe from the opponent trying to strip the ball, Link's dribbling form didn't break. After slashing into the paint, he soared into the air... or rather... he scrambled up into the air, completing a strained dunk that lacked aesthetic appeal.
6 to 14; the Washington Wizards Summer League team held an eight-point lead.
"That dunk..."
"Not bad!"
"Even though Link's vertical isn't exceptional, his long arms allow him to finish dunks like an undersized interior player without needing to jump very high."
The color commentator said with a smile.
After completing the dunk, Link didn't celebrate immediately. Instead, he reached out and had a brief exchange with the referee. "Dear Mr. Referee, he clearly hit my arm just now. Look, there are still handprints..."
"From my perspective, that was just normal defense," the head referee replied.
"Alright, I understand." Link didn't throw up his hands or continue to dwell on it.
Communicating with the referee instead of "complaining" was his way of confirming the officiating standards of the game.
Soon after, during a defensive possession, Link used a forceful swipe of his own to disrupt the opposing forward's drive after a catch.
Although he didn't secure the Steal or possession, he broke up the opponent's drive, wasted their shot clock, and earned a grateful look from a teammate who had been out of defensive position.
As the Chosen One, the Wizards' number one draft pick, the first high schooler number one draft pick, the first Asian number one draft pick, and the high schooler who signed the largest contract before entering the NBA, Link didn't need to do this dirty, exhausting work. Yet, he actively provided help defense and would even box out for teammates to prevent opponents from crashing for an Offensive Rebound.
In just one quarter, he had earned the respect of everyone on the Summer League team, including the assistant coach, Larry Drew.
...
...
In the first quarter, Link focused more on facilitating the team's offense. He shot 2-of-4 from the field and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line, recording 5 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 Steals.
For a number one draft pick, it wasn't mind-blowing, but it was certainly good.
As the second quarter began, Link started to ramp up his individual scoring.
"Kid... you are definitely overrated." Speedy, the Philadelphia 76ers' budget version of Iverson, kept talking trash while guarding Link.
Link didn't hold back. He initiated contact to test the defender, executed a quick crossover to create half a step of space, and then—whoosh!—he lunged forward, leaning into the defender to seal him off. Slashing into the restricted area and finding no help defense this time, he rose for a one-handed flush.
Link clearly didn't have much lift in the air, but his arms were so long that he simply pressed the ball through the hoop.
After the dunk, Link smiled and said, "Man, if this keeps up, fans seeing me play for the first time might mistake me for a dunker."
Against Speedy, Link mostly chose to drive, using his physical advantage to bully his way inside, which provided a strong visual impact for the fans.
"This guy's playstyle isn't soft at all!"
"Yeah, not only is it not soft, it's actually quite violent."
"That Speedy kid is being played into the ground by Link."
"Haha... yeah... I thought he was a shooting big point guard, but he turned out to be a rim-attacking beast."
The Washington Wizards fans in the stands were extremely satisfied with Link's performance.
As his rumored girlfriend, Sophia Clarke's face filled with a happy, proud smile upon hearing others praise Link.
Tweet!
On the court, the referee's whistle blew.
Link drew a defensive foul from Speedy during a fast-break layup, nearly converting a 2+1.
Speedy, who had already picked up three fouls, wasn't worried about fouling out early due to Summer League rules, but...
He was being treated like an ATM on defense by Link, and his half-court offense had collapsed. His only highlight was a fast-break where Link didn't catch up, allowing him to finish a layup.
With such a performance, he was likely headed for the bench.
Sure enough, Speedy was subbed out.
Seeing Speedy's distressed face, Link offered some thoughtful consolation: "Don't worry, man. I'll make your coach realize you're actually pretty good very soon."
Speedy, his mind in a whirlwind of bad thoughts, didn't process it immediately and subconsciously replied, "Thanks!"
A moment later, seeing Link's grin, he snapped out of it. "FUCK! Don't get too ahead of yourself!"
The 76ers brought on a big point guard from Europe, standing 196cm tall and weighing 98kg.
In terms of frame and strength, this overseas player seemed like a match for Link, but his Speed was too slow. The fans, having seen Link's strength, didn't think he could stop him.
Soon...
The fans realized they had only guessed half right.
Link didn't use his handle to shift the opponent's center of gravity for a jumper as they expected. Instead, he continued to slash to the rim, finishing with dunks or layups.
With a 'bang,' Link, driving left, suddenly pulled up with a between-the-legs dribble. Seeing the defender shift right, he didn't cross over but instead lowered his center of gravity to drive left again. The successive high-level dribbling moves slowed his pace, but having gained the step, Link used his superior strength to reach the rim. After drawing help defense from Dalembert, he lofted an alley-oop for Haywood to finish with a dunk.
79 to 94!
With this assist, the Washington Wizards Summer League team had built a 15-point lead with 5 minutes and 8 seconds remaining in the game.
Link's personal stats had reached 24 points, 13 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 Steals.
In an era where stats hadn't yet exploded, this was absolutely eye-popping.
While it was only a lower-level Summer League game and didn't necessarily mean Link had "superstar potential," it proved that he could never be a bust.
The Wizards called a timeout, intending to pull their starters.
Watching Link walk toward the bench, assistant coach Larry Drew was dancing with joy, looking like he wanted to give Link a kiss.
On the other side.
On the Philadelphia 76ers' bench, the coaching staff held Link's scouting report, speechless for a long time.
What was going on?
Wasn't this supposed to be a shooting-oriented big point guard?
But today, all he did was drive, drive, drive...
He was 10-of-15 from the field. Eight of those baskets were at the rim, including four dunks. He only took three jumpers, making two of them, and didn't attempt a single Three-Point Shot.
What exactly was happening?
Could the scouting report in my hand be fake???
"Sigh..."
"Today was a bit of a waste..."
"The drives were too easy, so I didn't feel like activating Player Takeover. As a result... the opponent entered garbage time early."
During garbage time, Link sat on the bench with a furrowed brow, beginning his post-game review.