"Of course not!" He Ximeng shook his head, "For the Spurs to become a championship-caliber strong team, they need another superstar in the paint... for example, our university's Tim Duncan!"
Popovich was indeed very tempted by Duncan. Across the league, no head coach who had watched Duncan's games wasn't tempted. Everyone wanted to bring Duncan to their team, to have a big man with top-tier talent on both offense and defense...
"I admit your suggestion is very insightful! But as I said, we don't have a draft pick, and we can't possibly get a rookie like Duncan..."
"You can tank! For Tim, tank for one year, and Tim will at least bless the Spurs with 18 years of glory..."
"18 years of glory?" Popovich scratched his head, smiling for the second time, "You're a really interesting kid! Are you really here to apply for a tryout? Why do I feel like you're more like you're applying to be an assistant coach?"
He Ximeng also started to laugh, "If you genuinely don't lack players, but rather lack an assistant coach... I think I can reluctantly make a career change..."
Popovich, of course, knew He Ximeng was joking and returned to the main topic, "Tanking is a very constructive suggestion! But, we have one of the best centers in the league, David. You tell me, how can we tank?"
He Ximeng said slyly, "If I'm not mistaken, David is currently injured!"
"How do you know this information?" Popovich's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was turbulent. A team's star player's health was the most crucial secret information for any team, as it involved many team interests and decisions related to those interests. For example: tanking! For example, trade movements.
David Robinson had indeed been plagued by injuries this season, recurring and causing continuous concern. The team was currently debating whether or not to have David Robinson undergo surgery, when to do it, and what impact surgery would have on the team... These were all confidential matters. How did a college student like He Ximeng get wind of these inside details?
"Don't be nervous! The Spurs haven't leaked anything! David's physical condition is a preliminary conclusion I've drawn based on his game performance recently! You can also understand it as me guessing. Whether the guess is accurate is another matter... or, you can understand that I'm finding a reasonable excuse for the Spurs to tank next season..."
"Hmm..." Popovich defaulted, reluctantly accepting He Ximeng's explanation. However, after finishing his conversation with He Ximeng, Popovich decided to thoroughly investigate whether there was any leakage within the Spurs.
"Coach Hill is a rather traditional coach. He wouldn't accept the team intentionally tanking to get a high draft pick..."
"Then replace him! You do it yourself! You have over a decade of assistant coaching experience, are you still worried about not being able to lead the team?"
"But I'm the team manager!"
"The league has never prohibited a team manager from also serving as head coach, has it?"
"Huh? Huh..."
He Ximeng's words were like a sudden enlightenment, helping Popovich find the best way to break the deadlock ahead of time!
But after a brief moment of thought, Popovich quickly steered the conversation back, "What about you then? Since you've gone to such lengths to study our team, what is your objective?"
"Simple! I'm here to pass the ball to David and Tim! Especially Tim. I think my performance as an NCAA champion can already prove that there are no problems with my chemistry with Tim! Think about Malone and Stockton of the Jazz. I dare to guarantee that, as long as we're not hampered by unexpected injuries, the high-low combination of Tim and me should be able to reach the heights of that classic duo in Salt Lake City... If we add David... Three years! Three years, and a championship won't be just a dream..."
To Popovich, He Ximeng's words were a mix of truth and falsehood.
The truth was that the league was indeed very fond of the pairing of a top interior player and a first-class point guard! The Jazz's Malone and Stockton were the most classic example! If they hadn't been born in the same era as Jordan, Malone and Stockton would have at least won two championship trophies...
The falsehood was that He Ximeng claimed his combination with Duncan could rival Malone and Stockton in the future. However, the reality of the league was that there was no shortage of talented players. But only a select few could truly develop into superstars! For a team to cultivate one top star in a few years was already cause for celebration; to cultivate two at once... not necessarily once in a century, but at least once in a decade!
Popovich was shrewd; He Ximeng's "rhetoric" might be persuasive to others, but it was difficult to sway Popovich's thoughts.
In fact, He Ximeng knew Popovich was hard to fool, which was why every word he spoke was truthful!
Would Duncan's future achievements surpass Malone's?
After acquiring Duncan, wouldn't the Spurs win a championship within three years?
Perhaps the only uncertainty was He Ximeng himself! But without the interference of injuries, He Ximeng believed that his unparalleled court vision, coupled with his continuously improving passing and ball-handling skills, three-point shooting ability, and driving ability... his achievements, if not definitively surpassing Stockton, could at least be comparable to his, right?
This was He Ximeng's basic self-assessment. Stockton was the first target He Ximeng set his sights on surpassing.
Although Popovich didn't fully believe everything He Ximeng said, he had to admit that He Ximeng had offered several suggestions that struck a chord with him.
Even from a rational perspective, Popovich believed that He Ximeng's usefulness should not be as high as Avery Johnson's, who had already proven himself! This season, Avery Johnson had just put up his career-best performance: averaging 13 points and 9.6 assists per game! Although Avery Johnson's three-point percentage was a bit lacking, only 20%. But three-point shooting had never been Avery Johnson's strong suit; his career three-point percentage was only 14.5%... His lack of scoring ability dictated that Avery Johnson's ceiling was inherently limited. Thus, Avery Johnson could only desperately develop his driving and kick-out game...
One was a rookie who hadn't played an NBA game, the other was a quality role player point guard who had proven himself in the NBA.
From a risk management perspective, not just Popovich, but any head coach would opt for Avery Johnson over He Ximeng for a safer bet.
But deep down, an irrational force reminded Popovich: what if, just what if, this He Ximeng could really grow quickly... Given the chemistry between He Ximeng and Duncan in the NCAA, the two wouldn't need any adjustment period and could be perfectly integrated into the Spurs' tactical system... Coupled with He Ximeng's remarkably promising three-point shooting potential... He Ximeng's future growth potential was clearly higher than Avery Johnson's.
Should he take the risk? Dare he take the risk?