Popovich was a man of deep stratagem. Instead of directly answering Hexi Meng, he called his two assistants, Buford and Budenholzer, who arranged a small, private tryout for Hexi Meng.
The tryout was straightforward, with Popovich primarily testing two aspects: first, the solidity of Hexi Meng's fundamental skills in passing and ball-handling; and second, the stability of his outside shooting.
In Popovich's philosophy, fundamentals are the bedrock of all basketball ability. Players with solid fundamentals, even if lacking in talent, can find their place within the system. Players with poor fundamentals, even with high talent, are not suited for the Spurs' system, as they can easily become unstable elements. And the system fears uncertainty the most.
Fortunately, Hexi Meng's strongest suit was precisely his fundamentals!
Hexi Meng was well aware of Popovich's philosophy and the Spurs' system. More importantly, his own basketball philosophy had originally stemmed from Popovich's lineage. Therefore, despite a significant improvement in his physical condition in this life, Hexi Meng never pursued overly difficult scoring moves. Instead, he consistently focused on building his foundation: dribbling, ball-handling, passing, shooting…
The "Mr. Fundamentals" of Wake Forest—his reputation was well-earned!
The hour-long tryout concluded swiftly. There were no scrimmages, no one-on-one games. All the drills revolved around fundamentals. For the final fifteen minutes, Popovich even had Hexi Meng run through a few simple plays commonly used by the Spurs, aiming to assess his basketball IQ and comprehension.
The outcome was, as expected, that both Buford and Budenholzer gave him the highest possible evaluation! Aside from his slightly yellowish complexion, he was a near-perfect fit for the Spurs' system in all other aspects.
If the Spurs had a first-round pick this year, Hexi Meng would undoubtedly be an excellent choice!
But the problem was that the Spurs had already traded their first-round pick. Without a pick, what could they do?
After the tryout, Popovich offered Hexi Meng a "we will consider it carefully" response and sent him away.
Hexi Meng did not linger. He knew he had showcased his best self, and his talents and skills seemed tailor-made for the Spurs…
Popovich was bound to be tempted. The only remaining question was how much the Spurs were willing to pay to acquire him! Would teams with earlier draft picks make a surprising move and snatch him before the Spurs could…?
Such "snatching" was not uncommon in the league.
During his NCAA career, Hexi Meng had demonstrated considerable talent and ability to ensure he wasn't overlooked and had a stable professional start.
Now, after several tryouts, multiple teams had expressed interest. Hexi Meng was beginning to worry that if his draft position became too high, it might cause the Spurs to abandon the idea of trading for him.
Yes, the team Hexi Meng most wanted to join was, of course, the San Antonio Spurs!
Starting his career with the Spurs and ending it there would be Hexi Meng's most ideal scenario!
However, the dream of "one man, one city" was rare and sought-after. It was influenced by many factors, from team management and coaching staff to the team's roster and the players themselves. It required perfect alignment to achieve, not something one party could accomplish alone.
Where his career would eventually end was something for his future self to perhaps choose.
But where his career would begin, his current self genuinely couldn't control. He could only rely on his intelligence and his understanding of the league's teams to guide the situation as favorably as possible.
Do your best, and leave the rest to fate!
Ideally, the Spurs were his first choice, and the Lakers his second!
However, based on the feedback he had received so far, the Charlotte Hornets also seemed quite interested in him!
This was partly because Wake Forest University, where he played, was located in Winston-Salem, also in North Carolina, not far from Charlotte.
Many Charlotte Hornets fans were also Wake Forest University fans. Players cultivated by Wake Forest were, in a sense, "homegrown" for the Hornets.
Moreover, the Hornets' current roster genuinely lacked a backup point guard.
As team tryouts progressed, scout reports on players began to surface in the media.
For instance, regarding Kobe Bryant, one scout report read:
Strengths:
1. An excellent finisher, proficient in the fadeaway jumper, with a decent three-point shooting percentage.
2. A true leader who can dominate games under triple-team pressure when needed.
3. A fierce competitor with immense determination, willing to do anything to win.
4. A versatile scorer who could play all five positions in high school, with a solid post-up game.
Weaknesses:
1. Only 17 years old (under 18), and his young age implies much uncertainty.
2. Ball-handling skills are questionable; has playmaking ability but dislikes passing.
3. Physically slight and needs to gain weight to improve his ability to handle physicality.
Projected Draft Position: 12th overall in the first round, possibly higher.
League Comparison: Grant Hill.
A scout report on Hexi Meng read:
Strengths:
1. Proficient passer, enjoys passing, an excellent playmaker!
2. Excellent outside three-point shooting ability, with a large shooting range, capable of shooting from near the logo.
3. Steady playing style, high emotional intelligence, able to manage relationships with core players, an outstanding team player.
4. Good leaping ability and strong physical condition, not inferior to the average black player.
Weaknesses:
1. Despite excellent physical condition, he is still slight and dislikes driving to the basket, showing fear of physical contact.
2. Lacks mid-range post-up ability, preferring to finish drives from the perimeter.
3. Lacks dominance and a "take-over" mentality, making it difficult for him to become a team's primary star.
4. As the first Chinese player in the league, he carries significant uncertainty and risk.
Projected Draft Position: Late first round.
League Comparison: John Stockton.
Because each rookie typically participated in tryouts for multiple teams, theoretically, each rookie would have multiple scout reports. The differing abilities of scouts to predict future development led to variations in the final conclusions.
A good scout is crucial for a team, akin to a reconnaissance soldier in the military. The accuracy of their reports can have a decisive impact on a team's final selection.
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