Han Sen played 27 minutes and posted stats of 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks, 2 assists, 1 turnover, and 3 fouls, shooting 5 of 12 from the field, 3 of 7 from three-point range, and 1 of 2 from the free-throw line. This was his full stat line from his first ga in the Sumr League.
As a comparison, in the sa day's ga between the Warriors and Rockets, Stephen Curry made his debut and scored 16 points with 3 assists, shooting 3 of 8 from beyond the arc.
LeBron Jas recorded 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in his Sumr League debut years ago.
Han Sen's stats weren't spectacular, but they were respectable considering his draft position.
Of course, after his performance, he gained another wave of [hater points].
When fans expect soone to play well and they perform poorly, they get criticized. But when fans hope soone plays badly, and they do well, they get criticized even harder.
This was a principle Han Sen had learned well during his NCAA days.
Especially when, on the second day of Sumr League, Blake Griffin made his debut and exploded for 27 points and 12 rebounds.
"Griffin is a beast, he makes the rest of the 2009 draft class look dull, including that number 77."
"There's no suspense for Rookie of the Year. If you can't even be the best in your draft class, you'd better shut your big mouth."
...
On the third day of Sumr League, the Cavaliers faced their second opponent, the mphis Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies were also fielding a rookie-heavy team, with players like Hasheem Thabeet, Jas Johnson, and Sam Young all on the roster.
In addition, they had second-year player Had Haddadi, making their squad stronger than the Lakers.
Han Sen noticed both Danny Ferry and Chris Wallace at the ga.
It's rare to see two general managers at a Sumr League ga at the sa ti.
The ga began, and the Grizzlies played in a style similar to their main team, centered around their big n.
Haddadi, Thabeet, and Jas Johnson relentlessly attacked the Cavaliers' interior.
As a result, the Cavaliers' defensive pressure was focused on the paint, and Han Sen didn't have to guard the periter as much as in the previous ga.
This allowed him to conserve energy for offense.
He quickly found an opening.
The Grizzlies' two centers, Thabeet and Haddadi, were both 7-foot giants. While they dominated the paint, they had a major weakness: slow mobility.
Han Sen executed a pick-and-roll, and if they didn't switch, he'd shoot; if they did, they beca easy targets for him.
Han Sen started the ga with a hot hand, hitting two outside shots in a row, and his confidence only grew from there.
By the end of the ga, he had gone 7 of 12 from three-point range, scoring 28 points, just one more than Griffin's 27 from the day before.
This completely rattled the haters. It wasn't just a slap in their face— it was like stabbing them in the lungs!
"Lucky shots," "Grizzlies gave him open looks," "he just got lucky"— all sorts of bizarre excuses started circulating.
But Han Sen didn't have ti to care about that. After the ga, both Ferry and Wallace pulled him aside for extended conversations.
It turns out, both of these GMs had shown up just for him.
"Not drafting you is the biggest regret of my career," Wallace said with a sigh.
Han Sen awkwardly smiled; after all, Ferry was standing right there.
"Do you know? When we traded for the 18th pick, I thought you were ours," Wallace continued, even grabbing Han Sen's shoulder as he spoke.
Han Sen realized what was happening: Wallace was basically trying to "steal" him right in front of Ferry.
"Chris, it's fate," Ferry said, completely unfazed.
"Fate my ass! It's all because of your interference!" Wallace retorted angrily.
Ferry just laughed heartily.
It seed the two GMs were on good terms.
Sumr League gas were played every other day, and after a day of rest, the Cavaliers faced the Sacranto Kings.
The Kings were easily the strongest team in Sumr League.
Spencer Hawes, the 10th overall pick in 2007, was the Kings' starting center last season;
Jason Thompson, the 12th overall pick in 2008, was the starting power forward;
Donte Greene, the 28th pick in 2008, had dropped 40 points in last year's Sumr League;
And they were joined by this year's 4th overall pick, Tyreke Evans, and 23rd pick, Omri Casspi.
While other teams were developing their rookies, the Kings brought almost half their main team to Sumr League.
It was clear: they couldn't win a title in the regular season, so they ca to Sumr League to dominate.
The talent gap made it hard for the Cavaliers to stand a chance.
For the first ti in Sumr League, Han Sen found himself struggling.
The person making him feel this way was Tyreke Evans.
Evans, like Han Sen, was 6'6", but he weighed 220 pounds, a full 15 pounds heavier.
Yet this extra weight didn't slow him down at all. His ball-handling was slick, his strength on point, and he had elite court vision, passing out of double teams with ease.
He also had great wingspan and lateral speed, making him a formidable defender.
Han Sen ended up with his worst performance in Sumr League, playing just 20 minutes and posting 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, and 5 fouls.
On the sa day, the Warriors faced the Hornets.
But the star of that ga wasn't Stephen Curry.
It was second-year player Anthony Morrow, who exploded for 47 points, setting a new Sumr League scoring record.
Morrow had been an undrafted rookie last year, so his performance had no direct connection to Han Sen. But unfortunately, he broke the record on the sa day.
"So people score 47 points, while others only get 7. Sa court, both 6'6", yet the difference between people is staggering."
"Morrow is just your average NBA player, but his performance here shows so players need a reality check."
...
Han Sen was under unprecedented scrutiny, as if a magnifying glass had been placed over him.
The Cavaliers' fourth ga was against the Suns.
The Suns were led by last year's rookies Goran Dragic and Robin Lopez, along with this year's 14th overall pick Earl Clark, and 48th pick Taylor Griffin, Blake's older brother.
Despite his struggles in the previous ga, Han Sen's performance only drew more attention.
They wanted to see just how much more "embarrassed" Han Sen could get under pressure.
But unfortunately for them, his performance once again "disappointed" his critics.
He played with intense energy and posted yet another 20 ga, finishing with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks.
His performance completely overshadowed Earl Clark's 10 points and 4 rebounds, leaving Suns GM Steve Kerr in silence.
Was Han Sen feeling the pressure?
Not at all. Watching his hater points rise continuously, like a never-ending stream, how could he feel pressure?
He was exhilarated.
Looking back, he was glad he didn't skip Sumr League to prepare for the Asian Championships.
This Sumr League had given him a huge influx of hater points.
At this rate, unlocking a new talent was just around the corner!
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