Chapter 1003: Chapter 418: King: My Chance Has Co!
The allure of the three star players is indeed strong, attracting nurous powerful players to negotiate with the Grizzlies’ managent, but the salaries are giving the Grizzlies a headache; everyone’s asking price is incredibly high.
The Grizzlies’ managent put in a major effort, sent out two second-round picks and so cash to create space, and finally signed Radmanovic, John Samuels, and Quinton Rose.
Last season, Samuels played as a substitute for the Kings, averaging 12 points and 4 rebounds per ga. The Kings offered an average annual salary of $5 million, and no other team gave a higher offer, but the Grizzlies offered a starting salary of $6 million for a 3-year total of $20 million, which made him willing to co to Tiancun from California.
Milicic paired with Gasol as starters last season and played well, averaging 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per ga. Before July, he opted out of the second-year player option of his 1 1 contract, demanding a raise. The Grizzlies traded to create space mainly for him, lacking Bird rights, didn’t want to let go of such a high-quality interior and successfully retained him for 2 years at $14 million.
After completing these two signings, the Grizzlies lured Radmanovic from the Timberwolves with a full mid-level exception for 3 years, which was above market price. Last season, the skiing guy averaged 10.6 points and 3.3 rebounds, and popular strong teams like the Lakers, Bobcats, Bulls quoted only $300-400k.
Quinton Rose, on the other hand, was a bargain. At 27, in the golden age, scoring, rebounding, passing, he could do a bit of everything, a versatile third choice at the two-three positions for a 1-year veteran minimum salary of $830k with more than three years of experience.
Re-signing Milicic, signing Samuels and Radmanovic, they all had annual salaries higher than market prices by one to two million, but at least it solved the awkward situation of having only 6 key players last season.
Add last season’s averages of 8 points, 3 assists from Lowry, 10 points, 5 rebounds from Hakim Warrick, lottery final pick rookie Brandon Rush, and late first-round pick Darrell Arthur.
Parker, Gerald Wallace, Gasol now have 8 capable teammates, and the Grizzlies have a 10-11 player rotation.
As for Haddadi, Greg Buckner, and Darius Miles, they are purely for numbers; after playing 5 gas, the Grizzlies haven’t fielded the 12th player in any ga.
The Grizzlies have played 5 gas, securing a 4-1 opening record, with only the undefeated Lakers and Mavericks ahead of them in the West.
Gerald Wallace averaged 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in the first week and won the West’s Player of the Week.
At 7:40 in the evening, players from both teams entered the court.
After months apart, Zhang Yang, Felton, Alan Anderson, and others chatted warmly with Gerald Wallace before the ga.
However, Zhang Yang felt the truth of the saying that maintaining relationships requires interaction tonight.
Chatting happily with the Prince, but the content was all polite formal talk.
It’s related to Gerald Wallace’s attitude towards basketball; outside the gas, aside from training, he’s not very interested in basketball, rarely spends ti with teammates privately, let alone contacting his forr teammates, prefers watching cop movies with his son…
But Rondo, whether playing away in Charlotte or at ho facing the Bobcats, always makes a point to connect with old teammates and gets together.
Gerald Wallace left the team a year and a half ago without a single gathering with his old teammates; Felton extended an invitation, but Wallace politely declined.
Championship camaraderie certainly exists, they can always chat upon eting, the feeling remains, but as ti passes without contact, relationships inevitably beco estranged.
…
At 8:00 p.m., the Bobcats’ away ga against the Grizzlies kicked off.
Bobcats starting lineup: Felton, Zhang Yang, Pietrus, Millsap, Okafor.
Grizzlies starting lineup: Parker, John Samuels, Gerald Wallace, Gasol, Milicic.
Milicic beat Okafor and won the jump-ball, Grizzlies took the offense first.
Parker’s breakthrough is indefensible, but fortunately, the Bobcats’ lineup contracts quickly, blocking Parker’s floater space. Parker retrieved the pass at the high post, Gasol received and passed… Milicic received the ball, Pietrus ca to help defend, lifted and scored a lay-up high!
Milicic’s aggressive offense compared to the “bust” second pick Zhang Yang saw when he first entered the NBA shows a vast difference!
Playing on a strong team in the ascendancy, a player’s ntality and even physique undergo significant change; Milicic’s body has changed after joining the Grizzlies for a year and a half, slimming down a notch.
The scout report shows it clearly; in March 07, still with the Magic, Milicic, not yet 22, weighed a shocking 128 kg, but this March, it was down to 125 kg, and at this season’s training camp, it was down to 120 kg. At 213 120 body shape, he achieved the best form combining mobility and confrontation.
It is worth ntioning that Milicic has been in the NBA for 5 years, turned 23 this June, but unfortunately, he had no chance to play for the first two and a half years in the league, and hardly trained well in the first 4 years with the Pistons and Magic; the center’s growth cycle is very long, a long growth cycle is polishing basic skills, correcting in actual combat to accumulate for a breakthrough.
Milicic’s early positivity was even less than Kwa Brown, who keeps practicing even without opportunities, hoping to endure until Jordan retires and the daylight cos, but after Jordan retired, Arenas appeared…
Milicic, during those years, directly abandoned himself, finished his rookie contract with weight almost reaching 130 kg, only started controlling weight last season, training well… a bit too late, so far this season averages 8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, maybe in the future can beco a top-tier blue-collar player with an average double-double level?
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