nycdaug Chapter 119 The Rocket's Non-Sale Item
Chapter 119 The Rocket's Non-Sale Item
Buford had known Popovich's thoughts for a long time, and had discussed the tanking issue with the owner many times. Today, Popovich made the final decision.
Trying to win a championship with the current squad is nothing short of wishful thinking; Popovich has long wanted a major overhaul.
Besides being the head coach, Popovich is also the team's president, so you could say he's the second most important person after the owner.
Is Dejonte Murray not even in the future plans?
“Greg, I think Murray has a good chance of making the All-Star team this year…”
Popovich interrupted him directly.
"Murray and Wimbledon are eight years apart, they are not players from the same era, they are not on the same timeline. Wimbledon will definitely be the team leader, just like Duncan was before, and Murray will have to give up then."
Popovich was so excited when he talked about Wimbanyama that the water bottle he was squeezing made a cracking sound.
Buford frowned slightly and asked, "Is that 1500 million space for Wang Xiucheng?"
Popovich had already told Buford that he wanted to try to trade for Wang Xiucheng, but it didn't work out.
It's just that the Spurs' schedule brought them to the Rockets relatively late. By the time the Spurs discovered Wang Xiucheng, teams like the Lakers, Nuggets, and Warriors, who had already played against the Rockets, had already made offers for him several rounds in advance.
At this point, there are many people in the league who want Wang Xiucheng, whether because of his potential or the market behind him. Wang Xiucheng is now a hot commodity.
“Wang Xiucheng is only 19 years old, and he is only one year younger than Wenban Yama. These two are the future of the Spurs.”
Popovich patted Buford on the shoulder.
As for why Popovich was so sure that the Spurs would draft Wimbledon, in Buford's opinion, is that even a question?
Isn't the old man's reputation built up over the years worth more than a single top scholar's token?
If Adam Silver dares not give it to him, Gregg Popovich might actually take a blanket and sleep on the floor in front of Silver's house.
I'm not going to give up when I'm 20. If you give up for a year and don't give me anything, how can you be so shameless?
“Leave it to me,” Buford nodded.
Popovich patted Buford on the shoulder again, threw the water bottle in the trash can, and went to the post-match press conference with the PR team waiting outside.
As for the players on the team, he doesn't plan to bring any of them.
After losing the game, how dare you attend the post-match press conference?
After the game, the Rockets did not stay in San Antonio, but flew back to Houston.
The two places are only 300 kilometers apart. If they had stayed in San Antonio, they would have needed to book a hotel. Instead of returning to Houston, they went home, which saved them money and made them feel more comfortable.
Around midnight, as Wang Xiucheng and other Houston Rockets players were getting into their cars to go home, the league released its latest rookie rankings.
The Cavaliers' Mobley, the Pistons' Cunningham, and the Raptors' Barnes ranked in the top three on the list.
After resting for nearly a month, Wang Xiucheng had dropped to 8th place in the last period. However, with 26 points and 9 assists in the games against the Wizards and the Spurs, and 25 points and 11 assists in the games against the Spurs, he has climbed back to 4th place.
The Rockets' Jalen Green has fallen to 7th place, and as for Shen Jing, he has fallen out of the top ten.
Wang Xiucheng's absence has had a significant impact on these two rookies.
Fortunately, it's all over now.
The late-night TNT basketball program also discussed several Rockets players who were put on the trading block.
According to special guest Woj, Rockets general manager Stone is asking for a first-round pick in both Gordon Sr. and Porter Jr.
The guests all agreed that no fool would accept such a price.
Meanwhile, Woj revealed on his show that as the trade deadline approaches, some teams are making increasingly aggressive offers for Rockets rookie Wang Xiucheng.
Woj specifically mentioned several teams, including the Spurs, Nuggets, and Knicks, who are among the teams that are showing great sincerity.
"The Rockets just aren't very interested in trading Wang Xiucheng."
Woj concluded, "For the Rockets right now, there are three players who are not for sale: Wang Xiucheng, Green, and Shen Jing."
"As for the others, they are all available for trade. If we can trade for a heavyweight All-Star, Green and Shen Jing are also negotiable. As for Wang Xiucheng, no team should even think about that name."
During the TNT program, the NBA officially announced the fan voting results for the 2022 All-Star Game so far, with Durant and Curry currently leading the East and West in votes.
Surprisingly, Wang Xiucheng ranked 6th among the Western Conference backcourt players.
This is also the only rookie on the list.
Without a doubt, it was the Chinese fans who carried Wang Xiucheng in.
Although the final list will take into account the votes of reporters and players, making it into the top ten has surprised many media outlets.
In a subtle way, these media outlets seemed to recall the fear of being controlled by Chinese football fans vote by vote before the reforms.
After resting for two days in Houston, the entire Rockets team was ready to fly to Sacramento.
Sacramento is located in California, less than 150 kilometers from San Francisco, where the Warriors are based, and 600 kilometers from Los Angeles.
The Rockets will play two consecutive games against the Kings in Sacramento.
The Rockets are clearly not the favorites.
But the truth is that the Rockets and the Kings each won one game.
In the first game, the Rockets seemed to be affected by travel fatigue, losing to the Kings by 12 points.
Wang Xiucheng played 28 minutes, scoring 19 points and dishing out 13 assists.
Having returned from suspension, Porter Jr., bursting with energy, scored 16 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 8 assists, while Wood racked up an even bigger 26 points.
But the Rockets lost the game.
The two teams faced off again two days later.
Wang Xiucheng reduced the number of shots he took, focusing more on acting as a facilitator.
Wang Xiucheng played 29 minutes in the game, scoring 11 points, 16 assists, and 4 steals.
Wood and Porter Jr. each scored 23 points.
The Rockets also avenged their loss to the Kings with a 118-112 victory.
The Rockets will face the Jazz on the road in three days.
Wang Xiucheng once again scored 13 points and 15 assists, helping his team defeat the Jazz, who were missing Mitchell, 116-111.
It's worth mentioning that Wang Xiucheng is now a starter, unlike the last time they faced off, so his time directly confronting Clarkson was not long.
Clarkson scored 19 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists in limited playing time, showcasing his all-around abilities.
After the game, the Rockets flew directly to San Francisco and checked into the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco.
The Rockets' next game will be against the Warriors, which will also be the last game of the Rockets' current road trip.
The day of the competition arrived quickly.
With the Chinese New Year approaching, and San Francisco already having the largest Chinese population in the city, coupled with the Rockets having Chinese players, the Chase Center was filled with Chinese New Year elements during today's game.
The Chase Center started holding many activities with Chinese New Year elements in the outdoor area in the afternoon.
Soon, as the Rockets and Warriors began warming up, fans noticed that both teams were wearing jerseys with the players' Chinese names printed on them.
Wang Xiucheng and Thompson, dressed casually, were standing by the player tunnel.
"Wang, what does 'running' mean? My agent explained it to me, but I still don't understand. Is it just for an interview? Then why are we running?"