For the marquee matchup, Brian had also come to the arena, sitting right next to Chen Yu.
He wasn’t really watching the game, just chatting idly with Chen Yu.
Unlike the Lakers, who had to worry about Yao Ming’s performance, his team was full of veterans. Their only goal was the championship, so how they performed in the regular season wasn’t all that important.
"Chen, what do you think of that kid from Saint Mary’s High School?" Brian asked suddenly.
"Who?"
Chen Yu had been lost in thought, reviewing knowledge from his system, and only snapped out of it when Brian gave him a nudge.
Brian said, "You know, the kid from Saint Mary’s High School. The one getting all the attention."
Chen Yu paused for a moment before realizing who he meant.
The kid named LeBron James had really blown up in the United States over the past couple of years.
He was hailed as a combination of Jordan and the Magician. The fact that a high schooler’s games were nationally televised on ESPN, and even offered on pay-per-view, was a testament to his immense popularity and influence.
He had even been given the nicknames ’Emperor’ and ’The Chosen One’.
Other than Duncan back in the day, Chen Yu had never seen a prospect with this much draft hype.
"Do you have the number one pick?" Chen Yu retorted.
’What’s the point of even talking about it if you don’t have the top pick? You make it sound like you can actually get him.’
That remark was a gut punch. Brian shot back defensively, "Luck, Chen! Don’t you understand luck? It’s just like how we got the number one pick last year. We can totally pull off the same move again."
His move to trade for the Knight’s first-round pick before last year’s trade deadline had been hailed by the media as a stroke of genius, becoming the most brilliant maneuver of Brian’s career.
"Forget it. God already smiled on you once. It won’t happen a second time," Chen Yu said, shaking his head.
But Brian grabbed Chen Yu’s hand, his eyes blazing as he stared at him. "I don’t believe in God, I believe in you, Chen! You’ll bring us good luck again."
His expression looked like a heartfelt marriage proposal.
A shiver ran down Chen Yu’s spine as he pulled his hand away. "Get real. If you don’t believe me, go ask around and see who’s willing to trade you their first-round pick this year."
This year’s draft class is strong. Not only is there James, but there’s also that super-talent from Syracuse University, Anthony.
So this year, no team with a potential lottery pick would be foolish enough to give up their first-rounder for someone like Robinson, like the Knight did last year.
Once bitten, twice shy, right?
Knowing that Chen Yu was right, Brian couldn’t find a counterargument and meekly defended himself, "I never said it had to be the number one pick. I wouldn’t be picky about the second or third pick, either."
Chen Yu rolled his eyes, speechless. ’Do you even hear yourself talk?’
"If you’re serious about this, at best you could get a first-round pick around the 15th spot. A pick that low isn’t really that useful." Snark aside, Chen Yu still offered his analysis.
The Phoenix Suns still had their first-round pick this year.
Of course, for a team aiming for the championship like the Phoenix Suns, that pick was bound to be a late one.
But it was still possible to package it with a few assets and trade up.
But in Chen Yu’s view, there wasn’t much of a difference between a mid-first-round pick and a late-first-round one.
"Besides, hasn’t your team-building philosophy always been the ’Sunset Red’ strategy?" Chen Yu added.
Given the Phoenix Suns’ current situation, all they needed to do was keep the core of the OP Duo and fill out the roster with veterans. There was no need to go through all the trouble of gambling in the draft.
"Who’s using a ’Sunset Red’ strategy!" Brian yelped, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Even though it was true, he clearly hated the term, as it made him sound incompetent.
"Chen, signing veterans is one thing, but we also need to maintain the team’s youth and energy. Look how well Sean is playing," Brian retorted.
’Why pass up on the value of a rookie contract?’
At this point, Brian lowered his voice again. "Chen, what I’m actually trying to say is, do you have a way to predict the potential of this year’s rookies?"
Chen Yu froze, not understanding what he meant.
"Predict their draft positions?"
’You should be asking a scout or looking at media reports for that.’
"Not their position, their potential." Brian shook his head. "Chen, you should understand this. Whether a rookie will pan out isn’t just about talent. It’s related to many other factors, like personality, ability to handle pressure, skill consistency, and their developmental ceiling."
Chen Yu nodded. Brian wasn’t wrong about that.
Every player who enters the draft has freakish athletic gifts.
But to ultimately succeed in the NBA, you need to consider many other aspects. There have been countless rookies with outstanding physical talent who ended up flaming out.
Just as Brian said, it’s related to their ability to handle pressure, their skill consistency, and whether their skills can even be developed further.
Brian continued, "You’re a doctor, so you can first determine if a player has any hidden injury risks. Then there’s the fact that you understand training—and at the highest level. The training methods you’ve come up with are mind-boggling even to me."
When it came to training, the methods devised by the medical team were wildly unconventional.
This was clearly related to Chen Yu.
Not to mention, Chen Yu had even set up his own sports lab to improve players’ skills.
"Most importantly, you can combine scientific instruments with data-based analysis. So, couldn’t you use these methods to analyze a rookie’s potential and ceiling? For example, by creating a rating sheet, or a model... yes, a data model."
The Phoenix Suns were now using scientific data analysis, accumulating player data to build an analytical model. This model was then used to determine a player’s condition and make targeted adjustments.
This was all being handled by Chen Yu and Nelson.
"Then, by using your data model and comparing it to the projected draft order, if there’s a discrepancy, couldn’t we find a steal?"
Brian’s eyes lit up.
Last year’s number one pick was partly luck, but it was also a true steal.
Chen Yu stared intently at Brian.
’You know, this guy actually has some good ideas in that head of his.’
Chen Yu mulled it over and realized the idea was genuinely feasible.
But after thinking it over calmly, Chen Yu frowned. "How is that any different from a pre-draft workout?"
Every team’s workouts were similar to what Brian described: assessing talent and skills, combined with scouts collecting extensive game footage and long-term observation, all leading to a comprehensive evaluation.
They even tested a rookie’s ability to handle pressure during the interview portion of the workout, which assessed their psychological state.
Brian shook his head. "I feel like there is a difference, because we have the power of technology."
He clenched his fist and said emphatically.
Chen Yu couldn’t help but laugh. "You should be saying that on Wall Street."
The people who went to Wall Street to pitch to investors probably sounded just like Brian did right now.
Seeing that Chen Yu wasn’t very interested, Brian pressed on. "Chen, just give it a try. I’ll make you the Vice Director of Scouting, you’ll get two salaries, and I’ll have David and all the other scouts report to you. Then you can figure out a way to build me an analysis model, and the team will cover all the expenses."
David Griffin had been transferred to the scouting department again this year to serve as the Director of Scouting. Brian was grooming him as his successor.
Chen Yu fell into deep thought.
’It’s not like I need the extra salary.’
’But when I think about it, isn’t what Brian wants to do exactly what I’m doing right now, and what I enjoy doing?’
Sponsoring geniuses like Bolt and Liu Xiang, running the sports lab, bringing in a ton of scientific equipment, and combining it all with his system’s abilities to analyze and improve an athlete’s performance—it was a perfect match for what Brian was proposing.
’And if I agree, it’s like borrowing their chicken to lay my own eggs—using the team’s money for my own projects.’
At the same time, Chen Yu also realized that if he did this well and continued it long-term, it would be beneficial for the development of his own career.
For one thing, he could create his own potential-prediction rankings through his sports lab. If it proved to be more professional than the draft projections from media outlets like ESPN, it would attract immense attention and establish him as an authority in the field.
Most importantly, there wasn’t much to lose even if he failed. It would still be a process of running his sports lab and accumulating experience.
"How about this, let me think about it and get back to you," Chen Yu said.
Brian nodded excitedly.
Just then, a huge cry of surprise erupted from the stands behind them.
The two of them subconsciously looked up and saw O’Neal standing under the basket, looking completely dazed.
Next to him stood Yao Ming, and Old Horry was already rushing over excitedly, slapping Yao Ming’s back and shouting.
A glance at the jumbotron showed that Yao Ming had just blocked O’Neal under the basket.
On the replay, O’Neal got the ball in the low post and started backing Yao Ming down. He then transitioned into a turnaround baby hook.
This time, however, the backing down didn’t seem to affect Yao Ming much. In slow motion, his cheeks were puffed out, his entire body tensed as he firmly held his ground against O’Neal’s push.
This prevented him from completely losing his position.
Then, as if he had predicted O’Neal’s next move, he leaped up and, using his height advantage, swatted the ball out of bounds.
"Impressive," Brian murmured beside him.
Chen Yu nodded in agreement.
O’Neal was unstoppable under the basket, his dominance unparalleled, but in reality, he got blocked a fair number of times.
But this required closer analysis. During his prime around the year 2000, he was usually only blocked when he was double-teamed.
In a true one-on-one situation, he was almost never blocked.
Not even Mutombo could do it consistently.
For Yao Ming to pull it off was truly remarkable.
"Actually, Yao is great too," Brian couldn’t help but sigh. Why couldn’t he have the best of both worlds? He added, "He looks so skinny, I never expected him to be so strong in contact."
Moreover, Yao Ming’s current playstyle was more like a power forward, focused on agility.
But Chen Yu shook his head. "He only looks a bit thin. His weight isn’t low at all."
Yao Ming weighed a respectable 300 pounds, or 135 kilograms. That was by no means light.
It’s just that he was so tall that he appeared thin.
Shawn Bradley of the Mavericks was the one who was truly skinny. He was a bit taller than Yao Ming but weighed just over 120 kilograms.
"Most importantly, he has incredible lower body strength. Look at his legs. I feel like all his muscle is in his thighs," Chen Yu said, pointing to Yao Ming on the court.
Chen Yu believed that if lower body strength could be considered a type of talent, then Yao Ming’s was absolutely top-tier.

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