Sports Medicine Master System

Chapter 596: Chapter 523: The Proactive Magic

Although it was just a TV show, it was run with the experience of an NBA operation. The head of each team was a veteran scout with years of hard-earned experience in the league. So, despite the challenges of away games, the first round of fifteen games proceeded very smoothly.

The fast-paced 3v3 format, with teams built around their captains and more lenient rules on contact, made for some very exciting games.

Oden dropped 37 points.

Rose had 31 points.

Eric Gordon went off for 6 three-pointers, scoring 33 points.

Love posted a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Brandon Jennings was even more ruthless, exploding for 41 points. He truly was a one-man offense for his team.

This round of games alone provided enough highlights for a full episode.

Attendance was also decent, which just went to show how much attention the program was getting.

The media was also very supportive. In the words of ESPN, Chen Yu’s show was basically an early preview of the number one draft picks for the next two to three years.

With the show’s filming proceeding in an orderly fashion, Chen Yu was able to free up some time to handle work in other areas.

Bolt had returned to his home country to prepare for the Olympics.

This year, he was only competing in one event: the 200-meter dash.

Vying for a gold medal was still a long shot; the main goal was to accumulate experience.

There were too many monsters in the world of sprinting, and at 18, Bolt was still too young.

Liu Xiang was also preparing to return to China in mid-July to get ready for the national track and field championships.

As for the soccer stars, after a short vacation, they began arriving in the United States one after another for body maintenance and to treat injuries that had built up over the season.

One day, when Brian arrived at the clinic’s rehabilitation center, he happened to find Chen Yu guiding Ronaldo through some lower back recovery exercises.

"Ronnie, we meet again." Brian greeted him with a cheerful smile, then added, "Oh, right. I heard from Chen last time that you won some kind of championship... the UEFA European Championship, was it?"

Ronaldo, who was in the middle of a weighted squat with his cheeks puffed out, nearly lost his breath when he heard Brian’s words.

"It was the Champions League, not the Euro. The European Championship just ended two days ago," he explained, exasperated. ’I’d love to remind Brian that since he clearly doesn’t care about soccer, there’s really no need to use it as an icebreaker.’

"Sorry, sorry."

Brian apologized profusely before pulling Chen Yu aside to talk.

"Is this about Mo Ke? I’ve already contacted the Basketball Association, and they have no objections," Chen Yu said.

Since they had drafted Mo Ke, they naturally had to clear the way with the authorities. Once the market opened, they would need to sign him.

Chen Yu had already contacted Li Yuanwei on his end.

He had no objections at all; in fact, he even thanked Chen Yu for giving Mo Ke this opportunity.

"Not that." Brian shook his head. A second-round pick really wasn’t worth a special trip to see Chen Yu.

He looked around secretively and said, "Chen, Weisbrod contacted us. He proposed trading Howard for McDyess."

Eh?

Chen Yu froze for a moment.

’So he came knocking on our door after all.’

Before the draft, the Phoenix Suns had been constantly in contact with the Magic, trying to gauge Weisbrod’s thoughts and see if they could trade for the number one pick.

At the time, Weisbrod had been dismissive and unresponsive, which was what led to their subsequent talks with the Bulls.

But now that they had all but finalized a deal with the Bulls, Weisbrod was coming back to them.

Pulling Brian over to the rehab center’s lounge area, Chen Yu poured him a drink before asking for the details.

"My guess is they shopped around and realized they didn’t have any suitable options," Brian said with a smile.

The success rate for centers is low, yet they’re indispensable, so the league is always short on good centers.

Take Eric Dampier. He padded his stats to 12 and 12 on a garbage team like the Warriors and dared to call himself a top center in the West. This summer is his contract year, and the media has long been reporting that he’ll only go to a championship contender. He’s even boasted that he won’t sign for anything less than a max contract.

and 12! If a center like that could get a max contract, then O’Neal’s twenty-something million-dollar deal would be an absolute bargain.

And the Magic didn’t just need an average center like Dampier; they needed a championship-caliber one.

Centers like that were few and far between in the entire league.

Using Dampier as an example again, his 12 and 12 stat line might not seem like much, but if you only look at true centers, his 12 points per game ranked him sixth in the league. There were only 5 players ahead of him.

O’Neal, Yao Ming, the Knight’s Big Z, the Wasp’s Jamal Magloire, plus Brad Miller.

So when Dampier brazenly claimed to be a top center in the West, he wasn’t exactly wrong.

Of course, the Magic could relax their criteria and consider some power forwards who could play the center position. That would give them more options.

For example, Little O’Neal, Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Stoudemire, Boozer, and Weber.

But these guys were all rare commodities, untouchables on their respective teams. A high school kid, even as the number one pick, really couldn’t be traded for them.

On the other hand, the Magic wouldn’t even consider players who were too weak or lacked scoring ability.

Factoring in contract restrictions, after shopping around, McDyess probably seemed like the most suitable option.

He was in his prime, healthy enough, and while he was a bit undersized, that wasn’t a deal-breaker.

The lines between center and power forward are blurred anyway. Power forwards are sometimes even called ’secondary centers.’ The only real difference is playing style. A player like Duncan with his skilled low-post game—couldn’t he be used as a center?

Brad Miller is a legitimate center, and he runs out to shoot threes.

Plus, his scoring ability was still solid—he could easily average 15 and 10—and his defense was excellent. If the Phoenix Suns were willing to trade him, there really wasn’t another player like him available.

If they acquired him, even if they didn’t play him at the five and kept him at power forward, they could just find a blue-collar center to pair with him. That would also be an excellent option.

Top-tier centers are hard to find, but blue-collar ones are much easier to come by.

Besides, even if you kept Howard, you’d still need to pair him with a center.

Howard is the same size as McDyess, so it clearly wouldn’t be appropriate for him to play center right out of the gate.

Chen Yu thought for a moment and asked, "So what are your thoughts?"

Chen Yu was actually reluctant to trade with the Magic because it would be a waste of David West.

He was the number one draft pick, after all. You couldn’t just have him ride the bench, could you?

Of course, if they developed Howard as a center, there wouldn’t be a problem.

O’Neal was getting older, and Perkins’s talent had a clear ceiling. In the future, the Phoenix Suns would still need to worry about finding O’Neal’s replacement.

Howard had a broad frame, an excellent wingspan, and explosive athleticism. He absolutely had the physical tools to play center.

"Of course I think it’s a good deal," Brian chuckled. His obsession with getting a number one pick was still quite strong.

Chen Yu sighed. He knew Brian would think that way.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have rushed over in such a hurry to discuss it in person instead of just calling.

To him, Ben Gordon was clearly not as appealing as Howard.

"Let’s think this over carefully," Chen Yu said, not yet agreeing.

’I really feel that trading for Howard is a much worse deal than the one with the Bulls.’

Brian pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, let’s discuss it again in our meeting tomorrow."

"Okay."

This would give Chen Yu a chance to seriously weigh the options as well.

「The next day」

In the main conference room, the management team gathered once again to discuss the trade with the Magic.

Brian went on and on about how exceptional Howard was. After finishing his speech, he looked to Skiles first and asked for his opinion.

Skiles’s eyes flickered. He didn’t rush to state his position, looking instead toward Chen Yu.

In the current Phoenix Suns organization, Chen Yu participated in daily management as a minority owner and had considerable influence. As a result, the three people who could decide on a trade were Chen Yu, Brian, and himself.

That was why Skiles didn’t dare to take a side hastily.

"Chen, what are your thoughts?"

Chen Yu said, "I thought about this seriously yesterday, and I believe that compared to the trade with the Magic, the trade with the Bulls is more suitable for us."

Brian subconsciously started to speak, but Chen Yu shot him a glare, and he shut his mouth, waving his hand to signal for Chen Yu to continue.

"I’m not saying Howard isn’t good enough. He’s excellent. It’s just that we need to consider a few practical issues."

"If we trade for him, what happens to West?"

Keep him on the bench?

We’re certainly not going to make Howard a backup.

"Then there’s his development path. If we play him at the four, we all know his skillset. The biggest problem is that he has no jump shot."

These days, power forwards need to have at least a bit of a mid-range game.

And Howard? He has absolutely none.

He relies on his physique to play, and his offensive tools are mainly hooks and floaters near the rim, plus all sorts of powerful dunks.

If we were to develop him as a power forward, we’d have to teach him to shoot, which would be a waste of his extraordinary athleticism.

"But if we develop him as a center, we already have Shaq. For at least the next two to three years, I don’t think we’ll be considering a replacement for Shaq."

Given O’Neal’s current condition, and with Chen Yu keeping an eye on him, maintaining his elite form for another two or three years shouldn’t be a problem.

In that case, no one can replace O’Neal at the center position.

The Phoenix Suns want to lower their payroll, but we can’t just completely tank, can we?

"With the Bulls trade, however, we wouldn’t have these problems. Chandler can serve as a capable backup center, and Gordon can quickly fill the hole left by Miller at the two-guard spot."

Miller signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract. In a year at most, the Phoenix Suns will trade him to at least get a draft pick back and recoup some value.

And don’t forget Kovol. He was picked by the Bobcat, and with Payton retiring, we’ll have a real shortage of guards.

Brian frowned, but Skiles found himself subconsciously nodding in agreement.

’Howard’s situation is tricky. Developing him as a power forward would be a waste. But developing him as a center to back up O’Neal? That would be an even bigger waste.’

"Or what if..." As if possessed, an idea popped into Skiles’s head. He tentatively suggested, "What if we trade Shaq?"

Might as well make way for Howard directly.

Besides, if the goal is to cut salary, then O’Neal is the biggest financial burden.

"Are you crazy?!"

Brian let out a sharp cry, his eyes wide. "That’s O’Neal we’re talking about."

"You two were even teammates," he added.

Chen Yu also rolled his eyes, speechless.

’What was he thinking? Trading O’Neal to make way for a rookie? Not a chance, even if he is the number one pick.’

Skiles quickly waved his hands apologetically, admitting it was a slip of the tongue. He then said, "Brian has a point, and Chen also has a point. As for what to do specifically, I don’t have a strong opinion either way. It’s fine with me. You two decide."

’Anyway, I can work with whatever roster you give me. As long as the core framework of O’Neal and Hardaway is in place, there won’t be any major problems.’

Chen Yu shot him another eye-roll. ’And here I was, hoping for your support. You’re just playing the peacemaker and avoiding taking a stance.’

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