816: Summer 12 years ago
Paul Pierce, whose three-point shooting percentage was as high as 37.3% last season, is considered a reliable long-range pitcher. However, Pierce's asking price is too high and does not conform to the Grizzlies' cap space structure. Moreover, Pierce probably finds it difficult for him to adapt to the three-point turret.
Caron Butler, who won the championship with the Mavericks in the past few years and faced Link more than once, scored 39% of his three-point shooting percentage last season, averaged 10 points per game. And he also had an active defense, which seemed to be very suitable for the Grizzlies. However, he was taken away by the Pistons for 9 million for two years.
3D forward P.J. Tucker, with a three-point shooting percentage of 38.7% last season, is also a good choice. However, the Suns' 3-year offer of 16.5 million is estimated to be no second team in the league, including the Grizzlies.
Lewis? Too old and slow. Seifrosa? Too expensive. Ariza? So much more expensive!
After thinking about it, Wallace really couldn't find a suitable candidate for the Grizzlies.
Don't underestimate the character players, a team at the championship contender level, what the quality of actually depends largely on the character players.
Stars determine the upper limit, role players determine the lower limit.
If the role players are not strong enough and the bench depth is not enough, then when it comes to the playoffs, when it comes to the competition and the limits, they will only be destroyed.
The NBA championship is not that easy to win, not to mention that the Grizzlies are advancing towards three consecutive championships, and all teams will try their best to stop it. In the playoffs this year, the Grizzlies may encounter greater trouble than in the previous two years.
Therefore, Wallace must carefully consider the candidates for strengthening. If you wait until the middle of the season to seek a deal, it will only be even more difficult.
Seeing more and more free agents becoming home, Chris Wallace is becoming more and more anxious.
Even if Dinwiddie is called back to the main lineup, his three-point ability will not work. Dinwiddie's three-pointer is exactly his current shortcomings.
At this time, Link sent a text message to Wallace, "Have you ever contacted Vince Carter?"
"Vince Carter?" Seeing this name, Wallace's first reaction was, "Which three-point shooter is Carter."
But when you think about it carefully, Carter's three-point shooting percentage seems to be good! The season that just ended, the Mavericks played against the Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.
During the game, Carter's three-pointers frequently penetrated the Grizzlies' defense line, and his shooting percentage was very stable.
Wallace opened the data and was shocked!
In the playoffs last season, Carter averaged more than 4 three-pointers per game, and his three-point shooting percentage was 45.8%!
Although the sample of 4 games is too small to explain the problem. Last season, Carter played 39.4% three-point shooting percentage in 81 games was also very high! The sample of 81 games was also large enough.
After pushing forward for another season, Carter's three-point shooting percentage was 40.6%!
Indeed, Carter has been labeled as a "deducted player" until now. But in fact, he has always been a very deadly player with three-pointers.
Carter, who has been in the league for 16 seasons, has been shooting more than 40% in three-point shooting in five years and more than 35% in ten years!
In addition to his rookie season, the season with the lowest three-point shooting percentage in his career also had a shooting percentage of 32.2%. Carter is also the fifth-ranked star in the NBA's history of hitting three-pointers. The ones above him are all historical shooters such as Ray Allen and Reggie Miller!
Vince Carter is completely a "invisible" sharpshooter.
The only problem is that Carter is almost 40 years old, and no one knows whether he can maintain his condition. The decline in a player's physical fitness in all aspects will not only affect the bounce, but also breaking through these abilities will also directly affect the shooting ability.
Therefore, Chris Wallace returned to Link very cautiously, "Carter's uncertainty is too great."
However, Link was not worried about this. Because just an hour ago, Carter asked Link to ask for training with him in the summer.
This was when the first round of the playoffs ended, Carter agreed with Link.
Link thought Carter was just talking casually at first, but he didn't expect to come true. It was because Carter contacted him that Link remembered that maybe the Grizzlies could try to contact Carter.
Old Carter has been glorious all his life, but has never been associated with the championship. Therefore, his championship should be very strong, and it is unlikely that he will refuse the invitation from the champion team.
When he finished the first round of the playoffs last season, Link felt sorry for Carter's inability to show his strength in a better environment. If he could join a championship-level team, such as the Grizzlies, it would definitely play the most role and show greater value.
Unexpectedly, now, the opportunity to get Carter to join the Grizzlies is really here!
If Carter is really training with Link, then Link promises that Carter will definitely be able to remain stable!
Moreover, veterans like Carter can play a greater role in the playoffs. His experience, his perseverance, and his professional attitude are all very outstanding.
After discussing with Wallace for a while, the Grizzlies decided to give it a try. But Wallace did not let him contact Carter first, but Link went to contact Carter.
Wallace believes that Link personally takes action and the possibility of recruiting is greater. After all, it can be seen that Carter admires Link very much.
So Link called Carter that afternoon.
"Has the training camp time been determined so quickly? When I called you in the morning, didn't you say you were still planning?" Old Carter was very surprised when he received a call from Link.
When he contacted Link to train together in the morning, Link also said that training time might not be arranged in a few days. But unexpectedly, after only a few hours, Link called back.
"I'm not calling you for training camp, Vince."
"Oh? Could it be that you still want to ask me to play golf?" Carter smiled.
"It's not about playing golf. I called to confirm that after your contract with the Mavericks expires, there shouldn't be an agreement with any team this summer, right?"
After hearing Link ask this question, Carter became serious in an instant. As an old man, he certainly knew what Link means.
"I heard it right? The best defensive player, MVP, FMVP and Double First Team Grand Slam winner, is actually recruiting an old man who is almost 40 years old?" Carter asked self-deprecatingly.
"Hehe, didn't you say you wanted to train with me? If you come to Memphis, we can train together every day in the future. And no matter how old you are, you can perform as long as you have that desire. I believe you still have that desire, a desire for a championship, right?"
After hearing what Carter said, Carter suddenly fell silent.
For some reason, he suddenly remembered the summer in 2002, 12 years ago. Perhaps it was because it was the first time Carter had been talking to a Chinese for so long since that summer.
In the summer of 2002, Carter came to China for the first time and accepted an exclusive interview with a Chinese reporter for the first time.
At that time, Xinlong reporters asked him a question, a question about the championship, "Does the Raptors still have the hope of winning the NBA championship?"
At that time, Carter answered very confidently, "Of course it is possible. If the Raptors' lineup can be adjusted and a relatively stable lineup can be maintained on this basis, for one to two years, or even longer. Then, based on the core players, it is entirely possible to bring out the potential of these players, I think it is entirely possible to finally get at least one NBA championship ring."
In the summer of 2002, the whole world didn't know who Yao Ming was. The "OK Group" had just established a dynasty. Vince Cartershang was still full of energy and invincible in youth. He firmly believed that he could at least win a championship.
Then what?
12 years have passed, but he still hasn't tasted the title...
If you accidentally, time will take away your energy. Carter hasn't imagined the word "Champion" for a long time.
Until now, the Chinese player who called has once again awakened something in his heart...
"Vins?" Seeing that Carter didn't speak for a long time, Link thought that his phone had no signal.
"Link, I...when are you going to talk to me?"
Chapter completed!