"Jon Brockman's performance must have left the Kings very disappointed. It looks like he hasn't adapted to playing the three at all."
"Exactly. Luke Ba Weiyuan has completely outplayed Jon in every aspect. They were both gifted white forwards in college, but the gap between them now is obvious. I think Luke Ba Weiyuan might be called back up to the NBA soon. As for Jon, he may have to spend more time in the G League."
The G League might not be on the same scale as the NBA, but its games were televised, so they still had commentators. After all, it was a professional league.
The two commentators were now taking turns poking fun at Jon Brockman. His performance over the past four minutes had been a complete train wreck.
Mockery and doubt from the outside were part of the pressure every professional athlete had to face. Commentators weren't going to go easy on you just because you'd played well in the past.
You could play badly, but other people weren't allowed to say so?
"Coach Conner must be having a headache right now, because the Blue Team's forwards happen to be their weak spot. If Coach Conner can't get Brockman to put in more effort, or put a reliable forward back in, then I wouldn't be surprised if Luke Ba Weiyuan scores 30 points today."
The blond commentator spoke with a hint of amusement. He knew the Blue Team didn't have anyone who could go toe-to-toe with Ba Weiyuan.
"Exactly. A more reliable forward. If the Thunder announced they were sending Kevin Durant down to the Blue Team right now, then they might have a chance."
"Hahahahahaha! Too bad the Blue Team isn't even a Thunder affiliate yet."
The two commentators' remarks angered some Blue Team fans watching at home. They were mocking the team at every turn, but the fans could only put up with it.
As they said, you could play this badly, but other people weren't allowed to say so?
Just then, the electronic buzzer sounded, snapping the commentators and fans back to attention. The timeout was over, and everyone turned their eyes to the court again.
Luke Ba Weiyuan rolled his arms and stepped onto the court full of confidence. He'd already scored seven points in four minutes. That big dummy called Brockman was nothing but a walking ATM.
Ba Weiyuan had no intention of going easy on him. He didn't want to waste his time in the G League. The white forward's goal was to return to the NBA as soon as possible, and putting up a big score today would surely help speed up his comeback.
Whether that ruined Brockman didn't matter to Ba Weiyuan.
But when Ba Weiyuan looked across the court, he froze. More accurately, everyone in the arena froze.
"Wait, the Blue Team's making a substitution!?" The commentator's eyes widened. He thought he'd seen it wrong.
A yellow-skinned player wearing jersey number five stepped onto the court, and the one he replaced was the Blue Team's star, Jon Brockman! Taking the team's star out just four minutes into the game was no ordinary rotation.
Link's poor performances in his previous games had also left the commentators with a bad impression of him. As far as everyone was concerned, that yellow-skinned guy could only come in for a few minutes when the game wasn't in danger.
But today, he'd come in early!
"Coach Conner's replacing Brockman with Tom Lin? Is the old coach sure he hasn't made a mistake?"
"Tom Lin, nicknamed Link. My strongest impression of him is the two turnovers he made in a row last game. If you ask me, the kid isn't ready to play professionally. Good Lord, Luke Ba Weiyuan will tear him to shreds."
"Right, right. Link played four full years at Fresno University. Fresno University could only compete in NCAA Division II—in other words, he's never even played at the highest level of college basketball. It's a miracle he's lasted this long in the G League without getting cut."
Both commentators covered their foreheads. Maybe Conner really had run out of options if he'd put in a nobody like that.
"Blow him out! Blow him out!" Meanwhile, the Sioux Falls Skyforce coach was yelling at Ba Weiyuan from the sideline.
As far as he was concerned, Conner putting in a guy who hadn't even played in NCAA Division I was practically suicide!
If you were that eager to die, then they'd be happy to help!
The game resumed, and the Blue Team inbounded from the baseline. Link was immediately at a loss. Before he'd crossed over, he'd been a basketball fan, but he'd mostly played three-on-three pickup games. He'd hardly ever played a proper five-on-five game.
Let alone a professional five-on-five game.
Where should he move? How should he set a screen? Where should he position himself? Countless questions flooded Link's mind. The G League put more emphasis on individual performance and didn't use overly complicated tactics. So coaches usually didn't plan every detail for their players. Most of the time, players had to read the game for themselves.
"Keep moving without the ball, then seize your opportunity!"
At that moment, Conner's words from just a moment ago echoed in Link's mind. He gritted his teeth and did as he'd been told!
Link started running around off the ball like crazy, darting wherever he saw an opening. Luke Ba Weiyuan wasn't the least bit worried by Link's hustle. If anything, he almost wanted to laugh.
In the G League, big men weren't willing to play as blue-collar workers and set off-ball screens for you. That meant it was hard to get open just by running around.
More importantly, when Luke Ba Weiyuan had studied the Blue Team's roster today, Link had caught his eye because his name was so unusual.
And his three-point percentage was listed as 0.0%. What was the point of running around so hard if he couldn't make a shot?
Meanwhile, the Blue Team's point guard drove and dished the ball to Upshaw, who had the hottest hand among the Blue Team players on the court.
But the player guarding Upshaw stuck to him like glue this time. He didn't want to get blown past. If he did, the NBA would be even farther out of reach.
Sometimes, the G League's defense could be tougher than the NBA's. After all, the players here were fighting for their livelihoods.
Upshaw had no room to shoot, and he'd been thinking about driving. But then he remembered Whiteside was still anchoring the Skyforce's paint, and changed his mind.
That big guy looked like trouble. He'd just shown Brockman what a no-fly zone meant, and Upshaw didn't want to be the next victim.
Just then, Upshaw spotted Link getting open. Without hesitation, he fired the ball over with both hands!
"Zeke Upshaw didn't take the shot himself. He's passed it to number five, Link."
"No, no. Upshaw should've been more aggressive. That yellow-skinned guy is going to ruin this possession."
Link couldn't hear the commentators' jabs from the court. If he had, he would've thrown the ball at their faces. But right now, all he cared about was putting it in the hoop.
Link caught the ball cleanly. Luke Ba Weiyuan didn't close in on him; instead, he deliberately gave Link a couple of steps, as if baiting him into shooting.
Even an athlete of James's caliber got left open beyond the three-point line, let alone an undrafted player no one had ever heard of.
Just as Ba Weiyuan was gloating, he saw the faint smile on Link's lips. Then Link sprang up and shot without hesitation!
"What's he smiling about!?" Ba Weiyuan felt something was wrong. That smile had sent a chill down his spine.
He spun around at once, just in time to see the ball arc like a rainbow and swish through the net!
"Swish!"
The sound of the net reached Link's ears, and a wave of relief swept through him. On a basketball court, there was no sound more beautiful.
Then the whole arena erupted in cheers. There were only a little over two thousand people, but together they made quite a racket.
Link smiled and pointed toward the stands. The cheers grew even louder.
It felt great to have everyone's attention!
"It's in! The shot went in! Did you see that? Link actually made the three!"
The commentator's eyes widened. Link's shot had been so decisive that it couldn't have been a fluke.
"Just luck. Watch—Luke will drive him crazy next." The other commentator dismissed Link's shot.
"Luke, what are you doing!? Focus! I won't let you give him another basket!"
On the sideline, the Skyforce coach still didn't take Link seriously.
But Luke Ba Weiyuan himself swallowed hard. The confidence in Link's smile when he'd shot had left him shaken...
Before you continue