An Early Appearance?

The Sioux Falls Skyforce were absolutely the top contender for this year's Development League championship. Because on their roster, they had two players sent down from the NBA.

They were Luke Babbitt and Marshall University's bruising center Hassan Whiteside.

Babbitt and Whiteside were both rookies this year—the former picked 16th overall in the first round, the latter a second-round selection.

Usually, only fringe players who couldn't get minutes in the NBA came to play in the Development League. But even such players were considered "game-breakers" at the D-League level.

Link remembered that before he'd crossed over, he'd once seen news about Yi Jianlian playing in the Development League. He recalled that back then, Yi's performance in the D-League was quite outstanding—averaging 20 and 10 without any issue.

Yet in the NBA, Yi's performance was extremely inconsistent. Though he didn't want to admit it, Yi Jianlian at that time was already a fringe player.

This showed the massive gap between the NBA and the Development League. Players or rookies the NBA didn't want for the moment, when placed in the D-League, mostly put up dominant performances.

Luke Babbitt was the same. Though this white forward couldn't get NBA minutes for now, this season in the D-League up to this point, he was averaging 18.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

So, with two assigned players on their roster, the Skyforce's strength was naturally not to be underestimated.

Besides, Link also knew Hassan Whiteside wasn't someone to mess with. He was well aware that this center, who couldn't get NBA minutes now, would later become an All-Star-level beast. In the D-League, Whiteside averaged 3.2 blocks per game—that alone was enough to showcase his defensive talent.

So this game was bound to be very tough for the Blue Team.

"I want you to play efficient offense. Attack their interior and make sure we keep up on the scoring end!"

Before the game started, Conner was nervously laying out the strategy in front of the starting five. And the one he was telling to play efficient offense was none other than Jon Brockman.

As the only player on the Blue Team sent down from the NBA, Brockman had always been the one with high expectations. Unfortunately, his performance was honestly a bit of a letdown for an NBA player.

So far this season, Brockman averaged only 15.1 points per game, and his three-point percentage was a mere 23.7%. On defense, he was rough enough but not smart, often getting called for fouls.

But what gave Conner even more headaches was that Brockman was the only one he could pin his hopes on. Going up against Luke Babbitt today, only Brockman could match up with him.

"Yeah, yeah, just give me the ball and it's fine." Brockman waved his hand impatiently, as if everything the coach said was nonsense.

The game began. In the arena with only about two thousand people seated, the cheers weren't loud, but the D-League's basic conditions matched the NBA's—like the court environment.

So when Link sat on the bench watching the game, he was a little excited. After all, this was his first time watching a professional basketball game live!

"Link!"

Just as Link was looking around like a country bumpkin, Conner suddenly shouted at him.

"I'm here!" Link quickly turned his head, his palms sweating from nervousness.

"Be ready at all times. Remember, I don't want you to make consecutive turnovers the moment you step on the court like last time."

Then Conner said nothing more and focused on the basketball court.

Link clenched his fist secretly. His performance in yesterday's practice game must have left an impression on Conner. If Brockman couldn't cut it later, Conner would definitely put him in to try. That would be his chance to shine!

The referee blew the whistle, and the game officially started.

Whiteside naturally won the opening tip with ease. His physical condition and athleticism were top-tier in the D-League.

After the Skyforce point guard brought the ball past half-court, he passed it without a second thought to college star Luke Babbitt. Jon Brockman immediately closed in—the matchup between the two white forwards drew plenty of attention!

Brockman stuck tight to Babbitt, since Babbitt had always been known as a shooter.

But Babbitt didn't care about Brockman's defense at all. He drove straight in with the ball, blowing past Brockman cleanly in one step!

"So fast!" Link's eyes widened. Based on his memory from before crossing over, Luke Babbitt really didn't have much driving ability. His speed in the NBA couldn't even be called "fast."

But in the D-League, Babbitt's drives looked so smooth.

It also had to do with the fact that this was Link's first time watching a pro game live. Even those CBA players who looked slow on TV felt incredibly fast when you saw them in person.

Babbitt broke through successfully, then bravely charged into the paint and went up for a layup. Like Brockman, Babbitt was no soft white guy—his playing style was very aggressive.

In fact, if he were soft, he wouldn't have lasted so many years in the NBA later on. Those who looked physically average in the NBA were still top-tier in other leagues.

Frustrated, Brockman tried to chase down and block, but in the air, he was shocked to find that Luke Babbitt was using his left hand for the layup!

Even among NBA-level guards, very few could use their left hand proficiently, let alone Babbitt, a 2.06-meter forward.

After all, the guy was a natural lefty.

Brockman's chase-down block failed, and instead, he gave Babbitt a chance for an and-one. Conner helplessly held his forehead—both were sent down from the NBA, but the gap was huge!

Giving up a foul right from the start, Brockman's performance even drew boos from many home fans.

But Brockman didn't care. He wasn't concerned about winning the game at all. The only thing he cared about was getting good stats.

So on the next offensive possession, Brockman didn't run any plays with his teammates. He took the ball and went one-on-one.

But his clumsy dribbling couldn't get past Babbitt's tight defense, and his layup ended up clanking off the rim.

Up in the stands, who knows how many scouts were drawing X's next to Brockman's name. The gap between him and Luke Babbitt was as clear as day.

The next few possessions were a complete disaster for Brockman. On both ends of the floor, he had no answer for Luke Babbitt.

Babbitt was a better shooter than Brockman and three centimeters taller. And when it came to physical battles, Babbitt didn't lose ground either.

No matter how big a star you were in college, once you entered professional basketball, everything started over. No one cared what you did before—everyone only looked at what you could bring to the team now.

When you couldn't match up in any aspect, the NBA naturally wouldn't want you. The competition to enter the world's top basketball league and earn a million-dollar salary was just that brutal.

After four minutes of the first quarter, Luke Babbitt had already scored 7 points over Brockman! And the Blue Team was already down by 5, putting Conner in a tough spot.

If Upshaw hadn't just hit a three-pointer on the last possession, the Blue Team would be trailing even more.

So the bald coach called a timeout first, and Link gathered around with the other bench players.

Even though the head coach's tactical talk probably had nothing to do with them as substitutes, they still had to go through the motions and listen in.

Link stood at the outermost edge of the huddle, because as a fringe player, he didn't expect to get on the court this early.

But from the center of the huddle, Link heard Conner's shout.

"Where's Link!? Link! Get over here, to the middle! Listen up, I need you out there to help us close the gap with three-pointers! Work hard off the ball, then seize your chances!"

Link swallowed hard, almost unable to believe his ears.

"What are you standing around for!? Get your practice jersey off!"

At the same time, Jon Brockman's face turned dark with displeasure. He knew his trust with the head coach was running on empty.

"Hey, don't be nervous. Just do it like in practice—I'll get you the ball."

Upshaw patted Link on the shoulder. The show was about to begin.