Sioux Falls Skyforce

The Sioux Falls Skyforce were one of the hottest contenders for this year's G League title. They had two players on their roster who had been sent down from the NBA.

They were Luke Ba Weiyuan and Marshall University's bruising center, Hassan Whiteside.

Ba Weiyuan and Whiteside were both rookies that year. The former had been selected 16th overall in the first round, while the latter was a second-round pick.

Usually, only fringe players who couldn't get playing time in the NBA came to play in the G League. But even players like that were "wrecking balls" at the G League level.

Link remembered reading news about Yi Jianlian playing in the G League before he crossed over. He also remembered that Yi had been outstanding there, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds without any trouble.

In the NBA, however, Yi's performance had been extremely inconsistent. Though he hated to admit it, Yi had already become a fringe player by then.

That showed the enormous gap between the NBA and the G League. Players the NBA didn't want for the time being, or rookies sent down to the G League, could usually dominate there.

Luke Ba Weiyuan was no exception. Though the white forward couldn't get playing time in the NBA for the moment, he was averaging 18.9 points and 6.3 rebounds in the G League this season.

With two players sent down from the NBA, the Skyforce were naturally a force to be reckoned with.

Besides, Link knew Hassan Whiteside was no pushover. He knew very well that this center, who couldn't get playing time in the NBA for now, would one day become an All-Star-level monster. Whiteside was averaging 3.2 blocks per game in the G League, which was more than enough to show off his defensive talent.

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

"I want you to be efficient on offense. Attack their interior and make sure we stay in striking distance!"

Before the game, Conner was nervously laying out the game plan in front of the starting five. The player he wanted to see score efficiently was Jon Brockman.

As the Blue Team's only player sent down from the NBA, Brockman had always been expected to deliver. Unfortunately, his performance did little to live up to his NBA pedigree.

So far this season, Brockman was averaging just 15.1 points, and his three-point percentage was a mere 23.7%. He was physical on defense but not very smart, and often got called for fouls.

What gave Conner an even bigger headache was that Brockman was the only player he could pin his hopes on. Against Luke Ba Weiyuan today, Brockman was the only one who could match up with him.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Just give me the ball," Brockman said impatiently, waving a hand as though everything the coach said was nonsense.

The game began. The arena had only about two thousand people in attendance, so the cheers were muted. Still, the G League's basic conditions were much like the NBA's, including the arena itself.

So when Link sat on the bench and watched the game, he was still a little excited. After all, it was his first time watching a professional basketball game in person!

"Link!"

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

"I'm here!" Link hurriedly turned around, his palms sweating.

"Be ready to go in at any moment. Remember, I don't want you to make a string of mistakes the moment you get on the court, like last time."

After that, Conner said nothing more and focused on the game.

Link clenched his fist. His performance in yesterday's scrimmage had clearly left an impression on Conner. If Brockman didn't deliver, Conner would surely put Link in to see what he could do. That would be his chance to prove himself!

The referee blew his whistle, and the game officially began.

Whiteside easily won the opening tip. His physical gifts and athleticism were absolutely top-tier in the G League.

After the Skyforce point guard brought the ball across half court, he passed it to college star Luke Ba Weiyuan without a second thought. Jon Brockman immediately got up close to him, and the matchup between the two white forwards drew plenty of attention!

Brockman guarded Ba Weiyuan tightly, since Ba Weiyuan had always been known for his shooting.

But Ba Weiyuan didn't care about Brockman's defense at all. He drove hard with the ball and blew past Brockman in a single step!

"So fast!" Link's eyes widened. From what he remembered before crossing over, Luke Ba Weiyuan wasn't much of a ball-handler or driver. Even in the NBA, he wasn't someone you'd call "fast."

But in the G League, Ba Weiyuan's drives looked incredibly polished.

That was partly because this was Link's first time watching a professional game in person. Even CBA players who looked slow on TV seemed fast when you watched them live.

Ba Weiyuan got past his defender and fearlessly attacked the rim for a layup. Like Brockman, he wasn't some soft white guy; he played with plenty of aggression.

In fact, if he were soft, he wouldn't have lasted so many years in the NBA. People who looked merely average athletically in the NBA were top-tier athletes in other leagues.

Furious, Brockman tried to chase him down and block the shot. But in midair, he was surprised to see Luke Ba Weiyuan finish with his left hand!

Even among NBA guards, few could use their left hand well, let alone a 6'9" forward like Ba Weiyuan.

After all, he was naturally left-handed.

Brockman failed to block the shot and instead gave Ba Weiyuan a chance to complete a three-point play. Conner helplessly put a hand to his forehead. They'd both come down from the NBA, so how could the gap between them be so huge?

After giving up a foul right at the start, Brockman's play even drew boos from many of the home fans.

But Brockman didn't care. He wasn't interested in winning the game at all. The only thing he cared about was whether he could put up good numbers.

So on the next possession, Brockman didn't make any effort to work with his teammates. He got the ball and went one-on-one.

But his poor ball-handling couldn't get him past Ba Weiyuan's tight defense, and his layup ended with a clank.

By then, who knew how many scouts in the stands had crossed Brockman's name off their lists? The gap between him and Luke Ba Weiyuan was plain to see.

The next few possessions were a complete disaster for Brockman. He had no answer for Luke Ba Weiyuan on either end of the court.

Ba Weiyuan was a better shooter and three centimeters taller than Brockman. And when the two went head-to-head physically, Ba Weiyuan didn't give an inch.

No matter how big a star you'd been in college, everything started over when you turned pro. Nobody cared about what you'd done before; all that mattered was what you could do for the team now.

If you couldn't measure up, the NBA naturally wouldn't want you. The competition for a million-dollar salary in the world's top basketball league was simply that ruthless.

Four minutes into the first quarter, Luke Ba Weiyuan had already scored seven points on Brockman! The Blue Team was down by five early, leaving Conner in a difficult position.

If Upshaw hadn't just swished a three-pointer, the Blue Team would be trailing by even more.

So the bald coach called a timeout first, and Link joined the other reserves in gathering around him.

The coach's next instructions might not have anything to do with the reserves, but they still had to go over and pretend to listen.

Link stood at the outer edge of the group. As a fringe player, he didn't expect to get on the court so soon.

But from the middle of the crowd, Link heard Conner shout.

"Where's Link!? Link! Come here, get in the middle! Listen up, I need you to go in and help us close the gap with your three-point shooting! Keep moving without the ball, then take your chances!"

Link swallowed. He could hardly believe his ears.

"What are you waiting for!? Get that warm-up top off!"

At the same time, Jon Brockman's face darkened. He knew the coach's trust in him was running out.

"Hey, don't be nervous. Just do what you did in practice. I'll get you the ball."

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