"Dikembe, what do you think of this rookie? Can you withstand him?"
Jason Kidd, the boss of the New jersey Nets, was holding a report on Duke in the local newspaper and asking Uncle Mu.
Duke had been very popular in the past few days.
It wasn't just because of Jordan that the Wizards were getting a lot of attention, but also because Duke's performance had amazed many people.
He had more than 20 rebounded in two consecutive games and scored 30 points in his debut. He looked like a new talent in the paint.
However, Kidd could vaguely see the shadow of his teammate, Mutombo, in Duke.
Last season, Dikembe Mutombo was still a defensive powerhouse used by Digital Man to compete with O'Neal. After the Nets were completely crushed by the Los Angeles Clippers in the finals last season, they traded him over in the offseason to send away the hope of the original team, the second-generation Bird, named Kees Van Horn.
Unfortunately, Van Horn's technical characteristics were similar to Bird's, but he was completely incomparable in both offense and defense.
Byrd was not only accurate in his shooting, but he was also very tough in defense. If it were not for his brain paralysis, which led to his back injury, he would not have retired early.
Van Horn's defense was only average. He was thin and could not withstand any inside players. He was often forced to float outside by his opponents.
A good 2.10-meter inside player had been running away more and more for the past few seasons. The disappointed Nets 'management finally learned from the bitter experience after being swept by the Los Angeles Clippers in the finals and abused by O'Neal. They no longer kept him and traded him away.
After the trade for Mutombo, the Nets 'ability to protect the frame and rebounding was greatly improved. In the first two games, they cleanly eliminated their opponents and ushered in two consecutive wins.
Thinking that their next away opponent was the Wizards, Kidd couldn't help but ask Mutombo about Duke's opinion.
Because of Duke, the Wizards 'defense in the paint was greatly improved. In addition, he dared to attack and score, which made up for the firepower in the paint to a certain extent.
However, Duke himself was more like a more athletic version of Mutombo.
There was a certain degree of similarity in their technical characteristics. In addition, the two of them were similar in height and size…
Well, when it came to defending against an inside player like Duke, Mutombo had the best say.
"Don't worry, leave him to me. I'll let him have a taste of hotpot!”Mutombo stared at Duke's photo in the newspaper, but he looked confident despite the importance he felt.
In his opinion, Duke was indeed very talented and strong, but because in the first two games, he had faced opponents who were empty inside, Duke's performance was only natural.
He wouldn't take it to heart, but he wouldn't underestimate his opponent either.
In short, he had absolute confidence in his own ability.
"An average of 20 rebounding per game, what a terrifying rookie.”Ji De didn't agree with his words. Instead, he sighed.
"It's probably because their opponents are weak!”Uncle Mu sneered, showing his disdain.
Kidd did not say anything else. He had thought that Duke was not only good at rebounding, but also very strong. During this period, the media had not only been amazed by his strength, but also his brute strength.
Whether it was in Summer United, the preseason, or these two regular season games, Duke had always used his strength to bully others.
With Uncle Mu's thin body, he didn't think it was a 50 - 50 chance.
Mutombo won with experience, while Duke had the advantage of being young and strong. The two would probably explode.
"Alright!"
Thinking of this, Buji stood up and said with a smile,"Train for a while more, then go back and pack your things to catch the plane.”
In Duke, far away in Washington, the day after the game ended, he arranged for Old Du, Vanessa, and her son to stay at a holiday hotel one kilometer away from the stadium.
Although it wasn't a presidential suite, it was definitely a big room, enough for the three of them to live comfortably.
His contract with the team was not very high. It was only at the level of a second-round show. However, after deducting various taxes, he could still receive about 40,000 dollars a month.(The player could only receive a salary during the game period with the team, which was a year's salary during the six-month regular season.) Before the 2009 collective bargaining agreement, it was once a month, not twice a month.），It was enough for him to deal with these expenses.
Forty thousand dollars a month was equivalent to the average annual income of a middle-class family in the United States.
It looked pretty good!
In the evening, he found a restaurant to visit and invited the three of them to dinner. The enthusiasm of the passersby made Old Du proud again.
After two outstanding performances, Duke had gone from being accepted to being loved by the local fans.
When he walked on the streets, passersby would greet him intimately. There were men, women, young and old.
Thanks to Jordan, the prodigy at this time received a lot of attention in the local area.
Duke's performance, as well as the media's flattery, made the local fans proud. The pride in their hearts was no less than that of Old Du.
Especially after Duke's appearance made up for the emptiness in the team's paint, the fans realized that this genius had become stronger than ever.
This season, they might not only have a chance to make the playoffs, but they might even be able to dream of winning the championship.
Their last championship was in the late 1970s, when Wes Unselder led the team.
"Little Duke, come on in tomorrow night's game. Kick the New jersey Nets 'ass!”
"Duke, tomorrow night is the time to prove your strength. The Nets 'Dikembe Mutumbo is very strong.”
"Du, do your best. We're optimistic about you. You can beat the Nets 'big bamboo pole!”
"You're our Wilt, charge!”
Duke was blessed by all the fans he met along the way.
It looked like they were looking forward to tomorrow night's game.
If his rebirth didn't have a huge impact, the Nets would continue to make it to the finals, then be swept by the Spurs and continue to miss the championship.
After two consecutive finals, the Nets 'troika of Kebuke, Jefferson, and Kenyon Martin would fall apart. It was not until the arrival of Vincent Carter that they had a chance to win the championship.
The Nets weren't weak. They weren't a team that the Raptors and Celtics could play against.
When the Wizards 'star backcourt met the Nets' troika, it would be like Mars crashing into Earth.
It was very interesting!
(The more comments, the better!) In the future, he wouldn't stay up until 3 am to update. It was useless. He would try to update during the day!）
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。