am i proud?

Chapter 97 The Next Stop - Detroit
(Thank you for the monthly ticket encouragement from Fengjuan@火尚! This chapter is already the fifth chapter updated by Lao Wang today, and each chapter is a 5-word chapter. Friends, please give it a try! Thank you very much!)

Hearing Wang Dalin ask why, Carlisle laughed and said, "Because no team can offer you as much as the Pistons! I think...you should first consider the status of the team, right?"

Wang Dalin said with great interest: "Yes, the status of the team is of course very important! What kind of positioning will the Pistons give me?"

Carlisle stretched out a finger: "I promise you, as long as you join the Pistons, you will be the core of our team's offense and the first core of our team building!"

Wang Dalin couldn't help being taken aback. He didn't expect that Carlisle would use him, a rookie who had just played for a season, as the core of the team. This is truly extraordinary!

But this is just a verbal promise from Carlisle, and Wang Dalin is not so naive as to think that he will be able to fulfill this promise, because Dumas is sitting beside him!

When it comes to the status of the Pistons, this is the one who can really make the decision.

Wang Dalin turned to look at Dumas. Dumas smiled slightly and said slowly, "Wang, you don't have to doubt Rick. Since I invite him to be the head coach of the Pistons, I will maintain full trust in him!"

"Then I want to ask, how do you plan to arrange Jerry?" Wang Dalin asked, "If I am the core of the first team, what is Jerry?"

The "Jerry" Wang Dalin mentioned refers to Jerry Stackhouse, the scoring champion of the Pistons last season, a super scorer who averaged 29.8 points per game!
Moreover, Stackhouse is just 26 years old and is at the peak of his career. He is not the type of veteran who is over thirty and has no potential.

It's normal for him to have such concerns. If someone like Stackhouse is still in the team, how can he become the first core?

Dumas said lightly: "We will send Jerry away!"

As soon as this sentence came out, not only Wang Dalin's eyes widened in shock, but even Schwartz was also taken aback... Obviously Dumas and the others didn't tell him about it.

Wang Dalin forced himself to calm down after being surprised, and asked again: "But if you send Jerry away, the strength of the team will inevitably decline. How can we perform well in the new season?"

Although Stackhouse likes to shoot wild shots and has a relatively low shooting rate, he was also the second-ranked super scorer in the scoring list last season. Losing such an important combat power, the strength of the Pistons will definitely decline significantly.

Even if Wang Dalin joins the Pistons, he doesn't think he has the ability to average 29.8 points per game at this stage... Such a big scoring gap cannot be made up by ordinary players!
Carlisle laughed and said, "Who doesn't know Jerry's strength in the league? Don't you think we can't get one or two good players with him?"

Dumas still said calmly: "You don't have to worry about this, we have already started operations, and it is estimated that there will be results in two to three weeks at most!"

It seemed that the Pistons had already started to deal with the Stackhouse deal. Wang Dalin breathed a sigh of relief, and then said, "I have to say, you are very sincere!"

Carlisle smiled and said, "Wang, we offer you more than these conditions! Joe, why don't you talk about our third condition?"

Dumars smiled and said: "Okay! Wang, I think Rick's idea of ​​building the team in the next few years is very clear, that is, to build the entire team around you. I also very much agree with his idea of ​​​​building the team, so...we will try our best to ask for your opinions when trading or drafting. To put it bluntly...you have the right to participate in part of the team management!"

Wang Dalin's expression gradually froze, and his heart was turned into a turbulent sea.

This condition... is too good, right?
Schwartz's breathing was a bit thicker. He is not the future gold medal agent in the league, and he has never seen such a scene.

However, even if he hadn't experienced it himself, can "have you never seen a pig run if you haven't eaten pork"?

As a professional agent, how could he not know... Isn't this kind of condition that only the top superstars in the NBA are eligible to enjoy?

Wang Dalin, his young employer...is he still a rookie who only played for one season?
Is it really worth the Pistons' money?

From Schwartz's point of view, he also felt that Dumars and Carlisle were too bold!

You can't even simply say that they have courage... This is simply a big gamble!

Wang Dalin pondered for a moment, then asked, "Coach Carlisle, I would like to ask, if I join the Pistons, which position do you plan to play for me?"

Carlisle said without hesitation: "I will arrange for you to play small forward... What do you think?"

Wang Dalin smiled: "Very well, did you bring the contract?"

Dumas took out a stack of A4 papers from his bag and said with a smile, "We've already prepared it!"

……

At 7:4 p.m. on July 4, U.S. time, the Pistons suddenly officially announced that the team had officially signed a contract with last season's Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year winner Wang Dalin.

As soon as this news was announced, it immediately seemed to trigger a major earthquake, and the entire American sports media went into an upsurge.

To be honest, although Wang Dalin performed very well last season and won the Best Rookie and Best Sixth Man awards, his current status is not enough to cause such a big shock in the trading market.

The main reason is because of the amount of this contract... This is the maximum salary!
Ordinary NBA players do have the opportunity to sign a maximum salary contract after the rookie contract ends, but they have to play at least two seasons first, and the team has to voluntarily give up the team option in the contract to re-sign with you.

In fact, this kind of situation hardly exists. The people in the uniforms of the NBA teams are not fools. They can continue the "free child labor contract" for two years. Why should they voluntarily give up the implementation of the team option?
Wang Dalin's situation is very special. He only signed a one-year salary contract last season, so he became a free agent immediately after the contract ended.

Even if the Heat make a qualifying offer before June 6 to make him a restricted free agent again, everyone knows that it is only $30. How can the Heat keep such a star with unlimited potential?

Everyone has expected the following things, and there will definitely be a team to offer him an invitation to offer a contract, but the Pistons directly offered a maximum salary, which still surprised everyone.

The general managers of the Bulls, Sonics, Cavaliers and Magic were all dumbfounded...Dumas, what are you doing?We're all ready for a max salary offer, why the hell are you just... cut off?

Anyway, you also let us make an offer and let Wang Dalin choose it himself?

Everyone has a maximum salary, so let's compete if we are lucky or not, shall we?

……

The reason why Wang Dalin chose to sign with the Pistons is mainly because the head coach of this team is Rick Carlisle!
In the entire NBA league, there are not many head coaches who can be called "famous coaches". The "magic fortune teller" on the Heat's side is naturally one of them, but from Wang Dalin's perspective, he believes that Carlisle is no worse than Riley.

Even...better than Riley!
In fact, in the summer of 2003, if it wasn't for the irreconcilable conflict between Carlisle and Pistons owner Bill Davis, he should have led the team to the championship in 2004. Larry Brown simply came to pick peaches!
And when he came to Indiana, he led the Pacers to a league-best record of 61 wins and 21 losses in his first season.At the beginning of the second season, the famous "Palace of Auburn Hills" incident broke out. Several key players of the Pacers were suspended for a total of 134 games, which directly reduced this championship-winning team overnight.

If all this hadn't happened, it is very likely that Carlisle had already led the team to win the championship in Indiana. Why did he have to suffer for many years until he led the Mavericks to the top in 2011?
This is a head coach with great personal charm and super tactical ability. What he lacks is not personal ability, but a little bit of luck...

Otherwise, how could he lead the Mavericks to defeat the Heat with the "Big Three" in 2011?
Do you really think that the "Heat Big Three" that year were not good?

Do you really think that the Mavericks won the championship that year because of the "old driver" god?
Without Carlisle's well-built offensive and defensive system, how can the Mavericks show such a strong combat effectiveness?
And what Wang Dalin is most satisfied with is Carlisle's promise that he will be the team's starting small forward in the new season!
In this season of the Heat, he played the most as a power forward, and occasionally had to top the center, and there were only a handful of times he appeared in the third position.

No way, who made him grow taller?
Head coaches probably think so these days... You are so tall, shouldn't you be playing inside?
From the perspective of Wang Dalin, a person with advanced vision... Who said that one must play inside if one is tall?
Isn't Kevin Durant a small forward with a height of 211cm?Ben Simmons is 208cm tall and still plays point guard!
Even in this era, there have been "magicians" who are more than two meters tall and play point guards before. Is height so important for position?

Otherwise, why let Ben Wallace play center forward?How suitable is his height to play small forward?

As a person with the "Hanging Force System", Wang Dalin is very clear about all his abilities, he understands... he can only exert his greatest power at the small forward position.

Carlisle really deserves to be an NBA coach with a unique vision. He was able to make the decision to let him play small forward. This alone is better than most coaches in the league.

However, as I said earlier, Wang Dalin doesn't like the Pistons very much.

Yes, the "Bad Boys" of the 80s were notorious, but that doesn't mean the current Pistons are as dirty as they are.

They are just tough defensively and have a tenacious style, but they don't actually have many dirty moves.If it's dirtier than the style of play, the Spurs of Popo's thief are much dirtier!

It's just that Wang Dalin doesn't like the Pistons very much, and he doesn't dislike them too much.

In his previous life, he was just an otaku who loved to play 2K games. How can a Chinese hate a certain NBA team?It's an irreconcilable relationship!

Fatty Morey: Don't I hate it?
Old thief Bobo: And old man, is there a way to let Wang Dalin come to the Spurs to try?
Adam joked: Don't make trouble, the president hasn't come on stage yet!
……

The signing went smoothly, but it still depends on the reaction of the Heat. After all, they have the right to match the contract offer given by any team, and the time limit is 48 hours.

If the Heat do not match within 48 hours, then Wang Dalin will officially become a member of the Pistons.

Of course, both Wang Dalin and Schwartz knew that it was impossible for the Heat to match, because their salary space was simply not enough.

Even though the Heat are ready to trade Hardaway and Mason this season, their total salary still exceeds $5000 million, which already exceeds the salary cap of $4250 million.

Unless Riley is willing to give up Mourning, the Heat simply cannot match this contract.

Is Riley willing to give up Mourning?
If it is estimated by Riley's attitude towards Wade in 2014, he should have cold-bloodedly abandoned this proud disciple who has followed him for many years.

But it is still 2001, and Riley is not the cold-blooded "magic fortune teller" of later generations at this time, so he will not abandon Mourning.

So when Wang Dalin and Riley talked on the phone, the tone of the head coach known as "cold-blooded" in the eyes of later generations was a bit heavy, and there was a hint of helplessness.

"Wang, I'm sorry, the Heat can't match your contract!" Riley said, "You know I admire you very much. You also made contributions to the team last season, but we really can't keep you!"

"It's nothing, Coach Pat, please don't say sorry to me!" Wang Dalin pretended to be relaxed, "I know the rules...everything is just business, isn't it?"

Riley smiled bitterly: "That's right, everything is just business!"

……

Immediately after signing the contract, Wang Dalin called to tell Riley the news, and then called all the Heat teammates. Everyone was very sad, and Wang Dalin felt very uncomfortable.

After all, we have been together for nearly a year, and our relationship is still good.

After the phone call, he flew back to Shanghai directly.

When he returned to Shanghai, it was after 7 pm on July 5, and he took a taxi directly to the Luwan Gymnasium—the warm-up match started at 5 pm, and he still had time to take his time and eat dinner first.

Coach Wang Fei actually didn't want Wang Dalin to play in tonight's game. Firstly, it was because Wang Dalin had gone through a long journey of more than ten hours, and he was coming to the game just after getting off the plane... It was a bit too reluctant!
Secondly, he also hoped that without Wang Dalin, he could take a good look at the team and try to expose more problems.

But Wang Dalin told him on the phone that as long as he was included in the squad for the competition, he didn't care if he could play or not.

Coach Wang Fei was naturally happy to see this kind of request come true, and readily agreed to him.

It is estimated that coach Wang Fei did not expect how much pressure he will bear when the game starts at [-] o'clock in the evening...

(End of this chapter)