Jimmy Butler is a bitter kid.
The story is the same as that of many black players. He has lost his father since he was a child. (Black players who have fathers are a different breed and have special BUFF bonuses.)
Unlike many black players, his mother did not love him wholeheartedly.
On the contrary, when Butler was 13 years old, his mother kicked him out of the house because she thought he was ugly.
Of course, this is probably just an excuse. His mother may have felt that life was too tight and she couldn't afford to support him, so she drove him away and let him fend for himself.
After that, Butler stayed at different friends' houses and lived a wandering life.
How cruel this is for a teenage boy. He did not go astray and join a gang, naturally thanks to basketball.
He made a good friend in the basketball league and was taken in by his family. He then worked his way up, received a basketball scholarship from Marquette University, and then entered the NBA.
Being selected by the Clippers was something he didn't expect.
Originally he hoped that he could be won by the Houston Rockets.
Because he's a Houston native, it's great to be able to play in front of his hometown crowd.
It's a pity that the Rockets did not choose him, but took the Morris brothers.
Another team interested in him is the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls hope to have a young player at the third position to serve as Luol Deng's backup.
When Butler tried out with the Bulls, the Bulls gave him very good feedback.
It's just that the Bulls' pick is very low. They were first in the league last season.
Therefore, only the 30th pick in the first round, the last pick in the first round, has the smallest contract amount.
Unexpectedly, Butler was defeated by the Clippers in advance, and Butler was not mentally prepared at all.
After coming to the Clippers, Butler heard that the Clippers chose him because Mr. Smart thought he was a bad shooter?
This confused Butler. My poor shooting is a shortcoming. Why did I be selected because of this?
In short, this rumor troubled Butler quite a bit and pierced his heart like a thorn.
Moreover, with the 13th pick, the Clippers have already taken Leonard, and the two have the same position.
But Leonard's physical condition is much better than Butler's.
There is not much difference in height between the two, but Leonard's shoulder width, arm span, and hand size are quite terrifying.
Butler is different. His wingspan is his flaw, and his shoulder width is also very average, so he cannot become a lottery pick.
When signing a rookie contract and holding a press conference, Butler stood next to Leonard and felt that he was a size smaller.
In addition, there is also Paul George on the team, so Butler did not attract any attention from the outside world after coming to the Clippers.
Butler has long been accustomed to this. Going against the current is the main theme of his destiny, and he doesn't care at all.
With three young No. 3 players, he is confident that he will get a rotation opportunity for himself.
Just before this game, I heard that Coach Smart was going to make a 15-man rotation, which would give him more opportunities to perform.
With a 15-man rotation, there are actually only 12 people who can play in each game, and 3 people cannot make the roster before the game.
The ones not on the roster tonight are Jeremy Lin, P.J. Tucker and Okafor.
One guard, one forward, one center each.
In the next game, there will be 3 people who will not be able to make the roster.
It could be due to injuries, or it could just be poor performance.
Butler's goal is first to strive for a stable position in the 12-man roster.
In this way, in the big rotation, you can get playing time in every game, which will be a very valuable training opportunity.
It's just that this training opportunity came too early, catching Butler off guard.
With more than 1 minute left in the first quarter, Ricky Davis fouled on defense and the ball was dead.
Just in time, Butler came on the scene and replaced Ricky Davis.
Cole was puzzled by this substitution and asked softly: "Why go to Butler?"
During daily training, Cole and other assistant coaches carefully observed and found that except for Leonard's stiff shooting posture, Leonard's talents and conditions are quite good in all aspects.
It's just that his university is not well-known and lacks a stage for performance in the country.
What surprised Cole the most was that Leonard had a strong learning ability and a stable temperament.
He is always expressionless, unlike some black players who laugh and laugh all day long and can concentrate on training and studying.
Leonard's arrival gave Paul George a huge sense of crisis, and George, who had always been casual, became attentive on weekdays.
Only Butler is not as talented as the other two guys. He doesn't have many characteristics, but he is very hardworking.
But there are too many hard-working players in the NBA. Without talent, sometimes no matter how hard they work, it is useless.
Unexpectedly, the first young player Min Congda rotated was Butler.
Is there some quality in him that I can't see?
Cole was doubting himself. How could Min Congda think so much.
He saw a woolly quality, and he didn't even remember Butler's name.
It was purely because Butler was ranked low and he was allowed to come up and cause trouble.
Sure enough, Butler seemed at a loss when he came on the court.
Out of position on defense, hesitant to run during offense, and no ability to open up space.
After a while, the Trail Blazers chased 4 points in a row, narrowing the point difference to an odd number.
Min Congda nodded repeatedly, thinking that a rookie is just a rookie, and he will be like a headless fly when he gets up there.
In the last minute or so, the Trail Blazers took the opportunity to beat the Clippers 6:2, 35:26, ending the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Butler continued to stay on the court.
He thought he would take a rest, but Min Congda had no intention of doing so.
He also replaced Milicic, Bonner, Dragic and Leonard.
This lineup is on the court, and the offense is a constipation, with no focus at all.
The Trail Blazers seized the opportunity and continuously chased points, narrowing the point difference to 4 points along the way.
At 37:33, the Clippers' only two points came from Dragic's throw.
Cole looked at Min Congda and thought it was time to call a timeout, right?
How to fight with this broken lineup? It's about to be tied! All the previous advantages were wasted!
But Min Congda refused to call a timeout and continued to let these five people play on the court.
"Haha, this broken lineup, let me see how this ball is played! Curry will have to be replaced in a short while. It is too unreasonable to keep him away. You guys should lose more points, lose more points."
Min Congda's mind was racing, and he wanted to use this lineup to score points.
If it were ordinary rookies and role players, the court would definitely be confused at this time.
Coach, what do you mean? We can't beat it, why don't we call a timeout?
At this time, the Trail Blazers defended for three seconds, and Bonner scored 1 point on a free throw.
Taking this opportunity, Milicic suddenly stood up and brought several guys together.
The five people gathered in a circle and discussed something in a low voice.
Min Congda thought to himself, "How many people are still whispering? What kind of plane are they doing?"
Then, the game continues.
Butler suddenly held the ball and rushed to the basket without any tactical arrangements!
The Blazers caused an inside foul, went to the free throw line, and made two free throws.
Immediately afterwards, Gerald Wallace broke through and beat Leonard!
Milicic stabbed out diagonally, like a truck, knocking Wallace off the baseline!
(End of chapter)
