: 262: Professional Substitute

In the playoffs last season, the Grizzlies eliminated the Thunder and Spurs. But this season, facing these two opponents, they have played more difficult than last season.
I have to say that this is the West. Your opponent gets stronger every year, even an old opponent like the San Antonio Spurs will get stronger. In the West, if you think you are stable, you are wrong.
The Spurs of last season are an example. They are No. 1 in the Western Conference and won a terrible 61 games. Is the result stable? Not stable at all!
Link now deeply experienced the malice in the West. Although the Grizzlies started this season almost perfectly, Link felt that it seemed to be playing harder than last season.
Moreover, the successive injuries have tortured the nerves of every team, and the Grizzlies are also inevitable. In the shadow of losing, Tony Allen was injured, which made Link's mood extremely bad.
Fortunately, Tony Allen’s ankle injuries are not serious, they are basically strain injuries. But losing Tony Allen in the most terrible round of back-to-back matches is really unfortunate at this point.
Thinking about it, the elevator door opened and Link arrived at the hotel gym. At this point, he and the Grizzlies are already in Boston. Tonight, they will fight the Celtics at the North Shore Garden of the Land of Glory.
For fans and Celtics players, North Shore Garden is a place of glory. But for Link and his teammates, it is a hell. Link still remembers the experience of playing games at North Shore Gardens last season.
Endless verbal abuse, rude fans, difficult teams, rude reporters... all these are the dark side of the Celtics' glorious history.
Without Tony Allen today, Link and others will definitely have a lot more defensive pressure. Playing time may increase. Therefore, Link wanted to come to the gym to run and run first, to move his muscles and bones.
However, in the training hall, Link did not unexpectedly ran into that guy.
"Morning, Jimmy." Link stood in front of the treadmill and greeted Jimmy Butler, who was on the machine.
"Morning, Link!" Butler was sweating profusely, but he didn't mean to restrain himself.
Jimmy Butler may be one of the most physically active players in the Grizzlies team. After all, he can't play most games at all.
He has offered to Hollins several times that he hopes to get more playing time, but all have been rejected. The results of it? As a result, Jimmy Butler never gave up, instead training harder.
Since you can't play, use all your energy for training! Therefore, this season, Jimmy Butler also replaced Link and became the "player rat" of the Grizzlies.
Although Butler has waved the towel on the bench most of the time this season, and one wave is a whole game. So far this season, Butler hasn't even played half of the game. However, Link, who often confronts Jimmy Butler in training, knows very well that in addition to his lack of experience, his defense is already above the league average!
Butler, as Link reminded, is very focused on defense. He almost only does defense, whether it's game or training.
If Hollins needs an engineer who does not occupy the ball, he might be on the court. However, the Grizzlies have a stronger engineer Tony Allen, so Butler has little playing time.
But now that Tony Allen is injured, Link thinks Jimmy Butler may have several performance opportunities!
"I heard that after the game yesterday, you went to coach Hollins again?" Link asked Butler curiously.
"Well, I looked for it."
"What did he say? Did he reject you again?"
This time, Jimmy Butler did not answer Link immediately. Instead, he sat up, wiped the sweat from his head, and stared at Link’s eyes, "No, Coach Hollins said this time, let me do it anytime. ready."
Link smiled, the guy's hard training, finally it's time to reap the results.
"So are you ready?"
"I am preparing every day, Link. As long as I can play, I am willing to do anything! I think I can do my job well."
Butler has a good mentality, which is related to his high school and college basketball experience.
As we all know, players who can enter the NBA can basically be regarded as geniuses in various regions. Even players who can only watch the drinking fountains after entering the league may be the stars of each team in high school and college, living in flashlight. under.
Fredette of the Kings is like that. Don't look at his poor performance in the NBA this year, but in the NCAA last year, his popularity was not lower than some NBA stars.
But Jimmy Butler is different. Before he entered the NBA, he was actually the same as now, starting from role players and substitute players.
In the first three years of high school, Butler was a role player averaging about 10 points per game. He was a blue-collar who worked hard behind his senior brother. It wasn't until the senior year and the seniors that Butler became the absolute core, averaging 19 points per game and being selected to the best team in the region.
But unfortunately, scouts only have talent in their eyes, and they have no interest in players like Butler who rely on hard work to make opportunities. So even if he performed well, Butler's scout report still only had two poor stars, and none of the Texas high school students ranked in the top 50.
So after graduating from high school, Butler did not receive any NCAA first-level league scholarships, which is really similar to Link's situation back then.
So in the NCAA, Jimmy Butler's role player career began again.
In his freshman year, Butler failed to even play in the NCAA Division I.
After gaining attention in the second season, he transferred to Marquette University, Wade's alma mater, without a start, averaging 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. In that year, Derrick Rose, who was in the same class as Butler, became the NBA draft pick...
In his junior year, Butler finally started, averaging 14 points and 6 rebounds. But his talent is still not that explosive, and the NBA is still just a dream for him.
Seniors, generally players who have not yet participated in the NBA draft until their senior year are considered untalented. Therefore, although Butler has become the core of Marquette from a substitute player, his performance is eye-catching and he has also won the best player nomination. But his draft prospects are still unclear. When he entered the draft, his fellow Rose was already the MVP of the NBA...
As a result, Butler continued to play from the bench without any regrets. He had known for a long time that this kind of thing was not anxious. There is no choice but to train hard.
Therefore, no matter how Hollins rejects him, no matter how many games he sits on the bench, Jimmy Butler's fighting spirit will not be affected at all. Patience and hard work are essential for a low-ranking senior player to succeed.
Link is pleased with Butler's state. He can't wait to let the Celtics and Spurs experience Jimmy Butler's rough and tough defense.
After all, you can't bear his torture by yourself...I was tortured by Jimmy Butler in training games every day. Now, it's time to change someone to suffer for Link.
※※※
The game was difficult. Three minutes before the end of the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies trailed the Celtics by 8 points.
Today, Garnett's condition is very, very good, he takes what he wants from Randolph. Pierce and Ray Allen are also considered normal, and the old Big Three are still playing their residual heat.
On the Grizzlies' side, the offense was really bad. Except for Link and Guy, no one shot 30% from the start.
Randolph's miserable 10s~EbookFREE.me~ Pau Gasol is 3 in 11, Conley is 2 in 7...
Had it not been for Pondset's outstanding performance on the bench, the Grizzlies would have collapsed long ago, and it would be impossible for them to bite until now.
At this time, it's time to rotate again, and the tired Guy can no longer focus on offense and defense at the same time. He has just let Pierce score 4 points in a row. Hollins must adjust the lineup and send an energetic person to Pierce.
Upper Pondset? No, he is OK on the bench and is an efficient scorer in rotation time. But if you mix with the main force, you have no advantage in ability. Battier? Battier has shown his senility this season. On the defensive end, the power has long been worse than before. What's more, the elderly Battier does not meet the requirement of being physically fit.
So Hollins gritted his teeth and walked in front of Jimmy Butler, "Jimmy, tell everyone after playing, don't give up! Including you, understand!?"
Butler immediately removed his training suit and stared at the court intently.
It's finally time to torture players other than Link.