There are talented people in the Jiangshan generation, and each generation is stronger than the next. The All-Stars are over, and we see hope for the future of the league again. Garland of the Cavaliers, Morant of the Grizzlies, and Lamello Ball, the representative of the new generation, their future can be described as bright. Among the players who have been selected to the All-Star Team this season, we have witnessed the greatness of the league's superstars and the growth of new star players, but we must not ignore such a special player, Fred VanVleet.
Last season, Jokic, as a second-round show, created a precedent in NBA history and was crowned the honor of regular season MVP, which itself caused quite a stir. However, the upsurge of discussions about the counterattack of the little people has not subsided, and VanVleet has appeared before our eyes again. Yes, VanVleet's fate is obviously more tragic than that of Jokic, who came from the second round of the show. In the early years, VanVleet, who participated in the draft, once became a supporting role and became a sad loser. Fortunately, the Raptors' then-head coach, Nas, was willing to give him a chance to prove himself.
In that summer, VanVleet played five summer league games in Las Vegas for the team and averaged 6.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16 minutes per game. To his credit, with 41.7 percent shooting and 54.5 percent three-point shooting, he finally knocked on the door to the NBA again: the Raptors gave him a two-year, $1.45 million contract! Perhaps, in the eyes of 90% of the league's players, this contract is not worth mentioning at all, but VanVleet seems to be a treasure.
Not recognized in the draft, VanVleet's starting point is lower than that of his rookie, and he only has to get a foothold in the Raptors first, and then try to cash in on the talent to find the opportunity to break through. Unlike Jokic's counterattack story, VanVleet's dormancy period is relatively longer, and there have been many doubts during this period. Early in his career, the league generally believed that this slightly joyful player would not stay on the NBA for long. But in fact, VanVleet has been refreshing the league's perception of him.
On the stage of the 2019 Finals, it was the glory that belonged to Leonard, and it was also the highlight moment of VanVleet. It was from that moment on that wall of honor that belonged to the failed draft was added the honor of the champion player. Sometimes, victory may seem easy, almost within reach, but when you reach out, you find that the distance is not a star and a half. Having won his first championship ring of his career, VanVleet became the first player to call "Van Jordan" a positive word.
Not only did Van Jordan have a championship, but he also received a four-year contract worth $84 million, and now he has even been crowned an All-Star. Some people say that Van Jordan is the ceiling of the losing draft counterattack! But in fact, the NBA history of the story of the losing draft counterattack is not few, and the most impressive player is the 96 golden generation of the lost draft, Ben Wallace. In terms of individual honors, Ben Wallace, who played the fifth position, has a championship ring, 1 regular season block king, 2 regular season rebounding kings, 4 all-stars, 4 best defensive players, 5 times the best team and 6 times the best defensive team.
There is no doubt that the two are not comparable at this stage, and VanVleet still has a lot to improve. Yes, this lost draft has also been moving towards a higher and farther goal. This season, Van Jordan's average playing time has reached 38.4 minutes per game, once sitting on the league's number one throne. Moreover, he can maintain an efficient output on the outside. According to statistics, Van Jordan's total three-point shooting this season has reached 201, and the entire league is second only to the historical three-point king Curry. Maintaining extremely high playing time and extremely efficient three-point output, Van Jordan can indeed be a role model for other failed drafts.