After a few casual words with Sean, Chen Yilun walked toward the spectator section. The scouts sitting there immediately stood up and gave him the best seat.
They were among the league's lowest-ranking staff, and top executives like Chen Yilun were exactly the kind of people they needed to curry favor with.
After briefly humoring a few Front office staff who came over to flatter him, Chen Yilun sat down and started fiddling with his phone.
With his aloof demeanor, no one else dared approach him.
Chen Yilun's presence had already drawn every eye in the arena.
"Who do you think Chen Yilun came here to watch?"
A few Front office staff huddled together, whispering.
"No idea. I just messaged the boss. He told us to record the game—and to assign someone to keep tabs on Chen Yilun. See which player catches his attention."
This had been just another meaningless scrimmage. Many team managers had only sent subordinates to check it out casually.
But word of Chen Yilun's presence sent shockwaves through the gym, suddenly drawing the attention of every GM.
"You absolutely must play your best today!" an agent on the sideline clutched his player's arm, repeating the warning again and again.
"This isn't just any scrimmage anymore! With Chen Yilun here, the spotlight is completely different! If you play well enough for the higher-ups to notice, your chance will come."
"I know, I'll give it everything I've got."
The game tipped off. Chen Yilun rose from his seat and stepped to the railing, watching the players on the court.
The other Front office officials tried to focus on the game as well, but plenty of eyes still drifted back toward Chen Yilun.
These scrimmages usually had just one scorekeeper and two referees. They played both halves and called it a day.
Chen Yilun studied the action.
Since the teams were thrown together at the last minute, there was no tactical coordination. Every player was fighting for the slim chance of one or two spots.
Nobody was being polite—it was all isolation plays.
Cliff Alexander powered his way inside, backed down his defender, and finished with a hook shot.
No wonder he was once the top high school player in the country—he still had real ability. Chen Yilun gave a small nod.
Cliff Alexander, though listed as a power forward, was only 6'8" barefoot. That height limited his long-term upside, but his biggest asset was a massive wingspan.
So why did someone who once outshone Karl-Anthony Towns and Emmanuel Mudiay end up going undrafted?
The main reason was his style of play.
Alexander was a classic undersized, stocky offensive power forward. If you had to compare, Charles Barkley would come to mind.
That style might have thrived in the David Stern era, but in today's league it was outdated.
Without shooting range, with low offensive efficiency, and undersized for his position—players like him were destined to be left behind.
The kind of player the modern NBA had moved past.
Today, Chen Yilun mainly came to watch two players: TJ McConnell and Tyler Johnson.
TJ wasn't tall, but he was a disciplined system player and a relentless perimeter defender. Careful and precise, he rarely made mistakes on the floor.
Tyler, shaped by the Heat's military-style culture, was a strong-bodied combo guard. A gritty perimeter defender with a reliable mid- and long-range shot. His only real weakness was subpar passing.
As Chen Yilun reflected, TJ caught a pass, faked out the defender, stepped left, and hit the jumper.
Still too short at 6'2".
Watching him, Chen Yilun clicked his tongue. If only he were a bit taller.
Just then, an even shorter figure appeared beside TJ.
"Who's that? This short, and he's playing?" Chen Yilun rubbed his eyes, squinting at the small figure on the court.
He looked familiar. Who was it? Chen Yilun searched his memory until a name popped up.
"Wait—Fred VanVleet?"
VanVleet didn't notice Chen Yilun's gaze, his eyes locked on TJ.
That wasn't right. Wasn't VanVleet supposed to declare for the draft next year, go undrafted, and then get picked up by the Raptors? Why was he here already?
Thinking it over, Chen Yilun made sense of it.
VanVleet had entered college in 2012 and was now a senior. Already an older rookie, he was probably worried about his draft stock next summer and came early to get his name out there.
Chen Yilun pulled out his phone and quickly jotted a note.
After all, VanVleet was going to be a notable overlooked prospect in next year's draft. Better to mark it down now before things got busy.
That simple note-taking had scouts wishing they could peer straight into his phone.
"What's he writing down?"
"How should I know? All I saw was him suddenly smile and start taking notes. He hasn't taken his eyes off the court."
"No doubt he's one of the league's top executives. His level is way above ours—you can't read him at all."
"He's not even 30 yet. How can he be this good? Comparing ourselves to him is just depressing!"
Chen Yilun, of course, had no idea that such a casual gesture was leaving so many people baffled.
After the game, he packed up his things and got ready to leave.
"Better grab dinner before heading home. Any good restaurants around here?" he muttered, briefcase in hand, as he walked.
"Chen! How did things look today?" An agent suddenly blocked his path.
Looking closely, Chen Yilun recognized him—it was probably Alexander's agent.
"Alexander had 18 points and 9 rebounds today. Any chance you'd let him get a tryout with the Kings?"
Chen Yilun was about to refuse, but then noticed several scouts by the exit huddled in conversation. Their eyes kept darting toward him.
It hit him—they were probably waiting to intercept him.
At that thought, Chen Yilun smirked knowingly.
"Of course. Alexander's potential is intriguing. And since my flight isn't for a few hours, why don't we grab dinner and talk it over?"
"That's fantastic!"
The agent's eyes lit up. "I know a great Italian place nearby. Please, let me treat you."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser