"Bagley, huh? He really is a gifted one."
Chen Yilun said, covering his mouth.
There was no denying how dominant Bagley looked at this stage: 2.11 meters tall, a 2.15-meter wingspan, small-forward-level speed, sharp rebounding instincts, and a smooth mid-range jumper.
From freshman to senior year, he led his high school team to three straight Texas state championships.
Back then, Bagley was considered the number-one high school player in the entire country.
After joining Duke, he continued to showcase overwhelming dominance in the paint, going head-to-head with Arizona's other superstar big man, Deandre Ayton—they were evenly matched and pushed each other to peak form.
With a résumé like that, almost everyone believed Bagley would carve out a place for himself in the NBA.
And yet, once he entered the league, he kept struggling.
Many people later blamed Bagley's downfall on the Kings' chaotic front office.
But in reality, during his four years in Sacramento, the entire organization gave this young prodigy plenty of time and opportunity to develop. They even reduced De'Aaron Fox's shot attempts just to free up touches for Bagley.
Later, when he joined the Pistons, their management also tried hard to develop him, hoping to strike gold.
Even under all those supportive conditions, Bagley still never broke out. In the end, it was his own issue.
But if you actually look at his career numbers, they're not terrible.
Averaging double-digit points and around 7–8 rebounds—Bagley is a perfectly fine role player. It's just that his brilliant high school and college years, combined with being the No. 2 pick, created sky-high expectations.
"Not bad at all."
Watching Bagley flying around the court, Chen Yilun nodded with approval.
If he didn't have his god's eyes, even he would be tempted.
"And that one."
Coach K pointed at a tall player shooting on the other side of the court. "Another freshman this year—Wendell Carter. Excellent lateral mobility, huge help-defense range, and a reliable mid-to-long-range jumper. He fits the small-ball era perfectly at the five."
"That one is a newcomer too—Gary Trent. He can handle, he can facilitate, and he's a steady three-point shooter. Draft him and you've got a high-quality perimeter marksman."
Listening to Coach K's introductions, Chen Yilun felt dazzled.
If all these players were really as amazing as he described, this lineup would practically be championship-ready!
But knowing exactly what kind of person Coach K was, Chen Yilun just laughed it off and didn't respond.
His own casual mentor, Calipari, though strict and temperamental, did one thing exceptionally well—he genuinely developed every kid under him. He spotted weaknesses early and worked to correct them, even if doing so hurt a player's draft stock.
Calipari still did it anyway, because that was how you maximized a player's long-term NBA longevity.
Coach K, however, operated differently. He preferred to amplify strengths and hide weaknesses, maximizing a player's standout traits while carefully covering up flaws.
This approach helped ensure his players made it into the NBA, but if their issues surfaced later and they couldn't adjust, they often faded out once their rookie contracts ended.
Under these two completely different development systems, Duke produced nearly double the number of first-round picks compared to Kentucky over the past decade—but Kentucky still had the higher success rate.
That's why there was always a saying among high-school prospects:
If you have absolute confidence in your ability, go to the Wildcats (Kentucky). If you want a high draft pick, go to the Blue Devils (Duke).
"I really do want this Bagley."
Chen Yilun blinked and brazenly started talking nonsense.
"Too bad his draft position will be too high. We won't be able to get him."
With the draft picks he held this year—two lottery picks and two late first-rounders—he could secure solid talent. But Bagley was a guaranteed top-three pick under any scenario. There was no chance he'd slip.
Hearing this, Coach K smiled like a man savoring victory.
"He already has a decent mid-range game. If he develops a three-pointer on top of that, paired with his mobility and defensive range… tsk tsk."
Chen Yilun couldn't help sighing.
"That's the blueprint for a modern big man in the small-ball era. What a shame."
"No worries, no worries!"
Coach K quickly tried to console him. "I've still got plenty of excellent players. You'll definitely find someone who fits your draft slots."
Only Coach K could say something like that—and only he had the confidence to believe every one of his players could reach the NBA.
And to be fair, when it came to packaging his players, Coach K really was in a class of his own. Watching the whole way through, Chen Yilun felt like every single guy looked great—each one full of potential.
Even Prince, barely getting started in his front-office role, had his eyes constantly lighting up.
On the way back after the tour, Anjali finally spoke up.
"It really is a top school. Their players are on a whole different level from Alabama's. Boss, should we draft someone from Duke this year?"
"No chance."
Chen Yilun shook his head.
"I'm not picking anyone from Duke this year."
"Huh? Why not?"
Anjali couldn't hide her disappointment. "I thought those rookies looked pretty good."
Why? I can't exactly say my god's eye tells me none of these Duke kids match their projected draft spots.
Chen Yilun paused, then chose his words carefully.
"First off, that Bagley kid isn't someone we need. His whole game relies on having the ball to maximize his strengths. We already have too many ball-handlers fighting for touches. Drafting him would just waste his talent."
"As for the others—guys like Carter and Trent—they look full of potential right now, but once you actually draft them high, you realize a lot of it is just smoke and mirrors. They're really role players."
After he finished, Anjali let out a long "Oh~," as if everything suddenly clicked.
"Boss, you're amazing now—you can read players that accurately?"
Hearing the praise, Chen Yilun scratched his neck awkwardly.
"Beep beep beep!"
Right then, his phone rang at the perfect moment.
"Mike, what's going on? What?!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser