Sports Weekly All Media Reporter Ji Mengnian
Guard Hugo Besson from France became the last lucky person in this draft. He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 60th overall pick in the second round. At this point, the 2022 NBA draft has come to an end.
No. 1 pick Jabari Smith was eventually selected with the third overall pick, and when Silver called his name, the Auburn wing couldn’t hide his disappointment. Hardy, who was invited to the Little Green House, was not selected until the second round. Many people called the former five-star high school student the loneliest player on the draft night. However, a large number of players who were very ambitious and hoped to knock on the door of the NBA were not selected this night. Zeng Fanbo from China was one of them.
In an interview before, he once said: “The three words NBA are my dream, and my dream is to play in the NBA, no matter which team I play for.” Xiao Zeng’s mentality is not about losing the draft day. Not expected. But when all of this really happened, he would still be a little disappointed in his heart. From the stands of Barclays Center to the center of the draft conference stage, the straight line distance is only a few dozen meters, so close yet so far.
Zeng Fanbo regrets losing in the draft
A year ago, Zeng Fanbo decided to join the G-League Ignite Team in the hope of being favored by NBA teams in this year’s draft.
However, Zeng Fanbo’s development in the past year has not been particularly smooth. First of all, the overall positioning of the Ignite team is a bit embarrassing, and the development of the players in the team has been affected to varying degrees. Although Dyson Daniels was selected with the eighth overall pick in the first round, most of the team’s draft picks have slipped from a year ago. Secondly, injuries also had an impact on Zeng Fanbo’s development. In the Ignite team, he played a total of 9 games, only contributed 3.8 points and 1.4 rebounds, and the shooting percentage was also only 36.4%.
At the end of the season, Zeng Fanbo actually gradually found the feeling, but it was somewhat too late. At that stage, Zeng Fanbo’s draft rankings were all around the top 100, and there was basically no possibility of being selected. However, Zeng Fanbo and his team did not give up. In the past two months, he has been conducting personal training and participated in many team trials. It is understood that Zeng Fanbo has focused on improving his confrontation ability and shooting stability in the past few days. According to his team, Zeng Fanbo’s net muscle increased by 12.7 pounds and his body fat content dropped by 4.5%. In the trial training organized by the brokerage company, he once made 18 consecutive attempts from beyond the three-point line, which left a deep impression on the scouts present.
When Zeng Fanbo was interviewed, he was also trying to “sell” himself. “As a shooter, I’m a good shooter, and I can play the space 4,” he said. “I’m willing to do everything I can on the court, I can defend, and I can switch all five positions on the pick-and-roll. There’s nothing I can’t do in a game.”
In terms of personal characteristics, Zeng Fanbo is indeed more in line with the current direction of basketball development. However, NBA scouts will have the following questions: Can Zeng Fanbo, who is not stable in three-point shooting in the G League, can shoot stable three-pointers in the NBA? Zeng Fanbo, who is not particularly good at the level of confrontation in the G League, can he adapt to the confrontation environment there in the NBA? Also, can Zeng Fanbo be able to switch defenses in NBA games?
Judging from the results of the final draft, Zeng Fanbo’s performance in igniting the team and his performance in the trial training phase have never been able to impress the decision-makers at the draft level of each team. Although the overall level of this year’s NBA draft is not high, and in the past few years, teams have become more and more bold in the use of second-round picks. But in the end, no team was willing to give Zeng Fanbo a chance. This ending is regrettable, but it seems reasonable.
With the help of summer league to go to the NBA?
Being selected in the draft doesn’t mean getting on the NBA stage. In 2016, Zeng Fanbo’s predecessor Wang Zhelin was selected by the Grizzlies, but until now the king has never played even a minute in the NBA. Likewise, not being drafted doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll miss out on the NBA. Japanese player Yuta Watanabe was also unsuccessful in that year, but now he has played nearly 1,500 minutes in the NBA.
For Zeng Fanbo, the road to the NBA is not limited to the draft. Being selected today is a surprise to Zeng Fanbo, and losing the election is a more probable event. What’s more, there are many other talented players who are also not favored in the draft. For example, Marquette forward Justin Lewis, Georgetown guard Aminu Mohamed, Purdue University’s Trevian Williams and so on. These players will not give up their NBA dreams, but will choose to open the door of the NBA through other channels.
Zeng Fanbo’s teammate Michael Foster Jr. on the Ignite team was also unselected in this year’s draft. He has reached an agreement with the 76ers, and there is a high probability that he will represent the 76ers in the summer league. It is understood that Zeng Fanbo will also appear on the stage of the summer league without any accident. At that time, he has the opportunity to compete with the players selected in this year’s draft. During the special training in the past, Zeng Fanbo had put in a lot of effort, and sometimes he was so tired that he retched. Next, if Zeng Fanbo plays in the summer league, there will be the best stage for him to show his special training results.
In fact, from the perspective of Zeng Fanbo’s personal technical characteristics, he is indeed very in line with the current development trend of basketball. However, his performance in the G League in the trial session was still unable to convince the scouts of various teams. If Xiao Zeng wants to change the impression of various scouts through the summer league, he must show a stable enough three-point shooting rate, show his improved confrontation ability, and now the league teams are more and more valued defensive ability. If these three points can be achieved, Zeng Fanbo is likely to receive a call from an NBA team.
It is worth mentioning that the Beijing Shougang Men’s Basketball Team expressed its support for the young player as soon as Zeng Fanbo was defeated. It is reported that as long as Zeng Fanbo has the conditions and possibility to play in the NBA, the Shougang team will fully support him. “As long as he pursues his dream bravely and firmly, the future will shine! For Zeng Fanbo’s basketball dream, Beijing Shougang Basketball Club will do its best to provide support to help him achieve more growth and achievements, and let us build up for the next impact together. force!”
