Champion Creed

If you look at Allan Houston's resume from the University of Tennessee, the first line probably reads: "My college head coach father."

Indeed, the head coach of the University of Tennessee was his father, Wade Houston.

As such, Houston got the chance to start in every game in his freshman year.

However, unlike those talents who left NCAA and just waited to be drafted, like handpicked basketball prodigies, despite having his father's support, Allan Houston was quite impressive on his own.

In his freshman year, he averaged 20.3 points per game and shot an astonishing 43.2% from three-point range.

However, the disappointing part was that in the following three years, Allan Houston hardly improved at all.

Throughout his four years in college, whether it was his stats or his playing style, it was as if they were cut from the same mold.

So, even though he was a super scorer at the NCAA level, Houston's stock never entered the top five. After all, at the draft, potential usually carries more value than immediate skill.

But the advantage of a ready-to-play player like Allan Houston is that he's at least not too bad; his ceiling isn't high, but his floor isn't low.

Even if he couldn't become a star scoring guard in the NBA, he would be an above-average one.

Therefore, the Detroit Pistons valued Allan Houston highly.

If they could pick up Allan Houston towards the end of the lottery, it would be a surefire profit, a very safe choice.

The Pistons had already decided to use one of their draft picks on Allan, but Roger's emergence made McKinney waver.

If Roger had Allan Houston's level of readiness to play and also had the potential that Allan Houston lacked, the Pistons would definitely reconsider their best option.

After a simple physical test, the Pistons also conducted technical assessments of the players.

Surprisingly, Roger's catch-and-shoot and contested shooting percentages were on par with Allan Houston's!

From mid-range at five spots, both Roger and Houston scored 20 out of 20 without interference. With interference, Roger scored 18 out of 20, while Houston scored 19 out of 20.

From beyond the three-point line, both of them still made 20 out of 20 without interference, with Roger scoring 16 out of 20 and Houston 15 out of 20 with interference.

Billy McKinney was overjoyed; Allan Houston's shooting skills were considered some of the best in college basketball, yet Roger was not a bit behind!

"Shaq was right, if they'd replaced Anderson with Roger, they might have really made the playoffs this season," laughed McKinney.

Pistons head coach Don Chaney nodded absently, "Just speaking of jump shots, Roger already has NCAA-level standards. But basketball isn't just about jump shots, and I still prefer Allan; after all, his stats were produced in higher-level games."

As a new coach, Don Chaney did not want to openly contradict the general manager.

But he believed that the games would soon speak for themselves.

The game was about to start, and Roger was assigned to the White team, alongside Bobby Hurley, George Lynch, Vin Baker, and the white center Scott Haskin.

Lindsey Hunter, Allan Houston, Doug Edwards, Rodney Rogers and Shawn Bradley made up the Black team.

Looking at the opposing team's frontcourt combo, Roger pursed his lips.

If history couldn't be changed, years later, the two tall men from the Black team would both be paralyzed by car accidents...

Life is indeed unpredictable.

With no substitutes, the 10 men were about to engage in a 28-minute scrimmage.

All the rookies were eager; with the Pistons holding two lottery picks, this meant it was a challenge of 10 for 2.

Everyone wanted to seize this opportunity.

At the start of the game, Shawn Bradley barely had to tip his toes to win the ball over Haskin's head.

The Pistons instantly understood that they had no chance of picking Bradley.

With that kind of overwhelmingly obvious talent, even if Bradley hadn't played well for two years, it would be hard for him to fall out of the top five.

In '82, the Utah Jazz drafted a service station worker who averaged only 1.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in college, and that gas station worker later became one of the best defenders in the NBA in the late '80s and early '90s, nicknamed "The Mammoth," all because he stood at a staggering 224 cm tall.

With such an example before them, Bradley's draft ranking would not drop.

It's like choosing a princess; if you really don't know whom to pick, going with the big one is hardly a loss.

So the Pistons, who are only at the tail end of the lottery this year, should focus on picking guards instead.

McKinney shifted his gaze from Bradley and focused on Roger and Allan Houston.

Let's see what happens!

Lindsey Hunter brought the ball up to the three-point line, Allan Houston feinted a cut inside but actually flared back out and successfully shook off George Lynch's defense.

Hunter, at the very moment of Houston's break, fed the ball over at just the right timing. Although it was their first time playing together, Hunter quickly found Allan Houston's rhythm.

Don Chaney appreciated having an experienced point guard like Hunter, with such a player, the team's offense would never become a mess.

Allan Houston caught the ball and released it, using the shooting form he had crafted meticulously.

Day in and day out, his practice had made him and the basket in perfect sync.

George Lynch did his best, but Allan Houston still gracefully scored the first points of the day.