Emcee: From the amazing Pepsi Center Studios in beautiful downtown Denver, it's the Drafting Game! And now, here's your host, Buck Nugget!
Buck Nugget: Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, and those of you who are neither! This is the Drafting Game, where we introduce one charming General Manager to three dynamic young draftees, and allow them to get to know each other a little better! Will the General Manager find a match? Let's play our game and find out!
Tonight’s General Manager comes to us from the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, and has a reputation for being a bit of a serial drafter… Please welcome Tim Connelly!
Tim Connelly: Thanks for having me, Buck. You're plucky.
Buck Nugget: Tim, tell us a little bit about yourself. Rumor has it you're pretty smooth with the draftees.
Tim Connelly: Well, I like to think it's a combination of study, good fortune, and knowing when to duck, Buck. Aside from that, I love my work, and get to do a fair bit of traveling. I'm just hoping to meet a draftee who's a perfect match, and show him how great an experience Nuggets basketball can be. Maybe take him to dinner. Talk about something long term.
Buck Nugget: Well, Tim, hopefully we can find the draftee who's just right for you! Let's introduce our three bachelo… er, draftees!
First, draftee number one! Hailing from Oklahoma, let's meet Buddy Hield! Tell us a little bit about yourself, Buddy!
Buddy Hield: Hi, Buck. I'm a young shooting guard from the University of Oklahoma, who likes conversation, long-distance target practice, and filling up the bucket. I got the nickname "Buddy" from Bud Bundy, the son in "Married with Children".
Buck Nugget: Really?
Buddy Hield: Really.
Buck Nugget: Wild! Let's say hello to draftee number two, it's Jaylen Brown! Jaylen, give us a little bit of what makes you tick.
Jaylen Brown: I am a small forward from UC Berkeley with a fascination for education, self representation, and trips to the hoop. In my free time, I learn foreign languages and crash the boards.
Buck Nugget: Sounds promising! And finally, last but not least, it's draftee number three, Marquese Chriss! Marquese, introduce yourself, please.
Marquese Chriss: I'm a young power forward who played a year for the Washington Huskies. I'm a fan of taking the big shot, team camaraderie, and blocking a lot of shots. When I'm not playing ball, I spend time with family and friends. I love playing the game.
Buck Nugget: Some great candidates here, eh, Tim? Let's get to your questions!
Tim Connelly: Sure! Draftee number one, Buddy Hield… Tell me more about your offensive style, and what you're looking for in a team.
Buddy Hield: I can fill it up from the outside, shooting nearly 46% from beyond the arc last year. I'm a gym rat and avid learner, so what I don't have yet, I'll work hard to learn. As for a team, what player doesn't want a team they can settle down with beyond a rookie deal?
Tim Connelly: Draftee number two, Jaylen Brown, how about you?
Jaylen Brown: I have found the most efficient method of scoring to be taking the ball directly to the hoop. My shot isn't as consistent as I'd like it to be, but I'm working on it. In the meantime, I get the ball to a spot where it's going down. If I were to describe what I would be looking for in a team, it's communication. I want to learn about everything, including this game. Understanding why I do something is as important to me as doing it.
Tim Connelly: Very interesting. Draftee Three? Marquese Chriss?
Marquese Chriss: I am learning as I go, and my game still grows every single day. I know my shot is improving as I go, and I embrace the big moment. I believe I will be a very good shooter. For my team, I'm looking for trust. Trust between the players and coaches. We function best when we're able to rely on each other that way.
Tim Connelly: A question for each of you. What about the defensive end of the ball? Our second-year coach emphasizes starting our game from our defense.
Buddy Hield: While defense is currently still a weak spot for me, I have improved other aspects of my game over the last four years with dedication and effort. I intend to keep those habits as I focus the rest of my skillset as a pro.
Jaylen Brown: I'm also working on my D, but am a gifted athlete with a huge wingspan who wants to be taught. If defense is what you're teaching, I'm listening.
Marquese Chriss: My height and athleticism have given me the ability to block lot of shots, so I'm already pretty impactful in that sense on the defensive side. I'm still learning the finer points of the game, so I can still use some work on the rest of my defensive game.
Tom Connelly: Thanks, guys. If you were a tree, what kind of a tree would you be?
Buddy Hield: I, uh… ? That's a weird question.
Jaylen Brown: I'm going to have to agree here.
Marquese Chriss: Make that three of us.
Tim Connelly: You all pass the test. Anything else I should know before I make my selection? Why should I choose you?
Buddy Hield: I believe I'm the most mature of the three of us, and have taken the time to improve my game to be able to come in and contribute immediately in an area your team could use the help – stretching the floor.
Jaylen Brown: I can get you more points in the paint, and collapse some of those defensive players in for your outside shooters. I love to engage the things that challenge me.
Marquese Chriss: I've barely gotten started, and I can already help protect the paint for you at an NBA-ready level. Though I'm still working on my scoring, my mechanics are great, and I'm going to figure that part out, and soon.
Tim Connelly: Wow. Great answers all around.
Buck Nugget: So… Tim… Have you made any decisions? How did you do at the Drafting Game? Do you know who it's going to be?
Connelly: Actually, Buck. It's lucky. I do know. I choose…
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