The Red Team had defeated the White Team, and next they would face Michael Beasley's Black Team.
Before the game began, both sides were given a 30-minute rest period, a schedule clearly more favorable to the victorious Red Team.
During this time, many general managers left the stands to seek out the White Team players they were interested in, hoping to discuss upcoming workout arrangements.
Regarding workouts, there were actually two types:
One was a private mini-workout conducted within the training camp. The other was an invitation to the team's home city for an individual workout.
Every player on the White Team received workout invitations, with O.J. Mayo receiving the most.
But to his disappointment, the Bulls' and Heat's general managers, the two he cared about most, never approached him. This forced him to choose from other top-six-pick teams, plus major markets like New York and Los Angeles.
On the surface, the defeated White Team players didn't seem to have lost anything.
But in reality, their draft stock was already quietly falling. And the main cause of this problem was: Snoopy.
Snoopy's projected draft position was hovering around #20. His outstanding performance in the game made every team interested in him, it looked like anyone picking in that range had a chance. But now, it would all depend on who was willing to give him the highest pick.
The thirty-minute rest passed quickly.
The Red Team and Black Team returned to the court.
Snoopy did not start; he gave the spot to Ibaka. Ibaka was a player under his agency, and he hadn't had many chances to showcase himself in the previous game, so this round should let him display more.
The Red Team's five starters:
Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Joe Crawford, Ibaka, Kevin Love.
The Black Team's five starters:
Mario Chalmers, Courtney Lee, Ryan Anderson, Gallinari, and JaVale McGee.
The starting lists stunned the general managers on the sidelines:
Neither Snoopy nor Michael Beasley were starting? What were they doing?
Snoopy was surprised as well, he hadn't expected Beasley to willingly step aside.
What surprised him even more was that the Black Team, without Beasley, played extremely smoothly despite not having overwhelming talent.
But they had distinct strengths: Except for McGee, all four other players were threats from beyond the arc. Gallinari and Ryan Anderson were nearly seven-foot sharpshooters. Courtney Lee showed excellent off-ball cutting and catch-and-shoot ability. As for McGee, his height, wingspan, and explosive athleticism gave him a huge advantage crashing the offensive glass.
And Mario Chalmers, the Kansas Jayhawks' starting point guard, although not exceptionally athletic nor flashy, was steady. His game was orthodox. Give him the right teammates, and he could perform the basic duties of a point guard.
And now, the Black Team had given him three shooters and a mobile center.
So Chalmers' orchestration looked effortless, and under his steady control, the Black Team actually produced a fully coherent offensive system.
In contrast, the Red Team had far greater individual talent. Rose, Westbrook, and Love all possessed top-five pick ability.
But the problem was…
The two elite point guards overlapped too much in playstyle, restricting each other.
And except for Kevin Love, the Red Team had no reliable shooters. The drives and kick-outs of the two guards constantly fizzled.
This caused their efficiency to drop, and once efficiency dropped…
Westbrook couldn't help himself, the reckless plays began to surface. His poor shot selection came out almost automatically.
As a result, the Black Team gradually stretched the lead.
When the game reached the 9-minute mark:
29–20.
The Black Team was already up by nine.
Snoopy stood and called timeout, the game couldn't continue like this.
"The Black Team is too strong," Bulls GM Gar Forman sighed.
"Rose and Westbrook just don't make good shooting decisions, and neither of them can consistently initiate offense from the high post."
Coming from the GM holding the No. 1 pick, this immediately sparked speculation: Was he planning to choose Michael Beasley? Or… was he considering trading the pick?
Pat Riley also raised his eyebrows. In his view, Forman was likely already committed to drafting Derrick Rose.
After all, Rose was a Chicago native, and he had zero negative press. Beasley, on the other hand… he looked like trouble.
But if the Bulls drafted Rose, then Riley would have no choice but to select Beasley.
Yet Beasley overlapped with Shawn Marion's role, and with another undersized power forward, Haslem…
If he also drafted Snoopy…
Riley hesitated.
He hoped the Bulls would draft Beasley, allowing him to take Rose, then trade into the top ten for Snoopy.
That would be the perfect scenario.
But if the Bulls really were determined to take Rose…
Should he choose Westbrook instead?
Riley frowned. Compared with Rose, Westbrook's physical tools were just as good, his defense was better, and his competitive fire stronger. But in ball-handling decisions and outside shooting, Rose had the edge. Though both played as combo guards, Rose was more of a "true point guard."
Riley felt torn.
Meanwhile, Snoopy was furious on the bench.
"Russell, you need to sit."
He told Westbrook bluntly, "If you keep playing like this, your draft stock will plummet. No team wants a point guard who ignores the system and just charges blindly."
Westbrook looked unwilling, but he finally obeyed and sat.
The Red Team subbed out Westbrook and Ibaka, bringing in Snoopy and Donte Greene.
Tweet!
The whistle blew. The game resumed.
When both sides walked back onto the court, the crowd erupted in applause and cheers.
Because Michael Beasley had entered the game as well.
This was what everyone had been waiting for: Derrick Rose vs. Michael Beasley. They never met in the NCAA, and now the duel for the No. 1 pick was finally about to begin.
In the noise of cheers, Snoopy glanced at the approaching Beasley and thought:
You all want to see me block him that badly?
He clearly misunderstood.
He clenched his fist.
"I'll make sure to give it everything I've got."