While Pat Riley was making up his mind, several other teams, the Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, and the Los Angeles Lakers, also became interested.
That block, and the momentum that followed afterward, won them over.
Before this, they were worried: Snoopy came from a wealthy family, was a top student from the Anderson School of Business, and also played music. They feared that he might be soft on the court, lacking fire in key moments.
But now, all of those doubts were gone, tossed straight into the trash.
What Snoopy had shown just now wasn't only passion. It was toughness.
Fortunately, he wasn't always like this. If he maintained that level of intensity all the time, these teams would actually hesitate to draft him.
Passion and toughness are double-edged swords. On one hand, they boost team morale; on the other, they can also drag a team into disaster.
Just like… Indiana three years ago.
If that team had been just a little calmer, perhaps the championship that year would've been theirs, and Reggie Miller wouldn't have retired with regret.
But with Snoopy, there was no need to worry about that.
By the time he reached the frontcourt, he was already calm again, positioning himself at the free-throw line before receiving Derrick Rose's pass. Then he used a strange yet razor-sharp, scalpel-like drive to cut into the paint. His presence cracked the Black Team's baseline defense. Amid the chaos, bodies stumbling everywhere, Snoopy fired a bounce pass, and Derrick Rose raced in, contorting in midair to draw Thompson's foul.
As Rose stepped to the free-throw line, the Black Team quickly subbed out James White and hurriedly brought the trainer to check his injury.
After a preliminary exam, it didn't seem serious.
But his camp and the combine staff no longer allowed him to return. After declaring for the draft, he was no longer an Indiana University student, and the school no longer provided insurance. If he got injured now, not only would his draft stock fall, he would also have to pay the medical bills himself.
This is one of the reasons past combines avoided organizing full-contact scrimmages.
With James White sidelined, the rest of the Black Team players also began to feel uneasy.
No one wanted to get hurt in a combine scrimmage because of a single block.
Even JaVale McGee, who three days ago was the hottest name in the gym, backed down. He abandoned his idea of forcing a dunk over Snoopy.
And once the Black Team stopped attacking the paint, all they had left was perimeter shooting.
But now… the Red Team had subbed Russell Westbrook back in, along with Serge Ibaka.
Together, they formed a vicious, tough defensive unit.
Under their mad-dog defensive pressure, the Black Team's outside shots gradually dried up.
Michael Beasley could still score at will from mid-range, but one player's impact was always limited.
On offense, even though the Black Team used the famous "Jordan Rules", it didn't matter.
Because Snoopy was controlling the ball.
He began orchestrating from the free-throw line, repeatedly launching surgical precision drives.
Against his quick, stuttering footwork, their big men couldn't keep up.
And when they switched a guard onto him, he would immediately dish to Derrick Rose or Westbrook, letting the two of them exploit the Black Team's defensive mismatches.
The balance of the game slowly tipped toward the Red Team.
Finally, when the referee blew the whistle,
56–53
The Red Team had won.
In this 20-minute scrimmage, Snoopy posted an all-around stat line:
4 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks, 1 steal.
"He's the MVP of this game."
Dwyane Wade said bluntly as soon as the whistle sounded.
"And he really does have point-guard talent. His passing vision and ability are better than both of the Red Team's actual point guards."
Pat Riley nodded repeatedly.
"I still don't buy it."
The Bulls' general manager suddenly raised his voice.
"This game changed the moment Snoopy flipped James White like a wild beast. After that, nobody wanted to risk injury by driving into the paint. That's the real reason the Black Team fell apart. And in the NBA, you'll almost never see a game like that."
He turned to the Nets' GM, Kiki Vandeweghe, and said:
"My advice , don't waste a valuable first-round pick. Let go of this foolish idea."
Pat Riley shook his head dismissively. Yes, the block shifted the game. Yes, the Black Team avoided the paint out of fear.
But wasn't that because Snoopy's defensive intimidation was that strong?
And the way he orchestrated from the free-throw line afterward, those chains of drives and kick-outs, that was the key to the Red Team's comeback win.
He was about to argue… but then suddenly changed course and quickly added:
"Right, right, you're absolutely right. Snoopy is still too raw. He's too short against big men, and not skilled enough against perimeter players. In the NBA, those strong seven-footers won't let him block shots or grab rebounds so easily. And at the free-throw line, he'll face elite wing defenders jumping him from all angles."
"I don't like his NBA prospects."
Riley declared loudly.
As soon as he finished, the Mavericks' GM Donnie Nelson added:
"These two scrimmages had very low competitive value , not good for evaluation. Drafting players should be done using NBA-level metrics. Kiki, if I were you, I'd only consider him late first round or second round."
Nelson was also trying to persuade Vandeweghe. They were on good terms.
Just moments earlier, when the game ended, Vandeweghe had clapped enthusiastically, declaring:
"I'm definitely drafting Snoopy."
He held the 10th pick.
But right after he said that, friendly voices from Chicago, Miami, and Dallas all jumped in, telling him not to be impulsive and to think realistically.
Vandeweghe paused, they had a point. If so many people were saying it, there must be some truth to it.
He decided to wait and reassess. The draft was serious business, it shaped the future of a franchise.
He couldn't make a decision on emotion alone. He needed to see how other teams reacted, then return to the team and compare analytics models.
Then he noticed: only the Celtics, Lakers, and Spurs GMs stepped forward to talk to Snoopy and extend workout invitations.
Seeing that, he quickly dismissed his earlier impulse.
It seemed that only strong playoff teams would want a role player with such a distinctive style.
But the New Jersey Nets needed a foundational center for the future. After thinking it through, Kevin Love and Brook Lopez still made more sense.
Vandeweghe stood up and strode toward Kevin Love.