The Players Nobody Wanted

The first scrimmage collapsed. Marcus overdribbled into a trap. Luka threw a backdoor pass to nobody because the cutter stopped. Tyrese fouled three times in four possessions. Jamal cursed after missing a dunk he used to finish in his sleep. Veteran wing Calvin Price rolled his eyes so openly that Dawson stopped practice. "You got something?" Dawson asked. Price bounced the ball once. "Yeah. We traded real players for tryout guys. Somebody should say it." Every head turned toward Daniel. He could have hidden behind the coach. Instead he stepped onto the court. "You were twenty-third in defensive rating last year," Daniel said. "Twenty-seventh after the All-Star break. When Devon Harlan sat, the ball moved and the team defended better.