Chapter 610: The Big Four

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Dai Li ended the meeting awkwardly.

If he had a strong understanding of basketball, he might be able to convince the staff of his logic and, at the same time, make them think that their head coach was amazing!

His understanding of basketball, however, was worse than his a.s.sistant coach’s. The only thing he could do was remain thick-skinned and insist his decision was right.

He was the head coach. Everyone had to do as he said in order to make a living. Dai Li had decided to make unreasonable demands. The others couldn’t do anything to stop him.

Dai Li chose to speak with Raymond after the meeting. The two-time scoring leader had not yet returned to his prime. He had an average score of 12 points per game, barely enough to qualify him as a starting lineup. There was still a huge gap between the Raymond now and the superstar Raymond of the past.

Dai Li hoped Raymond recovered as soon as possible. The Clippers were using the tactic of sending out stars. Since the Big Three was not enough, he wanted a Big Four!

…

“How have you been you feeling recently? Your back isn’t hurting again, is it?” Dai Li walked towards Raymond with a smile on his face.

“No. My back feels great. There hasn’t been any pain since I came to Los Angeles!” Raymond replied.

“What about your waist? Any pain there?”

Raymond shook his head, “There are no problems with my waist. I played four games last week and I don’t have any backaches.”

“What about your knees?” Dai Li asked.

Raymond patted his knees, “The knees are also good. The last time they felt this good was my rookie season!”

“Wrists? Ankles? Ligaments? No problem with those?” Dai Li asked again.

“All doing great,” Raymond answer honestly.

“That’s good,” Dai Li said. It seemed that the athlete patch was working well. It had patched up all of Raymond’s old injuries.

Raymond, who was sitting opposite Dai Li, asked, “Coach Li, I am disappointing you, aren’t I?”

“Why would you say that?” Dai Li answered, surprised.

“Wood was badly hurt, both of the menisci in Hall’s knees were removed, but both of them have regained their prime. I haven’t. My body feels great, but I can’t play like I did when I was young. I guessed you’re disappointed,” Raymond said in a very low voice.

“Why would I think that? It is great that you are able to play on the court again,” Dai Li smiled comfortably.

Dai Li, however, did feel a bit disappointed with Raymond. Among the stars recruited by the Clippers this season, Raymond had been the most famous, the strongest, and the oldest superstar but, so far, he provided a satisfactory result.

Raymond knew that Dai Li was comforting him. He sighed. “It seems that I am still old! If I were a young man, I would be in such a good physical condition. I’d be able to score 50 or 60 points per game.”

Dai Li realized that he had completely overlooked the problem with Raymond’s age.

Raymond was at the “old” age of 30. He was in the second half of his career. Because he had been plagued by injuries and had been constantly absent from the court, it had been hard for him to maintain his standard.

Players who struggled on the frontline, even those who were not in the starting lineup, normally had enough playtime to maintain their standards. Their body was always ready to play. Even if the player was 35 years old, he was still able to perform well.

Some players were good at maintaining their bodies. They spent a lot of money on their bodies every year. They also had a strict self-disciplined lifestyle. Sometimes, it wasn’t a problem for someone to keep playing into their forties.

I should use another age-reduction card on Raymond. There are five months left in the regular season and two months of the playoffs. In total, there are seven months left in this season. With the age-reducing card, Raymond’s age would be reduced by six and he’d become 28 years old, Dai Li thought to himself.

For a basketball player, the body of a 28-year-old was not as good as the body of a 24 or 25-year-old, but it was definitely still physically fit. Although at that age one wasn’t able to move around like someone in his early twenties, the body still served in physical confrontations. It didn’t affect the players’ ability to make difficult technical moves.

…

After the five-game losing streak, the Clippers flew to Houston to challenge the Rockets as the away team.

The Rockets were currently ranked first in the Western Conference. This showed the Rockets’ extraordinary strength. The Rockets had already won eight consecutive victories at home.

Any team facing the Rockets was expected to lose. With the Clippers’ current strength, it was very likely that they would lose as well.

The Clippers’ strategy was to send out star players. Such a team did not fear going one-on-one with their opponents, but they did fear facing a team that had very thought-out tactics, especially one that also had superstars. It was hard to defend against a superstar in a one-on-one situation. A superstar playing with a decent strategy was impossible to defend.

Dai Li felt that it would be difficult for the Clippers, in their current state, to defeat the Rockets. They might have a chance if the Clippers were doing exceptionally well and the Rockets were doing poorly, but they needed to get lucky.

Dai Li used the Prophecy Request Box before the game started. He only drew an average lot. It didn’t help much since the difference between the Clippers and the Rockets was huge.

Dai Li used the “Evenly Matched” t.i.tle before the game started. His idea was simple. This was a difficult game to win anyway. It was better to rely on the effect of “Evenly Matched” t.i.tle. If they could play a few overtimes, they might have a chance to steal away the victory.

In terms of defense, both teams made sure to have someone to defend against pick-and-roll attacks. The Rockets’ center was fast and the Clippers’ center, Gray, was faster than the Rockets’ center. Neither of them was at a disadvantage guarding against pick-and-rolls. With the development of basketball, a defense-oriented strategy was less effective. Unlike ten years ago, the best way to win was to adopt an offense-oriented tactic.

The Clippers’ offense relied mainly on the individual abilities of the star players. The star players had enough offensive means and a way to put the ball into the basket.

The Rockets’ offense was concentrated in the free-throw lane and outside the three-point line. They didn’t attempt many mid-range shots. They either threw from outside the three-point line or they would move inside the free-throw lane to score.

“The Rockets’ style is indicative of the current trend in the development of basketball!” Dai Li said. “The Rockets’ players inside the three-point line are not strong. The Rockets’ center is weak when it comes to going one-on-one with another player. He also can’t attack from the low post area. He also isn’t very muscular. He scores by getting the rebound. Most of his points come from cutting through the court and getting an a.s.sist. Yet, a decent number of points the Rocket get from the free-throw lane.”

Dai Li pointed to the three-point line as he was speaking, and said, “The three-pointers allow the attackers in the free-throw lane to have more s.p.a.ce. The essence of basketball is a kind of movement that exchanges time difference and s.p.a.ce difference between the offensive and defensive ends. If there aren’t any players who can score three-pointers to scare the opponent, the opponent’s defense will close in on an even smaller area. The s.p.a.ce in the free-throw lane will become smaller. If the player shooting the three-pointers is good, the opponent needs to expand the scope of their defense. The s.p.a.ce in the free-throw area subsequently becomes larger. This way, regardless of whether players outside the three-point line are running outwards, or if the cutters are moving into the free-throw lane, they both create chances for the attackers to score.”

“What you said makes sense.” Ca.s.sel glanced over at Dai Li. Dai Li was a layman, but his increasing knowledge of basketball impressed Ca.s.sel.

“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t come up that a.n.a.lysis. I heard it from someone else. There is this 70-year-old man in my country. He was a basketball player when he was young. He worked as a basketball coach after he stopped playing. He now mainly works as a basketball commentator. He always said that one needs to be logical when playing basketball. According to him, the three-point tactic is a logical way to play,” Dai Li explained.

Ca.s.sel nodded and then pointed to the scoreboard. “I am even more impressed by your cheerfulness in this situation.”

The game had entered the fourth quarter. The scores between the two teams were very close. The gap in score stayed within three or five points.

Naturally, it was a fiercely fought game. The atmosphere was filled with pa.s.sion. The stadium was like a barrel full of explosives. Whenever the home team scored, the explosives ignited and the whole place filled with cheers.

On the Rockets’ bench, the coaching staff and the subst.i.tute players were unable to sit still. They stood up to watch. The head coach even began to personally direct the game. On the Clippers’ side, the players were very excited. Dai Li, on the other hand, was as calm as a cat.

Since he had used the “Evenly Matched” t.i.tle, the result was in the hands of G.o.d!

…

At the end of the 48-minute of normal game time, the two sides were both at 105 points. Tieing at their home court what the Rockets wanted.

This was, however, exactly what Dai Li had hoped to see. After the Clippers’ five-game losing streak, they needed some good news to revitalize themselves. Reaching overtime against the best team in the Western Conference was what they needed.

The teams relied on their star players during overtime. If a star player could take on the responsibility of scoring in those five minutes, the team had a much better chance. During overtime, star players were extremely important. Overtime was basically was a stage for star players to perform.

The Rockets were not lacking in star players. James Harden, “The Beard,” was the current best shooting guard in the NBA. He was also a regular season MVP. If the NBA picked five of its strongest players, among the active players, he would definitely be one of them.

Although the Clippers also had stars, they were a bit weaker than James Harden, a regular season MVP.

Dai Li had another idea. He turned to Raymond.

This may be an opportunity for him. Dai Li called Raymond to him.

“You will be attacking during overtime,” Dai Li said.

Raymond gave him a blank stare. He did not expect such a decision.

In the Clippers’ lineup, Wood and Hall had the ability to bring the game to an end. Wood used to be a regular season MVP. He lacked no experience in buzzer beaters. Hall was famous for being a stable player. He was able to keep calm even during the tensest times. He once made a buzzer-beater with only 0.8 seconds left on the clock in the playoffs. They were the ones who should act as the key players during overtime, not Raymond. He wasn’t even able to play as he had at his prime yet.

“Why me?” Raymond asked subconsciously.

“Because they have the best shooting guard.” Dai Li patted Raymond’s shoulder and said, “Only the best shooting guard can deal with the best shooting guard!”

Raymond was stunned. Being called the best shooting guard felt familiar, but it also felt a bit distant.

In his prime, Raymond was the best shooting guard in the NBA!

Dai Li used the age-reduction card to make Raymond’s body six years younger.

“Go. You probably don’t want to lose to your own junior!” Dai Li pushed Raymond onto the court and then took a look at the “The Beard” from the Rockets.

“The best shooting guard from ten years ago against the current best shooting guard? Who is stronger? I am looking forward to finding out!”

…

As Raymond stood on the court, his mind was blank.

The Rockets were not strangers to him. Raymond had played with them for many seasons. After retiring, he had even settled in Houston. On weekdays, he went to the Toyota Center to watch the Rockets’ home games. He even went to the Rockets’ training base and practiced with them once.

As a player who contributed greatly to the Rockets, he was able to enjoy such privileges. Raymond was therefore familiar with the Rockets coaching staff and players.

Raymond knew that the person opposite him, “The Beard,” was really good. Raymond acknowledged his t.i.tle as the current best shooting guard. In Raymond’s mind, “The Beard” was most likely no weaker than he had been in his prime. Perhaps, when they met each other on the court, he would learn that “The Beard” was much better than him.

After the ball in play, it arrived in Raymond’s hand. The Clippers’ players were firmly implementing Dai Li’s plan and they kept pa.s.sing the ball to Raymond.

James Harden immediately pushed up against him. He was very close to Raymond. He didn’t want Raymond to make a three-pointer.

Let’s try to break through their defense. Raymond made a judgment instinctively. He started to move and began to break through the defense.

Raymond felt his body become lighter. His footsteps had become more agile.

Raymond was shocked. Just by taking a few steps, he reached the free-throw lane.

James Harden’s defense outside the free-throw lane was not good. People said that he only used his eyes to defend.

When the two of them were in the free-throw lane, James Harden’s defense improved significantly. His strong body and excellent lower limb strength allowed him to completely dominate his opponents.

The other defenders from the Rockets came to a.s.sist.

Although the Rockets’ center and power forward were not tall, they were fast. They could switch to defense easily. The Rockets could keep using the defensive switching tactic continuously. They had some of the fastest fills in the NBA.

Both attacking and defending were difficult. Although Raymond made it into the free-throw lane, the Rockets had shrunk the amount of s.p.a.ce he could maneuver in.

Raymond chose to rush forward and head towards the basket.

With the Rockets’ defenders in front of him, Raymond flew into the air. He did a double pump to trick his opponents. With the inertia of his jump, his body flew to the other side of the basket. He immediately turned his body. His back was facing the basket. He lifted up his arms and threw the ball. The ball went straight into the basket.

“Woah!” The audience exclaimed in a loud voice. That was a beautiful layup. Every step was perfect. It was definitely one of the best five baskets this game.

“Raymond can still pull that off at his age!” The commentator couldn’t help but exclaim.

If he had been a young man in his twenties, it wouldn’t have been much of a surprise. It was amazing that Raymond could still make such a basket at his age. It definitely gave people a shock.

Even Raymond himself did not expect to pull off such a difficult move.

Such difficult moves were how Raymond used to get most of his points when he was young. He was not the kind of player who liked to rush to the basket and make the opponents commit a foul in order to get a free-throw. On the contrary, he preferred to use difficult maneuvers to get through the opponent’s defense and get into high-intensity confrontations in order to score.

Perhaps this was why his body was full of injuries. After all, battling it out with the players inside the three-point line was damaging to one’s body.

What I did just now felt the same as what I did when I was younger, Raymond thought.

After the Clippers scored, the Rockets were not going to be outdone. Straight away, James Harden threw a three-pointer two steps outside the three-point line. Then, it was the Clippers turn to attack. The ball was pa.s.sed to Raymond.

The opponents were worried that Raymond would break through again this time. That was why they chose to move their defensive line backward. It was to block Raymond’s attacking route.

My body still feels quite relaxed, as if I were younger! Raymond moved around for a while and found that no way to break through the defense easily. He had already found a familiar rhythm for shooting,, however. He stopped immediately and made a jump shot outside the three-point line.

Raymond’s jump shot was his signature move. His jump shots were graceful and beautiful. They made people calm. Anyone who saw his jump shot would enjoy it. A sense of appreciation would be generated in their hearts.

His jump shots were not achieved through technique alone, they also required great physical support. This jump shot required a combination of strong legs, good knee support, and the correct arm movements. Moreover, when shooting, he needed a high point of release, long airtime, and occasionally, he might also need to lean his body backward and have a long hang time. If he was in the state he had been just moments ago, he would still have been able to pull off a jump shot, but it wouldn’t have been perfect. His body’s condition had not been good enough. With the help of the age-reduction card, his body had become six years younger. He was able to pull off the perfect jump shots he used to when he was young.

“Swoos.h.!.+”

The ball was flying through the air. It traveled in an arc and the ball entered the basket.

“A beautiful jump shot!”

“What a nice display!”

“Raymond’s signature jump shot. This is pure art!”

This time, even Dai Li couldn’t help but stand up and applaud Raymond.

Raymond looked at his hands subconsciously. He recalled the jump shot. He was completely surprised, My body has really gotten better!

…

How is this old fart so good! James Harden stared at Raymond with extreme confusion.

Raymond made four consecutive shots, all of which were jump shots outside the three-point line. If one looked at it through pure data alone, this wasn’t out of the ordinary. After all, three-pointers were commonplace in this period of the NBA. There were countless players who had high field goal percentages. Getting consecutive three-pointers had become the norm. Still, Raymond’s jump shot was something that James Harden had never seen before. No one in the NBA could use this method to get points.

These kinds of jump shots happened very suddenly. The suddenness, combined with the control the shooter had in the air and how high up he was in the air, made it almost impossible to be blocked. Interfering with this kind of shot would be difficult.

The high point of release made it so that if the defenders were too close to the shooter, they were at risk of committing a foul and giving the attacker a free-throw. If the shot went in the basket, the attacker would still get the three points, as well as an additional free-throw.

It was no exaggeration to say that this kind of jump shot three-pointers was one of the most difficult things for defenders to deal with. If they were too aggressive, they risked getting a foul. If they were not aggressive enough, they could not interfere with the attackers throw.

The three-pointers were thrown a few meters away from the three-point line. Although they looked cool, in the end, they were still just three points. After all, there was no four-point line in the NBA. In comparison, Raymond’s three-pointers were much riskier to defend against. If the defender didn’t perform well, he might risk fouling. Worst case scenario, the attackers might get four points in total. For the defenders, this was worse than making two mistakes.

More importantly, this kind of jump shot just looked extremely cool! When James Harden was defending, he couldn’t help but stop and admire Raymond’s jump shot. He was so shocked that he let out an audible gasp.

The audience did the same. When Raymond made the jump shot, there was a strange exclamation from the audience. It was as if they were on a roller coaster and it had just started its descent. When the ball went into the basket, there was a sound of rea.s.surance. Some of the audience even cheered.

This was the Toyota Center, the home of the Rockets. Someone cheering for the away team was quite out of the ordinary!

It made sense, however, that there would be cheers for Raymond in the Toyota Center. Raymond used to be the Rockets’ number one star. If he hadn’t made a comeback, he would get his own retired jersey on the Rockets. He still had a fan base here. It was not difficult to get cheers and the support of the old fans when he made his signature jump shot.

…

On the Clippers’ bench, Dai Li looked at the court and the reaction of the audience. He smiled.

“Coach, Raymond changed into a different person. That jump shot was perfect!” Ca.s.sel was also amazed.

“Do you remember what I said before in the meeting? We don’t have enough stars.” Dai Li pointed to Raymond on the court and said, “We now have the Big Four!”