Chapter 113: Are You Going In?

Chapter 125: Is It Time to Go In?

“I—I’m watching the game.”

“Tell him I really gave it everything in New York that day.”

Mu Ran had no idea what that meant, but he agreed anyway. The next basketball game would probably be interesting.

Kobe Bryant, Klay Thompson, a more mature San Antonio Spurs team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, three famous superstars, Hayward, who might lead the Jazz into the sky, and Su Feng, the Nuggets’ seventh pick with his powerful physique—all of them had become the focus of attention.

There were still two months before the new season began. Mu Ran knew that enduring those two months without a basketball game to watch would be difficult.

The new season was drawing near. The training sessions of the stars and their teams had set the entire sports media abuzz, but the most famous of them all was Su Feng. The photographs Murakami had taken of him made Su Feng “collapse” all over again.

His powerful body made everyone’s eyes light up. People even compared Stephen Curry’s physique with Su Feng’s.

“In the coming season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have already reserved the league’s best supporting cast.”

“Let’s fly to the top together!”

“Dynasty basketball! I can’t wait!”

The Cavaliers’ fans had already begun celebrating. Su Feng’s training results that summer were encouraging. In the Finals, he had completely held his own against Curry. After growing stronger over the summer, Su Feng’s ability to finish above the rim would surely improve as well. Cavaliers fans had every reason to believe that Curry’s matchup with Su Feng would be even more difficult this time.

Warriors and Cavaliers supporters began arguing over their teams’ prospects.

“Sacrificing speed and agility? What a waste!”

“Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry can get past that muscle-bound giant in a single step!”

“Is he doing this because his aging body can no longer keep up with the league?”

Once both sides had finished explaining their opinions, an argument was inevitable. It was also proof that the next battle between the two teams had already begun to spread through the media.

Su Feng returned to Dallas in mid-September. Just as Murakami had said, she was stunned when she saw him for the first time. She pinched his arm, then touched his face, as if trying to convince herself that what she was seeing was real.

That night, Vignali experienced the strength of Su Feng’s “new” body. In the past, Su Feng’s excessive hormones had already made him irresistible to Vignali. By the end of the night, the Italian girl had surrendered completely.

Vignali was the first professional athlete to experience Su Feng’s new physical power. Yet barely half a month later, every member of the Cavaliers had felt the strength of his body.

At the end of September, the Cleveland Cavaliers began a month-long preseason training camp, bringing together every old and new teammate, coaches included. For the fans, the new season was only a month away. For the Cavaliers, however, the 2015–16 season had already begun.

On the first day of camp, Carlisle was extremely satisfied with the atmosphere in the Cavaliers’ locker room. The newcomers, including Maje, Lance, and Drone, seemed to have adapted quickly.

Young Lance was a second-generation star, but he had no airs at all and was easygoing. Kawhi Leonard was a famous player in the Spanish league and was always talking to his opponents. He was practically the Spanish version of Draymond Green. Yet after joining the Cavaliers, the Tunisian unexpectedly became obedient. The first thing he did in the locker room was respectfully ask Su Feng for an autograph.

As for Drone, he had accepted the fact that he was getting old. And as for the successor to the great Su Feng, William Adams Miller said he did not mind at all. As a result, there was no negativity from him in the locker room.

The veterans were in good shape too. After spending the summer training with Su Feng, the progress of Kobe Bryant and Mark was visible to the naked eye. Kobe Bryant, William Adams Miller, Michael Jefferson Allen, Bazemore, and William Adams Miller were all in excellent condition and had scored ten baskets.

William Adams Miller, Kawhi Leonard, Casillas, and Barea were carrying extra weight, but they all said they would catch up with the team as quickly as possible.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had officially begun preparing for their third consecutive championship amid laughter and cheer.

Steve Kawhi Leonard’s participation in training camp brought many new exercises to the team, making the sessions feel fresh. One of the most popular drills was a ten-second, one-handed one-on-one exercise.

All the perimeter players had to take turns attacking and defending in one-on-one situations. The attacker had to score within ten seconds, and once the possession ended, the player who had just attacked would not give his opponent another ten seconds to attack immediately.

Su Feng let out a relieved laugh. The child seemed to have heard him.

“It’s nothing. If you go to Denver, give that kid a message for me.”

The one-on-one drill was common in preseason camps and was a very basic exercise.

But Kawhi Leonard imposed a ten-second limit on every possession, and each player was allowed to dribble only once. This greatly improved their ability to score while being challenged and disrupted.

Everyone had to battle through the entire rotation. When a teammate was on offense, whether he scored or not, he stayed on the court to challenge the next opponent. The round ended only after every perimeter player had taken his turn.

The purpose of the drill was simple and clear. Kawhi Leonard wanted to train his teammates to score under a series of continuous one-on-one challenges.

In the new season, whether the Cavaliers used their traditional lineup or went big or small, their relatively unchanged rotation would inevitably become a target for opponents. Once an opponent prepared specifically to stop their interior scoring, the key to breaking the deadlock would be whether the Cavaliers’ players could score effectively in one-on-one situations.

Although the Cavaliers already had four big men, they had eleven perimeter players. Carlisle and Cuban believed that, in this era, a deep roster required a strong reserve unit. The depth of a team’s perimeter players represented the depth of the entire roster.

Eleven players, each taking ten offensive possessions, had to complete ten rounds apiece. Ten rounds of one-on-one play were exhausting enough, even with each possession lasting only ten seconds.

The first player up was Deron. He played beautifully during the opening possessions, but four years later, his stamina was clearly no longer what it had been. Eventually, he could not even hit the rim and finished with only five baskets.

After watching Drone’s performance, Kawhi Leonard quietly gave Carlisle a thumbs-up.

“Drone’s condition still seems excellent. He scored more than I expected.”

The second player was William Adams Miller. He made only three baskets in ten possessions and performed poorly. The older William Adams Miller became, the more obvious his decline was.

Still, Kawhi Leonard and Carlisle did not believe that William Adams Miller had fallen off completely. After a month of training, the “Lightning Swordsman” would surely shine again.

Kobe Bryant scored six baskets, exceeding most people’s expectations. Even with only one dribble allowed, Kobe could use his body to create space for his hands. As long as he was not pretending to be dead, he was still the “Little AI” of old.

After that, most players scored three or four baskets. Considering that this was their first competitive practice after the holiday, the results were not bad.

There were exceptions, of course, such as Michael Jefferson Allen. He failed to score even once in ten possessions, which left him extremely embarrassed. But on defense, Michael Jefferson Allen did not allow anyone to score.

His style of play remained as extreme as ever.

Finally, it was Su Feng’s turn.

Before Su Feng came out, Kawhi Leonard gave everyone a fifteen-minute rest. When dealing with a superstar, one had to make the highest possible demands. Kawhi Leonard might have had a gentle personality, but he was a strict teacher.

After fifteen minutes of rest, Su Feng would face ten teammates with full energy. Everyone on the training court began to grow excited.

The final battle was about to begin.

The first player to step forward was William Adams Miller. Strong and experienced, he had plenty of experience defending Su Feng one-on-one.

Su Feng held the ball beyond the three-point line, took a step into William Adams Miller, and then rose for a jumper.

The ball dropped cleanly through the net. Without even five seconds passing, Su Feng had ended the first battle.

Everyone was astonished that Su Feng could overpower William Adams Miller so directly. Although William Adams Miller’s physical condition had indeed declined, Su Feng’s progress in physical confrontation was also visible to the naked eye.

He had not wasted his summer.

Mike Bibby was not a fitness coach but an athlete, and his knowledge had made Su Feng’s muscles not only more defined but also more functional.

The second opponent was Casillas. Su Feng did not attack Harris directly. To confuse him, he took three steps beyond the three-point line. Then, on the third possession, the ball sailed through the net.

Harris failed to react in time. A moment’s hesitation was enough for Su Feng to score.

“Too strong!” Kawhi Leonard muttered inwardly. Su Feng might have been the easiest player in the league to get past.

The third opponent was Su Feng’s college teammate, Sherwin Mark. Mark had attended Casillas’s training camp with Su Feng during the summer, so he was in excellent shape. His defense against Su Feng also made Kawhi Leonard and Carlisle’s eyes light up.

But in the end, Su Feng still defeated Mark’s defense cleanly, three baskets to zero.

After that, Su Feng was almost unstoppable.

At the far side of the three-point line, Robert Henry neither became angry nor reacted to the shouting. Did he want to change the situation? Then he should show the coach what he could do on the training court.

After being scolded, Robert Henry began moving with greater urgency. Kawhi Leonard, however, appeared somewhat lazy on offense.

William Adams Miller flushed with anger. He truly could not understand how men he had been yelling at for more than a decade could continue making mistakes.

“Kawhi, were you watching that soap opera at eight last night? What position do you think you’re playing? Do you want the Spaniard to watch you walk past him tomorrow with tears streaming down your face?”

As soon as William Adams Miller opened his mouth, the players burst into laughter.

The old man loved teasing people, but there was always someone who refused to react.

Kawhi Leonard was a quiet, stoic big man. He ignored William Adams Miller completely, only raising a hand later to indicate that he had heard him.

Robert Henry and Kawhi Leonard returned to form, but Ginobili made a mistake on a pass. The three of them exchanged glances. The play had clearly been intentional.

“Great job, Kawhi! What a pass! If this had been a real game, I could be enjoying a dunk show right now!”

This time, William Adams Miller did not shout. He clapped sarcastically instead.

“Get rid of that sacred saint routine, you idiot! Those fools in the newspapers keep writing that the Cavaliers are worthless, as if everyone has forgotten who led the league. A few cheap articles and suddenly they think we are finished.

“It isn’t us, Dallas! So far, the Cavaliers have lost only four games in the season! If you truly think Cleveland is easy to deal with, you will be the next person the media laughs at!

“They have given our opponents twelve dunks already, and those opponents were the league’s top guards and teams!”

William Adams Miller’s roar wiped the smiles from every teammate’s face.

The old man was right. The one-sided media coverage had recently created the impression that the Cavaliers were weak. But the truth was that the team had merely gone through a difficult stretch.

William Adams Miller’s injury, Su Feng’s suspension—each of those events had affected the team to some extent. Although the Cavaliers had lost their first game after Su Feng returned, many people had overlooked the fact that the Warriors had needed an all-out battle to win. It had not been an easy victory.

The Cavaliers were still the Cavaliers. They had not weakened. They were still the best team in the league.

If anyone underestimated them, the Cavaliers would show no mercy.

William Adams Miller’s roar seemed to revive the spirit of his teammates. They suddenly realized that their next game would not be against some collection of weaklings. Their opponent was a true powerhouse.

Even William Adams Miller was surprised by Su Feng’s finishing, because Su Feng’s layup looked exactly like Curry’s.

Seeking contact, squeezing into space, and immediately using the rebound to push the ball upward—those were the keys to the skinny Curry surviving beneath the basket for three seconds.

Su Feng had reproduced those movements perfectly.

Do not assume that Su Feng had learned nothing from losing to Curry. The most frightening quality of a top guard was his ability to turn the strengths of others into his own.

Michael Jefferson, Kawhi Leonard, Peja, William Adams Miller, and even Garnett—all of them possessed outstanding qualities that Su Feng could learn from.

Now, Su Feng was strong enough to steal skills directly from his opponents.

An opponent who improved like that was the greatest headache of all.

One basket after another, a steal, a beautiful Curry-style layup—Su Feng’s all-around performance proved his determination.

After scoring, Su Feng was not satisfied. Without changing his expression, he jogged back and prepared for the next round.

“Everyone, stay alert! Be careful not to lose your man!”

Su Feng stood at the front of the line and shouted loudly.

The leader of Dallas was ready to lead his team toward another championship.

Carlisle smiled when he saw Su Feng shouting so unusually on the court and reminding his teammates to stay focused. The normally quiet Su Feng rarely behaved this way.

There was only one explanation: he wanted to win the championship.

Su Feng’s desire to win had risen to the highest place in his heart. To win, he was now willing to do anything—even shout.

Do not think Su Feng’s reminders were meaningless. After he began shouting, the Cavaliers’ focus on defense genuinely improved.

Robert Henry carefully dribbled outside, afraid of being stripped by Su Feng again. He waited for a moment, but his teammates had difficulty finding an opening.

This game was clearly one Su Feng had to win at all costs.

The old man’s dream, the Cavaliers’ achievements, Adidas’s interests, and Su Feng’s own unwillingness to lose had left him no choice but to win. It seemed that every battle between these two teams was destined to be anything but peaceful.

The Spurs

The Cleveland Cavaliers were actively preparing for the game they had to win. But at the AT&T Center, the Spurs’ pregame atmosphere was no less tense than Cleveland’s.

After eleven straight victories, the Spurs’ form had begun to fluctuate. If not for that, first place in the league would never have fallen into the Cavaliers’ hands.

The Spurs had lost their previous game to the Trail Blazers, leaving Tim Duncan furious. In his opinion, Portland was essentially a false contender. The combination of Harden and Howard was not nearly as frightening as it appeared.

Yet the Spurs had been overwhelmed in Houston.

After such an unpleasant defeat, everyone was desperate to win back their pride. Under those circumstances, the Cavaliers had become the victims.

“Michael Jefferson, you run slower than the guy next door! How are you supposed to handle them in this condition? God, I hope you don’t embarrass yourselves tomorrow!”

Tim Duncan’s roar once again echoed through the training hall.

The Spurs’ teammates had long grown accustomed to the old man’s temper. If you played badly, you would be scolded, whether you were a star or a starter.

The Cavaliers’ interior defense was extremely tight. In the Western Conference Finals, the two teams were evenly matched.

There was no other way. Kawhi Leonard had to cooperate with the interior screen. The purpose of the play was not to create an opportunity for Leonard, but to draw the defense away from the key.

Although Tim Duncan’s offense was solid, he was the Spurs’ most reliable offensive option.

When Kawhi Leonard leaned against Robert Henry and called for the ball, Robert Henry threw it to him as if it were a hot potato.

Kawhi Leonard opened up his stance and pressed firmly against his opponent’s back. When he received the pass, the Stone Buddha turned, forced his way into the paint, and easily finished at the rim.

There were no flashy moves or violent dunks. Kawhi Leonard preferred this simple, unadorned way of scoring over his opponents.

Robert Henry was helpless. He had given everything he had, but he still could not stop Number 21.

After scoring, Kawhi Leonard, like Su Feng, showed no emotion at all. He stood there quietly, as though nothing had happened.

The Spurs did not allow the game to slip away. Kawhi Leonard had scored their first basket, which was why the Spurs could not afford to lose. Look at their veterans: they remained calm and waited for opportunities at all times.

Kawhi Leonard’s basket was beautiful. Carlisle even began considering whether to put Kobe Bryant on the court early. But given the nature of the game, Carlisle decided to let the Frenchman observe for a while and become accustomed to the suffocating atmosphere.

Kawhi Leonard’s basket greatly lifted the spirits of his teammates and helped stabilize the team. When Su Feng again drove beyond the three-point line, he found that the Spurs’ defense was no longer as disorganized as it had been in the first two rounds. Everything seemed to have returned to normal.

Su Feng raised the ball, preparing to lob it to William Adams Miller. But Kawhi Leonard suddenly stepped in front of William Adams Miller and cut off the passing lane.

“Damn it!”

Su Feng cursed inwardly. Kawhi Leonard was a genuine thief. If Su Feng had not reacted quickly enough to stop the pass, Leonard would have stolen another possession.

There was no choice. Su Feng had to pass the ball to Kobe Bryant first.

Kobe naturally had little opportunity to challenge Leonard. Neither of the two men wanted to give the other an advantage that day. A few seconds later, Su Feng appeared beside Kobe again and took the ball back, reorganizing the offense.

The Spurs defended beautifully during that possession, leaving the Cavaliers no openings. Even players who excelled at finding gaps could not organize an effective attack.

In fact, every time Su Feng discovered an opening and prepared to pass through it, the Spurs filled the gap in advance. The defensive ability of this well-trained team could not be ignored.

Fifteen seconds of the twenty-four-second shot clock had already passed, yet the Cavaliers remained trapped outside the three-point line.

There was no other option. Su Feng dribbled the ball back a few steps.

Robert Henry immediately became tense.

End of Chapter