Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 269: Change of plan, I am the center

The news of the Clippers defeating the Warriors twice shocked the fans to a degree that was not as great as that for other teams in the league.

In recent years, the Warriors' unparalleled offensive philosophy has brought about all-round reforms in the league, with changes taking place in the tactical system, draft players, and training mechanisms.

The two games in which the Clippers beat the Warriors and the one in which they lost are the best reference templates.

Especially for those teams that regard the Warriors as their biggest enemy in winning the championship, they feel like they have found a treasure.

Teams like the Rockets, Celtics, Cavaliers, and Thunder are expected to make it to the finals.

The fans just thought it was exciting, but the coaches and stars in the league saw something deeper.

How to do unlimited switching defense, how to restrain the Warriors' Big Three, and how to cut off their connections with each other, all these require reference templates.

Obviously, the Clippers did it.

It is better to lock Green than to defend Curry. When playing against the Warriors, you must use a faster lineup. When fighting against the Warriors, you must start defending from the first second, rotate a large number of players to consume the players, and use fighting to reduce Durant's late lethality.

In short, the entire league was happy to see the Warriors lose and expose their underwear.

But more people realize that the reason why the Clippers win is always inseparable from one person.

The runner-up is Chen Fang.

A rookie who just played 40 NBA games, a 19-year-old who is far ahead in the best rookie list, second in plus-minus value, and sixth in assists.

His playing style is diverse. You can see him passing the ball throughout the game, or you can see him monopolizing the offense from the start.

His damage with the ball and his off-ball attacks are equally sharp.

He likes to compete against famous stars the most. He has played against almost all the best players in the league, except Harden, and they have won and lost against each other.

He is a person who breaks the American stereotype of the Chinese. He is never introverted and is always flamboyant on the court. He speaks very carefully, but sometimes reveals his profound ideas.

He seemed to care nothing for glory, refusing to participate in the draft, but he had a strong desire to win the game.

Interviewing more people Chen Fang has come into contact with will reveal different opinions.

When he fulfilled his promise again and criticized Green all night long in front of the national broadcast, everyone refreshed their perception of him.

Shaquille O'Neal and Barkley expressed their views on this on the next day's "NBA Insider" program.

"He is more veteran than the veteran stars. He did everything he should have done except not taking action. I went to listen to the live audio, and to be honest, I now admire Green's forbearance." O'Neal said.

"Yes, I really can't stand it. If I were Green, I would punch this rookie in the face in the first quarter. Thank you for the generous gift. Who taught him this?"

"I have a rough idea. Chen Fang has trained with Kobe and had special training with Garnett. Based on my understanding of them, it should be the latter," O'Neal said.

"That's the truth, it sounds a lot like Garnett's mouth," Barkley said without hesitation.

Somewhere far away, Garnett was sneezing madly. Just half an hour later, a group of old friends congratulated him, saying that he had inherited the legacy, which left him confused.

After the two of them joked around for a while, they started to get serious.

"Do you have similar players in your mind after watching the game?" Barkley asked O'Neal.

"Kobe? No, he loves passing the ball more than Kobe!" O'Neal used to say something personal, and then said to everyone in the crowd: "Actually, he is more like LeBron!"

"He shares the ball, has his own system, and has strong offensive capabilities. He has strong quickness and reaction. In my opinion, he is a skinny version of LeBron!"

Barkley shook his head: "I don't think so. I think he's more like a taller version of Westbrook."

"No, no, no, Westbrook's shooting can't be compared with Chen Fang's!" O'Neal immediately retorted.

The two began to argue, and this column further promoted the alliance's understanding of Chen Fang.

Especially Chen Fang's words, "I feel there is no gap between me and the best players in the league," led reporters to start raising this topic to the stars who had just finished the game after the game.

Harden's answer was very brotherly. He smiled and said, "In fact, when he was still in college, I felt there was no difference. I suggest you go and see him live. He is really great. The Clippers are now in the top five in the Western Conference, which has a lot to do with Chen Fang."

James had just won the game and was interviewed as the best player of the game. He put his hands on his hips and listened to the reporter's questions and said, "Yes, he has amazing talent. Although we had some arguments in the last game, it does not prevent me from appreciating his attitude towards the game. It is a great achievement to beat the Warriors. Congratulations to him."

Then he added: "To gain recognition in the league, it's not just a matter of playing a few games, it's more about persistence and self-discipline. Chen Fang's career has just started, I hope he can be more sober."

When interviewing the Raptors, who are ranked first in the Eastern Conference, DeRozan was all happy. He did not hesitate to praise them: "Of course he is, no doubt. If he can come to the Raptors, we will undoubtedly make it to the finals. He is such a qualitative change player. I am so glad that he beat the Warriors. This is really amazing. As his senior, I was so happy that I couldn't sleep well yesterday."

When the reporter asked about Tatum, who had just scored 24 points in the game and was beginning to adapt to the NBA, the teenager, who is already regarded as the cornerstone of the Celtics dynasty, nodded: "When I first saw him play in Greece, I knew he would definitely be able to enter the NBA, but I didn't expect that he would grow so fast. As his high school teammate and good brother, I am proud of him for saying this confidently, and this is also my goal."

This year, Embiid, who has been gradually fulfilling his talent by believing in the process, just signed a five-year, $76 million rookie contract extension with the 1.48ers in the summer. Halfway through the season, his performance has surprised the 76ers management.

Hearing the reporter's question, he smiled: "I don't think so. In my opinion, he is not as good as Simmons. And we have another great guy on the team. It's a pity that Fultz is injured, otherwise, it would be more correct for him to say this."

It is understandable that the Emperor spoke for Simmons. After all, his performance has a lot to do with Simmons. But the last sentence is a bit excessive.

Embiid continued: "Compared to his skills, I think he should be more humble. I don't think his trash talk to the Warriors is necessary. It's like a street thug."

So the reporter went to interview Simmons, who had been recovering from injury for a year, was the No. 1 pick last year and the No. 2 pick this year. He replied: "I don't think there is a problem. Compared with his performance, I think he lacks the proper respect for the league's predecessors."

Compared to what the Great Emperor and Simmons said, a new rumor is spreading.

In the February trading window, the Clippers will make reinforcement trades, not only trying to make the playoffs, but also hoping to directly start the championship journey.

With the Clippers' performance, more people believe that the Clippers are changing their plans.

Usually the NBA championship operation goes like this.

Draft - build team - strengthen - hone - make it to the finals.

It will take at least 3-5 years, or even longer, to complete this process. During this process, adjustments will be made continuously until the championship is won, and then contract renewal - maintenance - luxury tax - forced dismantling of the team will begin.

Because of the salary structure and competitive pressure, it is difficult for a defending team to maintain its championship potential for more than three years.

The longer the championship process lasts, the faster the team will be dismantled and rebuilt. Many teams rebuild a year after winning the championship. The key point is the salary cap.

The salaries of two or three stars account for the vast majority of the budget, and it is difficult to maintain the team even with the luxury tax. Therefore, the real giants have always been the hardcore players who build teams quickly and dismantle them even faster.

If a player can put up a superstar performance on a rookie contract and allow the team to have championship-contending players, it means that the time for them to be separated will lag by several years, which is very clear when comparing the salary structure.

For example, a four-year rookie contract + a regular five-year extension contract, the growth of a superstar is about 5-5 years. Assuming it goes as expected, his salary will not exceed 7 million.

The NBA's salary cap for the 2018-2019 season is $1.01869 million, and the luxury tax threshold is $1.23733 million.

Although the annual increase is not high, according to this standard, if the rookies can quickly perform, it will be much easier for the management to operate.

They can easily form a super team with the Big Three, because the Big Three are only in the second contract period of their careers and do not even meet the standard line of the salary cap.

Once the luxury tax threshold is reached, the team will be subject to many restrictions, such as not being able to use the two-year exception; only being able to use the tax-paying version of the mid-level exception; teams that exceed the luxury tax line by $1750 million cannot use cash in trades, cannot trade first-round picks after seven years, and cannot sign players in the buyout market.

To put it bluntly, unless your team is stable enough to compete for the championship and the boss is willing to spend more money, there is almost no room for the team to adjust or change except to dismantle the team and rebuild.

Therefore, whether a rookie can quickly realize his talent becomes the underlying core logic of whether the team can operate normally and compete for the championship.

There is no doubt that Magic Jackson, Duncan of the Spurs, and Bird of the Celtics were all super explosive when they were rookies.

It is because of this that the Lakers, Spurs, and Celtics have long-term competitiveness. Even the strongest management team needs excellent rookies to create dazzling sparks.

Chen Fang has demonstrated his extraordinary abilities in just half a season, and his dominance in the game has been discovered and recognized.

When he defeated the Warriors twice, this recognition had been fully acknowledged by the league, so whoever could steal Chen Fang would be extremely rich.
The league is undercurrent, and various tentative inquiries are beginning to appear around the Clippers. This is a happy trouble, but it also makes the Clippers firm up their attitude.

"Chen Fang is not for sale. Sorry, I won't accept it even if you offer LeBron in exchange for him." Wenger hung up the phone and looked at Lawrence.

"They are really a group of people who are smarter than dogs. Half a year ago, I couldn't even believe that there would be such an offer."

“Knight?” Laurence asked.

"Yes, James is leaving, and the Cavaliers are thinking about a way out. But if it were two months ago, maybe I would be tempted, but now even if I am willing, the boss will not agree."

"Really?" Lawrence couldn't believe it.

"It was mostly a joke. If James is willing to come, I will be in a very difficult situation, and so will the boss." Wenger rarely smiled.

Putting aside the question of whether he is willing or not, no one knows whether James is willing or not. You say that it is somewhat plausible that James will come to the Clippers and build a team with Chen Fang, but an exchange is simply impossible, and this is purely an operation that devalues himself.

"But there are several other teams that are serious!" Wenger said solemnly.

"The Rockets have seriously discussed with us the possibility of trading Chen Fang. Except for Harden, anyone is acceptable, and it's no problem to package them all up," Lawrence stated.

"The Raptors, Heat, and Celtics also have similar trade plans."

"Finally, it's the Spurs. They are willing to trade Leonard for Chen Fang + Kuzma + Zubac!"

Wenger raised his eyebrows and then sneered: "They are decisive."

"Yes, this season, due to the contradiction of concealing the injury, Leonard and the Spurs have reached an irreconcilable point. As Leonard's contract is coming to an end, the Spurs have also accepted the reality that he is leaving."

"Have you told the boss all this?" Wenger asked.

"Yes, the boss knows about it. He has not responded yet. He said he needs to think about it."

"One Leonard is not enough. If we want to win the championship, we need a superstar. Obviously, Griffin cannot be traded." Wenger thought for a moment and shook his head: "I am surprised, but I still say that a few months ago, I would be tempted. But the plan has changed. Now we want to build with Chen Fang as the core. There is enough time, and we have enough salary and players to make a deal."

"Reject all temptations and look for viable trading candidates in the free market and weak teams. We need a No. 1 starter and a No. 4 defender, more three-point shooters and perimeter defenders." Wenger ordered.

"I'm already working on it and will have a plan soon."

"Go and get busy." After sending Lawrence away, Wenger made a phone call and a few minutes later, he drove away from the training center.

Half an hour later, Wenger met West at a luxurious seaside villa on the California coast.

The two sat in the open viewing platform, and Wenger reported the recent developments to West. The latter was silent for a while, and then said in a firm tone: "Your idea is not wrong."

"Next year is also a big draft year. There are several great cornerstones. As long as we grab one or two, the Clippers' reconstruction will be complete. All that's left is the polishing process."

"Don't think about the current group of middle-aged people in the alliance. Except for a few of them, the others are worthless. In a few years, they will all become puzzle pieces instead of the core."

"With the change in trading ideas in February, we need more first-round picks and second-round picks. We will look for any team that has next year's first-round pick. As long as it's next year, the higher the sequence, the better. Except for Chen Fang, everyone else can be traded."

"Try every possible means to get it." West reminded again.

Wenger didn't quite understand. He had just made a decision with Lawrence, so he asked: "Is it worth it?"

"It's worth it. I know you may be making adjustments, strengthening the team, canceling operations, but this is the final decision."

"I see!" Wenger knew who was the boss, and he asked: "Should we invest more money in the draft department?"

"Well, the Clippers need to make adjustments to their side this year and prepare for next year's draft. I need more templates and references," West said.

The player selection department has always been a major component of NBA teams.

The organizational structure of an NBA team usually consists of the following components:

Management, coaching staff, players, medical team, marketing and media relations department, draft department (player development management department).

The personnel of the draft department also changes with the needs of the team. For a rebuilding team, the draft department becomes very important, and external recruitment, secondment, and reorganization are common.

Usually people in the industry can judge and analyze what a team wants to do from these adjustments.

"It's just that we are almost fourth in the Western Conference now." Wenger hesitated.

West looked at him and said, "I'll explain Steve's side, but you still need to distinguish reality."

"There is only one winner in the league every year, even if it is the Western Conference Finals champion, it is meaningless. The extra ticket money is not enough to support the team."

"And the fans don't need to worry, they will forget things, and as long as we achieve results, they will turn around and sing the praises every day."

"Michael, you have to remember that unless this team has the strength to compete for the championship, all operations should serve this purpose."

"It's hard to come by consecutive big draft years like 17 and 18. Maybe it only happens once in decades. Don't expect many superstars to emerge in the draft every year. As long as you stay in the league long enough, you will find that there are only a few who can become true championship winners over the years."

"Will you trade Chen Fang?" West suddenly asked.

Wenger was stunned and immediately shook his head: "No, it's impossible."

"This is reality." West sat up straight and said, "Half a year ago, you might have been tempted to use an All-Star, but now only superstars can make you feel excited."

"When you see a superstar being born, and you don't have the ability or capital to get him, you will personally feel the significance of the draft."

"There are only two things to be a good front office: drafting and trading."

“Using the information cocoon to obtain wealth that has not yet been widely recognized at the lowest cost, whether it is the draft or the player trade every year, is the most important thing in your work.”

"As for the management of the team, it is actually secondary. You should not focus on it. These should be handled by the people below."

Wenger lowered his head, he knew West was reminding him of his previous operations.

"I see, sir," he replied.

"I hope you really understand. Don't be impatient. Just like you said on the phone, the plan has changed." West said with emotion: "I didn't expect that Chen Fang would realize his talent so quickly and beyond my expectations."

"The previous plans are unnecessary. Compared to what we have in our hands, they are no longer important."

"Yes, sir."

"There are two more things to come."

"First, protect him. His recent performances show some psychological problems, which were not included in the scout report. We should learn from this. Psychological problems are the big problem. Don't let the Clippers become the second Spurs."

"Second, protect him well. He must not be allowed to get injured. He must rest when he needs to. Daily testing must be strictly followed. He has only one weakness, his body. We just need to wait for him to become strong and mature. Then we can accomplish great things."

It seemed like they were talking about the same thing, but they were actually two different things. Wenger nodded. After he left, West just kept looking at the sea quietly.

"In three years, maybe five years, the Clippers will establish a new dynasty. It's a job full of expectations and challenges." The old man smiled.

“I just don’t know if I can make it to that day!”

(End of this chapter)