Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 273 I'm The One
A little earlier than the Clippers' game against the Celtics, the NBA announced the roster for this year's All-Star Rookie Challenge.

Chen Fang's name from the world team is clearly visible.

So in the locker room after the game, everyone congratulated Chen Fang and Kuzma. Chen Fang said to Kuzma fiercely: "Wait for me to beat you, bro!"

This sentence caused a round of boos and whistles, and everyone burst into laughter. Amid the laughter, Kuzma raised his hands in surrender: "Boss, is it any use if I surrender now?"

Later, Los Angeles team reporter Tomer Azali asked Chen Fang: "What do you think of the rookie game?"

“It feels great. I’m looking forward to playing a game with people from the same class.”

"How much do you know about them? Opponents and teammates," Tomer Azali asked again.

"I know the 76ers' two older rookies best. One has three years and the other has two years. They have played very well so far. I didn't play in the game on November 11 last year, which was a pity."

Tomer Azali keenly caught something and realized that Chen Fang seemed to have some opinions about both of them.

"They are your teammates and starters. Are you looking forward to teaming up with them?"

"Of course, compared to them, I'm just a rookie who has been in the NBA for three months!" Chen Fang said.

When Tomer Azali heard the word rookie, he remembered why Chen Fang was like this. Wow, the Chinese are still guys who hold grudges.

Compared with one who has been here for 3 years and the other for 2 years, it is really ironic that Chen Fang has used the past 3 months.

"What do you think about the rookie game?" Tomer Azali continued to ask.

"This is a festival to please the fans, and I hope I can help." Chen Fang suddenly became humble again at this time.

"So how do you feel about the fact that you almost made it to the All-Star Game? Do you have any regrets?" Tomer Azali asked a new question. He came well prepared today.

The fans, coaches, and reporters all came together to be selected for the All-Star Game, which lasted from December to mid-January. During this period, Chen Fang played and rested a lot, and his presence was very slight. Even though he had the buzzer-beating performance against the Warriors, it was not enough to impress.

But he has always had a lot of fan votes, not only in China, but also many Chinese in North America gave their tickets to Chen Fang.

It was not until the beginning of January that Chen Fang's performance as a leader was praised by reporters and coaches, and his votes suddenly increased. However, due to time constraints, he only had more than a thousand votes less than Lillard.

But Chen Fang didn't quite believe it. He felt that there was something fishy going on. Yao's votes in the first year were enough to crush Shaq, and now in this era of developed Internet, his votes would be no less than that.

As for whether the coach and reporter's votes are more important, Chen Fang doesn't think that's the case.

I can only say that I was manipulated by someone.

After all, the contract with Nike is still under negotiation, and many interests have not yet been exchanged. It is far worse than Yao's team, which launched a massive commercial promotion from the beginning.

And he is not as eager to enter the All-Star Game as others. Although being selected means his status, he just can't muster the interest.

This may have a lot to do with the fact that he always thinks the All-Star Game is boring, and he really doesn't like showmanship, so when the reporter asked him, he seemed very calm.

"Let's talk about it next year," he replied.

Tomer Azali observed Chen Fang carefully and found that he really did not look like a disguise, so he was really surprised: "This year's All-Star Game is being held in Los Angeles, at the Staples Center!"

"That's great. I can go home earlier. I don't have to take an overnight flight to go home for vacation like others." Chen Fang replied with a smile.

Well, Tomer gave up. The interview time was limited, so he could only ask this many questions.

After leaving the locker room, Chen Fang prepared to go for rehabilitation and daily testing. At the medical center, he saw Lawrence.

"Boss, are you waiting for me?"

“You get tested and recover first,” Lawrence said with a smile.

He stayed with Chen Fang and chatted with him until the rehabilitation session was over and everyone else had left, only then did he start talking about the topic.

“What are your thoughts on next year’s draft?”

Chen was relieved, but pretended to be calm and asked back: "Can I also participate in this team's draft?"

"Of course. Now we are building a team around you. Can you tell us what you think about the combination of the current team?"

"Very good." Chen Fang said lightly.

Lawrence knew that Chen Fang was still very cautious, so he changed the way he put it: "If a team wants to compete for the championship, and you are on this team, what do you need?"

It can only be said that Lawrence is on the road. Chen Fang thought for a while: "I like to play 2K. If I were to imagine it, I would first want a reliable No. 4 position to protect the frame."

"Why isn't it No. 5 protecting the rim?" Lawrence perked up when he saw the topic unfold.

"It's not in line with the trend." Chen Fang shook his head.

"Nowadays, the lineup is all small, and the defense must be switched quickly. All five positions are required to have the ability to switch defense infinitely, so now we not only have to play a bit of both sides, but also play a swing between 5 and 4."

"5 offense and 4 defense can make offense and defense smoother. I prefer 4 to protect the frame and 5 to pull the inside line, so that the outside players can have more space to attack the frame."

Lawrence didn't refute. He continued to ask: "What about No. 1?"

"I need a defensive No. 1 who can quickly help defend the top of the arc and the wing, and has the ability to defend one-on-one against positions 1, 2, and 3."

"So you need a tall point guard?"

"Yes, three-pointers are second, breakthroughs are last, and leading defense is first." Chen Fang expressed his thoughts in detail.

"Where's the shooting guard?"

"He has good ability to break through and solve problems. He should be the first or second best scorer and can cover three positions in defense."

“Is this you?” Lawrence asked.

"Almost. The functions of 2 and 3 are similar, except that 3 has the additional responsibility of defending 4. The rest are basically the same." Chen Fang was not modest, but explained it very clearly.

"In a sense, 3 and 4 should be infinitely close." Chen Fang thought about it and wanted to express it more clearly: "In my opinion, 3 is the most difficult."

"I still have a long way to go to be able to take into account all the functions of 2 and 4 and be top-notch on both offense and defense."

"You mean, a championship-winning team needs two 3Ds?"

"At least two and a half, either 1 or 4, both must have high movement speed and high confrontation capabilities."

"That's too difficult." Lawrence shook his head. "One good 1D is rare, and I want three."

"I think this can be practiced. As long as there is a suitable template, it will come out in two or three years." Chen Fang said.

"You seem to have forgotten to mention who will organize it." Lawrence did not deny it, he asked what he had been thinking about.

"Organization, a true championship-contending team, should not be one-sided. It should be that all five players can pass the ball to each other. This is the core of the qualitative change in the five-player combat power."

Lawrence's eyes lit up. After talking for so long, this was the only sentence that resonated with him.

"Yes, let alone five players, if three of them can do it, it will be difficult for other teams to cope with it."

"Yes, the current tactical thinking is to focus on offense. No matter how good the defense is, it can only weaken the opponent a little bit. The worst team and the best team lose a lot of points not because of defense, but because of offense."

"It's not easy to find seven or eight rotation players." This is all Chen Fang could say.

Having only five invincible players is not enough to ensure a stable team. There must also be two or three reliable players rotating. Just like the Warriors, with seven or eight players taking turns to play and attack, it is very difficult to resist.

"So how many ball handlers do you need for a team?" Lawrence seemed nonchalant. He spoke slowly, his eyes glancing around, but one could still see a hint of inexplicable nervousness.

"One is enough." Chen Fang also spoke slowly and looked directly at Lawrence.

"Oh. Many teams now have dual-core outside players." Lawrence's heart trembled.

"But who succeeded?" Chen Fang said with a smile.

Lawrence was speechless.

"In fact, it's just like what I said just now. If five people can organize, then we must divide out a true core, otherwise it will be a mess."

"Who should we listen to? How should we play? It's nice to imagine a dual-core perimeter lineup, but it's very difficult to implement it in practice."

“Because it’s people who are doing the execution, not machines.”

"He doesn't have to stick to the ball when he holds it, but he has to make judgments at critical moments. The tactical thinking of the entire team should only have one brain. The two-headed dragon is just a product of cartoons, not to mention that it will not end well."

Lawrence's face stiffened: "That makes sense."

"Thank you for your recognition, President. This is just my personal idea about 2K games." Chen Fang changed his serious expression and smiled again.

Lawrence raised his hand and looked at his watch: "I have a meeting."

"It's time for me to go home too." Chen Fang said.

After they parted, Chen Fang drove his Cullinan out of the parking lot. He put on a song and it just started playing. He couldn't help but laugh. The radio station was playing Justin Bieber's new song "I'm The One". Chen Fang said to himself, "That makes sense, haha!"

Dozens of kilometers away, Mr. West had just hung up the phone with Wenger.

He looked at the sea, which was completely immersed in the night, with neither joy nor sorrow. Only the powerful roar of the waves was heard. He walked towards his secret room and crossed out a name on the wall.

"It's a pity, but this makes me feel that I made the right choice." The old man murmured.

He looked at the other names. It seemed that there was only one option for team building.

What a pity, what a pity.

The old man felt that someone was right and he couldn't help but show a helpless expression.

"This is so much fun," he finally exclaimed.

※※※

After playing against the Celtics, the Clippers will start another short road trip, playing one game each against the Grizzlies and Pelicans in the West.

The Grizzlies are very bad, second to last in the Western Conference, and heading straight for the lottery zone, but home games are always full of fighting spirit. The Clippers' adaptation is still ongoing, and many times, Chen Fang's passes were not converted into assists.

In the second half of the fourth quarter, Chen Fang suddenly broke out, scoring 7 points with a series of breakthroughs and shots, expanding the lead to 10 points and finally winning the game. Not only did he stop the declining ranking, but he also consolidated his 4th position in the Western Conference.

The next day, the Clippers received good news. Cousins, who had been in hot form recently for the Pelicans, announced that he was out for the season. He collapsed on the eve of the All-Star Game. On January 1, he scored a terrifying 23 points, 44 rebounds and 24 assists against the Bulls, but collapsed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Fang also knew that from now on, Uncle Kao could never go back to the way he was, and his situation became worse and worse, even to the point where he had to come to China to play against the top three.

To put it bluntly, given his ability, it wouldn't be the case, but given his temper that even dogs hate, it is reasonable.

His injury and the decline in his ability have led to a series of impacts that have directly changed the landscape of the league.

Davis finally lost patience with waiting for rebuilding in the Pelicans year after year, so he went to the Lakers and won the championship with James, which finally solidified James' historical status.

The Lakers' championship also triggered a series of changes in the Western Conference. The Clippers lost their pace, tried all kinds of methods, and gradually fell into a vicious cycle and entered a dead end.

Many people have a vague idea about the two Los Angeles giants, but they can actually be summarized in one sentence.

To put it bluntly, the Lakers are the innate holy body that picks peaches, and when Wesley came to the Clippers, the Clippers also used this team-building idea, but man proposes, God disposes, and robots can also have problems. The peaches picked were eaten by monkeys before they even reached the Peach Banquet.

He also paid compensation to the seven fairies.

But in this life, the Clippers may not go down this old path. The appearance of Chen Fang allows the Clippers to focus and walk on the right path with peace of mind.

Chen Fang was very confident before the game. He talked and laughed with Brother Long, looking like a friendly brother.

Davis and Griffin don't get along very well. Both of them are the league's most prominent players at the No. 4 position, but one is in the past tense and the other is in the present tense.

All-Star Griffin didn't even get a substitute spot, which has become the main reason why he has been in a bad mood recently.

It was thought that the Pelicans were a soft persimmon, but the Clippers found something wrong as soon as they came on the court. Brother Rondo's expression suddenly changed, and he directed his teammates to start the siege mode on Chen Fang. Jrue Holiday showed his essence as a defensive stalwart to the fullest. Chen Fang was beaten up in the first half, and Davis also showed Griffin what it means to represent the orthodox advanced No. 4 position. Not only did he score 33 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, he also defended Griffin to only 12 points and 5 rebounds.

The Clippers never recovered from this game until the end. Chen Fang scored 17 points and Griffin scored 12 points, which can be said to be two brothers in distress.

Ashamed to face the people of Jiangdong, Chen Fang endured the discomfort and hugged his brother Rondo after the game. He also listened obediently to Rondo's review of the game. Not to mention how painful this process was.

You have to talk to reporters when you return to the locker room. Don't just talk when you win and disappear when you lose. It's easy to become a laughing stock if you obviously can't afford to lose.

"Was Holiday's defense against you too aggressive today? Can you adapt to it?" the reporter asked.

"It's fine. This is the NBA, not elementary school. I have no problem." Chen Fang replied calmly.

"Today you were limited to 17 points and 3 assists. Do you feel like you've hit the rookie wall?" The reporter's question was even more pointed.

Chen Fang shook his head: "I'm just a rookie. Unstable performance is a rookie's label, but every rookie is like this. I think this is a good thing. I will review it and see where I need to improve."

After a few more perfunctory words, Chen Fang got up and went to take a shower, which was the same as serving tea to see off guests. After the reporters left, Rivers also came back from the press conference.

The atmosphere after a loss is naturally not good, Rivers began to take stock one by one, he used the data of each person in this game to tell everyone what your problem was today.

Chen Fang was the first one to be criticized. Rivers changed his tolerant style and pointed out in a stern tone that Chen Fang played too selfishly due to his emotions, which led to the stagnation of the team's offense and he should bear the greatest responsibility for the loss.

Chen Fang was a bachelor, so he stood up and admitted his mistake.

In fact, he knew that Rivers was taking the opportunity to repair the locker room. Too many new players needed to experience the coach's authority, because Beverley, Harrell, and Lou Williams did not perform today. They acted alone on the court and did not listen to the coach's instructions at all.

Rivers first said that Chen Fang had been working hard, just for the three of them to see.

Sure enough, the three of them looked pale, and Rivers turned around and started to criticize them, pointing out every detail.

Using failure as an excuse to reorganize the team is a common tactic used by the coach. The lecture lasted half an hour, and now everyone is behaving themselves.

Griffin also sprayed for three minutes, which is a rare thing.

"Back to Los Angeles, let's think about how to play the last game in January." Rivers decided to stop while he was ahead.

On the bus, Chen Fang was called by Griffin and the two sat together.

I haven't communicated with Griffin for a while. Just when I was wondering, Griffin whispered, "Do you think it's possible for me to refer to Davis now?"

Chen Fang understood immediately. Today, Davis scored from both inside and outside, including three-pointers, mid-range shots, and strong attacks under the basket. He was exactly the perfect version of himself in Griffin's mind.

"He is currently the best power forward. Playing as a power forward actually restricts his abilities." Chen Fang said bluntly. He knew Griffin was very competitive, but he also understood the situation.

Just like in his previous life, if the Clippers communicated with him, he might not be unable to accept it. What he disliked was the behavior of selling him out secretly without telling him.

In some ways, there are indeed some shady and despicable people in the Clippers' management, which is why Chen Fang has always been wary of them.

Griffin nodded: "I think I can do it, but I don't know how to do it on the court."

This is why he wanted to find Chen Fang. Chen Fang thought about it. In fact, he has always had the idea of transforming Griffin, but due to the instability of the future, he felt that the time and opportunity were not right.

But when the opportunity comes, we must seize it.

"You need to lose weight and work on your footwork, the consistency of your handoffs and shooting needs to be corrected to face-up shooting, which may be difficult, and you need to be more familiar with running, that is, without the ball."

Griffin looked thoughtful, and after a while he asked, "Can you do it in four months during the offseason?"

"It depends on whether you can maintain your self-discipline and control." Chen Fang didn't want to get too involved in other people's private lives. Jenna came to the recent home games, and the two of them flirted with each other and almost kissed in public.

To be honest, there are always two big problems for Griffin staying in Los Angeles.

Salary contracts and positioning.

Now Griffin can still guarantee playing time and main player status because he has no serious injuries and his athletic ability is still there. The Clippers' system is still being explored. Due to the lack of corresponding players, they can only follow the trend and rely on stars to conquer the world like most teams in the league.

But this is not a matter for championship-contending teams. Changing the playing style and reducing salary are the only ways for Griffin to stay, otherwise he will only be worth being traded.

Only after all the problems are solved can they be retained. This is Chen Fang's rather pessimistic attitude, especially after feeling the series of operations by the management.

Griffin looked embarrassed. He already had a sense of crisis. He once thought that the Clippers' rebuilding signal was to build the team with him and Chen Fang as the core, and the recent transaction also confirmed this speculation.

But when Smith said this, even the people around him were worried.

Jenner has emphasized her attachment to Los Angeles, and in order to stay, Griffin had to seriously think about his response strategy.

The first person he thought of was Chen Fang.

The method Chen Fang proposed coincided with his idea, but the only way out was that this transformation would require a lot of off-season time, but he had already planned to start a sweet vacation with Jenner during the off-season.

The bus arrived at the airport and the Clippers were going back to Los Angeles overnight.

On the plane, Chen Fang was still receiving fascia treatment from the physiotherapist. He was now thinking about how to be the leader of a team and what to do.

Is it better to do your best or to be in a detached position?

Chen Fang had an idea in his mind. He hoped that every teammate would not want to leave him. It would be best if he could do this.

He didn't want to build himself up by sacrificing his teammates. The NBA is not a battlefield. Stepping on the corpses of teammates to get to the top is in conflict with Chen Fang's values.

But who in the NBA can do this? Chen Fang has no answer.

But the future is still long, and I will find the day eventually.

The plane took off, and under the stimulation of the centrifugal feeling, Chen Fang's heart also flew out. He seemed to see the sky full of stars and the earth was slowly turning into an arc.

There is a sense of emptiness, but more of it is ethereal.

Chen Fang emptied himself and let his heart feel it all. Tiredness surged into his heart. Before falling asleep, an idea surfaced in Chen Fang's mind.

Can I ever be the one in the NBA?
(End of this chapter)