Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 300 A match made in heaven

After a thorough exchange with Rivers, Mazura arrived in Los Angeles on the third day.

If you want to leave your job while working for an NBA team, there are only two possibilities.

First, the team fires you and gives you compensation.

Second, give the team 30 days' notice and pay a penalty equal to a certain percentage of the salary.

The team paid the money readily. As for the matter of paying 30 days in advance, Lawrence reported it to Mr. West, and the old man immediately called Ainge, and the two sides resolved the issue amicably.

Chen Fang greeted Mazura at the main entrance, and the two embraced for a long time.

"Finally, we can work together again." Chen Fang was very happy. He had always known about Mazura's abilities, especially in defensive coaching.

“I’m still dreaming. To be honest, I’ve waited a long time for this step, and I’m also very apprehensive,” Mazura said with emotion.

The two walked and talked, and Chen Fang escorted him to see Rivers.

Upon arriving at the coaching staff's floor, Chen Fang tactfully waited outside the door.

Mazura went in alone. Before going in, she said to Chen Fang, "Don't worry, I've made all the necessary preparations." After saying that, she patted her bulging backpack.

Half an hour is precious to Chen Fang; every minute is invaluable. If you were to convert it to a business trip, you couldn't hire him for less than $100,000.

The door opened, and Mazura smiled and waved to Chen Fang.

Once inside, everyone was busy, with a thick stack of bound books on each person's desk.

Rivers looked up at Chen Fang and said, "Thank you, Joe. Joining us has made up for our biggest weakness."

As he spoke, he raised the bound book in his hand and said, "Look, this is such a thick book on defensive theory, a complete system, a comprehensive tactical concept, it's really amazing."

Brian had let go of his resentment and felt ashamed of his previous thoughts. He shook Mazura's hand and said, "Joe, I firmly believe that in time, the Clippers will become a team that strikes fear into the entire league."

“You’re flattering me too much,” Mazura said modestly.

"This is something I've figured out on my own since I started teaching at the university. There are still many questions, and I haven't even experimented with it yet."

“No problem. The Clippers right now are the experimental subject. Let’s work together to improve them.” Rivers really likes capable coaches, even though he knows he has reached a plateau.

Looking at the young Mazura, I was struck by the changing of the guard in the league.

Seeing that the coaching staff all approved, Chen Fang felt relieved. Of course, he hoped that he would not be misunderstood. Mazura was not a relative, and he would not do anything without principles.

As a player, Chen Fang doesn't need to get involved in what happens next. He should return to the team and work on integrating with his teammates.

With just over a week left until the preseason, Mazura's addition will undoubtedly make training more urgent and difficult.

Sure enough, Mazzula's execution was evident; by 3 p.m., he was already on the field.

After a brief introduction by Rivers, Mazura stood in front of the team, looking at the young faces, and began her first speech for the team.

"I'm 30 years old. I've played basketball, worked as a college assistant coach, and previously as an assistant coach for the Celtics' development team."

"Can't you tell I'm only 30?" Mazura pointed to her face and said self-deprecatingly, "I look like I'm more than 40."

The humorous opening remarks put the team members at ease and made them feel a little favorably toward the young assistant coach, but unfortunately, this slight goodwill quickly disappeared.

"I really like defense. In my world, the only interpretation of basketball and victory is that defense is paramount."

"I'm very happy that the coaching staff trusts me and has given me the title of chief defensive coach. From now on, I will be in charge of all the team's defensive strategies and training tasks."

"If your defense doesn't meet my expectations, then I'm sorry, but I'll suggest reducing your playing time."

Upon hearing this, the entire team erupted in commotion. Chen Fang suddenly coughed, and then everyone fell silent.

"In my eyes, the five best defenders should be the starters. Anyone who is bad at defense and becomes a loophole in the team's defensive system will be 'Did Not Play'."

Now it was even quieter.

"Fortunately, from my initial understanding, each of you has experience in defense. So, the next week, including the preseason games, is your last chance to compete for playing time."

“Does anyone want to speak?” Mazura asked.

The entire team fell silent. Chen Fang felt several pairs of eyes secretly glancing at him, so he said, "As the captain, I'd like to say something."

Mazura looked at Chen Fang, and the two of them had serious expressions, causing the atmosphere to suddenly freeze.

It felt like a long wait, but in reality, only a few seconds passed before Chen Fang slowly revealed a smile.

"Welcome aboard!" he said, then clapped enthusiastically.

After a few rounds of applause, all the team members joined in.

With the team leader accepting the offer, the other players naturally had to follow suit.

"We're short on time, let's begin training." Mazura suppressed her excitement, keeping a straight face.

He divided the team into three teams.

Zubac, Harrell, Dillon, Rose, and DiVincenzo are in Group A.

Jaren Jr., Thornwell, Bridges, Beverley, and Brunson are in Group B.

Chen Fang, Lu Wei, Zhu Holiday, Evans, and Richon are in Group C.

All three offensive and defensive setups had weaknesses; either the inside game was weak or the outside shooting was insufficient.

Mazura clearly had his reasons. He said, "I won't assign you a perfect lineup. That would not only be unfair to the other teams, but it also wouldn't make you understand your own problems."

"Today's training objectives are as follows."

"Five minutes of five-on-five, for every point lost, you have to walk around the court three times."

"The winner continues the game, while the loser is immediately punished."

"I will record everyone's data. The data here does not include scores, but only your double-teaming, help defense, positioning, rebounding, blocking, and shot contesting success rate."

"In addition, I would like to remind everyone that the foul does not go out of bounds before the free throw line is taken. After accumulating 3 fouls, you will go to the free throw line."

"Is there a problem?" he asked the whole team.

"No!" they replied hesitantly, exchanging glances, knowing that today wouldn't be so easy.

"Come on, let's begin! No dawdling."

Mazura blew his whistle and went over to the coaching staff.

"I need to redefine their understanding of defense, make them understand the serious consequences of defense, and cultivate their defensive instincts."

Listening to Mazura's explanation, Rivers smiled nonchalantly and said, "It's the perfect time. This team is young, and everyone is still obedient."

"Thank you." Mazura didn't dare to show his strength, but time was of the essence. Chen Fang hoped that the Clippers would establish a tough defense by the start of the regular season.

On the field, Mazura's demands led everyone to defend seriously, and whistles blew constantly.

Meanwhile, Mazura kept yelling, "Hey, go up there, you have to open your mouth and call for your teammates to fill in."

"What are you looking at? Your eyes don't have legs, move them!"

"Where's his hand? Grab him! What does it matter if he commits a foul? Let him take the free throws."

"Chase after them, damn it, can't you treat this place like a track and field?"

He repeatedly reminded them, which made the noise from the players on the field increasingly louder, changing the previously relaxed atmosphere of joking around.

“I love the atmosphere right now!” Brian said happily.

Rivers replied, "Yes, that's the kind of atmosphere needed for a tough battle!"

On the court, Chen Fang was enjoying himself. His team, C, didn't have a center, and Richeon needed more help, so Chen Fang became the power forward. This new position was very exciting for him. He had to constantly engage in physical confrontations on defense, not only during offensive and defensive transitions but also in positional play.

And because his opponents were all taller than him, he had to constantly call for his teammates to gank him.

On offense, he was frequently double-teamed, and his opponents were quick to cover after his breakthroughs. Whether it was Dillon from Group A or Beverley from Group B, they would foul him viciously at the first opportunity.

If I switch to the previous season, I'll probably suffer a loss, but the muscle gain will be noticeable.

He can still break free in the confrontation and get a chance to attack.

Lou Williams' scoring ability, Jrue Holiday's all-around offensive and defensive prowess, Richarlison's ferocity in the paint, and Chen Fang's exceptional scoring ability allowed Group C to maintain a perfect record in the afternoon training session, despite having the most problematic lineup, and avoid punishment.

When Mazura blew the whistle to end training, everyone collapsed—some sat, some lay down, not a single person could stand.

Mazura, however, did not give them a friendly look.

“I see a lot of problems, and I hope that tomorrow’s training session can have fewer of them.”

"OMG, is it every day?" someone exclaimed. "Of course." Mazura heard this and told everyone openly, "Every day, it's the same. If you don't want to run laps, pick up your defense."

"The Clippers' pursuit of the championship is not just empty talk; it requires action."

After the pep talk, the team members walked with difficulty to the rehabilitation center. They now need the comfort of massage therapists, but who will help them with their mental stress?

Chen Fang!

During his recovery, Chen Fang announced that he would treat everyone to a meal today, and that the entire team would be there.

At 7 p.m., the whole team arrived at the upscale steakhouse they had booked. In the private setting, Chen Fang raised his glass and stood up: "I'm treating everyone to dinner today because I have a few words I'd like to say from the bottom of my heart."

“Assistant Coach Mazura was poached by me.” His first sentence caused an uproar.

Once everyone quieted down, Chen Fang continued, "We have a great setup and a great foundation, but we don't yet have a great defense and a good mentality."

"To some extent, we haven't accepted ourselves as contenders for the title yet."

"This is terrible. I'm a competitive person, and I won't tolerate other teams or certain individuals looking down on me."

"When they dine and chat, when they mention me, they'll say, 'Oh, the captain! His ship is a complete wreck.' Although I know he's quite capable, if he's really that capable, why doesn't he have a ring?"

The private room was extremely quiet, with everyone looking up at Chen Fang.

"I don't want to waste my time, with one season after another of my dreams."

"It shouldn't be like this. My career cannot afford to fail."

“Mazura is an excellent coach. Few in the league can match his expertise in both offense and defense.”

"I don't want to put pressure on anyone or coerce them with my status or position. I believe in everyone's professional level. Please persevere for a month, and let's look back in October to see if it really can make us one of the league's top teams, just as I said."

"I believe in you, boss. You've never made a wrong judgment!" Little Jalun was the first to raise his glass and stand up.

Then, all of Chen Fang's trusted followers stood up, with the Rockets trio being the last to rise.

Everyone raised their glasses.

"Come on, let's grit our teeth and hang in there for this while. I'll drink this first!" Chen Fang downed his drink in one gulp.

The gathering was effective. Chen Fang expressed his strong desire to transform the team, and everyone had to obey. Of course, he was not unreasonable. One month later, it was exactly one week after the start of the regular season.

Whether it works or not, we'll see.

After the dinner, Chen Fang, slightly tipsy, was driven to Mazura's hotel by Ilya, who acted as his temporary driver.

"I've found you a place; you can move in tomorrow morning." Chen Fang handed the keys to Mazura.

“Thank you. I really didn’t have time to think about anything else while preparing for this interview,” Mazura said, expressing her gratitude.

"How was the first day?" Chen Fang asked, still somewhat worried.

"Great, I'm still studying it. This team configuration is fantastic. Who made it happen?"

"Me!" He pointed to his own nose.

Seeing Mazura's surprise, Chen Fang smiled smugly.

"We selected four, traded for two, and have already solved the offense and defense issues. As long as they get control of your stuff, we in the alliance are not afraid of anyone!" Slightly intoxicated, Chen Fang spoke more bluntly than usual.

"Come on, tell me your thoughts on these six people." Chen Fang also wanted to know Mazura's opinion.

After pouring Chen Fang a glass of lemonade to help him sober up, Mazura hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"First of all, the biggest surprise was that we were able to trade for Holiday!"

"He was the player who held the team to the bottom in the regular season. I really can't understand why the Pelicans would make a trade?"

"Kuzma does have great potential, but his combat effectiveness is still far behind Zhu's."

"The Pelicans need to rebuild!" Chen Fang answered in one sentence.

"Davis won't stay with the team next year. They need a new core player. Of course, Kuzma isn't that one, but after Davis leaves, the Pelicans will start tanking to grab the number one draft pick, keep Kuzma to pad his stats, and then trade him out to get a new piece of the puzzle, or someone with good development prospects to become the second option."

"Holiday is getting old, and in two or three years, he'll be even less valuable. He can only be effective on strong teams. We traded our first-round pick and gave him cash back; frankly, it was a mutually agreeable trade."

Chen Fang spoke eloquently, and the acquisition of Holiday was entirely his doing. When he proposed this trade idea, the management and coaching staff found it unbelievable and thought it would be difficult to achieve.

But as he analyzed, the Pelicans agreed to meet after the Clippers made their second offer, and then completed the trade three days later.

Mazura understood, and he reflected, "It seems I am still lacking in many aspects, and I don't have your comprehensive view and your focus on the future!"

"But why are you so sure Davis won't stay?" Mazura asked a new question.

"All stars want to go to big cities. Davis sees no hope in the Pelicans. You should know that an NBA star can't save much money by relying on his contract salary. The endorsements and opportunities in big cities can bring in more money. Moreover, the contracts offered by teams in big cities are higher."

“Understood!” Mazura stopped dwelling on the issue. He was only 30 years old and had plenty of time to understand the underlying workings of the league.

"Hollard can save you at least ten minutes of playing time. He's the best defender, second best scorer, and worst playmaker."

"He can defend any guard in the league one-on-one, whether it's a lead guard or a one-on-one guard, he has no problem."

"Dillon, a very nice move. He's someone who can defend from 1 to 3. I saw his defensive attitude this afternoon. He's the player I'm most satisfied with today. I like this kid, even though he swears all the time."

"Haha, don't worry, I can handle him. He's not a troublemaker on the team. I know how to deal with him," Chen Fang reassured Mazura.

"Alright then, next up is Bridges. His talent isn't just in defense; he also has great potential on offense. I'm optimistic that he'll become an excellent 3-and-D player and will have the potential to become a core player in the future."

"That's right, he'll be one of the Clippers' best wing players!"

"one?"

"Yes, there's another one still recovering from injury. He'll be coming to the Clippers next year!" Chen Fang chuckled, a surge of excitement rising within him as he built his team.

"Okay, next up is Brunson. His offense is very good, his playmaking is excellent, and he can be seen as a smaller version of Harden. I saw his physique and willpower during this afternoon's practice."

"Yes, in my opinion, he will be the most reliable person on the Clippers."

“Oh, I’m looking forward to it too.” Mazura was quite surprised, but he didn’t dwell on it and moved on to the next one.

"DiVincenzo is a very intelligent player who plays smartly and efficiently with limited ball possession. He will be the most anticipated part of the Clippers' transformation."

"Finally, there's Jaren."

"Although the outside world generally believes that trading Griffin for Jaren could not replicate the miracle of trading Paul for you, he does have the physical talent of an All-Star who can play both offense and defense. His skills are above average and there is room for development."

"In the afternoon practice, he was the most outstanding defender. His reaction to help defense is innate. His wingspan will give him a lot of block data."

"As for the attack, it's rather immature. In the first season, don't expect too much," Mazura concluded her analysis.

Chen Fang was very happy; he felt that Mazura had the same idea as him.

"With the roster we've retained, how far do you think we can go this season?"

"We have a chance in the Western Conference Finals, but the NBA Finals will depend on which team comes from the East!" Mazura's answer was very professional.

He further explained: "Actually, for Western Conference teams, making it to the Western Conference Finals means that the championship is already more than halfway to them. Eastern Conference teams all have some problems, but if it's the Celtics, it's very uncertain."

"What are your expectations for the Celtics?" Chen Fang wanted to test Mazura's abilities.

"I'm sure I'll win a title within the next few years," Mazzula replied decisively.

"Why?" Chen Fang asked urgently.

"A system, a system plus suitable players, is the foundation for winning a championship."

“Both Brendan and Jayson Tatum are both good on both offense and defense. What they lack now is a guard who excels on both ends of the court. This way, they can form a super team with five players who are good on both offense and defense!” Mazura suddenly stopped speaking.

Looking at the smiling Chen Fang, he couldn't help but say, "Holldie is the best fit for the Celtics right now, but you've robbed us."

"Yes, not only that, I also robbed you!" Chen Fang laughed heartily.

I'm not a smart person, but I'll be smart enough to snatch the players that rightfully belong to the strong teams first.

"Keep up the good work!" Standing at the hotel entrance, Chen Fang and Mazura shook hands tightly.

"Although many people never thought the Clippers could win the championship this year, I am fully prepared."

"You are my closest coach and brother. I really hope that we can work together to create the impossible!"

“I am just as ambitious!” Mazura replied.

Both sides saw ambition in each other's eyes.

“Perhaps we’re a match made in heaven!” Chen Fang said, and Mazura smiled knowingly.
(End of this chapter)