Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 305 The King of the Clippers Has Ascended the Throne

10 month 17 day.

The Clippers will play the Nuggets at home.

This game shouldn't have been the focus of the league, but Chen Fang's incredible remarks about reaching the top yesterday caused a stir, leading to the game being temporarily selected for a national broadcast.

Many veteran football stars felt offended by Chen Fang's remarks and took to Twitter to mock and criticize him.

Pippen said, "No second-year rookie has ever been this arrogant. The league should not be underestimated. In the 90s, it took many years to prove yourself as someone on the top. In today's league, people just open their mouths and spout all sorts of absurd things."

Renowned commentator Reggie Miller also disliked Chen Fang's remarks: "He hasn't experienced the harsh realities of the league yet. Last season, no one took you seriously, but that doesn't mean you're really capable. I'm worried that Chen Fang will suffer a lot this season. My advice is to honestly admit his mistakes, otherwise the consequences will be dire."

The media reaction was mostly sarcastic, and for a time, many people paid close attention to the event.

"The Nuggets are great. Murray and Jokic have shown top-level potential. If the Clippers think they're good, then this game will prove them wrong," commented Daily NBA columnist Hardman.

20,000 Clippers fans flocked to the Staples Center, which was packed to capacity.

For fans, it's supportive to see their star player be confident; they like to hear such statements. But if you can't deliver on those promises, they'll be somewhat disappointed.

Will Chen Fang disappoint Clippers fans?

The Nuggets' starting lineup: Jokic, Murray, Barton, Harris, and Paul Millsap.

The Clippers made changes to their starting lineup: Chen Fang, Zubac, Richon, Dillon, and Jrue Holiday.

Replacing Jaren with Richaun was the coaching staff's decision to maintain defensive pressure in the paint, as the Clippers believed they needed to resolve the issue in the first three quarters and widen the score gap.

Richon's rim protection and help defense are stronger than his offense, which gives Zubac a greater physical advantage on both offense and defense.

Dillon and Julius Ernest are also better at defense than offense, which also frees up Chen Fang's physical strength.

At this point, seasoned experts can discern the core of the Clippers' team-building strategy.

That is to build a team around Chen Fang and Zubac, creating an offensive and defensive system centered around the two of them.

This is a basic Clippers offensive and defensive model proposed by Rivers, constructed by Brian, and perfected by Mazura.

The aim is to use Chen Fang's outside shooting threat to trigger Zubac's inside scoring, which in turn will benefit other role players on the team, creating a multi-pronged offensive and defensive strategy.

And now, all the speculations are becoming reality.

Chen Fang was playing point guard. After crossing half-court, he was double-teamed by Barton and Murray.

The ball was passed to Jrue Holiday, who didn't go to the wing but instead came to the top of the key. Holiday then dribbled to the left wing.

Dillon came up to set a screen for him, while Richon moved to the outside of the short corner, and Zubac drew Jokic to the free-throw line.

The entire paint was cleared instantly, and Jrue Holiday invaded the paint under a screen. At the same time, Zubac and Chen Fang set an off-ball screen, and Chen Fang accelerated into the paint, where Jrue Holiday threw the ball up.

At almost rim height, Chen Fang caught the ball and slammed it into the basket.

A very successful team tactical combination, with inside and outside substitutions creating an alley-oop opportunity.

NBA tactics are always interconnected.

After Murray hit a mid-range jumper in the next possession, the Nuggets immediately set up a 2-3 zone defense, with Jokic no longer following up and instead guarding the paint.

Millsap allowed Richon to stay in the corner, while Murray, Barton, and Harris actively switched to defend the high post.

This created more opportunities on the wing. Chen Fang and Jrue Holiday passed the ball to each other hand-off, and Dillon made a three-pointer from the wing with an off-ball screen.

Before the game, Nuggets head coach Malone gave all his players a task: the Clippers could win, but Chen Fang had to lose.

Seeing the open three-pointer, Malone was displeased. He whistled, waved his arms, and looked stern.

Chen Fang quickly felt the pressure from the coach. He and Dillon tried the same trick again, but Barton bumped into them from the side. The whistle blew, but Chen Fang ignored it and said to Dillon, "Hey, block them well, we don't need to rush."

The ball was re-inbounded, Chen Fang positioned himself, held off Barton, and caught the ball with one hand while turning sideways.

After receiving the ball, raise it high with one hand, straighten your body, and your teammates will immediately pull you away.

But Harris rushed out quickly, trying to join forces with Barton to encircle and sandwich him.

However, the Clippers already had multiple countermeasures against this double-teaming strategy. Jrue Holiday did not move far away, and always kept a distance of four or five meters from Chen Fang.

Chen Fang immediately dribbled backwards, moving at high speed towards Jrue Holiday. He only dribbled once before passing the ball, but maintained his speed.

Jrue Holiday received the ball and immediately turned to the side, handing it to Chen Fang who was rushing over, while also blocking Barton who was chasing.

Chen Fang regained control of the ball and moved towards the top of the arc. Facing Murray's help defense, he passed the ball laterally to Dillon, who came out to receive it.

But he kept moving, circling around and returning to his initial position.

Dillon received the ball and moved towards the top of the arc. Just as Chen Fang was in position, he passed the ball to him.

He catches the ball, gets an open shot, and strikes with lightning speed.

Seeing that three-pointer, Malone was speechless.

He realized that a simple high press was indisputable, because the opponent's three perimeter players already had a well-developed support strategy.

This kind of double-teaming is counterproductive; it would be better to let Chen Fang play one-on-one, which would actually lower his shooting percentage.

The Nuggets' offense is excellent. Jokic is heading towards his peak. His ball-handling and passing in the high post, combined with Murray's off-ball movement on the perimeter, makes him a formidable force.

He's just not good at the small forward position. In his previous life, the Nuggets' rise to prominence was only after Porter Jr. appeared and they traded for Gordon, which transformed them into their complete form.

At this point, the Nuggets are at best a team that barely makes the playoffs.

Chen Fang received the ball at the top of the arc again. His current starting style has indeed been influenced by McGrady. He will first observe the positions of both sides on the court and use the triple threat to immobilize the defender.

Two things were happening at the same time. Barton, who was facing Chen Fang, had been forced to raise his defensive focus after being hit by two three-pointers, but Chen Fang read his intentions.

There are some basic offensive techniques that, if memorized and applied, can immediately elevate your skill level.

When the distance between the feet is short, the defender's center of gravity is on top. When the distance between the feet is wider than the length of the feet, the center of gravity is on the balls of the feet. A skilled defender will constantly reset the distance between their feet to adjust their center of gravity.

But Patton didn't realize that Chen Fang had simply used a triple-threat thrust to completely overtake him.

The ball was breached at the top of the key, and the help defense immediately moved in, but Chen Fang was extremely fast. He crossed the free throw line in one step, and facing Jokic's rim protection, he jumped up first, forcing the opponent to jump up as well. Then, he moved to the side in mid-air and passed the ball under the opponent's arm.

He was fed the ball right to Zubac's mouth, who caught it and dunked it in with ease.

"The Nuggets' defense is practically nonexistent in Chen Wang's eyes," commentator David exclaimed upon witnessing the attack.

"Chen Fang is stronger and harder to guard. He has speed and a good shot. Barton is obviously no match for him." Duan Ran felt that Chen Fang was playing too easily. His perception was that the Clippers' perimeter players were protecting Chen Fang better.

They did a better job in both pick-and-roll and playmaking.

"If the Nuggets don't have a better strategy, the Clippers' lead will only grow larger," he asserted.

Malone took advantage of a foul to replace Barton, and then Juan had to come in to contain him.

This lineup has no problem dealing with ordinary star players, but it looks very inexperienced against Chen Fang.

Patton, who was paid 1100 million, had no effect whatsoever.

Juan's appearance did not yield good results.

As long as Chen Fang had the ball, he would overpower any opponent. Juan was tall enough, agile enough, and had no disadvantage in wingspan, but he still failed against Chen Fang, who combined dribbling and pull-up jumpers to a masterful level.

Just like this ball.

After receiving the ball, Chen Fang took a step back, pulling Juan out of the three-point line. He then used a crossover dribble followed by a dragging step to move Juan around, shifting his opponent's footwork. With a step forward and a crossover dribble, he pushed Juan away.

After the breakthrough, Chen Fang did not accelerate, but waited for the Nuggets' help defender to get in place before making a cross pass to Dillon on the wing, who finished the attack with a three-pointer.

Malone's temples were throbbing; this kind of combo guard with such high ability is simply the most terrifying presence on the court.

If we had to find a current player as a template, it would be the complete combination of Kyrie Irving and Paul George.

His dribbling combined with shooting and driving makes him almost impossible to stop.

This player is a freshman who entered the league in his second year.

Thinking back to how he found it funny when Chen Fang boasted about going to the mountaintop, Ma Long now finds himself quite funny.

He's actually growing even faster than Jokic!

What's the most painful thing for a head coach? It's having no cards to play and watching helplessly as the team gets beaten to a pulp.

Chen Fang orchestrated the team's offense with a combination of shots and drives, and by the end of the first quarter, he had already scored 14 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds.

The entire stadium erupted in uproar. Aside from the fans' elation, the reporters were all visibly shocked. One reporter even exclaimed into his own television station's camera, "This is terrifying! Am I dreaming?"

Not only the reporters and media, but even the Clippers players were somewhat taken aback.

Rivers shook his head at Brian, his face filled with disbelief: "He's evolved again, even more terrifying than last season."

Brian understood what Rivers was talking about. Chen Fang used to be able to perform like this, but there was a very obvious precursor: visible excitement and an overbearing style that devoured all the ball possession.

But now, Chen Fang on the court is calm and efficient in scoring, making good use of limited ball possession.

There's no need to say anything more; Chen Fang's performance has shown the league that he's on his way to the top.

35: 23.

A 12-point lead was enough for Chen to rest on the bench. Rivers also substituted Jrue Holiday, Dillon, Richaun, and Zubac.

Jaren Jr., Harrell, Bridges, Bruns, and Rose make their appearance.

This is a relatively short offensive and defensive lineup on the perimeter. The commentator said, "With three rookies replaced in one go, do the Clippers think they have it in the bag?"

But reality slapped him in the face.

The guard duo of Rose and Brunson displayed strong offensive capabilities. By this time, Rose had developed his shooting skills. He was not Westbrook, who, even on a minimum salary, still played a superstar style of play to hurt the team.

When Ross was the point guard, Bruns was the primary scorer, and the three big men formed a high-pressure help defense inside the three-point line, Nuggets head coach Malone was surprised to find that this lineup was actually no worse than the starting lineup.

Rose's spot-up shooting and Bruns's aggressive, pressing style of play kept the Clippers scoring.

Jaren was very excited to be matched up against Jokic. He called on his friends, including Bridges, to suppress the seemingly omnipotent Jokic.

Five minutes into the second quarter, Beverley replaced Rose, DiVincenzo replaced Harrell, Lou Williams replaced Brunson, and Dillon replaced Bridges, forming a super small-ball death lineup.

Ma Long only watched for two minutes before realizing he was doomed to lose.

Three lineups, each smaller than the last, but each with its own strengths, combining both offense and defense.

Not only Ma Long, but even the reporters on the sidelines noticed something was amiss.

When will the Clippers have three different roster options?

"The first set is Chen Fang + Zubac, the second set is Brunson + Jaren, and the third set is the Double Ghosts + Lou Williams?"

"These three sets are all very lethal! My God, the Clippers have transformed! They're about to take off!" Ke Fan, the commentator, shouted excitedly.

At halftime, the Clippers led 71-54.

The crowd erupted in cheers, and Ballmer, watching from the sidelines, was flushed with excitement. He stood up and cheered with each point scored, saying to Lawrence, who was standing next to him, "This is the most reassuring game I've ever seen."

"How did he do that?"

As the owner, he is very clear that the Clippers' current roster is based on the framework proposed by Chen Fang, supplemented by Rivers, and balanced by West.

With just six changes to the roster, the Clippers have been completely transformed, their fighting power has exploded.

"What weaknesses do we still have now?"

Lawrence didn't dare to give a definitive answer, but instead replied, "We still need to see more games to make a decision, but we can still add to the list before February. We still have a mid-level exception in hand!"

“Very good, I am very satisfied!” Ballmer smiled, blushing.

During the Nuggets' halftime break, Malone didn't make good use of the time. In the third quarter, facing the Clippers' brand-new lineup, he once again felt helpless and envious.

Chen Fang, Xiao Jialun, Brunson, Dillon, and Ju Holiday.

A completely new lineup.

When Jokic received the ball at the high post and was closely guarded by Jaren, after a pick-and-roll, he drove to the basket but faced Dillon. Chen Fang double-teamed him, and the ball was blocked. Malone knew that this was another tactical system targeting the Nuggets' inside and outside core.

As expected, Murray fared even worse, getting torn apart by Dillon's mad dog. So far in the game, he hasn't even reached double digits in scoring, and he's been dominated by the Clippers throughout the entire game.

Dillon, Beverley, and Jrue Holiday could all punish the inexperienced Murray.

Having not played in the second quarter, Chen Fang had more energy and played the entire third quarter, shooting 11 times with both outside shots and drives to the basket, including 3 of 5 three-pointers, 4 of 6 mid-range shots, and 4 free throws.

21 points in a single quarter!
When Chen Fang was sitting comfortably on the bench in the fourth quarter, chatting and laughing with his teammates, the reporter suddenly realized that Chen Fang had only played 23 minutes that day.

But those 23 points resulted in a total of 37 points!
I could only recall a handful of cases.

Kevin Love: In a game on November 23, 2016, he scored 34 points in the first quarter.

Klay Thompson: In the game on January 23, 2015, he scored 37 points in the third quarter alone.

Although Chen Fang's 23 minutes couldn't compare to the individual quarter statistics of these two players, it was still impressive enough.

35分6助攻5篮板1帽1断。

Looking at the scoreboard, no one dares to mock Chen Fang's words from yesterday.

As the final buzzer sounded, the Clippers crushed the Denver Nuggets 132-108 in their opening game, a 24-point blowout.

After muting his microphone, Duan Ran said to Ke Fan, "Unbelievable, in just half a year, the Clippers have become this strong?"

"It's not just Chen Fang, everyone else is very strong. They're practically picked from the rookies. Jaren had a double-double in points and rebounds, Brunson had a double-double in points and assists, DiVincenzo had 12 points, and Bridges had 14 points."

"That was a terrifying outburst!" Ke Fan looked up at the data and felt suffocated.

"I don't know how the Nuggets feel, but I feel like I can't breathe."

As Ke Fan mentioned, in the post-game press conference, Malone and Jokic, who scored 28 points, 11 assists and 13 rebounds, both shared their feelings about the game.

"As a coach, I would give Chen Fang my first vote among forwards in the All-Star voting," Malone said with a wry smile.

"He showed me today what a top-tier swingman in the league is! Chen Fang today was the best of them all."

Jokic's response sounded rather somber: "Yes, his performance exceeded my expectations. I'll go back and review the video carefully. We didn't do enough; we need to improve."

"We won't be so easy to deal with in the next match!"

Five minutes later, it was Chen Fang's turn to attend the press conference.

This was the first time he had attended a press conference alone.

As Chen Fang sat down, he looked around the room and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

His imposing presence impressed many Chinese journalists, who secretly admired him: "He has the air of a superstar!"

"I don't need to play for too long. The team is full of talent, and every brother is great."

"There's no need to assume what stats I'll get if I play for 40 minutes; that's unrealistic. Everything is decided based on the established dynamics of the game."

“Yes, if I had to explain what it means to go to the mountaintop,” Chen Fang said, then suddenly paused and looked at the vast crowd of reporters below the stage.

He smiled and said, "I'll use one tough match after another and consistent average stats to let every team and every opponent in the league know that I'm already at the top!"

Ignoring the uproar from the audience, Chen Fang ended with an even more explosive statement.

"Believe it or not, this season's Clippers are not afraid of any opponent. We will prove with our performance that we are the top team in the league!"

Many of the reporters who heard this exchange wore strange smiles.

The Clippers' schedule in the first month was nothing short of hell.

They will play the Thunder on October 19th and the Rockets on October 21st.

Then, on the 23rd, they played the Pelicans on the road, and on the 26th, they faced the Rockets again.

Finally, they will play the Wizards at home on the 28th and the Thunder away on the 30th.

From the 19th to the 30th, there are 6 matches, 3 away games and 3 home games.

The most important game is the home-and-away series against the Rockets, followed by the Thunder, then the Pelicans, with only the Wizards being relatively easy.

Therefore, Chen Fang's harsh words at this time were unintentionally embarrassing for him.

As long as you lose a game, plenty of reporters will dig up what you said today and relentlessly mock you.

But did Chen Fang not know all this?
He knew that, of course, but what did it matter?
If they can get through this grueling schedule, it will greatly boost the team's confidence and be most beneficial to Chen Fang's goals.

Reach the summit in February!

On his way back to the locker room, Rivers was waiting for him at the door. When he arrived, Rivers asked, "You seem very confident."

"Yes, the Rockets are strong, but not the strongest. The Thunder are just a paper tiger."

"In my opinion, they're all a piece of cake!"

Looking at Chen Fang's confident face, Riverston felt a sense of unfamiliarity, especially knowing that the Chinese were never impulsive people.

It seems that Chen Fang's evolution is not only physical, but also psychological, and even more significant.

Upon entering the locker room and seeing Chen Fang and the head coach, the entire team erupted in a wolf-like cheer.

"Guys, did you see the tough stuff I said at the press conference?" Chen Fang pointed to the big screen TV.

"I saw it! Boss, seriously, that's so cool!" Little Jialun never hid his identity as Chen Fang's underling.

"We must win all six games in the last ten days of October!"

"Seven consecutive wins, let's climb to the top of the Western Conference first!"

Chen Fang didn't say a single motivational word; he simply stated his goal and told everyone, "You all have to keep up!"
Thornwell and Evans, including Zubac, felt like strangers, but then suddenly felt relieved.

Perhaps, this is the true face of the boss.

This is how a leader should be!
In his second year in the NBA, Chen Fang's leadership qualities, displayed in his first game, left a deep impression on many people.

The Clippers' king has ascended the throne.

(End of this chapter)