Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 315 A Tumultuous December

As the speaker, Chen Fang shared his thoughts on the "time gambler" game, hoping that the entire team could focus highly on the game and make winning the championship their most important goal.

He was prepared to lead by example and urge everyone to give their all.

At the same time, they didn't have absolute confidence, and didn't think that just by talking, everyone would be so enthusiastic and reckless.

However, Chen Fang then discovered that he was no longer the first person to arrive at the training ground.

Brunson, DiVincenzo, and Bridges agreed to meet at the training ground at 6 a.m. every morning on training days, and anyone who was even a minute late would be punished.

Thornwell and Evans made similar decisions; they wanted to be the last ones to leave the arena.

Even the Rockets' trio, after their speeches, had Lou Williams, as their representative, express their desire for a championship to Chen Fang. At the same time, they subtly explained that as someone with a family and children, they needed time to take care of their families, but they would never hold the team back and would remain steadfast under any circumstances.

Chen Fang was very busy during those two days. Every player took the initiative to express their feelings to Chen Fang, and Rivers also told Chen Fang that the entire coaching staff and personnel expressed that they were deeply moved by the speech and vowed to do their best to help the team win the championship.

Now that things have come to this, Chen Fang is both pleased and deeply pressured.

The boast has already been made; now it's time to charge in blindly.

In fact, the Clippers' upcoming schedule is not favorable.

The last three games in November will be the Clippers' final period of comfort.

Two home games and one away game.

Their home games are against the Grizzlies on the 23rd and against the Suns on the 28th.

Their away game is against the Trail Blazers on the 25th.

December begins with a four-game road trip in the Western Conference, visiting the Kings, Mavericks, Pelicans, and Grizzlies.

Next, they will play the Heat at home, and then the Suns on the road.

On December 11, they will face a drastically changed Raptors team at home.

After the Raptors, there are two away games: against the Spurs and the Thunder.

Throughout December, the Clippers will play 16 games, including 14 against Western Conference teams and 2 against Eastern Conference teams.

The three most important games are the home game against the Raptors on the 11th, the away game against the Golden State Warriors on the 23rd, and the game against the Lakers on the 28th.

These three games were highlighted by the coaching staff.

Mazura now not only serves as a defensive coach, but also oversees the league's overall adversary assessment.

According to Mazura, the Raptors have a chance to make it to the Finals because their roster is very well-rounded, much like the current Clippers – unassuming but with a lot of fighting power.

The Golden State Warriors, needless to say, are the Clippers' biggest rival in the West and will undoubtedly be their opponent in the Western Conference playoffs.

As for the Lakers, needless to say, this is a battle for the survival of the King of Los Angeles, and every game is important.

Moreover, with James on the team, Paul can unleash even greater potential. No team dares to underestimate the Lakers' current strength, given James's undeniable reputation as the league's top star.

Chen Fang replied, "Every match is important!"

The reason I say this is because Rivers gave him a piece of advice.

"You've already achieved great success. Now, you should do something even more important than winning a championship!"

"Strive to become a better version of yourself, and then influence more people!"

The impact of these words was no less than when Wu Zhen told him that Chen Fang should aim for the NBA, not become a CBA player.

Chen Fang began to reflect on what he could do to influence more people.

Is it a professional attitude or a universal spirit?
This problem had troubled him for a long time until he returned home, when Wu Zi's words made him suddenly realize the truth.

"Just be yourself, and others will recite scriptures and interpret them for you!"

At this point, Chen Fang was in character.

He is doing his best to fulfill his leadership responsibilities in training and on the field, and he has also started to pay attention to his clothing, mainly dark-colored, calm and reserved styles.

"Won't this look like something a gangster would do?" Chen Fang asked Wu Zi while looking in the mirror.

"Well, at least it's better than being criticized for being too outrageous."

Chen Fang tilted his head and thought about it, then realized it made sense.

In the last three games of November, the Grizzlies, Trail Blazers, and Suns were all defeated by the Clippers without any surprise.

Chen Fang scored 24, 26, and 29 points in the three games respectively.

Once no one is double-teaming Chen Fang, scoring becomes extremely easy. When they encounter each other, Chen Fang will split possession of the ball in two.

Possession of the ball was given to Rose and Brunson.

The right to close out the game was given to Lou Williams, Zubac, and Bridges.

He will form the Clippers' three lines of defense together with Dillon and Jrue Holiday.

"What we need to do is not to score a certain number of points, but to reduce the number of points our opponents score!"

In offense, he mainly facilitates play, passes the ball, and tackles short balls after a failed tactical maneuver.

Chen Fang's accuracy also started to drop from the 180 club to 160, but Chen Fang didn't mind. You have to do things that others can't do in order to show your unique value.

After three games, the players were the first to sense the changes in the team. Everyone participated in the defense and felt an extremely strong sense of security.

The media also took notice of this change, with Clippers beat reporter Tomer Azali praising the Clippers' transformation.

"As we all know, what you need to advance in the playoffs is defense."

"The Clippers' defense has always been solid, but in the early stages they relied on their foul tolerance. However, in these last few games, I've seen their system."

"Jurry Holiday's lead defense, Dillon's help defense, Chen Wang's all-around help defense, Bridges's switching defense, and Jaren's free throw line defense, all these combined to form an iron curtain."

"Even though everyone looks inexperienced and keeps making mistakes, the positive changes they bring have led to three easy victories for the Clippers."

Mazura pointed to the report about Tomer Azali and said to Chen Fang, "He does have something."

"But it still didn't get to the point."

"I've built a three-in-one defensive system: high post, low post, and mismatch."

"I hope to establish double-teaming and single-teaming in the high post; double-teaming in the low post; and unlimited switching and covering on the flanks and corners."

"All of this requires all five players on the field to move actively, be highly focused on defense, and use the last player in the penalty area to call out and remind each other, thus building a strong strong-side choke defense."

“Jaylen isn’t mature enough yet; he’s not good at being the team’s defensive anchor,” Chen Fang frowned.

“Yes, Zubac, or even Richon, would be better.” Mazura shook her head: “Jaren’s focus is lacking, it’s innate. Also, he’s too soft and he’s wary of confrontation.”

“Zubac is very good in this aspect, but he lacks confidence and technique, but this will be resolved and improved over time.”

“We have excellent candidates, but it will take time for them to adapt.”

"When can we win everything?" Chen Fang asked the question he had been pondering for a long time.

Mazura shook her head and, under Chen Fang's earnest gaze, resolutely said, "Please don't think like that."

"Strength or weakness lies in the performance on the field, in the structure of the players in the game, and even more so in the confrontation and game between the key players."

"Currently, without you, the Clippers have lost their absolute strength. Even if the defense is solid, our offensive firepower is not strong."

"Conversely, even if we have a strong offense, if we lose our three-in-one zone defense strategy, we will still be overwhelmed by the opponent's strong points."

"This is a game of strategy." Chen Fang didn't understand for a moment, and he said in confusion, "I don't get it."

"For example, if you're facing an opponent like Leonard who excels on both offense and defense, your physical strength and energy mean you have to put in the effort on both ends of the court. Are you sure you can do that in 40 minutes?"

Chen Fang hesitated for a moment: "I haven't fought him many times, but I know that if things go as you've planned, I'll need to go all out."

"This is where the problem lies."

"When you're tied up by Leonard, it means you cancel each other out, so the Clippers need another strong player to keep scoring."

"Don't think I'm exaggerating. In the playoffs, everything is for winning, and all tactics will be set up around that."

"That's why I'm here to drive change in the Clippers, to use the regular season to find more strengths."

Chen Fang understood. He patted Mazura on the shoulder: "We'll be playing the Raptors soon. Let's see what the real situation is like."

※※※

Starting in December, the Clippers embarked on a road trip, playing four away games in seven days.

Any strong team can easily make mistakes under this kind of schedule, and the Clippers' youth brings both energy and instability, which is a double-edged sword.

They beat the Kings and Pelicans, but lost to the Mavericks and Grizzlies.

Both of the losses were games where Chen Fang was rested. He sat on the bench and witnessed Brunson's inexperience and Jalen's naivety.

Rivers praised the players regardless of wins or losses, and firmly believed in front of the media that the Clippers were on the right track.

Back at home, the Clippers faced the Heat and won the game cleanly. Chen Fang started and played 35 minutes, scoring 27 points, keeping his average points per game in third place and preventing him from falling behind.

Chen Fang did not travel with the team for the next away game against the Suns. Firstly, it was due to his physical condition; he needed a few days to rest and recover. His inflammation was getting worse, especially since he refused to use medication to reduce the inflammation and insisted on using physical therapy and diet to alleviate it.

Another issue is that we're about to play the Raptors. Many of the coaching staff's ideas need to be tested against strong teams, and the Raptors are clearly a very good opponent.

On December 11, the Clippers hosted the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors are currently ranked first in the Eastern Conference, followed closely by the Bucks. The two are taking turns vying for the top spot, and the key factor is whether Leonard will take a rest.

This is similar to the Clippers. When Chen Fang rests, the Clippers' winning probability drops below 50%.

The Raptors in 18 and 19 had very little difference; the only change was two players.

Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green vs. DeMar DeRozan, CJ Miles.

Essentially, it was a trade between Leonard and DeRozan, and of course, there was the later reinforcement of Valanciunas for Gasol. This change, one inside and one outside, allowed the Raptors to taste the championship, which is inseparable from Raptors general manager Ujiri.

The Raptors were already very strong. If they hadn't faced LeBron James, they would have had a chance to reach the Finals, but even if they had, it would have been difficult for them to win the championship.

The problem is that DeRozan's offense is one-dimensional, his defense is weak, and the biggest problem is that he has almost no leadership qualities and no Finals experience.

In contrast, Leonard is a two-way player, and he has already honed his Finals experience with the Spurs. Although his leadership qualities are not particularly strong, he was fortunate that the Warriors suffered consecutive injuries to their core players in the Finals, allowing him to snag a championship.

The saying goes, "The winner takes all," and since the Raptors won the championship, everyone involved was excellent.

Ujiri and rookie head coach Nurse both became championship members, not to mention Leonard's rise to godhood, VanVleet's decline, Siakam's soaring salary, and other such events.

Of course, no one could have predicted these things, but Chen Fang was aware of them.

He only understood the surface-level aspects; his understanding of the Raptors was still superficial.

When halftime arrived, Rivers' first words in the locker room were: "We underestimated our opponents!"

No one objected; Chen Fang was simply panting heavily.

"Nurse really gave our coaching staff a run for their money!" Rivers frankly admitted that it was the coaching staff's fault.

Nick Nurse, a prodigy who became a college coach at the age of 23, played and coached in the British professional league for eight years before returning to the United States and leading two NBA Development League teams to championships.

He became an assistant coach for the Raptors two years ago, and this is his first season as an NBA head coach.

Being underestimated is inevitable, but Nurse skillfully taught the Clippers a lesson.

The Clippers generously allowed Leonard to offset Chen Fang's damage, let VanVleet handle the ball, let Lowry be the main scorer, let Siakam lead the offensive and defensive transitions, and let Valanciunas aggressively attack the Clippers' interior.

In particular, his corner guards' drop-to-the-basket tactics forced the Clippers to stretch their defensive lines, turning their three lines of defense into a single line, greatly weakening their defensive depth.

The most lethal thing was his three-pointer from the top of the arc, which left the Clippers with almost no chance to fight back today.

This tactical movement is actually very easy to understand: the point guard feeds the ball to the center on the wing, and the guard uses the screen set by the center to get around to the basket.

Beyond the three-point line, the power forward moves towards the middle, while the forwards use screens to run to the weak side to create space!

In the first half, Green used Valanciunas' screen to make a reverse cut to the three-point line to receive the ball and shoot. Siakam on the weak side set a screen for Lowry, and because his movement was opposite to Green's, he drew the defender away from Green.

As a result, both Lowry and Green got open looks, and the Clippers players couldn't tell who would take the three-pointer. In the end, Green made the three-pointer.

With 13 three-pointers in the first half, the Raptors led 65-54 going into the second half.

Nurse himself is a video editor by training, and he has a very sharp understanding of the "Moreyball" theory in offense. He actually has a great advantage when playing against a steady team like the Clippers. As long as he is in good form, he can gain the upper hand.

Chen Fang tried his best to reverse the decline, but Leonard came on today with the mission of locking him down. Even without participating in the offense, he focused all his energy and attention on defense, which made Chen Fang very uncomfortable.

The Raptors didn't use the double-teaming tactics of other teams; instead, they opted for one-on-one defense. In the paint, Siakam's wingspan and mobility were sufficient to help defend.

Chen Fang only scored 7 points and 2 assists in the first half, which was his worst first-half performance this season.

Mazura's face was grave; he was in a terrible mood. Clearly, the Raptors had come prepared today, and devising a countermeasure on the fly was unrealistic. Now, he could only bite the bullet and deal with it.

Half an hour later, with three minutes left in the game, Chen Fang was substituted, and the whole stadium erupted in groans.

"Although the game isn't over yet, the fact is that the Clippers have suffered their first home loss." Commentator David didn't hold back in his criticism: "The Clippers played terribly today, from tactics to fighting spirit, they were no match for the Raptors."

"The Raptors deserved this victory, and this game also means that the Clippers have relinquished their top spot in the league, and the Raptors have taken the crown."

"The four best teams in the league are now clear."

"Raptors, Clippers, Bucks, Warriors."

"They are ranked first through fourth in the league standings, respectively."

"But I'm optimistic. This loss should be enough to wake the Clippers up, which is a good thing."

In the locker room, Chen Fang gave a routine interview. If you don't want a press conference, then you have to give an interview in the locker room.

"How do you feel about scoring only 15 points today, which is unusual?" the reporter asked.

"Oh no, I need to do a thorough review. I also have to praise Kawhi; his defense was fantastic today. Next time we meet, I'll make it all back," Chen Fang replied without changing his expression.

"If the Clippers lose this game, they'll become second in the league. What do you think?"

"The regular season is long, there's no need to be anxious about it. We'll take back first place soon," Chen Fang said confidently.

"What would you like to say about the Raptors' performance today?"

After thinking for a while, Chen Fang slowly answered in front of the reporters surrounding him and a dozen microphones: "Perfect tactics, perfect execution, I believe will provide more lessons for other teams in the league."

"We'll have more and more trouble, but that's a good thing."

"I want to reiterate that statement."

"With every loss, we grow stronger, until we are flawless and perfect!"

"Thank you Raptors, thank you Coach Nurse, thank you Leonard."

See you next time!

(End of this chapter)