Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 362 The Flaw of the King of Chen

The Clippers returned to Los Angeles overnight to prepare for the pivotal Game 5 three days later.

The next day was a rest day, and Chen Fang invited the whole team to dinner via email and phone.

He paid out of his own pocket to book an upscale steakhouse. When all the dishes were served, Chen Fang raised his hand and stood up.

"Guys, this meal has no other meaning than to commemorate the hard-won journey we've come through in this series."

"The second round, the Western Conference Finals, and the NBA Finals – each of these three series has been filled with unimaginable surprises. Getting this far is all thanks to the efforts of all of us. As the captain, I have the utmost respect for you. Let's drink to our hearts' content."

He tilted his head back and downed the red wine in one gulp, then poured himself another glass.

"The second toast is to our mutual trust. In a 48-minute match, we supported and relied on each other."

After drinking again, everyone at the long table was slightly tipsy, and their eyes were all focused on Chen Fang, who was in the center of the table.

"The third glass!" Chen Fang said as he filled the glass, raised it, and continued, "To the future!"

“We are not arrogant or delusional, but the championship trophy and ring are right in front of us, urging us to take them.”

"This honor is so important to us. None of us have ever received this honor before. Once we get it, it will at least represent a further step towards perfection in our NBA careers."

"Come on, brothers, there are still two games left, don't miss them!"

After the third cup, some people were already feeling the effects, but Chen Fang still downed his drink in one gulp. He wiped his mouth and said to his teammates who hadn't finished yet, "The hardest thing to swallow is alcohol. Come on, once this cup is down, it'll be gone."

Those who hadn't finished their drinks had no choice but to grimace and close their eyes to finish them.

"Just like the upcoming offseason, if we treat the last two games as the toughest challenge, then the most enjoyable vacation will follow."

"That's life. After all the hardships, every moment is sweet."

Two sentences brought smiles to everyone's faces, and even the man who had been grimacing earlier seemed to understand the purpose of today's banquet.

Chen Fang continued pouring the wine. He was well-prepared today, saying as he poured, "Let's start with this glass. Please feel free to drink as you like."

"If we fail to keep up in either of the next two games, all our previous efforts will be wasted. The Raptors will not give up. On paper, they are stronger than us. Games 1 and 2 are good examples of this."

"I don't have a habit of pouring cold water on things, but I just don't want to see us crying after losing a game."

"That's enough for now. Let's go to the bar later and relax." Chen Fang stopped there, then burst into laughter.

The entire night cost less than 100,000 yuan, but Chen Fang felt it was worth it. On the second day of training, everyone was in high spirits.

The finals have gone through four games, and now it's all about morale. Americans don't like pressure; letting loose can actually ignite their desire to win. There are many similar examples.

Chen Fang made the decision after taking the matter into consideration.

When he saw Chen Fang arrive, Lawrence waved and asked as soon as he got closer, "Actually, the team can reimburse this expense."

"You can include it in the bonus; I don't mind taking some interest."

Lawrence laughed: "Okay, don't worry, once we win the championship, the boss's generosity will exceed our expectations."

"I'm really looking forward to it." After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Chen Fang walked onto the court.

He saw that the coaching staff was already in place, ready to begin today's training.

Chen Fang's training today focused on finding his touch and restoring his physical feel. In addition, as the tactical initiator, he practiced more serving tactics.

During a break in training, Rivers called Chen Fang over.

Did you have a blast yesterday?

"Yes, it's not bad." Chen Fang didn't shy away from the question.

Rivers nodded: "The method is very good, and the results are evident today."

"I don't want everyone to feel too much pressure during tomorrow's competition," Chen Fang explained.

“Go ahead, pressure is a double-edged sword.” Rivers knew this all too well.

When she got home, it was already evening. Although Wu Zi knew that yesterday's engagements were social events, she still looked somewhat annoyed.

Chen Fang didn't quite understand at first, but when he turned on the TV, he found that the local sports channel in Los Angeles was broadcasting paparazzi footage of the Clippers team partying at a bar the night before.

Uh, okay, today was terrible.

Chen Fang didn't do anything wrong, but he was still embarrassed, especially by that fleeting scene where he was surrounded by several blonde women.

“That’s a group photo,” Chen Fang explained.

"Oh, that's really good." Wu Zi said without turning her head.

Chen Fang rubbed his temples and called out, "I'm going to take a shower."

When he came out, he found that Wu Zi had already gone back to her room. Chen Fang didn't think much of it. He was preoccupied with how the Raptors would deal with him tomorrow.

I returned to my study, turned on my computer, and started checking my emails.

Black Brain regularly sends over analyses of the opponents, and Chen Fang plans to watch all of these videos tonight.

The night deepened, and before they knew it, it was already past midnight. There was a knock on the door, and Wu Zi walked in carrying a bowl of soup.

"Are you calmed down?" Chen Fang asked.

"Hmph, men!" Wu Zi knew she had gone too far with her temper, so she used the excuse of bringing soup to save face.

"How much longer are you going to watch?" Wu Zi asked worriedly.

"Let me watch it a little longer, so I have a better understanding." Chen Fang stared intently at the video, which was analyzing Leonard's offensive habits. The combination of text, images, and video was very valuable information, and Chen Fang had already watched it three times.

The author divides Leonard's offensive methods into five aspects: pick-and-roll offense, spot-up shooting, fast break, face-up isolation, and post-up offense.

It is further subdivided into 10 offensive habits.

For example, he can make a lateral breakthrough, stop and fake a shot, and then finish the attack with a floater. Because Leonard has big hands, this is considered one of his signature moves.

There are variations of this move. Leonard likes to dribble past his opponent by twisting his hips and jumping between his legs, then move laterally, stop abruptly, and turn into a floater.

These are all offensive habits he frequently employs in positional warfare and semi-conversions.

Furthermore, post-up moves are also a fundamental scoring technique for Leonard.

Whether it's a large-scale backward lean during a side-to-front turn or a large-scale backward lean during a left-side front turn, he relies on his powerful core strength to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

There are also some variations of this, such as receiving the ball, turning around and faking, then dribbling one step and faking a turn and leaning back, or faking to test the opponent's center of gravity, dribbling one step to the right and then stopping and leaning back for a jump shot.

Overall, Leonard's scoring skills are mainly two-point shots inside the three-point line, focusing on consistency.

He is not afraid of confrontation, and prefers to create shooting space by turning and leaning back or taking a step back and standing on one leg after a confrontation, raising the ball high.

In the first four games, Leonard was the Raptors' most consistent scorer, averaging 28 points per game. If it weren't for facing Chen Wang, this number would have been terrifying.

Strictly speaking, Leonard's high scores have never been achieved through a high number of shot attempts, but rather through his excellent body-integrated scoring skills.

Rather than saying Chen Fang is learning how to defend Leonard, it's more accurate to say he's learning from Leonard's offensive techniques.

Throughout the league, Durant and Leonard are Chen Fang's most direct benchmarks.

The aftereffects of the excitement were still there, and this time the energy was very strong. Chen Fang probably hadn't had it for a long time, so it was very serious as soon as it came.

Chen Fang still didn't feel anything during today's training. He knew very well that the problem couldn't be solved in just one day.

Therefore, if Chen Fang wants to gain an advantage in Game 5, he must modify his scoring method.

Compared to Chen Fang's back-to-the-basket game, Leonard's post-up scoring is clearly more complex. Although it's more physically demanding and subject to double-teaming, it's still a good option for Chen Fang at this stage.

I rubbed my neck and was startled to find that Wu Zi was still next to me. I was so startled that I almost fell off the chair.

"You didn't leave?"

Wu Zi covered her mouth and laughed. When her husband got engrossed, he was really adorably silly. Her discomfort disappeared, and she patted Chen Fang's head: "Let's go now."

After Wu Zi left, Chen Fang realized that the way she patted his head just now was a bit like patting a dog's head.

※※※

The pivotal moment in G5 has always been a major selling point; in many cases, the fifth game is the battle for the top spot.

The reason is simple: when the two sides are evenly matched, they fight back and forth, and naturally, you win one game and I win another.

The entire Raptors team arrived in Los Angeles the day after losing Game 4.

They rented a university arena and meticulously prepared for the crucial Game 5.

The core issue is still about how to defend against King Chen.

Nass cited three possibilities.

1. How to curb a player's good touch when they're in a good position?

Second: Dealing cards in the middle lane, how to cut them.

Three: How to double-team when frequently attacked.

Nurse constantly prompts the players to think hypothetically, and then relays the coaching staff's assessment to the entire team.

"When Chen Wang looks for a screen on the perimeter, he is more confident in his shooting, so the first priority of switching defense is to disrupt him."

"Prevent him from getting the ball; immediately go to his ball protector and disrupt him."

"When Chen Wang sets a screen without the ball, he will go to the elbow area to position himself. We need to do a lot of fronting defense. According to the data analysis, the success rate of defending Chen Wang after he gets the ball is less than 40%. Therefore, our defensive strategy should still be based on cutting off his target when he gets the ball."

"When Chen Wang starts passing the ball, there is only one possibility: his physical strength and shooting confidence are declining. What we need to do is to let him take more shots, rather than creating more open shots by double-teaming him."

"Kawhi will be responsible for balancing this. The overall defensive strategy will remain the same as in Games 1 and 2: half-court defense with constant switching."

Nurse clapped his hands loudly and began to summarize: "Guys, everyone knows how important tomorrow's game is. We have already eliminated strong opponents, and the Clippers will be no exception."

"Do your best to switch on defense, and use passion, responsibility, and the desire for the championship as motivation for the game."

"I believe you!"

Leonard was the first to stand up and applaud in response to his head coach's battle cry. Everyone stood up and clapped. Amid the applause, Leonard suddenly turned around and looked at his teammates.

"Hand over Prince Chen to me, I'll handle him!"

For the first time, the usually reserved and silent Leonard spoke in front of the entire team. As the team's core player, this was unprecedented.

The impact on everyone was enormous, and an even more passionate emotion arose spontaneously.

"We have to fight the Clippers, we absolutely must win Game 5!"

Next, it was time for tactical drills, with Leonard acting as the defensive leader and the others taking turns on defense.

With numerous flanking maneuvers, frequent early double-teams, and earlier screens and close-marking defense, the Raptors' theme today is how to replicate Game 1 and Game 2.

Nurse and his coaching staff are well aware that without Chen Wang, the Clippers are nothing to brag about.

※※※

June 18, Staples Center, Los Angeles.

A sea of ​​white, a continuous stream of fans, wearing Clippers jerseys in their home colors, gathered here from all directions.

Numerous media outlets were broadcasting live from the scene, including CCTV.

Of course, the interviewees must have been selected in advance and their statements roughly agreed upon.

TX's live streams, on the other hand, seem more casual.

Duan Ran then found a white man and began interviewing him.

"Are you a fan of Chen Wang? Can you tell me your name?"

The person Duan Ran chose was also a typical redneck: a baseball cap, a big shirt, a thick neck, and a protruding belly.

"Ferrod. Of course, I'm a big fan of number 21."

"Are you Chinese media?" Chen Wang's fan asked rhetorically.

"Yes, we are from China."

"Thank you for bringing the best player in the world to our Clippers." Ferrod immediately became very enthusiastic and reached out to shake Duan Ran's hand.

"I'm honored!" Duan Ran was also somewhat surprised.

"Can you make a prediction for today's match?" Duan Ran asked the interview question as scheduled.

“It’s difficult, but I have faith in Prince Chen.”

This answer piqued Duan Ran's interest. He had assumed the person was a die-hard fan who would blindly shout things like "The Clippers will win."

Can you tell me why?

"Leonard is the best two-way player in the league. He was already very good with the Spurs, and he is even better with the Raptors this season."

“G3 is Chen Wang’s signature performance, but every time he plays a game like this, he will be depressed for a long time. G4 is a good example of this.”

Duan Ran was truly stunned. He couldn't help but look him up and down and asked, "Excuse me, do you work in the basketball field?"

“No, I’m a university physics professor, you wouldn’t guess that, would you?” Ferrod laughed heartily.

"I really can't tell!"

"Today will be very difficult, but I choose to believe in Chen Wang's willpower. He has a charming confidence that you will discover if you watch the game up close."

"Every move he makes exudes strong confidence. Whether he scores or not, his eyes, expressions, and actions will make you unconditionally believe that he will score next."

"Alright, I'm going in now." Ferrod didn't linger; he glanced at his watch and said goodbye.

"Thank you so much for your comment, thank you so much." Duan Ran turned to look at the camera.

"TX Sports members, this is a very unexpected interview. It shows that in the world of basketball, there are indeed many fans who have to understand the game."

Next, Duan Ran interviewed several more people, but he didn't encounter any more veteran fans like Ferrod, and he kept recalling Ferrod's words in his mind.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was true. I examined my previous memories and found that every time Chen Wang scored a terrifyingly high score, I would become depressed and slump for several games.

This should not be a coincidence, but rather a huge secret about Prince Chen.

But if even one fan notices something amiss, does that mean the Raptors will also take notice?

At the same time, the Raptors' team bus drove into the underground parking lot of Staples Center.

"Don't worry, G5, I have confidence," Nass reassured his assistant coach.

“Because I know a secret about King Chen!” Nas revealed a sinister smile.

(End of this chapter)