Basketball Terminal

Chapter 60 Slam Dunk (Seeking first subscription)

Barclays Center reopened to the public for the first time after being closed for 352 days. Before the game, fans took escalators from the subway station to the arena entrance. Although only 324 seats were open, the arena's lights, advertising boards, and various facilities were fully operational, entering a trial operation phase.

Fans, holding a test report taken within the last 72 hours, had their temperature checked at the entrance, and wore masks before being allowed entry with their tickets. Due to the limited number of seats available, a lottery system was used to determine who could purchase tickets. Season ticket and package ticket holders received a higher weighting in the lottery, increasing their chances of winning.

Tickets were divided into family seats, double seats, and single seats. Ticket holders sat in small groups, scattered throughout the open area, adding a touch of vibrancy to the stadium. Despite the small number of spectators, they brought life to the arena. Fathers took photos with their children, friends chatted and predicted the outcome, and couples snuggled together while waiting for the game to begin.

In a pre-game interview in the media room, Nash said, "The return of fans is a good sign. You know, playing in an arena without fans, everyone lacks motivation. Performing for the fans is a player's job, it's the foundation of the game. Now everything is slowly getting better, it's coming back, and that's great."

Nash said something similar 10 days ago when he learned that the Barclays Center would be opening; this is just a repetition. That's how press conferences are—the same old platitudes repeated to keep up with the reporters' relentless questions.

A reporter, holding his phone and seemingly having received important news, raised his hand and asked, "Coach Nash, the Nets' starting lineup for this game has been submitted. Short-term contract player Victor Lee is starting. What was the rationale behind this arrangement?"

A slight commotion erupted as everyone pulled out their phones. According to the new rules, starting lineups must be submitted at least half an hour before the match, no longer the previous 10 minutes. To avoid problems caused by late submissions, teams were now submitting their lists one or two hours in advance. The reporter had clearly received the news.

Nash shifted a couple of times on the bench and said, "Based on his excellent performance in the first two games, I think he deserves a starting position. Of course, it's not fixed. For well-known reasons, our starting lineup will change a lot this season, especially in the frontcourt. I will be experimenting with many combinations, and tonight is one of those experiments."

This answer is fairly standard. The Nets have indeed changed their starting lineup many times this season. The coaching staff is constantly experimenting with different lineups in order to find the best combination for the Big Three.

The reporter still had many questions for Li Wei, but it was almost time for Nash to return to the locker room; the players and coaches were about to take the court. As Nash emerged from the media room, he bumped into Marks, who angrily pulled him aside and demanded, "What's going on with the starting lineup?"

"This is the coaching staff's decision. We had already discussed and decided to experiment with some lineups. Victor is performing very well on the field, and we want to see what the starting lineup will be like."

“I asked Adam Harrington, and he said it was your idea.”

Nash cursed inwardly. Adam Harrington was the Director of Player Development and an assistant coach left over from the previous coaching staff. He had been working with the Nets since the 2016-2017 season and was recruited and retained by Marks.

"That was indeed my idea; Victor deserves a starting opportunity."

"But we need to be careful with salaries; the super luxury tax would be terrifying..."

Before Max could finish speaking, Nash interrupted him, saying, "The luxury tax is your problem to consider, not mine. Sorry, Sean, I need to think more from the head coach's perspective, about my team, who's the best fit to start, who gets into the rotation. I need to establish our own set of rules, unaffected by any external influences. You do your job, I'll do mine. Sorry."

After saying that, Nash walked away without looking back, leaving Marks standing there stunned. In 06, Marks signed with the Suns, becoming Nash's teammate, and the two maintained a good relationship. Marks' impression of Nash was that he was easy to talk to, loyal, and ambitious, but lacked ambition. One reason he suggested Nash come to the Nets as a coach was that Marks felt Nash was easier to control and willing to listen to anyone.

While Nash's coaching style is currently somewhat conservative and monotonous, his status as a Canadian basketball icon makes him a good mediator between the owner and the front office. However, Nash seems to be undergoing some changes recently. Perhaps the winning streak has given him confidence, or perhaps it's this Victor...

Li Wei's Chinese heritage made Max feel a little uneasy. He thought of Yao Ming, the Chinese giant who could score a third of the points in a game. What's truly frightening is that when a Chinese player, or rather, a person of Chinese descent, achieves a certain level of success, the billions of people of his ethnicity behind him will amplify his influence many times over.

For Max, who hails from New Zealand, a small country with a population of just over 500 million, this was a terrifying scenario to contemplate. But at this moment, he couldn't change the starting lineup. Personally, he could only pray that Levi's performance would be lackluster and not cause too much trouble for later contract negotiations.

The game is about to begin at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Local television is broadcasting replays of the previous game between the Kings and the Nets, and showing the Nets' injury list. Besides Durant, Shumpert, Tyler Johnson, Cabarrot, and other players are unavailable, leaving the frontcourt rotation stretched thin. This forces Nash to consider expanding the rotation and providing stronger support for Harden and Irving.

If either of them gets injured, the so-called Big Three will just be a name. Li Wei is an important piece that Nash values ​​highly; starting him is both a sign of trust and a way to give him experience, as Nash wants to see just how much potential Li Wei has.

After saying those words to Marks, Nash surprisingly felt relieved. Although his instincts told him it was incredibly impolite—Marks had been his friend for almost twenty years, and without him he wouldn't have had the opportunity to coach the Nets. He had protected Marks on the Suns, and now Marks was protecting him; their relationship was so good. He felt he should turn around and apologize, saying he had been too impulsive.

Nash even paused, wanting to turn back, but he immediately told himself, "No, no apology. What's there to apologize for? If I'm going to say anything nice, I'll wait until after the game. The starting lineup can't be changed now. Let's finish the game and win first!"

Standing on the sidelines awaiting the jump ball, Nash thought to himself, "Victor, you have to step up your game and put on a great performance." Nash's falling out with Marks meant that he, originally a centrist, was gradually leaning towards owner Joe Tsai. Levi's excellent performance might be a catalyst for a deeper partnership between the two. At this moment, Levi was standing at center circle, preparing for the jump ball with the Kings' center, while Irving waved incessantly to the few spectators on the sidelines, his face beaming with smiles. The presence of several hundred spectators was significant; with fans around, it no longer felt like a practice game.

Besides Kyrie Irving, the TV cameras also focused on Li Wei, who started in place of Jeff Green tonight. The commentators mentioned Li Wei's recent amazing performances, including his headbutt on LeBron James and his excellent defensive play. Of course, the most attention was drawn to his Asian appearance and his questionable relationship with owner Joseph Tsai.

The referee tossed the ball into the air, and Kings center Marvin Bagley, number 35, leaped into the air. Halfway up, he realized something was wrong: why wasn't the other player jumping? Had he fouled? Had he jumped too early? No. In a moment of hesitation, the ball slipped out, but without enough force. Li Wei then sprang to life, leaping towards the ball and tipping it over Harrison Barnes, giving Harden control.

Nash, watching from the sidelines, almost cursed. "You little brat, aren't you going to jump for the ball? You're slacking off just because I put you in the starting lineup? You have to jump even if you can't beat them!" Before he could even say "Fuck," Levi stole the ball, and Nash quickly swallowed his words, instead calling for a good play.

The Nets launched their first offensive possession. With fans in attendance for the first time in a year—the last time being against the Bulls in March of last year—Irving was quite excited and immediately demanded the ball for a one-on-one attack. Li Wei set a screen for Irving on the left side, and Irving used the screen to shake off his defender before pulling up for a jump shot and scoring the first point.

Kings guard De'Aaron Fox also attempted a mid-range jumper, but missed, and Levi grabbed the first rebound of the game. The Nets countered, and Kyrie Irving received the ball at the top of the arc and drained a three-pointer! He had a fantastic start to the game, making the faint cheers from the sidelines all the more precious.

The game was played at a breakneck pace, with both teams relying heavily on transition offense. The Nets started with a 3-2 zone defense, a defensive strategy that has proven effective after numerous trials and adjustments by the Long Island Nets. This approach pressures the opponent's perimeter play while also facilitating fast breaks, effectively combining offense with defense.

The corner was wide open, a weakness in the 3-2 zone defense, and Marvin Bagley's three-pointer missed. Levi didn't even try to close out; instead, he stayed under the basket and grabbed another rebound. Nash was about to yell at him again, "The corner's wide open and you didn't even move? Aren't you going to do anything?"
The shot missed, but the rebound was secured. The curse he was about to utter was swallowed back. Nash was extremely attentive to Levi's performance, even overly so. He worried that starting him would have negative consequences, and if that were the case, it would be a major blow to Nash, who was always conservative in his player selection and rotation, making him even less willing to take risks.

Harris made a poor high pass; ball-handling isn't his forte. Levi jumped and caught the ball, passing it to Harden. Levi clearly didn't care about possession; the ball barely stayed in his hands. Harden's three-pointer after a screen missed, and Levi grabbed the offensive rebound inside the free-throw line—long rebounds for three-pointers require even more anticipation.

The ball was passed to Irving, whose mid-range shot still missed, and the rebound was secured by Levi. The Kings' defensive formation was too spread out, and Levi encountered almost no physical contact from the Kings players. Of course, the Kings hadn't anticipated that the Nets would start Levi.

"Rebounds! Where are your rebounds?! Get the rebounds!"

On the sidelines, Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton stood up and yelled that losing offensive rebounds in a row is the easiest thing for a coach to lose his mind. When Walton was an assistant coach for the Warriors, he temporarily filled in for head coach Steve Kerr during the 15-16 season when Kerr had surgery. The Warriors went on a 24-game winning streak, but people thought it was because the Warriors were too strong, not because Walton was particularly good. They said that with that roster, even a dog could win on the sidelines.

Walton's subsequent coaching career seemed to consistently validate the "dog-tethered" theory, and he himself consistently tried to prove himself as a head coach. Just like during his playing days, he constantly tried to shed the label of "Bill Walton's son," perhaps this is a curse that the offspring of star players must forever bear.

The Kings are in terrible form lately, suffering a seven-game losing streak (the first three were a typo), with rebounding being a major headache for Walton. They rank among the top three in the league in offensive rebounds lost and are last in defensive rebounds. A team that struggles with rebounding can't possibly have a good defense.

After securing the rebound, Li Wei dribbled and feigned a layup, but instead passed to Harris at the right 45-degree angle. Harris caught the ball and drained a three-pointer! Compared to his dribbling offense, Harris's catch-and-shoot approach was much more reliable. The Nets started with an 8-0 run against the Kings, quickly establishing a lead.

Li Wei's 4 rebounds and 1 assist have already given Nash a sense of reassurance.

Li Wei quickly returned to the basket to defend, his pre-game tension completely gone, replaced by focus. After starting, he concentrated on two things: observing every movement and detail on the court, and fighting for possession to provide opportunities for his teammates. He didn't think about anything else for the time being.

Fox and Holmes' pick-and-roll broke through the outermost line of the 3-2 zone defense. Harris's misjudgment allowed Holmes to cut to the basket and enter the paint. Fox bounced a pass to Holmes, who charged to dunk, but collided squarely with Levi. The massive impact knocked Levi down. Holmes, at 2.08 meters tall and 106 kilograms, was hit hard, and even with his body stiffened, Levi still felt pain.

"Beep!" The referee blew the whistle, calling an offensive foul on Holmes. Li Wei's anticipation and positioning remained precise. He positioned himself correctly, avoiding the restricted area, drawing the offensive foul almost flawlessly. Harden and Bruce Brown helped Li Wei up, and Harden patted Li Wei on the shoulder, saying, "Okay, defense."

Harden was happiest with Li Wei starting. Because without Li Wei, Harden was the one responsible for defending the basket in a 3-2 formation. Even when DeAndre Jordan was on the court, he often switched to the perimeter, leaving Harden to withstand the attacks in the paint. Harden's weight certainly allows him to hold his own inside, but making him protect the rim is a real challenge.

With the Rockets, ever since Capela was traded, Harden has often had to take on the defensive duties under the basket, which he doesn't really like. But chasing smaller guards on the perimeter is more tiring and he can't keep up anyway, so guarding the basket is a better option. Now that he has Levi, things will be much more comfortable.

The Kings, struggling to score, were getting impatient. Fox attempted a risky steal from Irving, nearly succeeding, but the ball went out of bounds. They pushed their entire lineup up the court, hoping to force a Nets turnover and launch a fast break. At this moment, Levi came to the middle to set a screen for Harden.

A screen positioned quite far out, a small step beyond the three-point line, a solid screen, Harden smoothly cut inside, and Li Wei cut to the basket. The Kings' interior was wide open, and Harden delivered a perfectly timed bounce pass to Li Wei. Li Wei timed his movements perfectly, caught the ball, and leaped high—this time, no short pass!
He drove to the basket and dunked with both hands!
His palms were slightly numb. After landing, he could hear scattered cheers. Glancing at the sidelines, Nash quietly gave Levi a thumbs-up. Levi returned the thumbs-up, then quickly ran to the basket to continue his defense.

(End of this chapter)