LeBron James, your house got robbed.

Chen Shuo continued to prompt from the side:

"You, Scott, and him had a fantastic season together."

Paul looked at Chen Shuo with an expression that said he had guessed, and spoke at the same time as Chen Shuo:

David West

Tyson Chandler

The scene was somewhat awkward.

Chen Shuo and Paul disagreed and fell into a brief silence.

In terms of star power, Chandler is nowhere near the level of any player on South Beach.

Even with West added, Paul wouldn't be satisfied, since this roster has proven insufficient to reach the Western Conference Finals with the Hornets.

Chen Shuo had to explain this.

"Our opponent is the Miami Heat."

"Each of the Big Three is very powerful, but they are incompatible with each other, especially Bosh, who can only ever unleash a portion of his full potential."

Paul nodded silently; with his basketball IQ, he could naturally see the problem.

Bosh is a power forward who faces the basket and attacks with the ball. Without the ball in his hands, his ability drops by at least 5%.

This is also why Bosh's reputation has been declining. By 2026, in the mouths of LeBron fans, the former "Northern Dragon King" had become a CBA teammate.

Coming to his senses, Chen Shuo continued his analysis:

"What we really need to consider is Wade and James; we have to lock down one of them in a game."

"Then let's start with LeBron James. What James relies on is his unparalleled ability to break through defenses and his historically great passing vision."

"Given James's skill set, the first thing we need to address is his tank-like drives to the basket."

"On the perimeter, you must defend him one-on-one, preferably by sticking close to him. In the triple threat phase, take away his shot and pass, leaving only his drive."

"The second layer of defense is set up near the free throw line. We need a mobile forward to come over and make physical contact with him in time to slow him down. We need to pay attention to rotation and help out on the weak side."

"Finally, we will leave a big center in the paint."

After a moment's thought, Paul understood the feasibility of this defensive strategy.

Until James further refines his post-up game and shooting, this three-layer defensive system can indeed lock him down.

After seeing that Paul understood, Chen Shuo took the opportunity to introduce his own goal.

"So that's where Chandler comes in."

"He is capable of being the team's defensive anchor, capable of protecting the rim in the paint and also participating in help defense and rotations."

Paul gradually became serious.

"So who's suitable to guard LeBron James on the perimeter? That's no easy job."

Chen Shuo was confident and spoke with great assurance:

"We have many candidates."

"Kawhi Leonard, have you seen this kid's tapes?"

Upon hearing the name, Paul recalled for a moment and remembered Leonard.

In terms of physical attributes alone, those long arms and big hands are indeed very suitable for guarding LeBron James on the perimeter.

However, as I said before, the actual results still need to be observed.

"He's still a rookie."

Chen Shuo did not refute, but instead added:

"Battier is also a suitable candidate, and he has already committed to joining the team."

Before Paul could speak, Chen Shuo threw out another bargaining chip:

"Oh, and Ariza too, we'd like to get Ariza in your deal."

"He is equally capable of playing this role."

"There's another one, PJ Tucker, I found him in an overseas league."

Paul hadn't heard Tucker's name in a long time; they had played together in the AAU league in high school.

"You must know his toughness."

"I can keep a forward on the court to guard James for the entire 48 minutes of the game."

Paul nodded slightly, acknowledging the options Chen Shuo had offered.

He doesn't know Tucker's current level; the guy has been playing overseas and can't figure out Leonard's abilities either.

But Ariza and Battier are more than capable of handling the defensive duties at the top of the court.

As the first line of defense in a three-layered defense, its purpose is to prevent James from making comfortable moves.

The most important elements of this defensive system remain the interior defense anchor and the sweeping forwards.

Chandler has already proven he can do this with his performance in last year's Finals.

However, none of the Cavaliers' current players are suitable for this central sweeping forward role.

The second line of defense may seem simple—just slowing down James—but it actually requires a great deal of defensive skill.

You need to establish a defensive position in advance to have a reasonable collision with James; otherwise, it will be a defensive foul.

Throughout the process, it is also necessary to cut off James' passing lanes as much as possible to reduce the rotation pressure on the weak-side players who are defending two opponents.

Defenders must be agile enough and have excellent defensive IQ; there aren’t many players in the league who can do that.

Thinking of this, Paul asked:

"So besides me and Chandler, do you have any other new transfer targets?"

"The Cavaliers don't have anyone to do the job of the second line of defense."

A figure flashed through Chen Shuo's mind. With this person, the entire gorilla-catching formation would be perfect. He then said:

"We don't have superstars with a rookie bonus, but we have a group of mature enough rookies to step into the rotation and take on some of the pieces of the puzzle."

"They mostly have excellent three-point shooting and defensive abilities."

Chen Shuo believes that in the 70-year history of the NBA, there may not be any team that has such a wealth of top-quality players in its arsenal.

"Chandler is the defensive anchor, you need to orchestrate the offensive rhythm, we also need an all-around star."

"He needs to be able to take on the role of the second line of defense, and he also needs to be able to score and provide support. Ideally, he should be a little bit of everything."

"We have Jamison's $1335 million contract, which we can use to balance the contract."

"In addition to the team's own draft picks, they also hold draft picks from the Kings and the Heat, which is enough to be a significant asset."

Chen Shuo spread his hands, expressing himself with great confidence:

"We will be the strongest contenders as long as a suitable star player is put on the trading block."

Paul could already roughly picture the outline of this team.

If these rookies can indeed perform as maturely as they do in the video, and if Chen Shuo can trade for a suitable second option, this Cavaliers team does have a chance to compete with the Heat.

Paul pondered for a moment, then asked again:

"Have you already chosen someone?"

The two looked at each other, and Chen Shuo proposed a new way to play.

"Let's write it on a note."

Paul went straight to get paper and pen.

Chen Shuo quickly wrote down a name; this lineup had been built in his mind three months earlier.

After Paul finished writing, he looked up at Chen Shuo, and after exchanging notes, he saw the same name.

I felt a sense of shared vision.

Paul then asked solemnly:

How confident are you?

Chen Shuo did not hesitate and immediately made a grand promise.

"In my estimation, they will break up the team this season. The management has expressed similar sentiments, but the players want to try again."

"If all goes well, we can complete this trade before the trade deadline this season."

In fact, Chen Shuo knew a more precise time, but there were some things he said that Paul wouldn't believe anyway.

After listening to Chen Shuo's words, Paul fell into deep thought.

He was indeed moved by everything Chen Shuo had designed, but there were too many uncertainties involved.

Paul hesitated for a moment before making a decision.

He had seen too many incredibly talented players, rookies who dazzled the league, yet missed out on the highest honors, leaving them with lifelong regrets.

At first, people thought it was only a matter of time before they won the championship.

After a dozen or so seasons, it will be a question of when they will be able to win the championship.

Paul didn't want to be a loser.

Just then, Chen Shuo spoke again:

"Just one season."

Paul turned around blankly and heard Chen Shuo's words, but he didn't quite understand their meaning.

"If we don't reach the Eastern Conference Finals this season, you can opt out of your contract and leave."

This statement was even more direct, like a thunderbolt striking Paul's wavering heart.

He looked at Chen Shuo, who was also young.