LeBron James, your house got robbed.

Chen Shuo sat alone at the small bar, pouring the entire glass of silver rum down his throat, hoping the fiery burning sensation would help him clear his head.

He had already seen the two people walking towards him from a distance.

Amy's stamina was better than he had expected, leaving Chen Shuo with little rest that night.

"Chen, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Chen Shuo shook hands with Cole's outstretched hand.

"Steve, what would you like?"

Kerr only finished his pile of trivial matters yesterday and rushed to report to the team.

With the Cavaliers not playing for two days, such an opportunity was rare in the shortened season, and Paul took the opportunity to organize a "team building" activity.

So Chen Shuo and Cole's first meeting was at a small bar in a private club in West Cleveland.

Kerr has a lean and refined appearance, but his underlying character is extremely tough, after all, he is the kind of person who dares to throw a punch at Jordan.

"Just like him."

After telling the bartender, Cole sat down in the saddle chair next to Chen Shuo.

"Chen, you've done a great job here."

"Rebuilding skyscrapers from ruins is a commendable and exemplary achievement in any industry."

Chen Shuo smiled and accepted Kerr's approval, suppressing his drowsiness and shifting the topic to the team.

"Steve, you've come at just the right time. We're lacking an NBA-caliber legendary shooter."

Nas, standing nearby, joined in and joked:

"That's right, it has to be 'NBA level'."

Chen Shuo rubbed his forehead helplessly. He hadn't slept all night and was exhausted, which made him feel listless. It was truly a bone-scraping knife.

"Nick, do you think I'm targeting you?"

Chen Shuo had read Nass's resume.

Nurse was a legendary shooter in college, but due to his limited physical talent, he was unable to enter the NBA and went directly to overseas leagues.

Chen Shuo's rather serious tone startled Nas, who was joking.

Then Chen Shuo changed his tone, teasing with a smile:

"That's right, I'm targeting you, the legendary shooter from Northern Iowa, the school's three-point record holder—"

Chen Shuo deliberately dragged out the last syllable, imitating a DJ's announcement.

"Nick Nurse"

Kerr stood to the side, making a lifting gesture with both hands, marking Nick Nurse's grand entrance.

After a few jokes, the atmosphere warmed up considerably, and Chen Shuo was the first to raise his glass.

"In memory of two university legends."

"Cheers!"

After putting down his wine glass, Chen Shuo spoke seriously:

"Hey guys, we have a really talented shooter, but he's having a lot of trouble right now."

"He is one of the most important players for us this season; without him, we wouldn't have made it to the end."

"As seniors, you should share some of your experience."

Despite Thompson's performance on the court, where he went head-to-head with Irving and scored a team-high 33 points, the Cavaliers were still unable to win.

However, considering the Hornets' defensive discipline, there's not much to draw upon.

In the past week, the Cavaliers have been on a roll, winning three consecutive quarters, which has masked Thompson's recent inconsistent shooting.

In the game against the Bucks, Thompson made 1 of 7 shots, scoring only 3 points and grabbing 1 rebound.

In Toronto, his form improved slightly, shooting 2-for-6 for 6 points, 2 assists, and 1 steal.

In the home game against the Magic, Thompson shot 2-for-8. More importantly, Chen Shuo could feel Thompson's fatigue even on the sidelines.

Considering these competitions, there can only be one explanation: the rookie wall.

Cole spoke first:

"Nick has also noticed Thompson's condition. He just mentioned it to me, and I completely agree with his point of view."

Nass added from the side:

"This is not hard to understand."

"Thompson won the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award for December, and we are the hottest team in the league, with countless eyes on us."

Nas put the glass back on the bar.

"In short, Thompson has become a target; opponents have studied his habits, making it harder for him to get open."

"Their offensive tactics are limited, making them easy to deal with."

Chen Shuo recalled the recent games and found that Thompson was indeed finding it harder to create opportunities, as the players marking him were always aware of his position.

Like in the opening game, there will never be another good opportunity like the one where Wade ran around to the opposite corner to receive the ball and didn't even notice.

Seeing Chen Shuo nod slightly in agreement, Cole also shared his own insights.

"Almost every rookie will encounter this rookie wall, which means the NBA truly recognizes your ability."

"Generally speaking, the rookie wall also includes physical and psychological issues."

"For college students, the high-intensity, continuous battles are hard to adapt to. They train in Los Angeles in the morning, then have a non-stop physical battle in the evening, and then take a night flight to New York, which can lead to sudden insomnia and anxiety."

"The initial enthusiasm and drive at the beginning of the season have worn off, and my body is starting to tell me that it's a bit tired."

"I felt my legs were going to give out after running just a few steps."

Kerr's account was quite authentic, as if he had returned to his rookie season in the 90s.

"Those veterans will put on some intensity when the referees can't see you, and the referees won't care, while the rookie is clutching his stomach, cramping from pain and sweating profusely."

"They see these as part of the competition."

"At this point, you will start to doubt yourself, doubt your choice of moves, doubt your true ability, and doubt the meaning of being here."

"Damn, that was a painful memory."

Chen Shuo commented with a smile:

"That sounds unforgettable enough."

Steve took a sip of silver rum.

"Yes, get out of the doubt, get used to the taste of a dirty elbow, sink the damn ball, and yell at those bastards."

"That felt so good, it really released everything, I felt happier than ever before."

"I swear, this feels even better than winning the championship."

Let's raise our glasses once more.

Cole drank too quickly, his features contorted, but with a hint of exhilaration.

After swallowing the burning alcohol, Cole returned to the main topic:

"Let's go back to Thompson, he has good athletic talent."

Nass strongly agrees with this.

"His physical reserves are very good, which stems from his talent and is also related to the summer training camp."

"Give him some time, and he'll soon overcome his physical limitations. We don't need to worry about that."

Cole picked up the subject again, looking at Chen Shuo:

"Yes, you've done a great job making it easier for these rookies to adapt to this shortened season."

"You also gave him confidence to shoot; not every shooter gets to meet someone like you."

Chen Shuo shook his head, disagreeing with the statement:

"I was just guiding him; he's a natural shooter."

"If you listen to him, he should be able to overcome these difficulties soon."

Nas nodded in agreement with Chen Shuo's statement:

"I will help him with some drills to improve his shot selection and avoid being contested."

"Steve can share some tips on how to deal with subtle tactics that referees can't see."

"It won't be long before he adapts to the rhythm of the game."

Nas paused here before continuing:

"The focus of my discussion with Steve wasn't on the rookie wall."

"Steve has some special ideas about Thompson."

Chen Shuo turned to look at Cole.

The arduous night of fighting, coupled with the numbing effect of alcohol, left Chen Shuo's mind not sharp.

He had almost forgotten that the two men had come specifically to find him.

Chen Shuo straightened up and pushed the wine glass away.

"Come on, gentlemen, let's hear your thoughts."