Chapter 1 If the Heart of an Adventurer is Rekindled

If, a day ago, the Lakers had overwhelmingly defeated the Cavaliers in their opening game, many Laker fans were already eagerly shouting the phrase "My Lakers, champions of the world."

Then, after that day, in Atlanta, it was truly a Lakers-hater's carnival.

In the game, Pau Gasol, always known as "East Soft West Weak" in the American media alongside Nowitzki, not only educated Marc Gasol on the court once again...

But also, the Lakers' airtight interior defense from the first game frequently showed cracks under Pau's orchestration.

In Su Feng's past life, he had many teammates who had cooperated with Kobe.

But there were very few he still fondly remembered after retirement.

And among them, Pau Gasol was definitely one of Kobe's favorite teammates he ever cooperated with.

Unlike the slow-footed O'Neal and Ilgauskas, the agile Gasol, in addition to always using his signature interior skills to score for the Hawks, was actually the tactical core of this Hawks team in the new season, nominally only Dwyane Wade's deputy.

Without a doubt.

Four ounces deflect a thousand pounds—this was precisely the type of person Gasol was.

In Van Gundy's defensive philosophy, the more fierce you were, the more likely you were to end up battered and bruised.

In addition, Jamal Crawford, the free agent the Hawks recruited this summer, also disrupted the Lakers' rhythm with his Xia Ji Ba style of play after coming off the bench.

Limited by his own physical condition, players like Crawford were destined not to become superstars.

But in limited playing time, once he turned on his crazy mode...

No matter what level of defense you had, he could poke a million transparent holes in it.

Of course, the biggest change for the Hawks in the new season...

Was that they had hired Mike Budenholzer, who had previously served as D'Antoni's top assistant, to coach the team this summer.

In Su Feng's original timeline, the "Atlanta Five Hawks," who would reach the Eastern Conference Finals in the future, were created by this very man. (Note 1)

And originally, according to the original timeline, Budenholzer should still be in San Antonio advising Popovich at this time, and in 2011, he should have strongly recommended that Popovich use his favorite George Hill to trade for Kawhi Leonard for the Spurs.

But with the poor performances of the Texas Twin Bears in this life...

How could a man like Budenholzer, who was destined to accomplish great things in the future, continue toiling away in San Antonio?

In 2005, with his solid professional skills, Budenholzer successfully laid the foundation for his future as an NBA head coach:

Serving as an assistant coach to then-Suns head coach D'Antoni and branding himself as a "John System" coach.

As everyone knew, in this life, John Davis was to American basketball as Alex Ferguson was to the Premier League.

So, after successfully entering the circle of "John System" coaches, with the end of the 2007/08 season, when the Suns announced that the team would terminate its contract with D'Antoni...

Budenholzer, who left Phoenix with D'Antoni, entered the Hawks' management's vision and received his first head coaching offer of his coaching career.

Unlike his predecessor, Mike Woodson,

Budenholzer was more inclined to use Pau Gasol to orchestrate the team's offense during games.

In addition, being good at nurturing young players, he also overruled the crowd and used Serge Ibaka as the Hawks' starting center in the new season.

Under the Hawks' new system, Wade and Smith also gained unprecedented offensive space.

During the offseason, Budenholzer proposed to Gasol that he must develop three-point shooting ability within three years.

And the rookie Ibaka was also required to develop mid- and long-range shooting ability as soon as possible.

As for Crawford?

As a "John System" coach, after Budenholzer recruited this guy, the first thing he said to him was:

"I allow you to shoot at any time and any place.

But if you don't shoot enough 15 shots per game, then I will reduce your playing time in the next game."

To be honest.

Since Crawford entered the NBA,

This was definitely the best request he had ever heard.

If you don't understand, just ask.

Was this the charm of the "John System" coaches?

Why were they all like lunatics?

In fact, Budenholzer was not only not crazy, but he was also very clear-headed.

Because Wade and Smith's long-range ability could only be described as relying on chance...

So this Hawks team had to have other people to help these two brothers open up offensive space.

In addition, influenced by John Davis, Budenholzer was also very clear that the so-called basketball offensive space was not simply that you arranged four shooters for the assault troops and you would definitely get offensive space.

To give a simple example, in the previous opening game between the Lakers and the Cavaliers, didn't Mike Brown arrange Ilgauskas, Bosh, Korver, Gibson to partner with James?

But what was the result?

Basketball games, especially for the NBA, where the rules were more encouraging of offense...

If you wanted to get offensive space, then you had to pull the opponent's inside line out first.

In Davis's "Basketball Space Theory," forcing the opponent's inside line to follow out through pick-and-rolls was just one of the means.

Because when you were conducting pick-and-rolls, the opponent's wing had the opportunity to help their inside line return to the restricted area.

So after studying countless games of Su Feng and Davis's teams, Budenholzer discovered...

Offensive space was not about you having to have N shooters and pick-and-rolls to get it.

But was about...

Your inside line must gain a higher tactical weight in the offense.

In the Raptors era, aside from the first championship, why was it that even when Ben Wallace was on the court, the Raptors' offensive space was still unmatched by other teams in the latter two championships?

Because when the Raptors launched an offense, Jermaine O'Neal would always move up to the high post to receive the ball.

And in the Heat era, even O'Neal, who had no long-range threat, used his high post coordination to pull out an unprecedented offensive environment for Su Feng.

This was the essence of Davis's "Court Space Theory."

That was, using the NBA's defensive three-second rule, to transfer the stage for both sides' inside players from the traditional low post to the high post.

For example, when Gasol was coordinating at the high post, Ibaka would not stand foolishly at the baseline or on the other side waiting for the ball.

Instead, he would use his movement to help the wing teammates conduct pick-and-rolls.

Just like when the Raptors had Jermaine O'Neal move up to receive the ball, Ben Wallace would also use his running to create opportunities for Carter and Su Feng.

Because the NBA had defensive three seconds, your defensive players had to follow Ben Wallace out.

And at this time, with the situation on the court changing rapidly, could your inside line still guarantee that they could help defend in place every time?

The answer, of course, was no!

"The biggest difference between us and the Cleveland Cavaliers is that.

Our players will not stand and wait for Dwyane and Paul to pass the ball to their hands."

Without a doubt.

Influenced by a certain someone, this life's NBA had already entered the small ball era ahead of schedule.

Therefore, it seemed that the Lakers lost this night because "23+24" failed to get a higher score...

It was better to say that Su Feng had personally killed himself.

The Hawks were no longer the Hawks of last season.

After the game, looking at the scoreboard of 109 to 118, Su Feng was very clear that in this already runaway era, basically every team that wanted to win the championship was crossing the river by feeling his and Davis's heads.

"So, after listening to my serious tactical analysis...

Kobe, do you still think that this game was because I didn't pass you those few balls that caused us to lose?" In the visiting team's locker room, after replaying the Hawks' tactics tonight to Kobe with the tactical board, Su Feng looked at Kobe and asked.

And hearing this...

Although Kobe also admitted that the Lakers' loss in this game was because the Hawks played better...

But...

Without complaining about Su Feng...

Kobe just felt that he would be very uncomfortable.

"This season, you must recover as soon as possible.

Because relying on me alone, I really don't have the confidence to conquer the other twenty-nine teams in this runaway era." That night, patting Kobe's shoulder, Su Feng said earnestly.

And at the same time...

Looking at Su Feng's firm eyes...

Kobe always felt that he had seen this kind of Su Feng before.

Oh, right.

It seemed to be when he was chatting with him about Michael Jordan back then.

Su, your heart of an adventurer...

Has been reawakened at this moment?

"If becoming an NBA champion was an easy thing.

Then why would people need to put so much effort into it?

You're right, Su?" Pressing Su Feng's shoulder, Kobe laughed.

"So, isn't this exactly why we like basketball?" Looking at those teams that he had specially marked in his little notebook, Su Feng turned to Kobe and said.

This season, the East was a group of monsters.

The West also had a group of monsters.

Saying goodbye to October.

On the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th, in the Lakers' away games against the Bucks, Pistons, Nets, and Bobcats, Kobe, who had returned from injury, scored 18, 19, 17, and 21 points respectively.

In limited playing time, Su Feng intentionally gave more firepower to Kobe.

After all, this guy's physical recovery was good, but...

The feel of the ball still needed to be fed with the right to shoot.

It was just a pity...

Because the Lakers' Eastern Conference road trip was too easy, so in the eyes of Kobe haters, even if they went up, they could play a performance comparable to Kobe under Su Gongzi's violent feeding.

In the new season, it was not difficult to see from the Lakers' schedule in the opening stage that Stern was indeed trying to promote this Lakers team.

Because in addition to the first two games, in order to uphold the "inheritance" theme that the NBA had started since the 90s, the league arranged for James and Wade to play against the Lakers one after another...

Throughout the first ten days of November, none of the Lakers' opponents were teams that Su Feng thought could make the playoffs.

On the one hand, this was because Stern was worried that the Lakers would suffer a two-game losing streak at the start, which would affect their subsequent morale.

On the other hand, it was because Stern was also waiting for Kobe's return.

As the president in NBA history who was best at promoting people, "never abandon, never give up" had always been Stern's motto when promoting people.

Whether in the past or present life, Stern would never easily abandon those stars for whom he had once poured resources.

However, what Stern never expected was that the schedule he had carefully arranged for the Lakers had inadvertently affected James, whom he wanted to promote.

Because for general fans, they could not see deeper things such as tactics, personnel configuration, and team status, so in the case that Wade had won against the Lakers and James had lost...

For a time, James had also become the object of the most criticism from fans recently.

"The league's number one player other than Su?

Laughing to death, with LeBron's performance this season, he can lead the Cavaliers to a losing streak with such a good lineup, is he worthy?"

"LeBron is a star promoted by the NBA.

In terms of real level, he is at most an enhanced version of Artest!"

"Where are LeBron's fans?

Continue to use your so-called LeBron's high efficiency to whitewash him, this season, besides temporarily ranking at the top of the scoring list, what else is there to boast about your LeBron?"

"Hey, buddy, with LeBron's scoring data that doesn't even have an average of 33 points per game, as long as Su exerts a little effort, he can throw him off by several streets!"

Alright...

With the recent public opinion pressure that James had been under, whether he cried or not, he didn't know...

Anyway, Kobe had been laughing happier than anyone these past two days.

"Can you not be so petty?

Didn't people just not want to share a few tacos with you when you were a kid?

Do you have to hold a grudge until now?" This day, on the training ground, looking at Kobe, Su Feng said speechlessly.

And hearing this, Kobe retorted: "Then if people said you were not even as good as Vince Carter, how would you react?"

Su Feng was angry.

And it was the kind of anger with the Super Saiyan transformation effect all over his body.

Carter?

Vince Carter?

Even if you let Jordan fuse with him, why can he compare with me?

"So, are you qualified to say that I am petty?" Patting Su Feng's shoulder, Kobe asked.

Su Feng nodded, feeling that Kobe made a lot of sense.

It was just in a trance...

Su Feng always felt that Kobe had just changed the concept with him!

Because with his Vince Carter...

Was he worthy to be compared with his lovely little brother LeBron?

However, Kobe's words reminded Su Feng.

On the 8th, after returning to Los Angeles and defeating the Grizzlies to win the fifth victory in November, on the 10th, according to the schedule, because the Lakers' next opponent was the Portland Trail Blazers where Carter was...

So Su Feng knew.

It was time for him to send some simple little gifts to everyone...

So that the Lakers teammates could help him celebrate his birthday together.

"How is it, do you like the purple and gold Lamborghini?"

On the morning of the 9th, when the Lakers were preparing to conduct a joint training session, pointing at the fourteen luxury sports cars neatly placed in the training hall parking lot, Su Feng looked at the crowd he had brought to the parking lot and laughed.

"Ben, I finally understand why you said that even without a salary, you must stay on this Lakers team." In the parking lot, looking at Ben Wallace standing next to him, Marion, who felt that he had missed hundreds of millions, sighed.

No!

Brother Feng!

If you had told me earlier that you were so generous, then even if I starved to death and died of poverty back then, I would not have chosen to stay in Oakland for so long for Nash!

What Steve Nash?

Isn't he just a guard who passes the ball well?

Is he worth my Shawn Marion's nostalgia?

Bah!

From today onwards, I, Shawn Marion, am born as a fierce general of the Su family, and I will also be an evil ghost of the Su family in death!

As long as Su Feng gives an order...

Then even if I am asked to kill Michael Jordan, I will have to beat that guy into a hornet's nest!

"You really give away luxury cars?

No... Su, you spend money so lavishly, even if you don't consider it for yourself, you have to consider it for your children after you retire in the future, right?"

And aside, Kobe, who originally thought that Su Feng would at most give everyone the latest model of laptop, suddenly became anxious.

Although Su Feng was not spending his money.

But seeing Su Feng being so wasteful, Kobe was more angry than anyone else.

"What are you afraid of, anyway, after I retire in the future, you will also hire me to be your chef." Patting Kobe's shoulder, Su Feng laughed.

Kobe: "..."

Can that be the same?

Indeed.

Even if you can't make a living in the future, I will help you...

But with your spending speed, are you sure you won't take me with you to ruin me as well in the future?

This day, Kobe had made up his mind.

That was that he must create a business empire in the future.

Otherwise...

Su Feng, this prodigal thing, will become a homeless man sooner or later.

……

On the evening of the 10th, the highly anticipated battle between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers officially kicked off in the City of Angels at the Staples Center.

As the runner-up of last season...

Ah, no, it was the Western Conference champion.

In the new season, the Trail Blazers bought the signing rights of Rudy Fernandez through cash and the team's 2009 second-round draft pick.

And under the persuasion of Rodriguez, a teammate in the Spanish national team, Fernandez also reached a buyout agreement with Real Madrid and officially landed in the NBA.

In this way, compared with the Trail Blazers of last season...

This "rebellion army" gathered by Garnett was really a little bit scary.

Online, many 2k players described it:

This Trail Blazers lineup, even in the game, they can't replicate it!

Because this is not just a matter of burning money...

But you must make the right choice at every right point in time to have the possibility of assembling such a galactic battleship.

However, reality is so absurd.

Just like when many viewers sprayed that the United States made an anti-Japanese drama when "Midway" was released in the future.

But in reality...

The pilot Dick Best really bombed two aircraft carriers.

Absurd, right?

Outrageous, right?

Sorry...

This is reality.

Under various coincidences, in November 2008, this Trail Blazers team had a lineup that was luxurious to the point of being no longer luxurious.

Staples Center, on the court, after the warm-up, the big screen immediately gave the starting lists of the two teams tonight.

Trail Blazers: Przybilla, Garnett, Pierce, Carter, Paul.

Lakers: Marc Gasol, Marion, Su Feng, Kobe, Dragic.

Twenty years from now, when people review this game, they will be shocked by the number of Hall of Fame players this game has.

Without paving the way, and without sensationalism.

As the same two teams that aimed for the championship...

Tonight, on the surface, the players of the two teams were all smiling...

But in reality, from the moment when Marc Gasol and Przybilla started the game with the jump ball, the ten players on the court started mmp in their hearts.

Both to determine the winner.

Also to decide life and death.

On the court, after the jump ball, the Lakers attacked first!

In order to share the organizational responsibility for Dragic, Kobe unswervingly circled to the high post to receive the ball under Carter's entanglement.

At this time, as Marc Gasol moved up, Su Feng also sank to the low post.

In the restricted area, Pierce did not expect that Su Feng's desire to attack would be so strong as soon as he came up tonight.

Because in the past few games, Su Feng was obviously restraining his scoring desire...

So how did Pierce know...

Tonight, Su Feng was both to smash Carter's stinky mouth...

At the same time, it was also so that the money he had spent before the game would not be wasted!

Die, Vince Carter!

Hey, wait!

You want to hit Carter, what does it have to do with me, Pierce?

On the court, looking at Su Feng, who was like a devil after receiving Marc Gasol's lob pass, Pierce was stunned.

Bang!

In the restricted area, after being knocked away by Su Feng, Pierce looked very aggrieved as Su Feng turned around and sent the ball into the basket.

And when retreating, Kobe commented on Su Feng's low post offense this time: "There is more than enough power, but not enough beauty."

Coincidentally, because he was tired of blowing Su Feng over the years, CCTV, when broadcasting this game, Zhang directed also commented on this: "Su Feng's kind of wide-open offense does look enjoyable.

But in terms of beauty, you still have to look at Kobe."

Because this summer, he had formed an extraordinary friendship with Kobe when he explained the Olympic Games together, so the coming Wei Ping-Bryant...

He finally came!

And in front of the TV, did you think Chinese fans would be disgusted by such commentary?

No...

For Chinese fans in this space-time, they now like to hear this kind of "bad words" from Brother Feng.

Because if they don't supervise Brother Feng well...

Then if Brother Feng doesn't work hard to play basketball in the future, who will they watch?

"Watching Brother Feng's back-to-basket singles is just for fun.

When it comes to low post singles, you still have to look at Kobe!"

Online, almost at the same time, a large number of such posts appeared on a certain pounce forum.

In the competitive sports circle, this kind of joke stem that appears due to someone being too strong is not uncommon.

For example, the famous sentence in the football circle in the future:

I didn't know there was Lin Huang when I was young, and I mistakenly regarded Mei and Luo as the ball king.

It was just this night...

As the game deepened, the fans in front of the TV quickly discovered...

Su Feng tonight...

Seemed to be a little different from usual.

As the saying goes, playing is playing, making trouble is making trouble.

Don't joke with Su Feng who is serious!

Slaughter is coming...

Obviously!

God had descended to the mortal world again tonight!

……

ps: The update is here! Don't grab the building tonight, bet on the national football team, if the national football team wins tonight, then Qiao will update twice on the 8th! (Shouldn't even be unable to beat Vietnam, right?)

Note 1: This pinyin comment is part of the original text.