Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 264 let's go
After winning the Kings at home, Chen Fang's daily observation test reports were all negative, and he was allowed to train with the team.

That day, he was practicing with his opponent, enjoying the core treatment of half the court alone, when he heard a commotion.

Looking over, Bryan in the next field was scolding Evans, CJ, and Wallace. This situation is very common. Although Bryan is very kind to Chen Fang, he has always been the red-faced person in the team, making Rivers the good guy.

Many players have been scolded by this bald guy, so much so that Brian has a nickname in the Clippers - the shit sprayer.

Chen Fang continued his training, but unexpectedly heard Brian shouting to him: "Assistant Chen, come over here!"

Teaching assistant...!
Chen Fang felt embarrassed but had to go over, and he acted like that for the whole day. Now, the coaching staff and teammates all jokingly call him that.

"Come on, explain to them what it means to take both the ball and the man into consideration." Brian was annoyed. In a guard's passing and controlling drill, the three of them still couldn't get the hang of it. So he thought someone should be allowed to play. After all, Chen Fang was now ranked seventh in the league's assists list.

Yes, Chen Fang's assist data actually made it into the league's top list. He ranked seventh in the league with 7.6 assists, below Paul's 7.9 times and above Green's 7.3 times.

What does it mean to take both man and ball into consideration? To be honest, Chen Fang’s practice of this theory began when Andy taught him personally during his time at USC. He spent more than a dozen games as tuition before the league games before he had a rough understanding of it.

In the days that followed, Chen Fang continued to put the theory into practice and gradually formed a set of understandings.

In Chen Fang's view, taking both man and ball into consideration is actually the embodiment of basketball IQ.

People, ball, and everything else.

Someone who can do both offense and defense can play in any league as long as the physical strength is met.

Chen Fang thought about it and decided to use Andy's teaching plan. He said to the three of them, "Evans, you go to the top of the arc, CJ, you go to the bottom corner, Wallace, you stand in the elbow area."

Brian also stood aside with his hands behind his back and watched Chen Fang's lecture with great interest.

Chen Fang wanted to pass the ball and walked to the wing. He said, "The four of us are now standing in the common 4 strong and 1 weak offensive position."

"Because I was holding the ball on the wing, the four of us formed a strong side."

"There is also a strong connection between the four of us. The distance from me to the three of you is the same."

"In actual combat, we need to maintain this strong connection at all times. The player without the ball and the player with the ball need to take into account each other's distance. This is taking into account both the player and the ball."

"This is also the underlying logic of taking both the player and the ball into consideration. In the game, most tactical systems start by following this logic, because this is the most efficient and safest way to conduct and move."

"As point guards, we need to be more sensitive to the balance between man and ball, and always keep this clear mind. Your movement with the ball must follow this logic. Whether it is a pick-and-roll, an open cut, a back-run, or a screen, always ensure that there are at least several safe passing routes between you and your teammates that will not be intercepted, and the ball is transmitted as quickly as possible."

When Chen Fang said this, not only the three people who were listening, but even Brian became serious.

Because Chen Fang talked about the most basic theory of basketball games, which is very hardcore content. It sounds ordinary, but to achieve it requires countless games of polishing and practice.

"Defense also follows this logic. Ensuring strong contact means faster zone defense and double-teaming, blocking passing routes, and cutting off the strong connection of the offense. This is the basic sign of whether a team is a strong defensive team."

"Maybe in high school or college, because of our outstanding personal abilities, we often neglect the connection with our teammates and are not sensitive enough to the distance. We always think that if I have a few more meters or more strength, it will be fine. But you have to know that no matter how strong your pass is, because the distance of the pass increases, it also means that the reaction time of the defender will also increase."

"People's reaction time is usually 0.4 seconds, but athletes can do 0.3 or even 0.2 seconds. If you are interested, calculate your passing speed. How much extra time is required for a pass within 4 meters and a pass within 5 or 6 meters?"

"And oftentimes, after the point guard passes the ball, how you maintain strong connections between multiple lines is a test of your level. Vision is not just about seeing the entire court, but a geometry problem. You need to find more strong connections in a small number of areas, whether it's a three-pointer or a assist. As a point guard, you are the first hub to ensure the team's offense is smooth."

"And a true ball-handling master can also ensure that the strong-side teammates are taken care of while also establishing strong connections with the weak-side teammates."

"Do you understand what I said?" Chen Fang asked the three people.

The three of them only half understood what was said. Wallace felt incredible. He finally understood why he was the core and ranked seventh in the league's assists list.

Just as Chen Fang said, they had smooth sailing in American high schools and the NCAA. Many times, they were able to produce many masterpieces relying on their talent and status. But when they came to the NBA, it was a monster room, and what they relied on before was no longer useful.

What they need is a more solid theory to fill in the gaps.

Chen Fang can pass the ball, but they can't, because they don't understand the balance between player and ball well enough, which is the difference in basketball IQ.

Basketball requires not only solid technical basics, but also matching theoretical, technical and tactical basics.

"I have a question, what about strong contact with the weak side?" Evans raised his hand and asked.

"Breaking through is the easiest way, and our breakthrough points follow this logic."

Several people suddenly realized that many operations are actually used by everyone, but they don’t know why they are used or what the reasons are.

Brian clapped his hands, then attracted the attention of the four people and said, "In that case, the four of you should practice passing and shooting in the second half."

Chen Fang readily agreed, because the team is extremely short of point guards. Teodosic's level is good enough, but he is not adapted to the NBA. On the contrary, if one of these three can play for 10 minutes, Chen Fang's pressure will be much less.

He can provide good value in the shooting guard position which the Clippers lack the most at the moment.

After all, Kuzma played very well at position 3, and Chen Fang is currently switching between positions 1 and 2.

Brian watched for a while and then chose to leave. He came to another venue and said to Rivers, "I didn't expect Chen Fang's theoretical level to be so high."

"You underestimated him. He has been reviewing game videos every day since high school. Apart from training, he has no other hobbies or interests."

"Have you ever seen him say what he likes?"

Facing Rivers's question, Brian smiled bitterly: "Really not. It turns out that there is truth in the success of geniuses."

"He can develop into a coach on the field. I am not worried about him at all. At present, the only obstacle is injury. As long as there is no serious injury, he will definitely be one of the faces of the league in the next three years."

"I hope the Clippers can stay by then."

Rivers glanced sideways at Brian, surprised by his sudden and inexplicable words.

The latter smiled slightly: "Although some things are not said, I can still guess a little."

"Griffin's contract was signed in a very strange way, it had a strong sign-first-then-sell feel to it," Brian said.

It was Rivers' turn to smile bitterly. He sighed and lowered his voice as well: "During this period when Chen Fang was away, Blake led the team very well. 2 wins and 2 losses is already very good."

"His contract, ugh." Brian sighed.

Rivers was also sighing. The better Griffin played, the stupider this contract seemed.

The five-year contract extension worth $5 million will be the biggest reason why Griffin must leave the Clippers, unless he continues to perform like a superstar. But given Griffin's physical condition, there is a high probability that the last three years of his contract will become a toxic contract.

His contract devoured the team's salary structure, making the management extremely uncomfortable.

The better Griffin performs, the more uncomfortable management becomes.

To a certain extent, the chemistry between Chen Fang and Griffin has caused a split in the Clippers management, and disagreements have arisen between Lawrence and Wenger.

There is no doubt that owner Ballmer likes Griffin, but his biggest goal is the championship, and all operations of the management must follow this direction.

As Chen Fang's talent was realized and he had a good reaction with Griffin, Ballmer also began to fantasize whether Chen Fang + Griffin could be a championship-winning combination.

Regarding this boss's fantasy, the three giants of the management, Rivers, Lawrence and Wenger, once again had a heated debate.

Wenger's basis has not changed. Griffin's previous injuries will not be completely eliminated because of his change in playing style, but will only be delayed. The huge salary for five years will make it impossible for the team to match the contract renewal in the remaining contract year.

Even if the contract extension is successful, the salaries of these two players will leave the Clippers with almost no room for maneuver.

Lawrence believes that even if Griffin is traded, the team still needs to attract a superstar to build a championship lineup. Since Griffin has shown that he can be compatible with Chen Fang, splitting them up and trading one for the other will only increase the risk.

Rivers did not express his opinion in this controversy. He just told the team that if they want to maintain a stable record, they should not cause trouble when the team is getting along well.

Chen Fang was at the peak of his career when he debuted, forcing all plans to change. Originally, people hoped that Chen Fang would fulfill his promise in the third year, but unexpectedly, when facing strong teams in the league, he displayed leadership qualities and scoring ability comparable to that of a superstar.

This is a prototype of a super giant. Combined with his image and business background, the Clippers have already designated Chen Fang as not for sale①, so the current theme is to build a championship-winning lineup around Chen Fang.

After much arguing, Ballmer didn't want to split the management, so he took the initiative to interrupt the meeting.

But the crisis still exists. Rivers knows very well that if Griffin gets injured again, Wenger will take action.

This cold-blooded white man just wanted to add the honor of a championship to his resume.

However, the current situation of the Clippers is not as optimistic as the outside world.

There are no qualified starting candidates for positions 123, and no qualified substitute for positions 45. All problems are covered up because of Chen Fang.

Teodosic and Gallinari have never been able to integrate into the system, and Zubac and Nance Jr. are still immature.

Among the rookies, except for Thornwell who can provide some value on defense, the rest of the players are not very useful and will need at least one or two years to wait. The Clippers only have a few players who can fight immediately.

Chen Fang, Griffin, Jordan Jr., Kuzma, and Rivers Jr.

On defense, Wesley, Thornwell and Bryce are reliable, but the others are unstable.

With such a lineup, the team can still stay in the top eight in the Western Conference after 33 games. It has to be said that this is directly related to the efforts of the coaching staff.

But the most important thing is Chen Fang. His scoring and organization, as well as his charm in uniting new and old players, make the Clippers still a strong team in the Western Conference.

Now the Clippers' focus has shifted to the February trading window. The first requirement is to trade for combat effectiveness, and point guard and defensive positions 3 and 4 have become the main directions.

From the current proposed trading list, everyone except Griffin, Jordan Jr. and Kuzma can be traded, including his own son.

Rivers even made plans to trade his son as soon as possible to appease the dissatisfaction of other players.

Finally, Chen Fang’s ideas must be respected, and Rivers plans to find a suitable opportunity to talk to Chen Fang.

This is necessary because respect is the cornerstone of any team's management and must be followed.

So after the training, Chen Fang was called out by Rivers. When he heard about the February plan, he did not show the expected surprise and anger, but a calm look on his face.

"To be honest, coach, you shouldn't have told me." Chen Fang appeared calm on the surface, but was bitter inside.

"I would rather not know. This choice is a torture."

"My attitude is that there's no need to make a big move in February, just wait until the offseason."

"I am confident in the playoffs. I have adapted to the rhythm of the game and will have fewer rest periods. We will have no problem making the playoffs. I can guarantee that."

Rivers didn't respond, but listened quietly.

"But it's difficult to get past the first round. Yes, I know very well why the team made the trade. We have many flaws. In the playoffs, our opponents will not let us go."

"Since you understand, why don't you want to accept the trade?" Rivers asked.

"To be honest, this is a bit selfish, but as a player, I don't want any brothers to leave. And I firmly believe that they can grow up, and the management needs to be patient."

"It is a routine operation to acquire a championship-contending team through trades. I know this very well."

"But as a player, I prefer the story of building something from nothing to becoming strong together. This is my attitude, and I can say responsibly that it will never change." After saying this, Chen Fang took the initiative to say goodbye to the coach. Chen Fang did not want to get involved in this kind of trade discussion, as the sense of immorality was too strong.

Rivers looked at Chen Fang's back as he left, thoughtful.

A day later, Chen Fang applied to withdraw from the injury report list. He planned to return in the last game against the Lakers at the end of the month.

Lakers, Hua Tuo Team.

The team with the most returning players.

The reason is simple. The Lakers' games are always one of the most watched games in the league and the fastest way to become famous.

The news of Chen Fang's comeback has revived the silent reporters in the United States. Zhou Qi had no chance to play in the Rockets. He played one game in October, playing for 10 minutes, and two games in November, playing a total of 7 minutes. He has only played one game in December, playing for 11 minute.

Even a blind person can see that his future with the Rockets is gone.

The hope of the whole village is only Chen Fang.

During this period, all the journalists stationed in the United States were almost going moldy. Only then did they realize the importance of Chen Fang.

"Play against the Lakers again?" Ke Fan shook his head and laughed.

"The Lakers are so good. They are familiar and the difficulty is low. They lost last time and they are here to get revenge. Isn't this normal?" Duan Ran said.

"Yes, I have been too idle during this period. Chen Fang rarely goes out and there is almost no news. I don't know what to do every day." Ke Fan sighed: "Fortunately, life is back to normal. Tomorrow is another day full of expectations."

"Yes, Chen Fang is amazing!" Duan Ran was the same.

Now Chen Fang's data has emerged in the league, not only in assists, but his average points per game of 21.7 also ranks among the top 21.4 in the league, surpassing Griffin's 21.9 and second only to Thunder's George's .

Ranked 19th, Griffin became the No. 20 goalie.

He was in the top 50 in rebounds, top 30 in blocks, and top 50 in steals.

But these are not what get people excited, the most important ranking is the plus-minus value.

Chen Fang is currently ranked third, second only to Gordon and Harden of the Rockets, and has Tucker behind him.

And the gap between the three is very small. If Chen Fang hadn't rested for so many games, he would have been far ahead.

This point has been highly praised in China. In fact, many professionals in the league have also interpreted it.

Chen Fang's plus-minus values were all positive except for the game against the Spurs, averaging 9.4 per game, far higher than Gordon's 7.5, who is number one in the league.

When it comes to the art of flattery, the Chinese are really not afraid of foreigners.

Now, using data + highlights has become a conventional combination of means to promote Chen Fang. Some powerful ones also pick out many celebrities' comments and praises on Chen Fang. With this combination of pictures, language, data, and BGM, Chen Fang's fan base is increasing explosively every day.

Some people even took a different approach, arranging all of Chen Fang's data and concluding that he was number one in the league.

However, Chen Fang knew nothing about this. What he was thinking about now was how to retain this team.

This team is great and makes him feel at home. His ability to adapt to the NBA so quickly has a lot to do with everyone on this team.

In any case, scoring is no longer the primary goal, more assists are used to help everyone improve their statistics.

There is still one month left before the trading window. Chen Fang calculated that there are 17 games in total. He has to make sure he plays full time and use assists to help his teammates grow.

Even if it is really traded, at least everyone can get a good price.

Be clear in conscience.

So, when the whole team returned to the locker room after training, everyone was surprised to see that Chen Fang had hung a schedule calendar on his locker.

"What is this?" Griffin asked curiously.

"There are 1 games in January. I think it's time to strive for the top four." Chen Fang changed his words.

Griffin's eyes lit up. In the four games without Chen Fang, he played very uncomfortably.

He also realized the importance of Chen Fang. Now Griffin is very clear about who is more important to the Clippers.

"Come on, let's do it!" Griffin extended his hand to shake hands.

Everyone instinctively reached out their hands and gathered Chen Fang to the center. Then they heard Chen Fang yell, "Let's go!"

"GOGOGO!"

Rivers, who was outside and didn't come in, said to Bryan: "Let's bet, how many games can we win in January?"

"Fuck!" Brian gave his partner the middle finger.

"I want to win all the games, but I don't want to gamble, it's a taboo," he explained.

But Rivers shrugged: "God doesn't have time to manage so many things. He can do everything, but he can do nothing."

"Then it's 1000, 8 wins." Brian said with a roll of his eyes.

"10 wins, 1500."

Unexpectedly, a voice sounded behind them.

"12 wins 2000."

Both of them turned around and saw Lawrence standing there with a smile on his face. Ever since his last disagreement with Wenger, his relationship with Rivers had become close again.

"OK, let's go!" said Rivers.

(End of this chapter)