Basketball miracles

Chapter 219 [Official Report, Superstar Performance]

Xiao Tu and others practiced basketball skills diligently until the end of September, and their abilities improved to varying degrees.

The three of them often have one-on-one matches, which is definitely more effective than training alone.

Haslem and Wade spent time practicing three-pointers. Xiao Tu didn't even need to explain the "Moreyball theory" in detail; his personal demonstration made the two of them feel that this way of playing was very strong.

Xiao Tu could break through zone defenses in the Summer League, but Wade couldn't. Wade's mid-range shooting percentage of less than 40% is terrible; practicing his mid-range shot is pointless because even if his percentage reached 40%, he would still be terrible.

Wade's shooting talent is lacking, so the only way out is actually through the "Moreyball" style of play, reducing jump shot attempts and only taking three-pointers. If his three-point shooting percentage reaches above 30%, he will be slightly better than his counterpart in a parallel universe.

9 points from 10 three-pointers, 8 points from 10 mid-range shots.

Wade needs to practice; his stats definitely won't look as good as in a parallel universe. Riley won't give him as many jump shot opportunities. With Xiao Tu on the team, how could Wade possibly get around 10 mid-range shots a game with a 38% success rate?
On the 28th, the Heat held a media day event, with all the players coming to the arena to report and make their appearance.

Xiao Tu met Eddie Jones, the Heat's core player from last season, who is 198cm tall and a shooting guard, for the first time.

Some people describe Jones as a "low-key legend," but Xiao Tu doesn't know where the legend lies. He has no championships, no statistics, no personal honors, nothing at all. In his peak season, he averaged 20 points per game and was selected to the All-Star team three times.

Xiao Tu could tell at a glance that this person was completely unsuitable to be the team leader. He wasn't being modest at all; he was clearly a coward, a submissive and submissive wimp.

Xiao Tu publicly announced his intention to lead the team to a championship in the summer, and Pat Riley also acknowledged his core position. However, Jones disappeared all summer, seemingly hiding somewhere, neither giving media interviews nor contacting Xiao Tu by phone.

His behavior can only be explained by one thing: he acknowledged his declining status within the team and was unwilling to befriend the new core player.

Today, when Jones saw Xiao Tu and Wade, he simply nodded in greeting without saying a single polite word. Someone who didn't know better might have thought he was going to give the newcomers a hard time, but he greeted everyone else the same way; he doesn't have any cronies on the team.

A normal veteran, as captain, would at least welcome the newcomer and say a few polite words. Jones, however, neither considered himself the boss nor cared about locker room matters; he looked dejected, as if everyone owed him money.

"Dejection" is a trait; some people are just not destined to win championships, which can only be explained by metaphysics. Jones was no good anywhere, but the team won the championship as soon as he left; this happened twice.

Xiao Tu was a newcomer after all, and it was not appropriate for him to ask the management to trade him for the team leader, so he could only try his luck first.

Lamar Odom, the 208cm forward who signed a free agency contract, looked very cheerful. The first thing he did upon arriving at the arena was to greet Xiao Tu, adopting a very humble attitude.

Odom practically called Xiao Tu "brother," clearly expressing his thoughts. "Xiao, I've seen the news about you. I believe you'll be an excellent core player, and I'll do my best to cooperate with you."

"You can call me Seb, that's what my friends call me. Welcome to the Heat." Xiao Tu shook hands with Odom, speaking with the air of a boss.

“You can also call me LO,” Odom said with a smile, revealing his nickname.

They had a good first impression of each other and should get along well.

Odom is not one to fight for leadership; he is introverted and doesn't vie for attention. He is known as a "jack-of-all-trades," proficient in multiple positions and able to provide diverse tactical support for the team.

However, Odom had mental issues; he lacked self-discipline, loved to play, and often lost focus on the court. These bad habits prevented him from becoming an All-Star, and even at his peak, he remained a second-tier player.

This month, the Heat also signed free agent point guard Rafer Alston.

He also approached Xiao Tu with a smile, asking for protection.

The renowned streetball legend from Rucker Park in New York was merely a fringe player in the NBA. Last season, Alston averaged 7.8 points and 4.1 assists per game for the Raptors, with a field goal percentage of 41.8%, all of which were career highs.

He knew that to gain a foothold in the Heat, he had to get along well with Xiao Tu, and he lacked confidence in his own abilities.

The Heat's signing of Alston was a complete accident; the management didn't even consider him a good fit.

Miami Heat point guard Anthony Carter had the opportunity to exercise his $466 million player option on his contract last season, but his agent, Bill Duffy, forgot to complete the signing and registration in time after the free agency period opened, causing Carter to become a free agent.

So the Heat lacked a point guard and turned to other players to fill the void. This was the opportunity for Alston's rise; he was very lucky.

Coach Riley called on the team's key players to take a group photo, something all NBA teams do before the start of the season.

Xiao Tu naturally took the center position, with Wade and Odom on either side of him. Further out were Brian Grant and Jones, one on the left and one on the right.

It's clear that these are the Heat's five starters for the new season. Riley doesn't think much of Caron Butler, whose shooting is inaccurate and passing ability is mediocre, so he wasn't included in the team's official starting lineup photo.

The reporters present were very excited; Sebastian Shaw, the 33rd overall pick in the second round, had truly become the Heat's primary core player!

Some thought Xiao Tu would have a hard time gaining the trust of the veterans, but it seems there won't be any internal strife. Riley is the one who calls the shots on the Heat, and the two veterans who aren't All-Stars can only swallow their dissatisfaction.

Jones has become numb, or rather, he has always been numb, never possessing the domineering air of "I am the only one who can do it."

Riley was quite disappointed after discovering Jones's personality. He couldn't lead the team to many wins, nor could he attract large crowds to the arena. This kind of player should have stepped down long ago, but the Heat simply didn't have any star players.

Jones won't step up, and Grant won't say anything either; he's a workhorse player, not good at offense.

Caron Butler, only a second-year rookie, also chose to show goodwill towards Xiao Tu. This year, the Heat are having rookies take center stage; some key rotation players from last season have left, resulting in an unexpectedly harmonious locker room.

Xiao Tu didn't make any more boastful remarks during the interview, but he also didn't appear particularly humble.

When asked by a reporter about his thoughts on the Heat's new roster, Xiao Tu said, "I feel great, the team is very energetic. However, many of us, including myself, are new, so we'll probably need some time to gel."

The reporter asked, "So, are you still confident of winning the championship?"

"I've always been confident that the Heat will be stronger in the playoffs than they were at the start of the season. I won't say more; once the season starts, everyone will see the Heat's energy and my abilities."

When the rest of the Heat players were interviewed, none of them dared to say they were contending for the championship.

In their view, the Heat's roster, while not hopelessly bad, wasn't exactly exciting. A team without a single star player would be lucky to even make the playoffs.

On the 29th, the Heat held an open practice, and a large number of fans came to watch, filling the stadium to capacity.

Heat owner Micky Arison gave a speech announcing the start of the preseason training camp.

Allison owns Carnival Corporation, the world's largest shipping company. This year, the company's revenue was $44 billion, and its net profit margin set a new industry record.

The Heat's owner is very rich, which forms the basis for the Heat's Big Three in this parallel world.

After the players made their appearance, they began warm-up training, practicing shooting and layups, and finally put on black and white vests for group scrimmages.

The climax is here!

Riley divided the team into two groups: one consisting of the five players who were taking their team photos, and the other consisting of the substitutes. Led by Xiao Tu, the starting team quickly routed the opposing team.

Butler was completely outmatched by Xiao Tu in their matchup, and he was so badly beaten he almost lost his bearings.

Before the game, Butler didn't believe Xiao Tu was significantly stronger than him. Riley arranged for them to face off, which he saw as a good opportunity to prove himself.

As a result, Butler was completely unable to break through Xiao Tu's defense and could only force a jump shot under heavy interference. In turn, Xiao Tu launched a counterattack, repeatedly faking out Butler, either shooting himself or drawing help defense to assist his teammates.

Odom, Wade, and Xiao Tu all put on dunks, while Jones also had a three-pointer after receiving the ball on the outside.

Xiao Tu fully displayed his talent for fancy footwork, with skillful ball handling and cool shooting moves. His combination of drives, passes, and shots made him unstoppable on the court.

After just a short time playing, Butler and Eddie Jones, two key scorers from last season, were convinced. Xiao Tu is not only a strong scorer, but his playing style is also flexible, his passing awareness is amazing, and he can motivate his teammates to perform well.

Xiao Tu is not on the same level as them at all; he has superstar-level performance.

Riley didn't pair Jones with Xiao Tu to give the veteran some face. He found that the two had good chemistry as teammates, since the starting lineup only had two three-point shooters: Xiao Tu and Jones.

Grant's mid-range shot is accurate, but it's limited to the mid-range; he lacks low-post offensive ability and can't draw fouls.

The fans thoroughly enjoyed the game, feeling that the Heat were much stronger than expected.

Riley saw the Heat's weakness: their offense relied too heavily on Xiao Tu, needing him to both attack with the ball and drive and dish. He absolutely couldn't get injured; if he did, the Heat were finished.

(End of this chapter)