Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 152 What about me?

The Grizzlies didn't want to end things this way, but the playoffs are brutal; teams that aren't strong enough will be eliminated eventually.

“I’m really proud of these young guys,” Mark Jaffaroni told reporters. “They maintained their pride and dignity in the face of adversity, and they pushed the defending champions to the very end. This was the most successful season in Memphis Grizzlies history, and I will always remember this year!”

This sounds like he's giving himself a eulogy.

However, Jaffaroni had his reasons for saying that.

Although the Grizzlies have Xu Ling, and it is certainly gratifying to be able to select a future superstar with the third pick, Xu Ling's fans, media close to Xu Ling, and even media professionals who support the Grizzlies all agree that Mark Jaffaroni, who lacks experience and cannot rotate flexibly, is an obstacle to the Grizzlies' progress.

What was Jaffaroni's purpose in coming to the Grizzlies? He wanted to bring SSOL from the Suns to the Grizzlies and make them the most entertaining team in the Southwest Division.

However, the grand narrative that Jaffaroni spoke of ultimately turned the Grizzlies into a one-man team where Xu Ling danced alone, due to the lack of a point guard at the beginning of the season.

After the four-team trade, Kidd did not allow SSOL to appear on the Grizzlies. On the contrary, Kidd's arrival nipped SSOL's possibility in the bud.

Kidd didn't like this kind of free-flowing, fast-paced offense because he could never play like Nash.

Xu Ling is also satisfied with the current situation.

If the team's number one and number two players don't want to change the status quo, then there's nothing Jaffaroni can do.

Jaffaroni can only be old wine in new bottles, do everything it can, and then quietly await its fate.

Fate has been kind to him.

The Grizzlies made it to the playoffs, making history by advancing to the second round. However, doubts persisted. The Grizzlies' reckless use of their core players led to Josh Howard's injury, and Xu Ling's playing time in Game 5 of the semifinals reached an astonishing 43 minutes.

Fortunately, Xu Ling persevered, but failure was ultimately unavoidable.

Now, Jaffaroni has publicly expressed his pride in the players and mentioned that this is the greatest season in Grizzlies history, as if he is sending a message to someone from afar.

You can't take me away. I've done great things for the Grizzlies, I've shed blood for Memphis, I've made history!

Moreover, Jason Kidd's attitude is also intriguing.

When asked about the season, Kidd was mostly satisfied: "We've done everything we could."

This certainly doesn't include his average of 9 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists per game in the semifinals, with a field goal percentage of 38%.

When reporters asked Kidd about the Grizzlies' weaknesses against the defending champions, he had much to say.

"The gap is probably all-encompassing. We are behind in many things, whether it's the details of offense or defense. There's so much we need to improve. We also need to choose the right lineup and tactics, and expand our rotation. Eli and Josh have already taken on too much pressure!"

Kidd said this as if he were complaining about the team's lack of roster depth.

But before he suggested "expanding the rotation," he also mentioned the importance of choosing the right lineup and tactics. What does that mean? Are you questioning the tactics of the rookie coach leading the team to make history? Or are you dissatisfied with the lineup designed by the "LOGO guy" (a nickname for a coach known for his roster choices)?

However, Xu Ling didn't have as many problems.

"All I want to do right now is go back to sleep."

This was Xu Ling's last statement to reporters; he was indeed exhausted.

However, Xu Ling can indeed rest easy, because he didn't give his haters much ammunition during the semi-finals.

If they had to say something now, all they could say was that Xu Ling couldn't win in the playoffs without Josh Howard.

To be fair, this is the truth.

Just like Jordan couldn't win a championship without Pippen, and James couldn't make the playoffs before the league banned defensive play, these are facts, and stating the facts is never wrong.

The defeat will not lessen the heat the Grizzlies have created in Memphis.

When they arrived in Memphis, nearly 10,000 fans packed the area outside the airport.

For a city accustomed to failure, breaking through the first round of the playoffs and battling the experienced Spurs for five games with a depleted roster is already a miracle worth celebrating.

Xu Ling gave an interview to reporters outside the airport, but the interview was short because he did not want to cause any traffic problems.

Then comes the work of the media.

They need to summarize the Grizzlies' season.

The Memphis Commercial Daily described the Grizzlies' season as a "miracle season."

The article praised Xu Ling's "phenomenal" performance, saying that he "carried Memphis on his shoulders with a big heart beyond his age and pointed the way forward for the team."

However, besides celebrating what can hardly be called a failure, the media had much more to say. The most influential magazine in Bluestown is named after the city it's located in.

Memphis Magazine, published weekly, covers all aspects of Memphis. Sports are not usually a hot topic in the city until around this spring, when Xu Ling slammed the clapperboard in Cleveland and Derrick Rose led the University of Memphis to a near-national championship.

Suddenly, the people of Memphis felt the same joy as the people of Boston.

When you achieve continuous success in the sports world and become the focus of attention, fans will naturally feel excited.

Moreover, Memphis Sports has not yet truly achieved success.

The University of Memphis suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Mario Chalmers' three-pointer in the National Championship. The Grizzlies themselves were not yet a championship contender. Their breakthrough in the first round brought an unexpected surprise, but their quick fall in the semifinals left people with a sense of loss and uncertainty.

Derrick Rose is about to become the NBA's number one draft pick, and he will forever be a monument in the Memphis Sports Hall of Fame, but Eli Xu will continue to play here.

So, can we ignore the potential difficulties he may face in his career?

Of course not!

So, David Letterman, a sports writer for Memphis magazine, worked through the night to produce an article that became the headline of the latest issue: "A gamble with seven players, how many more times can we afford it?"

The article directly criticizes Mark Jaffaroni's personnel strategy: "We understand that the playoffs are a stage for superstars, but is it short-sighted and irresponsible to keep core players on the court for more than 40 minutes per game, especially during garbage time when the series has already lost its suspense, and still keep Eli and Jason on the court? Was Josh Howard's ankle injury caused by overexertion? Was this injury an accident, or an inevitable result of this unrestricted personnel strategy?"

The topic quickly sparked heated discussions in Memphis, forming two distinct opposing camps.

Supporters defended Jaffaroni, arguing that even the most skilled cook can't cook without ingredients, and with limited roster depth, maximizing the abilities of core players is key to the team's advancement past the first round. They pointed out that even a strong team like the Spurs would have Duncan and Parker average 38 minutes per game, which is the price star players have to pay.

However, the dissenting voices were equally resounding: "Mark almost ruined our future! If Eli also suffers a serious injury due to overuse, are we going to say 'this is what stars have to do'? This time last year, he was still playing in the NCAA. Other rookies were already on vacation, while he led us into the playoffs! Shouldn't Mark have been more careful in controlling Eli's playing time? Last night's game was undeniable—some things have to change!"

All of this reached Jerry West's ears clearly.

West could have foreseen the semifinal defeat. If Josh Howard hadn't been injured, they might have made it to Game 6, and with a bit more luck, maybe even Game 7, but in the end, they probably still wouldn't have been able to defeat the Spurs.

In terms of style, the Spurs are better at playing against the Grizzlies than the Hornets.

Unexpectedly, even under such high pressure, the core players couldn't hold on until the end of the series.

West is now facing two season reports.

One was a season summary report, which detailed the season's commercial achievements: box office revenue set a team record, merchandise sales surged by 400%, and the number of nationally televised games jumped from 3 to the 15 scheduled for next season. All these statistics pointed clearly to the same person—Eli Xu.

Another report is a load management report prepared by Dr. Deckard Ross. The report uses intuitive data to point out that in the second half of the season, especially in the playoffs, Xu Ling, Kidd, and Howard had fatigue indexes and injury risks that were far higher than the league average.

The report concluded in bold: "Maintaining this workload over a long period will greatly increase the risk of injury for players."

Obviously, the boss will like the first report, be deeply concerned about the second, and then want to fire Mark Jafaroni.

Because Jaffaroni didn't know how to cherish his money tree at all.

However, if Michael Heisley knew that getting rid of Jafaroni would require paying double the penalty, he might seriously reconsider.

West found all of this utterly ridiculous. Jaffaroni could certainly leave, but it depended on the timing.

Is Jaffaroni really a problem?

Is the seven-man rotation due to limitations imposed by the roster, or does Jaffaroni lack trust in the others?

Clearly, given the intensity of the playoffs, Jaffaroni can hardly give more trust to his substitutes. He must keep everything under control, and shortening the rotation is his choice.

However, West heard some news that made him uneasy.

Jaffaroni seems to have lost control of the locker room. Kidd doesn't respect him, and they had a heated argument in the first round. Although the conflict didn't escalate further, it's still something to be wary of.

Regarding this matter, West's opinion is that Jaffaroni is a decent coach who acts as a caretaker. If there is no clear evidence that the players no longer want to accept his coaching, then there is no reason to replace him. Although the Grizzlies have made it to the second round of the playoffs, their rebuilding is not yet complete.

They need time, and most importantly, Xu Ling's thoughts. He seems to be very patient with everyone except Rudy Guy, and he hasn't said anything bad about Jaffaroni.

If he has patience, then West has patience.

However, Jason Kidd seems to have conveyed a certain message through the media: What about me?

Afterwards, the media began to interpret Kidd's words at the end of the season: "We need to choose the right lineup and tactics, and we also need to expand the rotation." The Grizzlies once again made headlines on the first day after the season ended.

Fortunately, this had nothing to do with Xu Ling.

At the time of the incident, Xu Ling was contacting the training team to prepare for special training.

(End of this chapter)