Basketball Terminal

Chapter 111 Fun
Li Wei once again replaced Harden in the starting lineup. When he was on the court, DeAndre Jordan's starting center position became more secure because his defensive vulnerabilities were less pronounced. However, on the offensive end, the team relied more heavily on Kyrie Irving. Fortunately, Li Wei could take on some of the ball, allowing Irving to play comfortably off the ball.

Before the game, Nash gave Li Wei instructions, telling him to be bold in taking shots and to decisively shoot when the opportunity was good, drawing the opponent's defensive attention. Li Wei thought to himself, "Coach, why don't you take off your jacket and go for it yourself? If you were capable, you could play however you wanted!"
The Pelicans' starting lineup tonight was surprisingly complete, with both Lonzo Ball and Zion Williamson, both currently injured, starting. Ball, the second overall pick in the 2017 draft, missed his first two seasons with the Lakers due to injury, but his health has improved slightly since being traded to the Pelicans.

Zion Williamson, the 19 number one draft pick who was highly anticipated, was sidelined for most of his rookie season before it even started. People had long wondered if his knees, ankles and other joints could withstand his weight and his aggressive playing style.

In recent years, some promising young talents who have been touted as exceptionally talented have repeatedly shown signs of health problems, leading people to suspect that they may have been over-medicated and forced to mature too quickly during high school and college.

The NBA draft is now a big business, with draft position directly linked to contract value. High draft picks not only secure lucrative contracts but also attract a flood of endorsements and advertising deals. Many top draft picks have generated tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in economic value without even playing a single game, demonstrating the depth and breadth of the profit chain behind it.

Take Zion Williamson, for example. His first-year contract was $900 million, and his total rookie contract was $4427 million. At 4% of that, his agent would only receive $177 million. That's a small amount. Before entering the league, Zion had already signed a 7-year, $7500 million endorsement deal with Air Jordan.

Without playing a single game, Zion Williamson's earnings have already exceeded one hundred million US dollars. This hundred million doesn't belong to him alone; the government takes taxes, his agent and team get a share, manufacturers rely on him to sell shoes, and media and advertisers rely on him to generate traffic. This is the business of the NBA, and it's also the business that Americans are best at: manipulating expectations.

Whether it's futures or subprime mortgages, what American financial capital loves to do most is repackage future assets and sell them to people today, then collect money from your future earnings. This kind of business can be incredibly profitable; as long as you're good at marketing and selling, you can overdraw future wealth and enjoy life in the present.

These rising stars are burdened with enormous expectations and a vast chain of interests from a young age. If they are in a good team, they can be nurtured and developed over the long term, allowing expectations to be met and excess profits to be achieved. However, if they encounter someone blinded by greed who only wants to make a quick buck and leave, then using drugs, manipulative tactics, and deception becomes commonplace. If you chose this path, you were fooled, so don't blame me.

Zion is undoubtedly talented, unlike Ben Nate and Wiseman, who are pure frauds. Standing in front of Zion, Levi felt that this guy was like a wall, even more exaggerated in size than Charles Barkley. Levi suspected that if this guy charged, even with his Armament Haki enhanced, he might not be able to stop him; the mass and kinetic energy were too great.

When he first entered the league, Zion Williamson's physical measurements showed he was only 6'6", or 198cm, a typical height for a shooting guard. However, he weighed 284 pounds (128kg), much heavier than most centers in the league—he was practically a tank. Charles Barkley, on the other hand, only started overeating and drinking late in his career, losing control and reaching 300 pounds. During his peak, Barkley consistently maintained a weight of around 260 pounds.

It's no wonder people doubt whether Zion's knees can withstand the impact of the high intensity and high density of NBA games.

After the game started, both sides played evenly, with the Nets picking up the pace quickly. The Pelicans' starting lineup, besides Zion Williamson, also included Steven Adams, making it a starting lineup that was generally big and heavy. In this high-speed offensive exchange, the two teams remained evenly matched. Li Wei was responsible for guarding Zion, using a close-marking approach from the start to prevent Zion from easily touching the ball and getting going.

This tactic was very effective. Zion wasn't experienced enough in handling the ball, and he relied too much on brute force when facing targeted close defense. Li Wei's subtle hand tricks made the prodigy very irritable, making it difficult for him to receive the ball, get off to a start, and play the game very painfully.

On offense, Li Wei ignored Nash's haphazard instructions and took shots himself. He maintained the same rhythm as his teammates, launching fast breaks and creating more opportunities for them, completely revolving around Irving and creating good shooting space for him. Irving scored 11 points in the first quarter, and the Pelicans responded with Bledsoe also scoring 11 points, making the first quarter a close contest.

The Nets led by 4 points at the end of the first quarter, with Li Wei going to the bench for a rest in the latter part of the first quarter. Watching his teammates' offense flow smoothly and quickly, Durant was quite anxious, thinking, "Why isn't it my turn yet?"

Li Wei sensed Durant's mood and said, "Don't worry, it'll be your turn soon. If you're really anxious, I'll talk to the coach for you." Durant rolled his eyes at Li Wei. *I am Kevin Durant, why would I need you to plead my case for me to get on the court?*
Halfway through the second quarter, there was still no movement. Durant was getting a little anxious. He nudged Levi and said, "Victor, is the coach asleep?" Levi glanced at Nash, who was standing motionless on the sidelines with his arms crossed, and said, "He's not asleep, but he might be so engrossed in watching that he forgot about us. I'll go remind him."

"Coach! Shouldn't we make a substitution? I'm almost done for!" Nash glanced back at Li Wei but ignored him. A minute later, both teams went into an official timeout. Nash gestured to Li Wei and Durant, signaling them to come on. Durant took a deep breath, stood up with Li Wei, took off their sports jackets, and prepared to enter the game.

The commentators and anchors from various TV stations were thrilled by Durant's return to the court, and the audience rose to their feet to applaud and welcome back the superstar scorer. Durant's mother was particularly noticeable on the sidelines; she wore a white coat, a silver mask, and a large, sparkling ring on her finger, and took out her phone to film her son's return to the court.

After the timeout, the two substituted Jeff Green and Griffin, with Levi moving to center and Durant moving to power forward to partner with Levi in ​​the paint. Griffin played well at the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second, scoring repeatedly with strong drives to the basket and hitting a long-range buzzer-beating three-pointer.

The Nets gradually built an advantage in the second quarter, their increasingly fast-paced offense allowing them to thrive. The Pelicans, on the other hand, struggled to keep up; after managing to stay close in the first quarter, the gap widened significantly in the second. When Durant entered the game, the Nets already had a double-digit lead, providing Durant with his opportunity to warm up.

On the first possession of the back possession, Li Wei received the ball near midcourt. Durant circled out from the baseline, and Li Wei passed the ball to Durant. Durant received the ball, turned, stopped, and shot a jump shot, which went in! Off-ball movement and C&S, Durant's classic scoring move, assisted by Li Wei!
A simple yet meaningful goal, with no issues in the coordination between Levi and Durant.

Then, on defense, Levi blocked Bledsoe's floater, regained possession, launched a fast break, and passed the ball back to Durant. Durant dribbled the length of the court, drove to the basket, changed direction to break through the defense, leaped high, and made another layup with his left hand! Although it was called a layup, Durant's height and wingspan meant he could have easily dunked it, going over the rim.

To prevent injury, he switched to a layup off the backboard; it wasn't a layup at all, it was a slack layup. The atmosphere in the arena ignited, reaching a fever pitch. Zion Williamson seized the opportunity for a fast break, driving hard to the basket. Levi slowed down Zion's momentum, and Durant came from behind to help defend, delivering a powerful block to Zion!

Another counterattack! Li Wei made a long pass to Irving, who drove to the basket, drawing two defenders. He then passed the ball to Harris, who caught it and scored! Durant led the team to a 6-0 run as soon as he returned, displaying excellent offense, defense, and passing. In terms of ability, Durant remains one of the best players in the league.

The Pelicans made adjustments during the timeout, but the Nets suddenly brought Durant on, catching them off guard and rendering their adjustments ineffective. The Pelicans panicked, their outside shooting missed again, and Levi grabbed the rebound. Slightly slowing down their play, he wisely let Irving and Durant take the lead, while he positioned himself in the corner.

Durant drives to the basket, drawing the defense, and passes to Irving on the wing. Irving receives the ball and hits a three-pointer! 9-0!

The Pelicans were already in disarray, but the Nets' offensive onslaught wasn't over. Zion Williamson drove hard to the basket, but the ball was stolen by Levi! Zion's ball-handling offensive tactics are too predictable, relying too much on his physical strength and lacking variety; this kind of play is easiest for Levi to anticipate.

Durant dribbled down the wing, lobbing the ball to Levi, who was rushing to the basket. Levi caught the ball and scored with a left-handed layup! In just over two minutes, an 11-0 run widened the gap to 20 points, sending the bench and stands into a frenzy. The Pelicans had to call a timeout, their players completely bewildered.

In the second quarter, the Nets scored 45 points in a single quarter. It's hard to remember how many times they've scored 40 points in a single quarter. The Nets, with their full offensive firepower, were reminiscent of the Houston Rockets in 2018. They crushed their opponents with 40 points in one quarter and then easily won the game.

Durant returned to the bench and high-fived his teammates, gave his mother an OK sign, and enjoyed the fun of returning to the court to play, pass, and score. As for whether he was the boss or not, he had temporarily put it out of his mind.

(End of this chapter)