Basketball Terminal

Chapter 117 Progress
Durant needs time to find his form, and his teammates also need to readjust and gel with him.

What are the requirements for a substitute? A microwave-fast start, quick to get into form, especially on offense. Durant, fresh off his return, clearly didn't meet these requirements, and the Nets were overwhelmed by the Timberwolves at the start of the second quarter. Nash used a timeout and brought Levi back into the game, replacing Shamet, to assist Durant and control the game.

With Levi's arrival, the Nets players felt reassured. First and foremost, the most troublesome issue—rebounding—was no longer a worry. Before Levi joined, the Nets' opponents ranked among the top three in the league in offensive rebounding, only slightly better than the Pacers and Warriors. In the past month or so, the Nets' opponents' offensive rebounding has fallen to the middle of the league, and Levi has undoubtedly provided excellent defensive rebounding protection.

The key point is that Levi accomplished this task single-handedly, meaning the Nets didn't need to adjust their tactics or change their fast-paced style to specifically protect the boards. Sometimes, losing rebounds is due to frequent fast breaks, where multiple players are involved in the offensive drive, making it easier to lose possession.

So it's a trade-off: prioritize speed and offense, or focus on rebounding and defense. The Lakers, for example, protect their backcourt rebounds very well. Besides having Davis and Gasol in the paint, it's also because their pace is relatively slow, and they don't engage in many fast breaks. Usually, only one player goes on a fast break, while everyone else goes for the rebound, naturally resulting in fewer lost rebounds.

Like Li Wei, who single-handedly reduced the team's average number of rebounds lost by one per game without the team having to change its tactics, the help he brought to the team was obvious.

Moreover, data is just data; the sense of security it brings is something data cannot quantify. As for the confidence boost from offensive rebounds, that goes without saying. When Li Wei stands under the basket, the Nets' shooters feel that even if they miss, they're still providing an assist to their teammates.

Durant was also much calmer. Just after the timeout, he received a pass from Levi on the wing, pulled up for a jump shot, and scored his first points of the game. The two exchanged a light high-five. Levi's passing technique was excellent; the height and power were just right, and he caught and shot the ball smoothly.

D'Angelo Russell's momentum waned, and the Nets switched to man-to-man defense and aggressively switched on defense. Levi moved to the perimeter and, together with his teammates, pressured Russell. Russell's pass was intercepted, and on the fast break, Durant dribbled past him and drove to the basket for a layup! With consecutive points, the Nets widened the gap back to 7 points.

The situation stabilized, and the Timberwolves needed to find a new strategy. Russell's tactics were outdated and ineffective. All the Timberwolves could do was switch players for isolation plays. Russell passed the ball to Jalen Norwell, who drove to the basket. Levi came over to protect him, and Norwell opted for a jump shot, which was contested but missed. Durant grabbed the rebound.

On plays like this, Levi doesn't have any stats, but he's the key to the successful defense. Norwell clearly faltered under Levi's pressure, and his shot was short. Back in the half-court, Durant didn't take the shot himself, but instead drew a double team and passed to Levi, who faked a screen and drove to the basket. Levi received the ball, pushed past his defender, and easily laid it off.

Naz Reid hesitated to attack, realizing that Levi was unpredictable; he couldn't take the ball from him and would only commit a foul. But avoiding him wasn't a solution. On offense, Reid chose to pull Levi to the perimeter, receiving the ball far out and backing down him. Turning towards the baseline was ineffective; Reid couldn't break through Levi's defense, but he achieved his goal.

With the paint wide open, Reed passed the ball to Norwell, who cut inside. This time, Norwell had no interference from Levi and made the layup! A rare back-to-the-basket cut for the Timberwolves, and Reed's choice was smart. He realized the Nets' defensive anchor was Levi; controlling Levi would significantly increase their offensive success rate.

D'Angelo Russell failed to realize that his attempt to maintain his hot streak from the first and second quarters, to save the team with his individual offense and to get revenge on his former team, backfired. He was once again double-teamed by Levi and Durant at the top of the key, losing the ball. He stumbled twice in the same spot.

Li Wei rushed out and made a diving save to control the ball, then tossed it to Durant. With the ball completely open in front of him, Durant easily countered with a dunk, forcing the Timberwolves to call a timeout.

Instead of returning to the bench, Durant jogged to the center line and helped Li Wei, who had slipped onto the midcourt logo and was lying face down, to his feet. The two patted each other on the back—a perfect rapport. When Harden was playing, Harden passed the ball to Li Wei. Now that Harden is injured and Durant is back, it's Li Wei's turn to pass the ball to Durant. Wow, he's quite the versatile two-way player.

Watching the live stream from thousands of miles away, Xu Dongyu couldn't help but comment on the scene: "Wow, Durant! He didn't leave the court during the timeout, but jogged all the way to halftime and helped Li Wei up. That emotional intelligence, that social grace—is this really Durant? That jog perfectly embodies Durant's spirit of striving for improvement. He's so eager to improve!"

After the timeout, Edwards and Towns returned to the court. Edwards drove hard to the basket, earning two free throws. He only made one, and Levi grabbed the rebound. His rebounding tally was rapidly approaching double figures. The Nets' offense flowed smoothly. Levi, under the basket, watched the ball spin around before Bruce Brown received it, drove to the basket, drew the defense, and passed to Levi.

Li Wei received the ball, rose powerfully, and slammed it home with a two-handed dunk! It was a comfortable play; he stood near the three-second zone for a while without moving, finally enjoying a comfortable easy basket. This kind of play is a huge blow to the Timberwolves' defense. Durant no longer dribbles one-on-one but integrates into the team offense, which is the most dangerous thing. A quick inbound pass, Rubio replacing D'Angelo Russell, tries to score, dribbling all the way to the right side and quickly launching a three-pointer. Li Wei knew immediately; without even needing Observation Haki, it clearly missed. Shouting for the rebound, he wrestled with Naz Reed under the basket, incidentally grabbing Towns, but Durant secured the rebound.

Durant passed the ball to Chiozza, who then handed it to Harris, who fired a three-pointer that went in!
The Timberwolves panicked and started playing haphazardly. Edwards ignored Towns' call for the ball after a pick-and-roll and forced a three-pointer. Levi, who switched on defense, successfully contested the shot, resulting in an airball. Durant secured the ball under the basket, and Levi had already started his fast break! Run!
After a sprint, Durant made a long pass, not very accurate, and he was a bit too far ahead of the ball, but Li Wei still received it, dribbled, took a step, and made a layup with his left hand! He originally wanted to dunk, but it seemed like his jump point was a bit too far to reach. Besides, dunking is too tiring, so he decided to save his energy and go for a layup instead.

The Nets were on fire, while the Timberwolves were completely overwhelmed. Norwell tried to drive through the middle again, but was met with a pass-and-shoot attempt from Levi, which Levi slapped down! Harris led the fast break, passing to Bruce Brown, who then passed to Durant in the left corner. Durant immediately launched a three-pointer! It went in!
Durant clearly needs Levi. When Levi is on the court, he contributes in scoring, rebounding, and assists. With someone covering the miscellaneous tasks and relieving pressure on playmaking and defense, Durant can fully focus on offense and unleash his full potential.

The Timberwolves were completely bewildered in the second quarter, to the point that they were outscored by the Nets by 44 points. Another 40 points in a single quarter! Once the Nets' small-ball game came into play, their firepower was truly formidable. Their agile movement after spacing the floor, accurate three-pointers, and wave after wave of attacks left their opponents unable to withstand them.

The Timberwolves didn't seem inclined to put up a fight. Towns left the court and went back to the locker room before the second quarter was over. According to post-game reports, his wrist injury had recurred, causing him discomfort and leading to his absence from the remainder of the game. Finch gave up early in the second half, playing all 13 players on the roster, using it as an opportunity to develop new players and scout talent.

Edwards played aggressively during garbage time, improving his stats slightly. However, in the decisive first half, he went 0-for-6 from three-point range, falling back into a pattern of consistently missing shots when his touch was off and failing to adjust. He undoubtedly still has a lot to learn.

Li Wei certainly wouldn't miss the opportunity to practice during garbage time, and Nash was happy to see Li Wei leading the bench players to play well, rather than everyone playing individually and haphazardly. Chiozza had 8 points, 7 assists, and 2 steals tonight, playing a career-defining game alongside Li Wei. Li Wei himself racked up a well-rounded stat line of 16 points, 23 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, and 3 steals. The entire Nets team contributed, leading to a resounding 133-95 victory over the Timberwolves on the road, a beautiful victory.

After the match, Li Wei had just returned to the locker room when he received a call from Luo Ping, who said, "Victor! Leeann Chin called and said he's willing to increase the signing bonus by 50%. What do you think, will you sign him?"

"Hmm... 55% up, the extra 5% is your commission."

"Oh, we have a contract. My commission rate is 0.8%. I'm a person who keeps my promises and values ​​integrity and the spirit of contracts..."

"4."

"What? Only four percent? I think..."

“3…2…”

"Okay, okay! I understand! I'll talk to them! Fifty-five percent increase!"

Li Wei initially lowered the commission to 0.8% not to save money, but to see how determined Luo Ping was to be a good agent. Now it seems he's doing well; the guy's even talking about "contractual spirit" now—quite an improvement. Clearly, like Kevin Durant, he's eager to improve.

(End of this chapter)