r18novel Chapter 10 Team Planning
Chapter 10 Team Planning
The "I'm still a child" meme, which appeared ahead of time, spread across major social media platforms in North America.
In 07, self-media was just emerging. During the off-season, star players went on vacation and had a good time. It was difficult for media people without connections to catch up with them. There wasn't much basketball news. But young people liked to embrace new things. Moreover, at this time, major platforms did not have official image management, and the freedom of speech was very high. It was a true period of freedom of speech.
Arenas, who was sidelined for the rest of the season, uploaded two photos to his blog of Durant being interviewed by Doris. One photo showed Durant with his cool back turned and his right hand outstretched, and the other showed Doris, wearing contrasting thick-rimmed glasses, handing a microphone to Durant. The photos were blurred out.
The caption read: "I guess the big boy's outstretched right hand doesn't necessarily mean he scored a point."
Meaningful.
The likes and comments below are numerous.
There was also an expert who helped him Photoshop the two pictures together.
The problem of people going off-topic is the same both domestically and internationally.
This gave the general a great sense of accomplishment, even more so than when he went head-to-head with Kobe for 60 points.
He's always been this kind of person, a big mouth, and even before he transmigrated, he was a topic generator.
Last season was the highlight of Arenas' career, brilliant but short-lived, a type of player who is both fast and short-lived among stars.
Arenas has some cool nicknames, but he looks rather honest and likable. He was considered a troublemaker even before the draft started.
It's fair to say that the fact that NBA scouts weren't fired shows they have some merit.
The agent's performance in the tryouts was not bad, but he was still eliminated in the second round. He was selected by the Warriors with the 31st pick, and before Jokic, he was one of the few second-round picks who made it big.
Durant was furious after seeing Arenas's sarcastic comment, so he used a smurf account to like it...
July 18, Seattle Waterfront, Supersonic Administration Building, Boss's Office.
Clayton Bennett glanced at the KeyArena renovation report on the table, which had just been rejected by the Seattle city government, and breathed a sigh of relief.
If Seattle refuses to renovate the arena, don't blame me for finding an excuse to lash out and take the team to Oklahoma.
Three senior team officials were also sitting in front of the spacious office.
General Manager Sam Presti, Head Scout Troy Weaver, Head Coach P.J. Carlesimo.
The reason I called a few people over for a small meeting today is to discuss the team's plans for the new season.
Du Xiaoshuai's excellence caught the Supersonics off guard and even had a significant impact on their planned relocation.
The management originally planned to start rebuilding this year, lowering the record and ticket attendance, then use this season to hone Durant's skills, tank for a high draft pick, and then take quality assets back to Oklahoma—well, take off from there!
The perfect robbery!
But who knew that Du Xiaoshuai, who had misjudged the situation, had already skipped the developmental stage and entered his complete form so quickly.
Just like Duncan when he came to the Spurs ten years ago!
These executives, who were involved in and witnessed the Spurs' glory firsthand, knew that if they didn't equip Durant with a team of similar competitiveness at this point and wasted his youth, the relationship between the team and their star player would definitely not be good in the future.
When Du Xiaoshuai asks for reinforcements, it will be awkward for everyone, and more importantly, it will affect the relocation plan.
If a superstar player leads the opposition to the team's relocation, the impact will inevitably be amplified through the player's personal involvement. If the matter escalates, the league will not allow them to continue operating behind the scenes.
They can't just trade Durant to relocate, can they? Anyone who lets go of such a once-in-a-decade talent is a fool!
But if we're talking about reinforcement, how should we do it, and to what extent?
What if the team plays too well and the attendance is too high, and the local fans don't allow them to move?
Bennett is caught in a happy dilemma.
The foundation of the league and teams is, of course, the vast number of fans, but since the decision to relocate has been made, the opinions of the city's fans can be ignored.
In the future, we can find any reason, and as long as the alliance's senior management and board of directors agree, the relocation can be carried out at any time.
Regardless of the feelings of the local fans, Durant's attitude is very important.
Let's see how to strengthen it first!
"What did Kevin's agent say?" Bennett asked casually.
General Manager Sam Presti shook his head helplessly. He knew that the boss wasn't asking about Kevin Durant on the team, but about another Kevin Garnett.
Garnett has two years left on his contract, with a player option next summer. His contract for next season is worth a whopping $2375 million, currently the highest in the league.
After failing to make the playoffs for several consecutive years, Garnett and his agent revealed their desire to leave the team in pursuit of a championship. Moreover, the Timberwolves seemed willing to grant his wish, as many teams have extended offers to him through intermediaries in the past two months.
Some teams have directly approached Timberwolves general manager Kevin McHale with offers, but the Timberwolves are still observing.
The SuperSonics have been clearing salary cap space, so the chances of them pursuing Garnett are slim. Young Presti might as well give it a shot. He tried to find Garnett's agent through connections, but was rejected.
"So what about this year's free market?" Bennett opened his cigar box and slowly toasted his cigars, his movements fluid and graceful, like a tea ceremony.
In the summer of 07, there weren't many big names in the free agent market. The biggest one was actually their own All-Star, Rashard Lewis. Who could they complain to?
But this guy is asking for a long-term contract and a maximum salary of 100 million yuan. His playing style is too soft, his approach is predictable, and his trade value is low. Most importantly, he doesn't fit in with Durant, and the team isn't planning to match his trade. If he ends up with a bad deal, it'll be a disaster.
"Chauncey Billups of the Pistons." Presti took out his notebook and glanced at his notes. "He's planning to test the free agent market this summer. It's about 5 years and $6000 million. We can offer a suitable price. His position and playing style are exactly what Kevin needs."
"Mo Williams of the Bucks can strengthen our point guard position and is a viable option. Also, James Posey of the Heat, a piece of the 06 championship team, is good at defense and three-point shooting, and can relieve some pressure on Kevin on the wing."
"What about the inside game?" Bennett frowned. He knew a little about basketball, and the team's biggest need was to strengthen its inside game.
However, the league's interior players have been declining rapidly in recent years, making them indeed hard to find. Therefore, Presti somewhat nervously introduced David Lee of the Knicks, Zaza Pachulia of the Hawks, and Kwame Brown of the Lakers, whom he had been keeping an eye on.
"Troy, do you have any good suggestions?" Bennett asked, taking a puff of his cigar and exhaling.
Scouting director Troy Weaver wanted to assert that the general manager's opinion was his opinion. Because the names Presti reported were those he had scouted, and his superior had simply relayed them verbatim to the boss—what was he supposed to say?
Fortunately, he had done his homework well, and after some consideration, he said, "Joe Smith, who played for the 76ers last season, should be able to help us in the paint."
According to Troy, Joe Smith, the number one draft pick in 95, would have achieved much more if it weren't for the salary cap incident with the Timberwolves. However, it was after that scandal that he became a notorious wanderer in the league. Last season, he was traded to the 76ers mid-season and played 54 games, starting 11 of them, averaging 9.2 points per game, which was barely acceptable.
The key point is that the former number one draft pick will be wandering again after the season ends, so signing him wouldn't be too expensive.
"In addition, there's Stromile Swift of the Grizzlies and Jason Collins of the Nets, both of whom are potential targets," Troy continued.
The inside line is worn out, and someone always has to mend it.
Amidst the swirling smoke in front of him, Bennett looked up at head coach P.J. Carlesimo.
"Perhaps we can have an honest conversation with Kevin." The job of an NBA head coach is to cook, with the ingredients provided by the general manager. The SuperSonics' current roster is so disappointing that, apart from tanking, P.J. Carlesimo is also at a loss. Since the boss asked, why not sound out Durant first? He rarely thinks from the players' perspective, but he really cherishes this hard-won head coach job.
"Sam, call Kevin now and sound him out," Bennett said, flicking his cigarette ash and leaning back in his chair.
Du Xiaoshuai, who had just received the call, had just arrived in Miami's South Coast for a vacation with his mother.
Training hard in the summer? Even a dog wouldn't do that!
The warm sea breeze blew against Du Xiaoshuai's short hair and skin, making him feel lazy and relaxed.
Durant was somewhat surprised by the management's attention to him. Regardless of his past life or previous body, and whether he played for the SuperSonics or the Thunder, his original team had always treated him quite well. But to say how good it was, comparisons are always necessary. At least it felt like they were quite biased towards Russell Westbrook.
Of course, the SuperSonics are a small-market team, and the Thunder are a small-market team; no matter how good they are, their ceiling is limited.
Durant has never had high expectations for the front office, regardless of which team in the league he plays for.
Since the general manager asked so sincerely, Du Xiaoshuai naturally had to answer, albeit reluctantly.
Having the opportunity to offer trade advice to management is a privilege not every star player enjoys.
To put it bluntly, players, coaches, and general managers are all employees, each with their own responsibilities. If the general manager is willing to ask you questions, it means you are being respected enough; if they don't, that's their duty. Over the past few decades, any superstar who dared to criticize the management has generally not fared well.
Even the old rogue's two three-peat championships couldn't stop him, and Dog Te is in his old age and his reputation is ruined. Who the hell would dare to bare their teeth now?
Of course, if we really can't stand the team's management, we can request a trade. There are so many teams in the league; if we change teams every year, we can change teams for over twenty years. Well, the Rockets are out of the question.
Thinking about it, aside from the Celtics' Big Three and Gasol joining the Lakers in 07, Coach Durant, a casual fan, has absolutely no recollection of any other team trades.
"The team can stockpile more talent. We're not tanking, but it's definitely too early to talk about contending for the championship." Durant stated his position: "Anyway, I will respect your work, the team's choices, and the coach's arrangements."
Team trades involve complex subjective and objective factors such as salary matching, salary cap, and player willingness, but the draft is much more straightforward. It's always a good idea to accumulate more draft picks, and he trusts the Thunder's draft acumen.
However, if they don't tank in the new season, their chances of acquiring Turtle next year are slim.
After a brief conversation, Presti, who was on speakerphone, got Du Xiaoshuai's general idea and then hung up the phone.
The brief exchange may have seemed like polite but pointless chatter, but the management team had already gleaned several key pieces of information from Du Xiaoshuai, which would guide subsequent transactions.
First of all, Durant doesn't accept tanking, which is no surprise. He's not LeBron James, so why should he play for two years before making the playoffs? If he does that, how can the credibility of the all-time best rookie stand?
Secondly, Coach Durant is willing to give the team some time to strengthen its roster and even develop new talents. Although he doesn't put up a fuss, he doesn't force the team to compete for the championship either, which is very realistic.
In addition, Du Xiaoshuai has a strong desire for the championship, and this mentality is very important for the core of the team.
Judging from the conversation, Du Xiaoshuai is quite mature and understands the language of adults in Europe and America. He has a good sense of propriety, which is also very important for star players.
The NBA has a high percentage of Black players, and their educational levels are generally lower. Don't be fooled by the fact that most of them were drafted from prestigious universities or high schools; aside from physical attributes, their academic, moral, physical, aesthetic, and practical skills are often far inferior to the average person because they are mostly admitted through special talent programs. In school, besides playing basketball, they mostly spend their time bragging, flirting, and bullying classmates.
Many NBA players are mentally unstable, lack basic manners, are easily angered and easily deceived, and are simply competing to see who is worse. They often make all sorts of ridiculous mistakes while playing, and many go bankrupt after retirement. Even the rate of rich kids squandering their wealth isn't this high.
The league is also having a headache with these babies who are around two meters tall. They have introduced many policies to guarantee their retirement, but the results have been mediocre.
What we can be reassured about right now is that while Du Xiaoshuai may not necessarily have leadership qualities, his IQ and EQ are at least on point, which will reduce a lot of off-court troubles.
Du Xiaoshuai said, "Don't worry too much, I'll get you some news right away!"