NBA: LeBron James wants to team up with me

Guys there is already content on patreon, if anyone wants to become a jonnin, hogake or God Shinobi.

patreon.com/Chuga320 (Have than 50 additional chapters)

—————————————————————————————————————————————

The preseason games for the shortened season are also shortened. While the schedule is compressed to the limit, the number of preseason games for each team in the league has also been reduced.

During the preseason, the Bulls have stuck to their old habits, essentially not allowing the main starting players to play for long periods and mostly using bench players.

The biggest change between the Bulls this season and previous ones is that there are two new faces on the bench: Jimmy Butler and Isaiah Thomas.

Butler's level when he first entered the league was actually not very good. He only averaged 2.6 points and 1.3 rebounds per game in his first season with the original Bulls, although this was mainly because he didn't get much playing time in his rookie season. In fact, his skills were average, and he had more talent. This was reflected in his good physical condition and athletic ability.

But Isaiah Thomas is different. His ability to break through with the ball is quite lethal due to his top speed, which was well reflected in the preseason games.

After Thomas enters the court, as long as he faces some lower-level substitute defenders, he can easily use his breakthrough ability to shake off the opponent's defense, and his offensive skill is enough to make him shine.

Additionally, there are two veterans on the Bulls' bench: Danny Green and Marcus Thornton. The Bulls performed well in the preseason and easily achieved a full victory in their preseason games. At the same time, Butler and Thomas Jr. came into the league's spotlight.

As a player selected with the last pick in the second round, Thomas' performance has been highly praised.

"The so-called one-trick pony made him famous worldwide. Although Isaiah Thomas' height makes him a complete black hole on the defensive side, and it's difficult for him to qualify for the team's starting position, his excellent breakthrough ability can be used in the limited time off the bench. It helps the team progress, and he definitely deserves being a second-round pick."

As for Jimmy Butler, despite his mediocre performance and being completely overshadowed by Thomas, who was drafted lower than him, there wasn't much criticism.

This is also normal, after all, Butler is only the 30th pick in the first round. Strictly speaking, there's not much difference between him and second-round players. No one really expected that after the Bulls selected Butler, he would immediately show the potential of a great star and become a cornerstone of the team.

However, the Bulls players didn't think this way because, based on Wang Chong's attitude toward Butler, they knew that this seemingly average player certainly had great expectations from Wang Chong.

Several years have passed since I joined the Bulls. The team has had many rookies coming and going, but the only one who really impressed Wang Chong enough to personally hire assistant coaches to formulate training plans was Stephen Curry.

Now Butler is the second.

Although Butler basically has no tactical status on the team, and his playing time is behind Danny Green and Marcus Thornton among the bench players, the treatment Wang Chong gave him is truly special. He even praised Butler for his hard work in training multiple times. Anyone can see that Wang Chong cares for Butler.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau didn't even hold back and consulted Wang Chong privately about his opinion on Butler.

Wang Chong didn't hide it and directly told Thibodeau that Butler would become the Bulls' third player in the future, only behind him and Curry, and even ahead of Gasol, as a player who currently lacks combat power and needs time to train and develop.

Thibodeau had doubts about Wang Chong's words, because at least he couldn't see any standout potential in Butler. A player so average had no shooting skills or ball-handling ability. Aside from his average defense, he was completely unremarkable. What was the difference between him and forwards who were highly motivated but lacked defensive skills?

But Wang Chong's status in the Bulls is transcendent and completely above any team member, including the owner of the team.

The honor of four consecutive championships has placed Wang Chong on a pedestal, almost within Jordan's reach. During this period, no one in the Bulls would disobey Wang Chong or dare to.

Wang Chong places great importance on Butler's performance, which directly influences the Bulls' coaching staff's positioning and views on Butler. Although there's no special tactical care, in the team's daily training and other moments, Butler is regarded as a lottery pick in the draft.

Butler himself expressed that he was very confused. He had no idea why Wang Chong would give him such special attention and was deeply moved.

Although he's not very old, Butler had already experienced the ups and downs of human relationships in society. He knew very well that Wang Chong seemed to have done nothing, but he had played a very important role in helping him establish himself in the NBA. Therefore, when Butler first arrived at the Bulls, from the very first day, Ponyboy became Wang Chong's most loyal man.

Butler's mediocre performance in the preseason made him feel a little frustrated, and he even felt that he hadn't met Wang Chong's expectations.

"I'm sorry for disappointing you."

Wang Chong didn't take it seriously and simply patted Butler on the shoulder. "You're too impatient. You're still young and need time to learn and grow. Take your time, step by step... We have plenty of time."

Wang Chong's own expectation for Butler is to become a top defensive player in the forward position within one or two seasons.

Under normal circumstances, it was in the 2013-14 season when Butler really grew to become a starting player. Although he only averaged 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists per game, Butler's defense was already good enough to be selected for the Second Defensive Team. He was a defensive wing. A pillar.

The reason for this plan is also somewhat related to the competitive state of Garnett, the current starting forward for the Bulls.

Garnett's last peak period was the 2012-13 season.

By then, Garnett, who would be 36 years old, could still contribute 14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists to the team during the regular season, along with 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks.

It's just that the increase in age had caused Garnett's condition to decline significantly. This year, he couldn't be selected for the Defensive Team, and his defensive efficiency also dropped sharply from third place in the league the previous season to fifteenth in the league.

In the 2012-13 playoffs, the Celtics were eliminated by the New York Knicks in the first round. Garnett played 6 games, averaging 12.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He provided some support, but the defensive wing could still barely shine, definitely not to the point of being ignored.

Unfortunately, after the Celtics were eliminated in the first round, Celtics general manager Ainge decided to dismantle the team and rebuild it by trading away veterans like Garnett and Pierce.

Garnett and Pierce were packaged together and traded to the Brooklyn Nets, who had moved to Brooklyn. By then, Garnett had exhausted his final strength.

In the two seasons with the Nets, Garnett only averaged around 6+6 per game and never regained his courage. Then, in his final years, Garnett was traded to the Timberwolves and officially retired from the Timberwolves.

It is no surprise that Garnett's time as the main power forward for the Bulls was limited to just two more seasons.

Wang Chong's plan is to let Butler grow quickly over two seasons so that he can seamlessly replace Garnett and allow the Bulls to continue maintaining the status of the strongest forward in the league.

Butler, who stands 2.01 meters tall and plays the small forward role, certainly can't take over Garnett's class, and Wang Chong doesn't intend to let Butler take over Garnett's position.

When Butler becomes a top forward, he will naturally serve as the Bulls' starting small forward, while Wang Chong will move to power forward.

Wang Chong had already planned it.

For the 2013-14 season, the small-ball era was already arriving. Among other things, the two teams in the finals, the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, both had obvious small-ball prototypes.

Needless to say, the Heat had already started using small-ball tactics during their two consecutive championships with the Big Three, with Bosh as center. The team's mobility was maximized, and the transition between offense and defense was ridiculously fast.

As for the Spurs, despite having the number one power forward in history in Duncan, they still used small-ball tactics in the later stages. However, unlike the Heat, who focused on fast breaks and counterattacks, the Spurs' small-ball tactics were based primarily on extreme teamwork and passing, focusing on cutting-edge tactics. In particular, in the 2013-14 championship season, the Spurs averaged 105.4 points per game, ranking sixth in the league, and 97.6 points per game, also sixth in the league. They were well-rounded both offensively and defensively.

In fact, since then, the league began to adopt fast-paced small-ball play as the mainstream. However, in the following two seasons, Curry and the Warriors emerged, and the last small-ball death lineup shocked the league. It laid the foundation and promoted the development and evolution of small-ball tactics.

In the small-ball era, many traditional small forwards can rotate to the power forward position, as this can help the team accelerate even more and greatly increase offensive threats.

Top forwards, including James, Durant, Anthony, Leonard, and Paul George, have all had experience as power forwards.

Wang Chong's growth template for Durant, with his height and wingspan,

is completely the standard for an inside player. Not to mention serving as a power forward, even a center position isn't impossible—after all, there are only a handful of traditional centers in the league now.

Additionally, Wang Chong has also started making plans. He is deliberately strengthening his physical condition this season to be more comfortable in the future as a power forward.

Considering this, his 70 strength is still a bit insufficient. It needs to be improved to above 80 no matter what, so that he won't suffer too much inside.

In the future, Wang Chong's main opponents in the same position will be James, Draymond Green, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and other players. They are all powerful and muscular men with top-tier confrontation abilities.

Of course, Wang Chong definitely won't miss Draymond Green, who was only selected in the second round.

Wang Chong, who used to be a fan, hated players like Green even more. Kicking eyes, stepping on heads, and boxing while having a bad mouth. Durant regrets many people in his career, but he's done it. He never failed the Warriors alone. He worked hard to bring two championships to the Warriors. He fought hard to win the championship until he tore his Achilles tendon. But what did he get in return? The world-famous Green formula: "We were champions before you came."

Of course, those who watch the drama can gloat over others' misfortune. After all, Durant, who deserted the enemy and joined the Warriors, doesn't have much to say.

But from the perspective of the Warriors and even Durant, Green's betrayal and the final insult were extremely blatant.

Therefore, Wang Chong despises Green deeply, even to the point of disgust.

But similarly, from another perspective, if you look at Green from Curry's position, he simply doesn't appeal too much.

A loyal Ma Chai boy who always backs up, a top-tier defensive player who can always clean up the mess on defense, doing all the dirty work, and carrying most of the offensive firepower like a villain.

In reality, this isn't an exaggeration. Green contributed a lot to Curry's later achievements and reputation. Not to mention anything else, the Golden State martial arts team is famous in the league. Everyone knows they are dirty, but when it comes to Curry, everyone thinks he's a high-quality idol star, handsome, with a good personality, a happy family, and plays very clean.

Isn't that clean? Let others do the dirty work.

Wang Chong isn't dirty when he plays. After all, his strength is there. If he can solve the game with offensive scoring, there's no need to think about other aspects. A bully on the team, especially with a rookie contract. A cheap hitter.

It's just that if the Bulls had selected Green, he wouldn't be able to stand at the top arc directing traffic like he did with the Warriors, and would be known as the team's blue-collar worker—a defensive player like Bruce Bowen.

Two years later, when Garnett retires from the starting lineup, the Bulls' ideal starting lineup should be Curry, Danny Green, Butler, Wang Chong, and Gasol. This lineup would still be a strong contender. The crown configuration can be described as perfect, perfectly alternating between new and old players:

On December 25, 2011, Christmas Day, it also marked the start of the regular season for the NBA's shortened season.

To quickly mitigate the impact of the league suspension on ratings, all Christmas games would be focused games.

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks, the battle between the two Big Three lineups in the Eastern Conference was naturally filled with highlights.

Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs, the traditional cow vs. horse battle is as classic as ever.

Of course, the most-watched game is the Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers.

The four-time league champions immediately face the emerging super team of the league, the Lakers' Big Three, which was enough to whet everyone's appetite.

Who wouldn't be curious about the strengths and weaknesses of the Kobe + Paul + Howard big three combo and the invincible Chicago Bulls, who have won four consecutive championships?

Given the tacit understanding and teamwork of the team, the Chicago Bulls, who have been together for many years, should have the advantage.

However, the Lakers' Big Three configuration is too exaggerated and beyond the reach of ordinary people's comprehension. It is truly impossible to judge which side has the advantage before the two teams face off in the same arena.

End of this chapter

Note: Hi if you really like NBA novels, you can support me either in this pg with stones, reviews etc, or in patreon since the niche of sports and specially NBA is very small is Webnovel since people prefer to read Naruto, Pokemon, comics etc.