Life as NBA Rookie (SlamDunk System)-Chapter 100 - 99: New Coach, New Landscape
As soon as Zack turned on the TV, he heard Charles Barkley loudly critiquing the trade between the Lakers and the Grizzlies that just happened at the draft:
According to the agreement, the Lakers would send Derek Fisher, Andrew Bynum, Devin George, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic, Jim Jackson, Aaron McKie, Stanislav Medvedenko, their 2007 and 2009 first-round picks, and their 2006, 2008, and 2010 second-round picks in exchange for the Grizzliesβ Pau Gasol, Shane Battier, and Dontaeβ Jones.
If you count the five draft picks the Lakers sent in this trade, it seemed like a fair 13-for-3 deal. π§ππππΈπ¦π£πππ·ππ.π€π°π
But in Zackβs eyes, this was entirely a story of the Lakers trading 50 small coins for 150 big ones from the Grizzlies.
Zack didnβt know how the world would react to this trade.
However, he was curious how the Lakers, without "Old Fish" Fisher, would run their triangle offense next season.
Fisher, despite his questionable character, was a crucial part of Jacksonβs system. And the Lakers surely couldnβt have Kobeβs young fanboy, Monta Ellis, play the "point guard" role, right?
Given Ellisβs personality, even if he could stomach it, it would be a huge waste of talent to use a combo guard with such flashy offensive skills as a "point guard."
---
"Do you know the specific situation of this yearβs NBA first-round draft?" Zack asked Evans.
"Iβve already compiled it for you. Iβll give it to you right away."
After receiving the draft list from Evans, Zack found that the few familiar names he remembered had almost all deviated from their original historical trajectories.
Andrea Bargnani was selected by the Sonics with the first overall pick and then traded to the Rockets.
LaMarcus Aldridge was selected by the Raptors with the second overall pick and deemed untouchable by them.
Another "Bird successor," Adam Morrison, was selected by the Bulls with the third overall pick.
The Blazers, frustrated at not getting Aldridge through a trade, angrily selected Tyrus Thomas with the fourth overall pick.
Brandon Roy, who had the same agent as Zack and learned how to impress Michael Jordan, was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats with the fifth overall pick.
The Rockets used their own sixth overall pick to select Zackβs old acquaintance from Duke, "Landlord" Sheldon Williams.
Randy Foye and Rudy Gay were both acquired by Jerry West through subsequent trades.
Then, Rajon Rondo was traded to the New Orleans Hornets and is expected to replace Paul as the "Hornet King" in this lifetime.
The Lakers, with the 20th pick in the first round, chose Kyle Lowry over Jordan Farmar.
The reason was that Lowry had played against Zackβs Wake Forest in college, and Kupchak had watched that entire game. He believed Lowry, who had three years of college experience, was more ready to play than Farmar.
This was a decision whose wisdom perhaps only Zack truly understood.
And it also successfully answered Zackβs doubts about the Lakersβ roster.
Because even though Lowry would need time to grow in the NBA, his more reliable three-point shot and his ability to play "point guard" early in his career made him a much better fit for the current Lakers than Farmar, who had only played one year in college.
In this life, the changes in the 2006 draft and the shifts in team rankings during the 2005-06 regular season were interconnected.
Additionally, players who were already "ready-made" talents in college were generally more popular among strong teams.
In short, the Western Conference next season... seemed to be upgrading from a living hell to an ultimate battlefield.
No wonder Anthony specifically called to complain to him...
Undoubtedly, with the rise of the Jazz and the SuperSonics, the Nuggetsβ advantage in the Northwest Division was completely gone.
"Kevin Garnett only demanded to go to the Sonics during his forced move from the Timberwolves?"
"Yes... otherwise, I think the Timberwolves would have demanded more from the Sonics in that trade."
"What about this yearβs second-round draft?"
"Iβll give you the list right away."
Compared to the first-round picks, Zack only remembered two names from the 2006 second round: Daniel Gibson and Paul Millsap.
The former was his good friendβs effective soldier during his "first stint" with the Cavaliers.
The latter was a stocky power forward with untapped potential.
As Zack remembered, Gibson was happily signed by the Cavaliers due to his excellent three-point shooting in tryouts.
Millsap, on the other hand, was acquired by the Jazz through a trade. Having played three years in college, his draft stock rose to the third pick in the second round in this lifetime.
Millsapβs rise in draft position was related to the leagueβs growing emphasis on power forwards with shooting ability.
As for who started this trend?
It certainly wasnβt Zack, who always liked to punish opposing defenses with his "violent pull-up jumpers" in games.
"Itβs all Kevin Garnettβs and Dirk Nowitzkiβs fault!"
What "iron-blooded pull-ups" and "steel fadeaways"?
These superstar power forwards teach nothing good all day, only bad habits to the young ones!
It has to be him, Zack, who truly represents the courageous and passionate traditional power forward!
At this moment, Zack, usually humble, pragmatic, and never boastful, inwardly grumbled about Garnett and Nowitzki.
"Alright, Melo, there are quite a few strong teams in the West next season, but as long as you work hard, I believe the Nuggets have a complete chance to get a playoff ticket with you leading them. You know, in my mind, youβve always been the strongest offensive small forward in the NBA today."
---
Are there only "a few" strong teams in the West?
If you include the old guard of the Spurs, Suns, and Mavericks, plus the newly crowned champions, the Warriors, Zack quickly counted and found that there were eight teams in the West with championship aspirations next season.
Thatβs right. Next season, even the eighth seed in the West, in Zackβs eyes, would be stronger than the Cavaliers team he remembered that eventually made it to the Finals.
The West had clearly entered the "Wild West" era prematurely.
No... it was even wilder than the "Wild West" Zack remembered.
If the Eastern Conference teams didnβt make changes, then the Western Conference champion for the next few years would effectively be the NBA champion.
The Western Conference Finals would be the real Finals.
---
In July, the NBA free agency market officially opened.
The Lakers were the first to use part of their mid-level exception to sign Bonzi Wells.
The SuperSonics, meanwhile, filled out their roster by adding players like Gary Payton, James Posey, Jumaine Jones, Maurice Evans, and Michael Olowokandi with various minimum salaries and mid-level exceptions.
Originally, Payton had considered the Warriors when choosing a team.
But just thinking about Zackβs remarks to him in the Finals made Payton feel incredibly ashamed (and indignant).
So, Payton decided to embark on his "root-seeking" journey and bring his invaluable experience of never winning a championship back to Seattle.
The Warriors officially signed Matt Barnes on the afternoon of July 4th.
Mullin gave him a two-year minimum contract with a team option for the final year.
Barnesβ arrival meant the Warriors had another rotation option at forward for the new season.
---
On July 5th, Zack and Mullin attended the Warriorsβ new head coach recruitment meeting.
Among the many candidates who came for interviews, Zack and Mullin jointly decided to hire Mike Malone.
As the son of former Cavaliers head coach Brendan Malone, the younger Malone wasnβt well-known in the NBA at this point. After his father was fired by the Cavaliers, he had been serving as Mike Brownβs assistant coach.
However, opportunities always come to those who are prepared.
On the day of the interview, Malone was clear-headed and immediately got to the point: "The Warriorsβ current offense is quite mature, but I believe thereβs still a lot of potential to unlock in how the Messiah is used. For example, with the Warriorsβ high-post hand-offs, if we can incorporate more advanced schemes, I believe the Warriorsβ offense next season will be even more eye-catching."
"Baron and Ron have too many inefficient isolations. They can certainly create some penetration against opposing bigs, but if we can get the Messiah to handle the ball more, it will significantly boost the teamβs offensive efficiency. Plus, Baronβs and Ronβs playing styles carry high injury risks, which will definitely be a huge hidden danger on the teamβs path to defending the championship."
"As for defense, I plan to primarily use a zone defense in the regular season. Jason and Baron have physical advantages, and the Messiah and Kwame Brown are both interior players with the ability to cover ground. Using a zone will allow the Messiah to conserve more energy on defense.
Additionally, when necessary, we can also use a βpocket defenseβ strategy, actively letting the opponentβs perimeter penetrators enter the paint. The Messiah is the top shot-blocker in the league right now, and I believe he will put up even more impressive block numbers with this strategy."
They were swayed.
Both Mullin and Zack were swayed by the scenario Mike Malone described during the interview.
Mullin was swayed because Malone would build a complete system for the Warriors for the new season.
Zack was swayed because, under this new system, his stat sheet was bound to see an explosive increase.
"I believe the Warriors took a very wise approach on their championship run last season, which was the βmaintenanceβ strategy adopted in the latter half of the regular season. This allowed the Warriors to maintain strong competitiveness after entering the playoffs.
However, if I were coaching, I wouldnβt do that, because we need to secure a certain record to ensure that the regular-season MVP can belong to the Messiah."
"How do you plan to ensure both the Warriorsβ record and the Messiahβs stamina?"
"I will selectively give up some games. These games arenβt about tanking, nor are they about resting the Messiah. But I will tell the players before these pre-marked games that they donβt need to give 100% effort on both ends of the court. If they can win, great; if not, just go all out against the opponent and try to make everyoneβs stats look as good as possible."
No wonder in Zackβs memory, Nikola Jokic would openly "slack off" on certain nights.
Yes, Mike Malone was the head coach of that future Denver Nuggets team in Zackβs memory, and it was under his guidance that "Joker" Jokic gradually became the NBAβs number one player in later years.
In an era where superstars wanted more individual awards, Zack, at just 22 years old, couldnβt just rest whenever he wanted like future NBA players.
So, to ensure his stats were impressive while also allowing him to conserve energy to lead the Warriors through the playoffs, Maloneβs game strategy was undoubtedly the optimal solution.
An NBA season has 82 games, and the Warriors couldnβt possibly give 100% in every single one.
Selectively giving up certain games, going all out against the opponent on the court, even if they lost because they werenβt as invested, wasnβt a big deal. After all, the Warriors couldnβt win all 82 regular-season games anyway.
---
So, after the interview, Mullin immediately offered Malone a two-year contract worth approximately $4 million in total.
This contract was a "1+1" deal. Although Mullin was optimistic about Maloneβs future with the Warriors, he couldnβt just give a high-paying, long-term contract to a head coach who hadnβt proven himself yet.
And after signing with the Warriors, Malone immediately gave Zack his advice.
"Next season, I hope you can reduce your frequency of driving to the basket. Iβll design more shooting plays for you in the high post. Honestly, your height and weight concern me; Iβm worried you might get injured from accumulated fatigue. In my opinion, the devastating damage you inflict on opposing bigs should be saved for the playoffs."
Unlike old-school coaches who wanted their superstars to aggressively attack the paint every possession, young Mike Malone belonged to the new generation of coaches.
In his view, excessive drives to the paint by superstars only increased their injury risk and energy consumption.
Last season, Zackβs average number of rim attacks was the highest among all power forwards in the league.
In Maloneβs eyes, this was a rather dangerous signal.
Because in the Finals, against the Heatβs zone defense that held strong for four games, Zack had already proven that his "violent pull-up jumpers," with his physique and incredible ball-handling coordination, could also effectively break down the opponentβs defense.
Zackβs impact was undeniable, but Malone also had to ensure Zackβs health.
Did the Warriors really need Zack to play so hard in the regular season?
Wouldnβt it be better to design more shooting plays for him, making it easier and more enjoyable for him to rack up stats?
In fact, Malone had given LeBron James similar advice while he was with the Cavaliers.
Historically, even though LeBronβs ball-handling coordination meant his dribble-to-shot wasnβt as smooth as Anthonyβs, he did achieve impressive efficiency in the latter part of his "first stint" with the Cavaliers by taking more "cold-blooded shots" (his True Shooting Percentage was 59.1% in 08/09 and 60.4% in 09/10).
In Maloneβs view, Zack, whose talent far surpassed LeBronβs, was simply the perfect primary ball-handling power forward.
However, to fully realize his tactical theories, Malone also had to convince other Warriors players to accept new tactical roles.
Richardson had already evolved last season, becoming an athletic three-point sharpshooter who could cause immense damage with off-ball movement and back cuts.
In Maloneβs system, his role would be similar to future players like Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter.
Kwame Brown also didnβt need Malone to worry.
Because instead of teaching him low-post offensive techniques and back-to-the-basket moves, Malone wanted to teach him how to cunningly attack the opponentβs restricted area using Zackβs inherent "Great Zack Gravity."
Furthermore, Brownβs diligent screen-setting quality in games was, in Maloneβs eyes, a valuable asset for this new Warriors team.
Therefore, only Davis and Artest were the players in the Warriorsβ starting lineup that Malone absolutely had to get on board.
---
Regarding this, Davis, who was on vacation, laughed on the phone and said, "I stopped caring about my personal stats a long time ago. Now I just want to help the Messiah win more championship rings. When my vacation ends, Iβll definitely figure out how to integrate into the tactical system youβve designed for the Messiah."
Davisβs mindset at this moment was remarkably similar to that of future Russell Westbrook.
If the team needed him to create offense with aggressive drives, heβd step on the gas.
If the team needed him to make more reasonable shot selections, heβd only shoot open threes.
If the team needed him to play as the secondary playmaker, heβd just hand the damn ball to Zack.
That day, Malone was completely relieved by Davisβs answer.
Because if even Davis, that proud star guard, could be handled so easily...
Then surely convincing Artest would be even simpler... right?
"I disagree! I donβt buy your garbage theory! If it werenβt for my drives to the paint last season, how could the Messiah have gotten so many great offensive opportunities in games? Iβm not a player like Jason (Richardson); Iβm an All-Star forward who needs to handle the ball on offense!"
One reason Artest wanted to be traded from the Pacers earlier was his inability to accept the role the Pacers gave him.
On the Warriors, since he genuinely couldnβt outperform Zack, Artest didnβt mind assisting the Messiah.
But the premise of assisting was that when the team couldnβt get things going, he should be allowed to be the second offensive option on the court.
Although in the playoffs...
It was precisely because Artestβs efficiency was lower than in the regular season that Zack, in a sense, was forced to put up that astonishing nearly 38 points per game in his first playoff run.
But even so, Artest couldnβt accept Maloneβs theory and comfortably play as a spot-up three-point shooter on the court.
And Mike Malone, having just taken over the team, lacked experience and clearly didnβt know how to handle this situation. So...
On the phone, he and Artest pretty much cursed at each other for a solid hour, words that wouldnβt make it to air.
Mike Malone was never a mild-tempered coach.
He could keep his emotions in check with agreeable players.
But in front of a player like Artest, who directly challenged him... he completely erupted, unable to hold back any longer.
"He can create about 6 free throw opportunities per game, but at what cost? His overall shooting percentage last season was only 39.9%! Has no one told him how inefficient his offense is?
And if he could convert those inefficient isolations into more efficient offense through your playmaking, he would also benefit!
I clearly explained to him on the phone that reducing his ball-handling doesnβt mean reducing his shot attempts... but he just had to argue with me! Is this really a professional player who just won a championship, or a court bully and a team cancer?"
Zack quickly learned the details of Maloneβs conversation with Artest.
Zack, after briefly calming down the increasingly agitated Malone, picked up the phone and called Artest.
On the phone, Artest sounded wronged: "Heβs just a young coach whoβs never proven his coaching ability. What does he know about basketball? I still like Mike (Montgomery); at least he never interfered with our team decisions.
Brother, you have to stand with me on this one. I know youβre the absolute leader of this team, but that damn jerk just wants to strip me of all my contributions to the team last season with just a few words.
What do you mean my isolation offense is inefficient? Without the free throw opportunities I created, how could we have overcome opponent after opponent?"
Zack hadnβt expected such interesting chemistry to emerge so quickly after the Warriorsβ coaching change.
From Maloneβs perspective, he could completely understand Maloneβs feelings.
Because in Maloneβs eyes, this Warriors team was essentially a team centered around Zack, with everyone else being role players.
So, the other players on the team just needed to play their respective roles well.
But from Artestβs perspective, Zack could also understand Artestβs grievances.
Last season, Artest certainly made sacrifices for the Warriorsβ championship.
But now, Malone wanted to strip him of his ball-handling offensive rights right away. Artest, who hadnβt yet grasped the true meaning of life like Baron Davis, how could he accept this? How could he be willing?
---
Therefore, Zack successively advised Malone and Artest:
"Mike, youβve just joined the team. I donβt think you need to rush at all; you have plenty of time to build and update your tactical system with the Warriors. Ron was an important part of our championship run last season... and youβve probably heard about the Lakers-Grizzlies trade. Ron is one of the few defensive stalwarts in the West who can really challenge Kobe. So... I think you should communicate with him more patiently."
"Ron, no matter what, Mike is our new coach. You canβt let the βdrunken bumβ (referring to Mullin) fire a new coach right after hiring him; wouldnβt that make our defending champions look like a ragtag team? Donβt worry, given my character, donβt you trust me? However, you must respect Mike, because next season, we will be challenging for the championship with him. Think about Jermaine and Stephenβs expressions after you won the championship; do you really want to feud with Mike and become a locker room disruption?"
Under Zackβs gentle persuasion, the conflict between Malone and Artest was temporarily eased.
As for whether Artest could perfectly integrate into Maloneβs tactical system next season...
Zack wasnβt worried about it at all.
Because he wasnβt the kind of soft-spoken leader who couldnβt bring himself to let go of a valuable teammate.
As long as Mike Malone could prove he was right next season, then Artest would only have one option: obediently fall in line.
Otherwise...
"Minnesota" would inevitably become Ron Artestβs place of exile.
---
In July, the free agency market, after its initial frenzy, gradually calmed down, only to be hit by a bombshell on the 8th.
According to ESPN, the Cavaliers, Heat, and Pacers were about to complete a three-team trade.
The Heatβs disastrous performance in the Finals had left Riley completely despairing of OβNeal.
He intended to trade OβNeal for a better supporting player for Wade before OβNealβs performance in last seasonβs regular season and the first three rounds of the playoffs were forgotten by the world.
In Cleveland, his good friend Zackβs championship victory profoundly impacted the young LeBron James.
Through his agent, the Chosen One had repeatedly pressured the Cavaliersβ management.
Cavaliers owner Daniel Gilbert and the Cavaliersβ front office had no choice but to take a huge gamble.
And Larry Bird?
Disappointed with the Pacersβ performance in recent years, and with Bird intending to stockpile more draft picks for the Pacers and patiently wait for Danny Grangerβs growth...
Thus, Bird, who decided to rebuild, reached an agreement with Riley and Gilbert, who both had their own demands.
Now, it was the Eastern Conference teamsβ turn to sit at the gambling table and participate in the largest gamble of this new era.
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