"Swish!"
The basketball traced a beautiful arc through the air before dropping cleanly through the net.
"Great shot!"
Durant laughed as he slapped Butler on the backside. "I was worried you might be rusty after resting for so long. Turns out you've been secretly leveling up, huh?"
Today marked Butler's first game back after missing more than half the season. The entire Kings team was deliberately running plays for him to help him find his rhythm, but Butler came out firing, burying tough, no-nonsense mid-range jumpers one after another, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
"Don't joke around—do you really think I was just resting this whole time?!"
Butler shouted as he turned and sprinted back on defense.
Because of his knee injury, Butler couldn't do high-intensity training during rehab, so he shifted his focus almost entirely to shooting. After this extended stretch of work, both his three-point shot and mid-range game had improved dramatically.
With Butler's return, the Kings officially returned to full strength. They cruised to an easy home win over the Bucks, completing a season sweep of Milwaukee.
In his return, Butler was incredibly efficient, putting up a steady line of 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists in limited minutes.
"So strong…"
After the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo stood on the sideline watching the Kings and couldn't help but mutter, "How are you even supposed to beat a team like this?"
"You should actually be glad,"
said Bucks head coach Jason Kidd flatly from beside him.
"They're in the West. You still have plenty of time to grow. Don't worry—your peak and this team's peak won't overlap. By the time you're fully developed, they'll probably be crushed under an insane luxury tax."
"I'm not even in my prime yet?"
Giannis asked in disbelief. "Coach! I'm the All-Star voting leader! I've even got a shot at MVP this year. And I still haven't peaked?"
"You little brat, can't you tell when someone's trying to comfort you?!"
Kidd snapped. Then, more seriously, he added, "The current Kings are unbeatable."
Despite his reluctance, Kidd admitted it. "Watching them feels like watching the Bulls from the '90s. They're so strong it kills any desire to resist."
And just as Kidd had predicted…
With Butler back, the Kings fully revealed their sharp fangs. No matter who stood in front of them, the outcome was always the same—being swallowed whole.
...
...
"Your shooting still isn't good enough!"
Rose stood at the sideline, frowning as he called out.
"Coach, it's still not good?"
The player on the court was Dejounte Murray, now fully recovered.
Although Murray was healthy again, his long absence had allowed the team to establish a stable perimeter rotation. Even after his return, he could only sit on the bench and wait for next season.
After all, Murray wasn't Butler—someone everyone was willing to wait for.
"Take that last move,"
Rose said as he stepped forward to demonstrate. "From the dribble to the sudden stop to the gather and shot, there's a clear pause. That pause helps you stabilize, but once you stabilize, your defender has already reacted."
As he spoke, Rose dribbled himself. When he reached the mid-range area, he suddenly pulled up and hit the jumper.
"NBA-level competition is measured in milliseconds. That single pause can ruin the entire possession. You need to find your center of gravity while moving and stabilize on the fly, so you can shoot the instant you stop!"
After training for a while longer, Murray finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Coach, can we stop working on such basic stuff? I could practice this with Coach Chip too."
"Then what do you want to learn?"
Rose stopped dribbling and asked curiously.
"I want to learn that move of yours."
Murray rubbed his hands awkwardly. "That no-slowdown change of direction."
The moment Murray finished speaking, Rose froze. Then his face darkened as he immediately chased after Murray, throwing punches.
"You little punk, is that how you learn properly?! You just got healthy and you already want to practice no-slowdown crossovers?!"
"Why won't you teach me? That move is cool and super effective!"
Murray dodged Rose's fists, protesting stubbornly.
"Do you want to end up like me?"
Rose was genuinely angry now. "Do you have any idea how my body broke down back then?"
Hearing this, Murray rubbed his sore head and spoke with a hint of grievance.
"Of course I know it's dangerous. But if I don't do this, when will I ever get my chance?
It's already been two years. The first year I got sent to the G League. Last year I was finally about to enter the rotation, then I got seriously injured again. This year the team has so many draft picks—if Mr. Chen drafts another high-pick guard, won't I just get pushed even further back?"
Murray's words left Rose frozen in place.
"…Sigh."
After letting out a long breath, Rose finally spoke. "You're too impatient. You can't even wait two years?"
"Two years isn't short! Coach, you were already chasing MVP in your second season."
"Don't let outside noise mess with you,"
Rose said as he sat down by the court and motioned for Murray to come over.
"This league is impatient. Everyone wants stories about young prodigies who make it big overnight. But you can't let that kind of noise throw off your rhythm. I'm the perfect example."
Rose patted his knee with a bitter smile.
"All these years, I've wondered—if I hadn't been so hot-headed back then, if I'd progressed step by step instead, would I be this injured now? Would I still be at my peak? But that's all in the past. Thinking about it doesn't change anything."
He looked at Murray deeply.
"I know you're desperate to prove yourself and earn recognition. But calm down. Just making it into the league already means you're one of the best 300 basketball players on this planet. Stay steady."
Feeling the strong, almost fatherly concern in Rose's words, Murray struggled to hold back his emotions.
"I understand, Coach! I won't think about all that nonsense anymore. Let's keep training!"
With that, the two jumped back into another round of practice.
"Hey, Coach, the season's almost over. How do you still have so much time to train with me? Doesn't the team need you?"
Midway through the workout, Murray suddenly realized something.
"Heh, heh, heh."
Rose chuckled. "When you reach my age, you won't need to train with the team every day either. There are only so many plays in basketball. Teams just recycle the same few sets. Your old coach here can tell what's coming just by watching—so of course I've got time to train with you."