Chen Yilun sat courtside watching yet another Kings blowout, his interest fading as he started scrolling through his phone.
If today weren't the team's final game of the regular season, he wouldn't have bothered coming at all.
Did Kings games even need watching? You'd fall asleep and wake up to another easy win.
"Once this game is over, the playoff field will be officially locked in,"
Prince reported quietly from beside him.
"We finished with 62 wins, first in the West. The Warriors are right behind us at 60, and after that it's the Spurs and the Rockets."
"And the East?"
Chen Yilun asked casually.
"In the East, the Celtics are first, followed by the Raptors and the 76ers. The Cavaliers got pushed down to fourth. But the Wizards clinched the eighth seed by edging out the Pistons with a big win in the final game."
"What a shame."
Chen Yilun dug at his ear and sighed in regret.
If the Wizards had missed the playoffs, the first-round pick in his hand would've been guaranteed to land in the lottery.
But it wasn't a big deal. Given Washington's record, the pick wouldn't be too far back anyway.
So the final standings were as follows.
Western Conference:
1st: Sacramento Kings
2nd: Golden State Warriors
3rd: San Antonio Spurs
4th: Houston Rockets
5th: Oklahoma City Thunder
6th: Portland Trail Blazers
7th: Utah Jazz
8th: Minnesota Timberwolves
Eastern Conference:
1st: Boston Celtics
2nd: Toronto Raptors
3rd: Philadelphia 76ers
4th: Cleveland Cavaliers
5th: Milwaukee Bucks
6th: Miami Heat
7th: Indiana Pacers
8th: Washington Wizards
"That's a pretty big shakeup."
Chen Yilun smacked his lips as he looked over the rankings Prince had laid out.
The West still followed the familiar top-three structure. Thanks to Chen Yilun's presence, Zaza Pachulia never made that infamous move back then, so Kawhi Leonard remained relatively healthy. As a result, the Spurs were still very much competitive.
The East told a similar story. With Crowder no longer on the Cavaliers, Hayward—who should have been out for the season—stayed healthy, allowing the Celtics to firmly hold onto the top seed.
Meanwhile, under the leadership of Joel Embiid and Simmons, the Philadelphia 76ers were finally cashing in on their potential, surging all the way to third in the East.
The upper half of the standings was largely stable, but the lower half had changed dramatically.
In the West, the Thunder's new Big Three settled into fifth place. Right behind them were the Trail Blazers, led by the new generation of the Portland backcourt duo. After that came the Jazz, steadily grinding out wins under Coach Quin Snyder.
Most surprising of all, after Fox joined the team, the young Timberwolves finally seemed to have found a true on-court brain. They clawed their way through the competition to become the gatekeepers of the Western Conference playoffs.
"We're playing the Timberwolves in the first round?"
Chen Yilun chuckled as he looked at the matchup.
"Interesting. Playing those little wolves should be fun."
Out of all the possible first-round opponents, the Timberwolves were the one Chen Yilun wanted to face the most.
A bunch of raw youngsters making their playoff debut—of course they needed a proper lesson.
The Rockets were matched up against the Thunder, setting the stage for a showdown between Harden and Westbrook. Over in the East, the Cavaliers drew the Bucks in the first round. It was anyone's guess whether LeBron could hold his ground against Giannis.
"Alright, that's enough."
Chen Yilun patted his leg and stood up.
"We've done everything we can. Now let's just hope the team doesn't disappoint us."
"What could possibly go wrong?"
Prince laughed.
"The roster's stacked and full of energy. No matter how you look at it, the advantage is clearly ours this year."
"Hey, hey, hey—don't say that!"
Chen Yilun waved his hands quickly, stopping Prince just as he looked ready to plant a victory flag on his head.
"The biggest point of interest in the first round is definitely in the East,"
Prince muttered while glancing at his notes.
"LeBron runs straight into Giannis in round one. He's got a tough battle right from the start."
"This year's Cavaliers are just… so-so,"
Chen Yilun said after a brief glance, quickly losing interest.
"LeBron's probably about done. That once-glorious Cavaliers squad has finally reached the end of the road."
"Really?"
Prince's curiosity was instantly piqued.
Chen Yilun's predictions were famously accurate around the league. When it came to major trends, he almost never missed.
"So if the King leaves again,"
Prince asked,
"where do you think he'll go next?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
Chen Yilun smiled faintly.
"He went to Miami for his first championship. Then he went back to Cleveland to repair his image. Now that he's won titles with both teams, there aren't any regrets left."
"This move will probably be about setting up his retirement. He'll look for a big-market team. Whether they win a title or not is secondary—maximizing his commercial value is the priority."
He paused, thinking for a moment.
"New York or Los Angeles. But personally, I think the Lakers are the most likely."
"The Lakers? Why?"
Prince tilted his head, puzzled.
"Simple,"
Chen Yilun replied.
"The Knicks are a complete mess with no real chance, and the Clippers just tore everything down. They haven't even converted those draft picks yet. On top of that, the Clippers still have a logo man calling the shots—LeBron won't go there."
"That leaves only the Lakers. After two years of stockpiling, they've got plenty of young talent. LeBron wouldn't just be the leader—he'd also mentor them. So the Lakers are the most likely option."
"I see."
Prince nodded repeatedly.
"So is there any chance he stays in Cleveland?"
"Stay in Cleveland?"
Chen Yilun snorted.
"Unless he goes god mode again—crushes the entire East and then beats us in the Finals—there's no way Cleveland keeps him."
Prince listened quietly. Crushing the East still sounded barely possible, but beating the Kings in the Finals? That was pure fantasy.
"Stop thinking about pointless stuff,"
Chen Yilun said, waving it off.
"Even a lion gives its all when hunting a rabbit. Those young wolves may not be a real threat, but they're perfect for sharpening our blades. Get ready properly."
"Let's treat it as a playoff welcome ceremony for those rookies."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser