On December 10th, the Thunder set off for Memphis, where they would challenge the Memphis Grizzlies, currently ranked 9th in the Western Conference.
Speaking of the Grizzlies, Kayce couldn't help but sigh; their draft vision was truly poor. Hasheem Thabeet, selected with the second overall pick this year, was almost certainly a bust, and a massive one at that!
The Grizzlies' front office must be filled with regret now. Kayce had actually tried out in Memphis, but at the time, everyone was blinded by ambition, dreaming that Thabeet and Marc Gasol could form an invincible twin towers.
After Thabeet joined the team, Head Coach Lionel Hollins discovered that he couldn't even run basic plays, his screens were terrible, and his defensive positioning was very poor, only able to score easy baskets under the rim.
Hollins secretly cursed, thinking that if they had drafted Kayce, the Grizzlies might have taken off by now!
On the plane, the Texas Hold'em players were also discussing Thabeet. His hype before the draft was incredibly high, but now he could only play during garbage time.
"I never liked that big guy; he's too clumsy. But teams in the league just love big players!"
Among the 2009 rookies, Russell's favorite player was, of course, his good brother Kayce. He always believed Kayce should have been the first overall pick.
"I completely agree with you. It was the same in 2007; everyone favored Oden, but what happened? He's constantly plagued by injuries, and his attendance is an issue."
Durant believed he should have been the first overall pick that year. He didn't like being overshadowed, especially by someone with little ability.
"A friend of mine told me that after his guaranteed contract is over, the Grizzlies will trade Thabeet!"
Jeff Green started showing off his insider information again.
"The Grizzlies' front office will definitely be mentioned often in the coming years; they drafted a huge bust. Actually, I always thought I would go to Memphis."
Kayce interjected without looking up. Recently, his luck in cards had returned, as if the law of conservation of character had kicked in.
"Good thing you came to Oklahoma City. On the day of the tryout, I knew you were perfect for the Thunder! Wow, looks like I won this hand again!"
Durant said with a triumphant look. Recently, he had been scoring efficiently on the court, frequently posting on Twitter, and his card luck was also improving.
"Shit! Change game! Change game!"
On the evening of December 11th, the FedEx Forum was packed. Although the team's record was mediocre, Grizzlies fans believed their team was on the right track.
Rudy Gay, 8th overall pick in the first round in 2006; Michael Conley, 4th overall pick in the first round in 2007; O.J. Mayo, 3rd overall pick in the first round in 2008.
Plus Marc Gasol, also drafted by the Lakers in 2007 and then traded to the Grizzlies.
A youth storm! According to the plan, there should have been another player, Hasheem Thabeet, the 2nd overall pick in 2009, but it was heartbreaking. The super twin towers didn't materialize, so Zach Randolph had to step in.
Although the Thunder currently held a 17-3 record, ranking first in the Western Conference by virtue of wins, Head Coach Hollins believed they still had a good chance to win this game. "We have an inside advantage!" he thought.
Therefore, in the locker room before the game, Head Coach Hollins specifically instructed:
"Guys, we need to destroy them in the low post, get the ball inside, and aggressively crash the boards. Conley, focus on controlling the team's offensive tempo!"
O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay were a bit displeased at this. If the ball went into the paint, their touches would decrease. Most importantly, Zach Randolph was heavily utilized as soon as he joined the team, which created a conflict between veterans and rookies.
"I understand, Coach!"
Michael Conley was a point guard with excellent court vision and was well-liked by the Coach Ben.
"Alright, young men, this is our home court, and we need to win this game for our fans! Let's go, victory belongs to us!"
Head Coach Hollins then delivered a strong motivational speech.
The Thunder Coach Ben was a bit anxious before the game. The opponent's interior looked formidable. Marc Gasol was 216cm, plus the burly Zach Randolph. It felt like their interior was going to be exploited again.
But Coach Brooks remained confident. In the locker room before the game, he drew a simple diagram on the whiteboard and said to his players:
"Protect the rebounds. Their big men will definitely crash the boards, so pay attention to early boxing out. On offense, run more pick-and-rolls with the 4 and 5, and play steadily according to the pre-game plan."
"Green, if you get an open shot, take it decisively. You must respond!"
The game was about to begin, and the atmosphere at FedEx Forum gradually heated up. The live DJ started roaring, introducing the home team's players, and over 18,000 spectators erupted in a huge cheer.
"The Grizzlies' home atmosphere is comparable to Oklahoma City!"
Kayce also felt the local fans' love for the team from the cheers.
Especially when the team's star player, O.J. Mayo, was introduced, the crowd gave him the loudest cheer.
Memphis local fans loved Mayo. He was handsome, skilled, and hailed by many media outlets as Jordan's successor. Averaging 18.5 points per game in his rookie season, who wouldn't love him?
Kayce noticed his good brother Russell looking a bit jealous and comforted him:
"It's just one season. Playing well last year doesn't mean it'll always be good in the future. You'll definitely surpass him!"
Russell just nodded. He indeed played mediocre last year, with a shooting percentage barely reaching 40%, so being outshone was understandable.
The referee signaled both teams to the center court. After a brief greeting between the players, Marc Gasol and Kostić tipped off at mid-court.
"The game has started! Marc Gasol easily tipped the ball to us. Believe me, we will destroy the Thunder in the low post!"
The Grizzlies' home commentator also went all out. Neutral commentary? Not happening!
Kayce's primary defensive assignment for this game was O.J. Mayo. From the start, he stuck to him like glue, not giving O.J. Mayo an easy chance to receive the ball.
Seeing this, Michael Conley wasn't in a hurry to attack, signaling Marc Gasol to come up for a pick-and-roll.
Marc Gasol's white bear-like body made his screen quality very high. Conley accelerated with the ball in his left hand, shook off Russell's defense, and threw a bounce pass to Zach Randolph in the low post.
The latter received the ball, faced Jeff Green's defense, and after a triple threat, drove to his right. He took a small hop step to push off the defender, then deftly tossed the ball in. Jeff Green was at a significant weight disadvantage in low-post defense; he simply couldn't hold his ground against him.
Zach Randolph looked like a rough, big, and clumsy guy, but he was actually a ground-bound player, with excellent low-post skills.
"Wow!!"
The FedEx Forum immediately erupted in a huge cheer for Zach Randolph. In previous games, Zach Randolph had also performed very well, gradually winning the affection of Memphis fans.
The Thunder quickly inbounded the ball. Russell swiftly dribbled across half-court. Kayce came off a screen and received the ball at the 45-degree angle outside the three-point line. O.J. Mayo's defense was extremely tight.
Facing such tight defense, Kayce quickly put the ball down after a triple threat, dribbled with his right hand, then swiftly pulled back with a crossover dribble, changing direction with a left-hand cross-over, and accelerated.
He easily got half a step on O.J. Mayo, breaking through. Noticing Marc Gasol coming over to help, he flicked his right wrist, and the ball passed between Marc Gasol's legs, reaching Kostić under the basket.
The latter received the ball and slammed it down with both hands!
"Clang!" A nutmeg assist, successfully converting the easy basket.
In this offensive play, Kayce used a dribbling technique often seen from Luka Dončić in the future: adjusting his offensive footwork, then immediately accelerating after a cross-over, using his body to shield the defender. This made the breakthrough easy and effortless.
This was also the combined effect of the silver badges [Control Master] + [Quick Stop Master] + [First Step Master].
In the past, Kayce struggled to execute such technical moves, as his initial burst of acceleration was always a bit lacking. Now, he no longer had this problem; this move was very effective against guard defense.
"Will Luka Dončić's template become me in the future?" Kayce couldn't help but ponder as he ran back on defense.
Grizzlies possession. O.J. Mayo received the ball and decided to go for a solo play, to respond. But after several consecutive dribble moves and changes of direction, he found that Kayce rarely fell for fakes, and his defense never lost position.
With a determined look, he shot a fadeaway from mid-range over Kayce's defense.
"Thud." A brick.
The defensive rebound was successfully secured by Kostić, who then threw a quick outlet pass to Russell. The latter received the ball and accelerated furiously, rushing across half-court. The Grizzlies' transition defense was a step slow.
He suddenly paused outside the three-point line, then changed pace and accelerated again. Russell successfully broke through Michael Conley's defense, took three steps, and scored with a left-handed layup.
"Oh!!"
The crowd in the arena gasped. The speed of that transition offense was too fast. The Grizzlies' defense hadn't fully settled yet, and Russell had already scored.
Head Coach Hollins gave an offensive signal to his players on the court, indicating to slow down the pace. The Grizzlies ran a high-low post play, with Marc Gasol at the free-throw line throwing a lob pass to Zach Randolph in the low post.
The latter received the ball, used a triple threat, then leaned back slightly for a pull-up jump shot.
"Swish." A mid-range two-pointer went in.
The Grizzlies had indeed found the Thunder's weakness: they needed to slow down the pace, play out the full 24 seconds, crash the boards, prevent transition offense, and try to get the ball into the low post to grind them down with half-court sets.
At 6 minutes and 33 seconds into the first quarter, the score was 12-12, and Coach Brooks called a timeout.
"Green, if you get an open shot, keep shooting. Kevin, Kayce, increase your individual offense a bit. We need to speed up the game!"
After the start of the game, Jeff Green's shooting was off, missing two open three-point opportunities.
Kostić, however, was playing very well. Russell, Kayce, and Durant continuously fed him the ball. He was currently 4-for-4, scoring 8 points. Marc Gasol's defense was in a dilemma; he couldn't defend the perimeter, and the interior suffered.
Coming out of the timeout, the Thunder attacked. Kayce ran around a screen along the baseline, received the ball in the low post, then Durant made an off-ball cut using Kostić's back screen. Kayce made a no-look bounce pass, easily delivering the ball to Durant.
The latter received the ball and immediately took three steps, then, after contending with Marc Gasol in the air, he deftly scooped the ball with his left hand into the basket.
"Oh!!"
The FedEx Forum erupted in a huge gasp. Durant's reverse layup was truly spectacular, showcasing his core strength and soft touch.
For the remainder of the 1st quarter, Durant and Kayce began to take over, with mismatch isolations, off-ball cuts, and pick-and-roll jump shots, hitting a very high percentage and sparking a 12-6 run.
O.J. Mayo's mentality exploded at this point; he simply couldn't defend them. Each time, he was overpowered and beaten off the dribble, unable to match their physicality. Noticing Kayce's calm expression, his anger flared even more.
Kayce knew that O.J. Mayo was on the verge of exploding, so he didn't say any trash talk; instead, he continuously provoked him with a relaxed expression and simple body language.
After a breakthrough, he'd spread his hands; after a score, he'd shake his head with a smile as he jogged back on defense; after a successful post-up, he'd shrug his shoulders mockingly. This series of actions filled O.J. Mayo with rage.
As the game approached the end of the second quarter, Kayce, facing O.J. Mayo's defense, held the ball in his left hand, dribbled back with a crossover, and then smoothly executed a wide-arc spin with his right hand.
After shaking off the defense, he dribbled the ball once in place, changed rhythm, and then suddenly changed direction with a step-back three-pointer.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
"Oh!! Boo!!" "Wow!"
O.J. Mayo was faked out, lost his balance, and stumbled over his feet trying to contest Kayce's step-back three, falling directly to his knees.
This play completely broke O.J. Mayo. At his home court, he was faked to his knees by a rookie; he had lost a lot of face. He got up, ready to confront Kayce, but Michael Conley quickly restrained him.
Seeing the opponent so agitated, Kayce smiled and spread his hands:
"Come on, Bro, you were only a billionth of an inch away from stopping me!"
"F*ck, don't hold me back! I'm going to give this guy a piece of my mind! Don't hold me back!"
O.J. Mayo, completely broken by Kayce, roared and tried to charge forward. Seeing that Michael Conley was struggling to hold him back, Zach Randolph stepped in, hugged him, and dragged him back to the bench.
Kayce, Durant, and Russell stood on the side, hands on their hips, occasionally whispering with smiles, which further infuriated the Grizzlies. At this point, Zach Randolph was the calmest.
Head Coach Hollins called a timeout, but O.J. Mayo's temper had already flared. After his performance last year, he had become a bit arrogant, and his relationship with his teammates in the locker room was not good.
"Dude, calm down, there's still a lot of game left, throwing punches won't do anything!"
Zach Randolph said in a low voice, while putting his arm around O.J. Mayo's shoulder.
"You shouldn't have stopped me, f*ck, that damn rookie! I'm going to absolutely dominate him."
O.J. Mayo was still consumed by his anger and wouldn't listen to anyone's advice. Head Coach Hollins could only substitute O.J. Mayo out to let him cool down.
At halftime, it was 60 to 48, with the Thunder holding a 12-point lead going into the second half.
The best performer in the first half was Kostić, who scored 14 points and 10 rebounds on 7-of-7 shooting. Kayce and Durant each had 12 points. Especially Kayce's breakthroughs, the Grizzlies had no answer, and O.J. Mayo had already tried his best.
"Kayce, I bet 100 bucks that Mayo will take a lot of isolation shots in the second half. That guy definitely wants to save face!"
Durant immediately pulled out a small notebook and started a betting pool in the locker room.
"I bet Mayo won't score 15 points in this game! He has no chance against Kayce!"
Russell excitedly put down 500 bucks, feeling very happy to see the opponent frustrated.
Kayce watched as the Thunder players eagerly participated, with various creative bets emerging. When he saw Jeff Green's bet, his mouth twitched slightly.
"Mayo and Randolph will fight? Your imagination is too wild."
The second half began, and Durant's guess was indeed correct. The hot-headed O.J. Mayo started to frequently take isolation shots, but for Kayce, who was almost impossible to fake, such offense posed no threat.
In the third quarter, O.J. Mayo was defended by Kayce to a 2-for-10 shooting performance. The further the quarter went, the more erratically he played, completely losing his offensive rhythm.
By the end of the third quarter, it was 88 to 68, with the Thunder once again extending their lead. O.J. Mayo alone caused the Grizzlies' offense to collapse. When a team's core performs so poorly, the game is naturally over.
During an entire quarter of garbage time, the two teams' bench players cheered in unison, knowing they could pad their stats again!
Time quickly ran out, and the game ended. The Thunder defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 112 to 94 on the road, continuing to lead the Western Conference.
After the game, O.J. Mayo was so angry that he went straight back to the locker room. This superficial brotherhood was better off broken!
The others, of course, embraced each other warmly, as they were all part of the 'lumber family.' Kayce also gained Michael Conley and Marc Gasol as two 'superficial brothers.'
"Why are there back-to-back games where we play at home first, then on the road? Can't the league's schedule makers allocate time more reasonably?"
Durant complained about the unscientific schedule while packing his things.
"It's alright, after we play the Denver Nuggets, we'll have two consecutive home games. It's bitter first, then sweet."
Kayce was already very satisfied; no consecutive road games was a victory. He didn't have to worry about his own condition, as he had B+ grade functional drinks to help his body recover stamina, but his other teammates would definitely be affected.
If it came to 'Kayce did his best, but his teammates were CBA-level,' that would be awkward. He still liked the winning rhythm of this game: 16 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, leading everyone to score from multiple points.
Durant had 20 points, Russell 16 points, Jeff Green 14 points, and Kostić 16 points; all starters scored in double digits, making for an easy and enjoyable game.
"Kayce is right, with consecutive home games, we can spend more time with our families. Nina always complains that she can't reach me when I'm on the road."
Good man Russell always thought of his girlfriend.
"Eww!"
Everyone immediately booed. No showing affection in the locker room!
It was late night again when they landed and drove back to their Oklahoma City mansion. Kayce quickly washed up and lay in bed, ready to sleep. After 21 games, several badges should be ready for an upgrade!
Entering the Dream Training Space, Kayce immediately called up the control panel and saw 4 upgrade notifications in the achievement room, letting out a laugh:
"Finally, most of the badges have been upgraded to silver, and my overall strength can get a small boost!"
He eagerly entered the achievement room and, looking at the 4 upgraded silver badges, Kayce quickly touched them to view their updated attributes.
Achievement Badge [Mismatch Expert]: 4 / 500
Reduces the negative impact when shooting against taller defenders, improving shooting stability.
Achievement Badge [Off-ball Movement Killer]: 6 / 500
Enhances the player's ability to contest and interfere with off-ball offensive players.
Achievement Badge [Ankle Guard]: 9 / 500
Reduces the chance of being faked out by crossover dribbles, reduces the chance of being faked out by between-the-legs dribbles.
Achievement Badge [Control Master]: 3 / 500
Strengthens the ability to quickly perform consecutive dribbling moves, strengthens the ability to powerfully perform consecutive dribbling moves.
Kayce looked at the upgraded achievement badges before him, and a sense of satisfaction surged within him. Improvements on both offense and defense meant these 20 games were not in vain!
"Training! Training! Today, I'll play a few rounds of one-on-one first, and give the simulated Durant some resistance!"
Kayce, full of fighting spirit, once again dedicated himself to his daily basic training. Hard work yields rewards, and these days were sweet.
During the afternoon training session the next day, Coach Brooks noticed that Kayce was in excellent form, especially his ball-handling ability, which seemed to have improved again.
Durant, his opponent, felt it most clearly. He sensed that Kayce's first step, dribbling speed, and dribbling strength had all significantly improved, and his defensive aggressiveness had also increased, making him feel a bit panicked:
"You said you were all here to assist me? I only made significant progress this year after playing two seasons, but you've evolved after just 20 games?"
Coach Ben saw the intensity of their matchup increasing and quickly called a halt. If they got injured from too much training, the Thunder would be devastated.
"Kayce, your condition is getting better and better; there's no rookie wall at all!"
During the break, Durant said to Kayce with a smile, while inwardly seething with envy.
"It's alright, I feel like I've completely adapted to the NBA rhythm. Sure enough, NCAA and NBA are no different!"
Kayce replied calmly, naturally showing off.
"..."
The Thunder players were speechless. Good heavens, how were they supposed to respond to that!
"Sh*t! Guys, I can't take it anymore! Come with me, this guy is going to blow himself up to the heavens!"
Durant leaped up and lunged at Kayce. Two fists are no match for four hands, and it was another day of being dogpiled by a bunch of big guys.
On the evening of December 13th, the Ford Center was packed. Although the Thunder players disliked the league's schedule, Oklahoma City fans were ecstatic. The game against the Cavaliers meant they could see LeBron James!
Yes, there were many James Fans in Oklahoma City as well; this was The Chosen One's influence.
Most importantly, this game was also nationally televised. Kayce seriously suspected that the staff member who initially set the Thunder's nationally televised games was also a James Fan!
ESPN also sent Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson as live commentators, and a plethora of major and minor media outlets were present.
Before the game, only scattered media reporters focused on the Thunder's trio; the rest swarmed around LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal.
"F*ck, the Cavaliers' record is 16 wins and 7 losses, ranking fourth in the East. We are first in the West! But everyone is focused on LeBron James!"
Durant was a bit indignant; he felt he wasn't getting the respect he deserved.
"Actually, some are also focused on O'Neal. This is our nationally televised game, but everyone is interviewing the Cavaliers! Sh*t!"
Russell also cursed in a low voice. The Western Conference's top team had no buzz; these media reporters were garbage.
"It doesn't matter, as long as we win the game. The Los Angeles Lakers are always chasing us, and I don't want to easily give up first place in the West!"
Kayce's expression was calm, but he secretly resolved:
"The winners are the protagonists. Let you be happy for a while! An aging O'Neal can't stop the Thunder's charge!"