"The successor to Steve Nash, the Phoenix Suns' perimeter core for the next 10 years!"
"The counterattack of a second-round pick: a detailed look at Goran Dragić's basketball journey."
"The biggest oversight of the 2008 draft class? 22 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists—Dragić might be the answer at point guard."
"Russell Westbrook is a joke, all brawn with no idea how to play. He should learn from Goran Dragić how to pass and how to control a team as a point guard!"
With a score of 112:106, the Thunder lost to the Phoenix Suns by 6 points at home. Durant, holding a belly full of frustration, returned to his Oklahoma City home and saw the online news praising Goran Dragić and disparaging the Thunder. His anger flared even more. All the media and commentators were garbage!
"Ring, ring, ring"
Hearing the phone ring, Durant continued to surf the internet, picked up his phone, saw it was a call from his agent, Kleiman, and immediately said:
"This isn't like you, calling me so late. Is something wrong?"
"Kevin, I've received news that the labor negotiations have definitely broken down again. Our contract might run into some minor issues."
Durant immediately turned and walked to the sofa, sitting down with a thud, his spirits picking up as he asked again upon hearing about the contract issues:
"You're saying the NBA might face a lockout? But I think that's unlikely. What kind of problems will our contract have?"
"The deadline for rookie contract extensions should be around October. We should get a max contract, but if the Collective Bargaining Agreement changes and affects the rules for max contracts, we might end up with less money."
"This involves both the team and the NBA, and there might be some disputes, but overall, it's not a big problem. I'll handle these things, Kevin. All you need to do is focus on playing."
"As long as we make the playoffs and get past the first round, this summer, we should be able to sign two big contracts. I also want to remind you that you need to be careful about your relationship with the media. After a loss, you should also appropriately praise your opponents."
"OK, you handle the contract issues, but I'm not in the mood to praise Goran Dragić. He only played well for three quarters. After Kayce defended him in the fourth quarter, that guy scored 0 points. Why should I praise him?"
"Those garbage media outlets don't care about our performance. I scored 30 points, Kayce also got 26 points, and Russell had 18 points, but after the game, they trashed us, just those same old overnight success stories."
"The team should play simpler in the final stretch. My shot feels great, and Kayce can hit shots too. Just giving us the ball might be better than running some plays, Kleiman. What do you think if I make some requests to coaching staff?"
Kleiman, the agent on the other end of the phone, heard Durant's complaints and looked serious. He did not want his big client to cross any NBA lines and immediately said sternly:
"Kevin, I need to remind you that the Head Coach is the boss of the team. No one can challenge his authority. Although the NBA and NCAA have some differences, coaches are all allies. No one likes players to dictate tactics."
"The Thunder are second in the Western Conference, and the team's management fully supports Coach Brooks. Don't cross that line. Just focus on playing. This is just a regular season game. Remember my words, and be friendly to the media."
Durant, hearing his agent's serious tone, responded helplessly:
"I know, I just don't like to lose. Once we sign a big contract, I definitely want to open a media company. I'm counting on you for the contract stuff. Contact me if anything comes up. I need to get some sleep; I have a back-to-back game tomorrow."
"OK, Kevin, stay healthy. You can reduce some drives. Don't get injured!"
"Go to bed early, buddy!"
After hanging up, Durant still felt a small flame burning fiercely in his heart. Seeing many praises for Goran Dragić on Twitter, he immediately switched to his alt account and went all out:
"Just a second-round pick, scored 0 points in the fourth quarter. Without Stoudemire, Goran Dragić is nothing!"
On February 24th, the Thunder flew to San Antonio for a back-to-back game against the San Antonio Spurs. On the plane, instead of playing Texas Hold'em, everyone watched Jeff Green explaining his lucky charm.
"Guys, I pulled some strings and spent a lot of money to get this lucky charm from a famous psychic! Tonight is the night to witness a miracle. I will completely return to my old self!"
After recovering from his injury, Jeff Green became unpredictable, with his shooting touch fluctuating wildly from hot to cold during games.
In last night's loss to the Phoenix Suns, he went cold in the second and fourth quarters. Even on wide-open shots, the rim seemed to have a lid on it.
"I actually think you could burn some sage. This lucky charm thing doesn't seem very reliable!"
Not wanting his good friend to be scammed, he could only offer a simple suggestion.
"The psychic told me that as long as I silently repeat, 'I can make the shot,' I'll see results in a month."
Jeff Green had already started believing in the occult. His recent performance had been so terrible that he was looking for some spiritual solace.
"So how much did you spend in total? Does this thing have after-sales service? You better be careful not to let that psychic run off early."
Kayce, while looking at the rebound, assist, and turnover statistics that coaching staff had helped him compile, casually reminded Jeff Green.
"Haha, I like the term 'after-sales service.' Just consider it a lesson learned, Jeff!"
Russell burst out laughing, closed the fashion magazine in his hand, and sarcastically teased him.
"You guys, don't underestimate the power of psychics! Do you know why the Portland Trail Blazers players are frequently injured? It's said they were cursed by a senior psychic!"
The Thunder players were stunned at first by Jeff Green's words, then burst into laughter:
"Come on, man, you have to believe in science. If psychics were so powerful, why wouldn't they just run for president?"
"Oh God, please come and save this ignorant human! Buddy, fluctuations in form are completely normal. Don't compare yourself to geniuses. Your shooting percentage is already very good; 33% from three-point range is quite good for a power forward."
Jeff Green listened to his teammates' words, then looked at the charm in his hand and muttered:
"I'll try it for a month first. We'll see the results then."
The San Antonio Spurs currently have a record of 34 wins and 20 losses. Coach Popovich is actually not satisfied with this performance. Richard Jefferson, after joining the team, has not performed as expected at all.
The team still relies on the performance of the GDP to maintain its position at seventh in the Western Conference.
And so far in the regular season, the player who has most satisfied Coach Popovich is George Hill. His mature and steady playing style perfectly integrates with the San Antonio Spurs' system, enhancing the strength of the guard line.
However, thinking of tonight's opponent, the Thunder, Coach Popovich sighed helplessly. A purely talented team is not scary, but a team that has both talent and tactical play is almost unsolvable.
Before the game, in the San Antonio Spurs' locker room, Popovich tapped the whiteboard. Seeing everyone silently watching him, he immediately spoke:
"They are playing a back-to-back game tonight, so we must build momentum in the first two quarters. Rebounds, just as we planned, we need to increase our effort on the boards."
"George, when you start, make sure to guard Kayce closely. We want to force him to drive right. Don't forget this defensive principle, Tim. The paint is yours."
Popovich saw that everyone was still silent, and immediately shouted:
"Have you all heard me, you guys?"
"Yes, sir!"
In the visiting team's locker room, Coach Brooks was instructing his players:
"I'll briefly emphasize one last thing: the issue of rebounding. In this game, everyone must participate in fighting for rebounds. Green, you and Kostić must pay attention to boxing out. The three perimeter players should crash the boards whenever there's an opportunity."
"After securing the rebound, immediately initiate a fast break to avoid getting into a half-court offense. If you have any fatigue issues, signal immediately. We must speed up our offensive pace."
"No problem, Coach!" "My energy has completely recovered after a night's rest!"
Coach Brooks looked at his confident players and finally relaxed. Losing a game no longer affected this increasingly mature Thunder team.
The AT&T Center arena had extra seating tonight. San Antonio local fans supported the home team as always, and with many Thunder fans who traveled a long distance, the entire arena was packed.
After the enthusiastic home DJ introduced the team's entrance, the atmosphere in the arena became even more fervent. During the final warm-up phase, Kayce saw Russell looking longingly at the championship banners hanging above the arena and said with a smile:
"Don't envy the San Antonio Spurs. We will definitely win a championship in the next few years!"
"I'm a bit worried about a potential NBA lockout. The labor negotiations broke down, and I really don't know what will happen next."
Russell naturally knew what the breakdown of labor negotiations meant. Next year would be his contract year, and if there really was a lockout, it would be a huge blow.
"You're thinking too far ahead; that's something to worry about in the 2011 season. We just need to play ball and make money, and grab a few more championships along the way."
Kayce comforted his good friend. What he was actually more concerned about was whether the team owner would truly be willing to pay the luxury tax, as salary inflation would make not paying it impossible.
"You're right. In this game, I'm definitely going to play well and shut those garbage media outlets up for good."
Russell had naturally noticed those news reports. Before the game, he even got a haircut, returning to his very short buzz cut, looking exceptionally fierce.
The referee signaled that game time was approaching and began to call players to the center of the court. It was then that Kayce noticed Richard Jefferson was not starting, which left him a bit puzzled.
"The game begins! Duncan helped the San Antonio Spurs win the tip-off. Tony dribbled past half-court and passed the ball to McDyess in the elbow area. A classic high-low post play!"
Spurs play-by-play commentator Bill Schoening began to explain the San Antonio Spurs' offensive strategy.
Tim Duncan, receiving the ball in the low post, faced Jeff Green's defense, took one dribble with his right hand along the baseline, then quickly turned and gathered the ball, easily tossing it with his left hand.
"Swish!" The two-point shot in the paint went in cleanly.
Thunder on offense, Russell dribbled past half-court, saw Kayce extending his hand for the ball at the left elbow, and directly threw a lob pass into Kayce's hands.
Feeling George Hill guarding him from behind, Kayce shrugged his shoulder, quickly turned, put the ball down with his left hand, and drove along the baseline. George Hill was faked out and a step slow on defense. When he tried to interfere, he found Kayce had already pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The two-point shot went in easily.
Facing George Hill, who was shorter, thinner, and less athletic than him, Kayce tried to use low-post offense to overwhelm him, leveraging his ambidextrous advantage.
The San Antonio Spurs inbound the ball calmly. After Tony dribbled past half-court, Duncan and McDyess executed a cross-screen, then Duncan immediately came to the left elbow of the free-throw line to receive the ball.
Tony quickly cut along the baseline around Duncan. Russell's defense was very tight, preventing Tony from receiving the ball. Kayce at this point also guessed that George Hill would definitely go for a hand-off, and seeing him just start to move, he immediately sticked close to him defensively.
George Hill initially wanted to use his speed to shake off Kayce, but found himself tightly covered. The hand-off didn't work out, so he had no choice but to run outside, eventually receiving the ball far beyond the three-point line.
As soon as he released the ball with his right hand, Kayce's defense was right back on him. Several changes of direction failed to shake off the defense. Seeing that the situation was not right, Duncan still wanted to set a screen, but just as the screen was about to happen, Kayce, with quick eyes and hands, poked the ball away.
Before George Hill could react, Kayce, who had successfully stolen the ball, was already accelerating, quickly crossing the opponent's half-court. It was a 1-on-0 fast break, and he took off directly from the free-throw line, gliding through the air for a one-handed dunk!
"Clang!" The dunk from the free-throw line after the steal was successful.
"Oh!!! Ha!!"
The AT&T Center arena erupted with two kinds of sounds at this moment; some spectators couldn't help but gasp in surprise, while others were already excitedly shouting and screaming. A free-throw line dunk in a real game!
"They better show a replay, oh my god, that shot was amazing! Kayce's free-throw line dunk!"
Bill Schoening also excitedly raised his voice; he had truly never seen such a scene.
Kayce merely smiled as he returned to defense, without any excited celebratory actions. With no one interfering, the bonus effect of the [Infinite Flight] badge allowed him to complete a free-throw line dunk.
"That was so cool, Bro! You definitely have to enter the Slam Dunk Contest next year, you're sure to win!"
As a dunking enthusiast, Russell was very excited.
"I can definitely consider it. We can research a few moves together then."
Kayce chuckled. Once he leveled up his badge to silver, the effect should be even better.
When the San Antonio Spurs attacked again, George Hill felt it was difficult to shake off Kayce's defense. Whether it was using screens or dribble hand-offs, Kayce could always interfere with him from the side.
Finally, with the shot clock running out, Tony Parker made a two-point shot with his pull-up jumper.
The Thunder quickly inbounded the ball. As soon as Russell crossed half-court, he passed the ball to Durant on the right side of the three-point line. The latter received the ball and used a crossover to drive, and Keith Bogans' defense did not lose position.
But after two big dribbles, Durant ignored the defense at his side and pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish!" The mid-range shot went in easily.
Coach Popovich looked at the Thunder's somewhat unreasonable offense and felt helpless. Compared to the beginning of the season, Durant and Kayce were both in better form, and their ball-handling skills had improved, making them increasingly difficult to defend.
From dribbling across half-court to completing the shot, this Thunder possession only took 8 seconds, seizing the opportunity while the San Antonio Spurs' defense was not yet set.
After playing for more than 6 minutes in the opening, George Hill felt he was being dominated by Kayce. In these few minutes, the Thunder's offense was entirely a two-man show between Kayce and Durant.
Durant would still run some plays, but when it came to Kayce, it was simply a low-post back-to-the-basket receive, simple and brutal.
During this Thunder possession, George Hill noticed Kayce still trying to post up in the low block and immediately tried to front him. But unfortunately, there was a significant size difference between the two. As soon as George Hill fronted, Kayce skillfully turned, and at the same time, sat back with his large backside, instantly regaining his position.
Russell passed the ball in time. After receiving the ball, Kayce quickly put it down, backed down forcefully twice, reaching his shooting hot zone near the paint. Without much faking, he immediately turned around and shot a Fade Away.
"Swish!" Another mid-range shot went in.
After scoring, Kayce looked at George Hill, a slight smile slowly appearing on his face. He shuffled back on defense, while also pouting, as if saying, "Buddy, are you really guarding me?"
"Fuck!"
George Hill cursed under his breath, infuriated. With this physique and this skill, how was he supposed to defend?
Coach Brooks had also learned from previous games. He came out aggressive, deciding that if Kayce and Durant were hot, he would let them use their individual abilities to open up the offense.
When Antonio McDyess was bothered by Nenad Krstić and missed a shot, Jeff Green boxed out Tim Duncan under the basket. Durant successfully grabbed the rebound, and after controlling the ball, immediately pushed for a transition offense.
Noticing that Russell had already sprinted ahead, he immediately passed the ball. Russell received it, accelerated madly, and drove straight to the basket. In motion, he gathered the ball with his right hand, dodged Tony Parker's defense, and scored with a left-handed layup.
"Ah!!"
Russell shouted after scoring, incredibly happy. He had used a Wade-esque layup move and felt incredibly cool.
"Squeak!"
The Thunder had just completed a transition offense when Coach Popovich immediately called a timeout. He needed to bring in Manu Ginobili; George Hill was almost ineffective on the court.
"Manu, Jefferson, when you get on the court, pay attention to defense. Tim, if you encounter a screen, you can also switch out. We need to speed up our defensive rotations."
Coach Popovich truly hadn't expected the Thunder's offense to be so accurate, all floaters and outside shots. They had only missed 2 shots in the opening. What kind of bizarre shooting percentage was this?
After the timeout, Kayce saw that Manu Ginobili was defending him, so he wasn't in a hurry to attack and started to slack off in the corner. Usually, Durant would activate his burst mode in the second half of the first quarter.
For the next 3 minutes, the Thunder maintained a 4-point lead, and Durant, using the rip-through move, began to go to the free-throw line.
Noticing that Coach Brooks had no intention of substituting him, Kayce started running plays for the next few possessions. It was still the double screen at the top. When Kayce received the ball, Jefferson's chase-down defense was also in position.
Noticing the opponent's parallel defensive stance, Kayce faked a move the moment he received the ball, then quickly took a jab step to the left. Noticing Jefferson's defensive center of gravity shifting, Kayce quickly put the ball down, faking a drive with the ball in his right hand.
Jefferson moved back slightly. Kayce, after one dribble, quickly gathered the ball and shot a step-back jumper.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
San Antonio Spurs on offense, Manu Ginobili launched a surprise attack, shooting directly from beyond the three-point line after a screen. Unfortunately, he bricked it, and the long rebound bounced directly into Kayce's hands. The Thunder initiated another transition offense.
Kayce, with the ball in his right hand, quickly dribbled past half-court. Seeing Ginobili chasing back, he pushed the ball forward with his right hand, quickly pulled it back with his left, and changed his footwork with a fancy Sam Good move, shaking off the defense and accelerating into the restricted area.
Facing Antonio McDyess' defense, he jumped with both feet, after aerial contact, he executed a right-handed scoop shot. Feeling his arm being touched by the opponent, he immediately shouted:
"And one!"
"Swish... Beep!"
"Squeak!" The ball went in and the whistle blew.
"Boo!"
The home crowd, seeing the referee blow the whistle, immediately let out a huge boo, expressing their dissatisfaction with the call. But the referee would not reverse the call, signaling that the basket counted and an additional free throw would be awarded.
Kayce adjusted his breathing, stood at the free-throw line, and calmly sank the free throw. His touch was excellent in this game; the hoop felt as wide as the ocean.
"I feel like I'm back at the All-Star game, Kayce, that dribble move was beautiful!"
As they were retreating on defense, Durant said with a hint of envy. He also wanted to dribble like Kayce, but his height became the biggest obstacle.
"Haha, indeed, my touch is surprisingly good in this game."
Jeff Green remained silent when he heard Kayce's words. He had missed two open three-pointers at the start of the game.
For the remainder of the first quarter, both teams played with extremely high shooting percentages, and the score continuously climbed. By the end, it was 36 to 32, with the Thunder still holding a 4-point lead.
Coach Popovich, however, felt the game's pace was somewhat off. While the San Antonio Spurs' offense was playing well and their shooting percentage was high, this was not their usual game rhythm.
When the second quarter began, the rotation lineup came on. Kayce completely entered offensive mode. The San Antonio Spurs' bench lineup had DeJuan Blair playing at the 5 spot, and he was subsequently shredded by Kayce's pick-and-rolls.
Collison's screen experience was rich; as long as he delayed Ginobili or Jefferson's pursuit, Kayce would fire directly from beyond the three-point line. The offense was unusually simple, yet surprisingly effective, almost a replica of Goran Dragić of the Phoenix Suns in the previous game.
After sinking two consecutive three-pointers, the Thunder's next offensive possession was still a pick-and-roll at the top of the arc. Kayce, with the ball, faced Ginobili's defense. After a left-handed crossover in front of his body, he faked a drive to the right side.
A sudden behind-the-back dribble, combined with Collison's screen, allowed Kayce to briefly shake off Ginobili's defense. Seeing Blair already coming to defend, he pulled back with a left-handed crossover dribble, quickly changed direction between his legs, and shot a step-back jumper.
"Swish!" The three-pointer went in cleanly.
Although Blair had anticipated Kayce's shooting style, unfortunately, his weight was too great, and he couldn't keep up with the rhythm, only able to watch Kayce shoot.
Maintaining his excellent shooting touch, Kayce scored 16 points in the second quarter alone. Coupled with 10 points from the first quarter, he had 26 points by halftime. The Thunder, thanks to Kayce's outstanding performance, led the San Antonio Spurs 75-64, an 11-point advantage.
Consistently putting up high scores of 30+, the San Antonio Spurs' offense was fine, but the Thunder's offense was even better. Coach Popovich felt somewhat helpless; NBA games are like this, once an opposing player is on fire, the game is pretty much over.
In the second half of the game, both teams continued to play at a high level. Both offenses were exceptionally efficient, and the live audience was thrilled; everyone loves to watch a scoring battle!
The San Antonio Spurs scored, the Thunder responded. This cycle continued until the end of the game. Kayce performed consistently like a robot, also putting up 10 points in both the third and fourth quarters.
Ultimately, Kayce finished the game 16-for-20 from the field, including 9-for-9 from three-point range and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, quietly tallying 46 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.
With a score of 121-110, the Thunder were firing on all cylinders and successfully defeated the San Antonio Spurs on the road. Coach Popovich looked at the box score and shook his head with a smile. They won the rebounding battle by 5, but lost the game. What kind of bizarre play style was this!
George Hill went directly back to the locker room after the game. He had been completely dominated by Kayce in this game, personally scoring only 8 points, and was too embarrassed to stay on the court for the usual post-game pleasantries.
"Incredible performance, Kayce. Next season, you must participate in the Three-Point Contest, I'll be there to cheer you on!"
Although they lost, Tim Duncan was very gracious, offering his congratulations to Kayce. After speaking, he even patted Kayce's head with his big hand.
"Uh, I just happened to have a good touch, it's far from your rookie season!"
Kayce didn't expect to be patted on the head twice by Duncan without realizing it. Was this old guy treating him like Ginobili?
"In my rookie season, I had veterans on the team to help me adapt to the NBA. You are truly excellent! The future definitely belongs to you young players!"
Kayce felt something was off when he heard this. If he remembered correctly, the San Antonio Spurs would win the championship again later.
"Thank you for your blessing, I will continue to work hard!"
Kayce and Duncan exchanged a simple hug, then slowly walked back to the players' tunnel. He just wanted to rest now, with no time to celebrate breaking his career-high scoring record. Tomorrow he had to fly back to Oklahoma City to face the Timberwolves again that night.
Only after this continuous back-to-back game could the Thunder catch a break.
On February 25th, the Thunder, having just returned to Oklahoma City, had a simple rest in the afternoon and continued playing in the evening. In this game, the Thunder players clanked shot after shot, but fortunately, the explicitly tanking Timberwolves also played haphazardly.
After a dull brick-fest, 89-96, the Thunder successfully defended their home court.
After consecutive back-to-back games, Kayce felt as if his body had been hollowed out. While his physical stamina was fine, he was exceptionally mentally exhausted. In the game against the Timberwolves, he only scored 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, and also committed 4 turnovers.
Coach Brooks also knew the players were a bit tired, so he immediately announced a day off. When Kayce returned to his Oklahoma City home, he immediately collapsed onto his large bed like a dead fish. Such a schedule was truly inhumane.
"Ring ring ring!"
Kayce saw "Chapman" on the caller ID and immediately answered the phone, saying weakly:
"Don't tell me about the CBA breaking down. My contract is still far off; I don't need to think that far ahead."
"No, no, no, Kayce, that's just a small matter. We've hired four professional lobbying teams, and Keds' board of directors has largely agreed to our acquisition. In at most two months, we will have completely finalized this acquisition."
"Regarding the production line, we have already started coordinating. Your signature sneakers, the new canvas shoes, should be released in mid-April. I will send someone to you in the next few days. For the shoe issues, you will communicate directly."
Kayce was greatly surprised by this news:
"Where did we get so much money? The company's asset valuation shouldn't be worth that much, right?"
"You underestimate the power of capital. You and Taylor are both high-quality assets. Plus, the company's profits from previous years and those unreleased songs, through the matchmaking of Morgan Stanley, $240 million is not a huge sum."
"Oh, by the way, since Keds hasn't produced basketball shoes for a long time, their technical reserves are insufficient. You'll have to bear with that!"
Kayce felt speechless when he heard this. This was his first-generation signature shoe.
"Don't tell me my first-generation signature shoe will turn into a flat shoe?"
"..."
"Making money is important, Kayce!"
"F*ck you!"