Chapter 11: Entering the Rotation!

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Trash-talking Kobe was satisfying, but provoking him came at a terrifying cost.

In the next four quarters, Kobe insisted on one-on-one matchups against Li Rui.

Both teams’ players were eager to see Kobe teach the rookie a lesson.

In the end, Kobe won three out of the four quarters.

After every basket, he would unleash taunts.

Li Rui had grown desensitized to Kobe’s trash talk and automatically blocked it out.

This guy was a classic double standard.

He could mock you, but if you mocked him, retaliation would be ruthless.

Li Rui’s defense was better than most players, but nowhere near the peak level of Klay Thompson in his prime. Meanwhile, Kobe was terrifyingly strong with a myriad of finishing moves, so managing to defend even one was commendable.

“Beep beep!!” The starters’ team won the game.

The Zen Master approached and emphasized some issues he had observed during the scrimmage, offering a word or two to each player.

He said to Li Rui, “Li, your shooting has improved since before. Now I want you to maintain your shooting consistency and work on your ball-handling skills.”

After Li Rui scored 21 points in the previous game, the Zen Master had renewed expectations for him.

The coach realized his earlier assessment of Li Rui had been mistaken.

Li Rui was not a ball-dominant slasher but rather a moving shooter.

Putting Li Rui in open spots would maximize his potential.

Li Rui naturally liked the coach’s plan, as his style was inherently 3-and-D.

However, as a point guard, his ball-handling was quite poor. Klay’s ball control was similar to his predecessor’s; in high-intensity games, the coach definitely wouldn’t let him play point guard.

But if he didn’t play point guard, his position would overlap with Kobe’s, making playing time even scarcer.

Playing small forward was fine with Li Rui, but the coach likely wouldn’t agree.

Before acquiring Ariza, the coach’s requirements for the small forward position were different — he wanted a forward who could penetrate and pass. The best fit was Lamar Odom, Walton was a stretch, and Li Rui’s style was completely unsuitable.

Given that Li Rui’s ball-handling was mediocre and he was still being asked to play point guard, it was clear changing the coach’s mind would be difficult.

“Okay, I will.” Li Rui nodded.

The coach then declared the training session over and told everyone to go home and rest, no extra practice today.

“Coach, can I stay here and train more?” Li Rui raised his hand.

It was too early to go home with nothing to do; no TikTok to scroll, no fun games to play — better to train hard.

“Li, don’t do that. I want to rest.”

“Don’t overwork us.”

Bynum and Farmar nearby felt immense pressure.

The Zen Master looked at Li Rui with interest. He had expected Kobe to ask for extra drills, not Li Rui.

He said, “We have a tough game tomorrow, so we need to ensure enough energy to compete. Li, you can’t stay and train more; you have to save your strength.”

The NBA schedule was very tight; mid-season training couldn’t be too intense or it would affect game performance.

Stamina was the foundation for players to perform at their best. Li Rui was young; extra training wouldn’t be a big issue for him.

But hearing he would enter the rotation, Li Rui didn’t worry and instead contacted the video editor and scouts to get information on tomorrow’s opponent in advance. He didn’t want to be late again because he hadn’t studied the opponent.

Not every time studying opponents brought rewards, but Li Rui wanted to improve constantly; these tasks had become routine for him.

…

After the players left,

the Zen Master and assistant coaches went up to the coaching office on the second floor.

The Lakers’ assistant coaching staff was large: besides Daniel, there were Brian Shaw, Frank Hamblen, Craig Hodges, among others.

The Zen Master listened to reports on players’ training and physical conditions from the assistants.

Then they discussed the lineup for tomorrow’s game.

The Zen Master had the final say but often sought opinions from his team.

After working with these people for so long, they were friends; there was no need for a dictatorship.

The Lakers had 15 players on the roster, but given their current situation, about eight could realistically see playing time.

Li Rui had been selected into the rotation.

The Zen Master wrote the proposed starting lineup on the blackboard.

“Point guard: Spud Parker”

“Shooting guard: Kobe Bryant”

“Small forward: Luke Walton”

“Power forward: Lamar Odom”

The first four positions were relatively settled, but there was some uncertainty at center.

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Would it be Kwame Brown or Andrew Bynum?

Each had their strengths and weaknesses.

Kwame Brown was a veteran with rich experience, good tactical understanding and execution, but lacked offensive threat and developmental potential.

Andrew Bynum was different — inexperienced and somewhat raw on the court, gifted, with occasional flashes of brilliance.

After careful consideration, the Zen Master wrote down Andrew Bynum’s name.

“Dallas Mavericks’ center is Erick Dampier. Will it be problematic for ‘Big Andy’ to match up against him?” Brian Shaw asked.

Erick Dampier claimed to be the league’s second-best center. Though somewhat boastful, he was indeed solid, averaging 7 points and 7 rebounds this season.

“Let’s try it. Statistically, Big Andy isn’t inferior, and it’s good for young players to get experience,” the coach replied.

Developing young players?

That wasn’t like the Zen Master’s usual style.

The assistants were a bit surprised by the coach’s decision.

But Daniel understood — Li Rui’s breakout had made the coach reconsider his stance on developing youth.

Sometimes young players could be reliable.

The Zen Master continued, “Our goal this season is to make the playoffs. Once there, many challenges await. We need to develop the young players quickly.”

He truly disliked nurturing young talent, but the Lakers had no choice now.

Management refused to trade for an All-Star, so they had to tap internal potential.

If more young players like Li Rui emerged, Kobe’s burden would lighten.

Once the starting lineup was tentatively set, the Zen Master looked around and asked, “Any objections to this starting five?”

Daniel stood and pointed to Spud Parker’s name. He said, “Phil, how about starting Li Rui at point guard?”

“No, Daniel, not yet.” The Zen Master immediately shook his head, signaling Daniel to sit down. “Li lacks experience; he’s a rookie and can’t shoulder the organization responsibilities of the one spot.”

“Besides, his ball-handling hasn’t reached point guard level. Under intense pressure, he would make mistakes.”

The coach thought Li Rui was still somewhat immature.

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