(TL/n: I got no excuses. I lost track of ti watching GOT. Sorry guys..)
As Han Sen and Swift were getting hot and heavy in the SUV, social dia was ablaze with heated discussions.
The LeBron stans were the first to jump in, defending Jas and calling out Han.
"How are you going to treat your friend like that? No respect at all. Han's acting like a spoiled kid."
"Everyone has off nights. He was playing through an injury and Han just had to kick him while he was down. I used to think he was admirable for sticking up for LeBron."
"It's just a regular-season ga, what's Han even celebrating? Watch when Miami wins the championship and he's sitting at ho because mphis didn't even make the playoffs."
...
Just as Han had said before, the LeBron stans were nowhere to be found when Jas needed them the most, but they ca out in full force when it was ti to criticize.
However, this ti, Han didn't even need to fire back from his burner account because these comnts were already being shut down.
"LeBron's so-called 'brotherhood' has always been a one-way street. Han never claid to be his friend, but he did call him a coward."
"LeBron didn't even dare to go one-on-one with Han and ended up getting his pass to D-Wade intercepted. I laughed so hard at that play."
"Guess it's true what they say about you guys being delusional. The 'smartest' decision you made was thinking you were supporting LeBron, haha!"
"It's just a preseason ga. It's just a regular-season ga. It's just a playoff ga. It's just a championship. It's just basketball."
...
The Cavaliers fans were also quite vocal.
"If Han were still with us, tonight would've been our ti to publicly embarrass that 'traitor'. But instead, we're just stuck watching from the sidelines."
"I still don't understand why we traded Han on draft night. Couldn't we have waited until that 'traitor' made his decision?"
"Danny Ferry is just a scapegoat. The whole managent team was that traitor's groupies."
"I miss that night when Han single-handedly took down Boston, shouting 'This is my House'. The managent screwed it all up!"
...
After returning to mphis, the Grizzlies faced a back-to-back set of ho gas.
The first opponent was the perennial rebuilding Timberwolves, basically a free win.
Randolph sat out this ga, but Han and Gay carried the load with 29 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, respectively. Conley added 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 11 assists.
It goes to show, stats are easier to rack up when you're playing against weaker teams.
Their next opponent was the Suns.
The Suns were a run-and-gun team, making it a clash of styles between the two teams.
Randolph returned for this ga, but under Nash's lead, the Suns dictated the pace, and the Grizzlies couldn't slow things down.
The Suns ultimately won 123-118.
Randolph struggled in the fast-paced ga, shooting 4-for-11 and finishing with just 12 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 assists.
However, Han and Gay delivered solid performances, scoring 23 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 26 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, respectively.
After three gas, the Grizzlies stood at 2-1.
Han Sen's performance was impressive, averaging 24 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3.7 steals over three gas. This scoring output nearly doubled compared to last season.
Although the sample size wasn't large, it was clear that he had the potential to beco the team's cornerstone.
Even more noteworthy was Han Sen's average playing ti of 35.8 minutes per ga, significantly more than last season, and increasing with each ga.
It's worth ntioning that despite concerns about Han Sen's injury issues, his physical condition remained excellent, unlike Jas, who was still dealing with last season's elbow injury.
"He's my pick for Most Improved Player this season," said Barkley during a broadcast, already raising a toast in Han's honor.
After the ga against the Suns, Han Sen visited Gay's house.
Gay's ho was a mansion resembling Shaq's forr Cleveland estate, with a garage filled with luxury cars.
Most NBA players are paid monthly, but so can receive advances, and Gay had that privilege.
With an 80 million dollar contract, even after taxes, he had over 40 million left. Combined with his advance, he had over 20 million in hand, so houses and cars were no problem.
As Gay gave Han a tour, he couldn't hide his pride.
Becoming an NBA player was a step up in life, but becoming a max-contract player put you in the elite class.
"You box too?" Han Sen was surprised to find a boxing ring in Gay's mansion.
He had previously seen Shaq's boxing ring and thought it was just a hobby, but it seed to be quite popular among NBA players.
Rudy laughed, giving a quick shadowboxing demonstration. "Yeah, a little bit. It's a good workout, keeps in shape and sharp. Plus, it helps with balance and footwork on the court."
Han nodded, understanding the logic. "Makes sense. Might need to get into it myself," he said, making a ntal note to give boxing a shot at so point. It could be useful for staying in shape, or even just for blowing off steam.
And Gay's reasoning made sense—there were many parallels between boxing and basketball. Boxing's footwork, especially the quick, light steps, probably inspired the 'puppy steps' in basketball.
It could even serve as a deterrent, making opponents think twice before trying to rough him up.
---
After a while, they made their way to the kitchen, where Rudy's girlfriend, was putting the finishing touches on dinner. The spread looked impressive—homade dishes that slled as good as they looked.
"This is Ecko," Rudy said, wrapping an arm around her. "We're not married yet, but we're getting there."
Han grinned. "Nice to et you, Ecko. You're putting all of us to sha with this setup."
"Nice to et you, too," Ecko replied warmly. "Hope you brought your appetite."
After dinner, Gay took Han Sen to his study.
There weren't many books, but there were plenty of awards related to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Gay spoke enthusiastically, and Han Sen learned that it was a research hospital specializing in pediatric diseases.
Gay had rallied many NBA players for the cause, including Nuggets coach George Karl.
He even started a temporary housekeeping organization called 'mphis House' for the cause.
"I didn't know you were so involved with St. Jude," Han admitted. "That's impressive, man."
Rudy shrugged modestly. "It's sothing I care about. I'm just trying to give back where I can."
He paused for a mont, then added, "By the way, I wanted to give you a heads-up about Zach. I know you haven't been around him much yet, but just watch out. He's got a bit of a temper."
Han raised an eyebrow. "You an Randolph?"
"Yeah. He's had so incidents, you know? He broke Ruben Patterson's eye socket with a punch in Portland, and he once threw water on Nate Robinson in New York. If others hadn't held him back, they probably would've fought," Gay explained casually.
Even with this brief description, Han Sen could vividly picture those scenes.
It matched his impression of Randolph.
Looking at Gay and then thinking about Randolph, Han Sen couldn't help but feel like they were a 'no-brain and unhappy' combo.
No wonder the Grizzlies missed the playoffs with such a lineup last season. The fact that they won 40 gas was a testant to Conley's efforts.
Randolph was different from Gay, though.
In Hollins' system, Gay was sowhat dispensable, but Randolph was a true cornerstone.
Unless Hollins left, this wouldn't change.
This ant Han Sen had to treat Randolph differently from Gay.
While he was in direct competition with Gay, he needed to cooperate with Randolph.
Essentially, they played complentary roles, one inside and one outside.
Even if Randolph was indeed the 'jerk' Gay described, as long as they didn't clash off the court, it wouldn't affect Han Sen much.
---
Ti flew, and it was already late November.
The NBA 2010-2011 season had been underway for over a month.
Stan had just released his third power rankings of the season.
Because of previous controversies, his rankings drew a lot of attention and, as Han Sen had said before, were regarded by so as the 'Bible', generating significant discussion.
The rankings saw major changes over the past month.
The Bulls jumped from 9th to the top spot.
Their core lineup was similar to last season's, with the addition of Boozer. However, the forr Celtics assistant coach, Tom Thibodeau, had built a team reminiscent of the Iverson-era 76ers, with a league-best record.
anwhile, the highly-anticipated Heat continued to slide, dropping to 9th, the Bulls' original position.
This showed Stan's professionalism, as the Heat's performance had been underwhelming.
Many thought losing the season opener to the Grizzlies was just an anomaly, but a month into the season, their record was only 9-8.
Considering they were in the East, which was seen as the weaker conference, if they were in the West, they wouldn't even have a .500 record.
The "Big Three" had ford for nothing.
'Closed-door etings' and 'plane etings' ca as expected, and after the recent loss to the Mavericks, there was a national uproar over the "shoulder bump incident."
In the third quarter, when they were trailing, LeBron was subbed out. As he walked back to the bench, he ran directly into Spoelstra, who was coming toward him, without making any effort to avoid him.
The collision was so strong that Spoelstra's suit nearly slipped off, and LeBron completely ignored him throughout.
But contrary to expectations, there were only a few people criticizing LeBron's behavior; more were calling for Spoelstra to be fired.
This is basketball for you. When a team performs poorly, the coach is always the first to take the bla.
And let's not forget, Spoelstra is still a young coach.
Another team getting a lot of attention is the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies have jumped from their previous ranking of 16th to 8th, even higher than the Heat, who are ranked 9th.
This rise is thanks to their performance so far.
This season, they've achieved an 11-6 record, ranking fourth in the Western Conference, behind the Spurs, Lakers, and Mavericks.
To perform like this in the brutal Western Conference is truly surprising.
The biggest changes ca from two areas: first, the addition of Han Sen, and second, Rudy Gay's improved efficiency.
If previous gas were too small of a sample size, Han Sen's season stats so far—averaging 19.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2.1 steals per ga, with a 48.2% field goal percentage and 40.6% three-point shooting—are absolutely core-level numbers.
Don't think that scoring average is low. The Grizzlies play a slow-paced, grind-it-out style, with fewer possessions. Plus, Han Sen is currently the team's top scorer.
Even Stan admitted in a detailed article later that he was wrong.
"Han's presence has elevated the Grizzlies' periter strength to a whole new level. His physical condition looks great, and his injuries with the Cavaliers seed to be fatigue-related. The Grizzlies clearly won big in that trade."
Rudy Gay is also averaging 18.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per ga. While his scoring has dropped compared to last season, his efficiency has significantly improved, with a career-high 47.1% field goal percentage and 39.6% from three.
Gay's performance further proves that stats can be deceiving.
With better load managent, he doesn't just look good statistically; his efficiency is high, too.
Although Randolph encountered so injuries early in the season, causing his form to fluctuate, he is still averaging 17.2 points and 11.2 rebounds.
However, the Grizzlies' overall cohesion and better-than-expected chemistry have led to their growing recognition from the outside world.
After this ranking was released, the most frustrated fans were those of the Heat and Cavaliers.
Calls for 'Spoelstra to be fired, Riley to take over' reached a peak on social dia.
Rember, the Heat won their first championship when Riley took over from Stan Van Gundy, so there's a 'track record of success'.
As for the Cavaliers' fans, they were even more frustrated than the Heat's.
At least the Heat still have hope, but the Cavaliers' current record is among the worst in the Eastern Conference.
Thabeet has been stuck on the bench, unable to compete with Varejao, showing that it wasn't just a lack of developnt at the Grizzlies; he just wasn't good enough.
Mayo is putting up over 20 points per ga, his career-best stats, but he still can't lead the Cavaliers to victory.
As for Quincy Pondexter, who was thought to replace Han Sen, he is averaging only 2.8 points in 12 minutes per ga. It's unclear whether he'll even still be in the NBA after his rookie season.
As the saying goes, 'No comparison, no harm'. The Cavaliers' managent is getting roasted by the fans.
"We need an explanation! Who was it that traded Han? That was criminal!"
"Damn it! Refund my season tickets!"
"Managent, you were so good at kissing that traitor's feet before; can you go kiss Han's feet and bring him back?!"
"Han is in mphis chasing the playoffs and even a championship, while we're tanking for the lottery. We all had bright futures."
...
Thanks to their impressive performance, the Grizzlies are getting more attention.
For a small-market team to gain recognition, there's only one way—produce results.
Ja Morant's rapid rise wasn't just because of his talent; it was also because the Grizzlies finished second in the West for two straight years at that ti.
Han Sen is now getting more attention too, and he's already considered a 'rising star'.
The date is now December 1st, and the Grizzlies are about to head on the road for a matchup with the Cavaliers.
---
2010-11 NBA Team Ratings (Top 10):
1. Chicago Bulls
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. San Antonio Spurs
4. Boston Celtics
5. Orlando Magic
6. Dallas Mavericks
7. Oklahoma City Thunder
8. mphis Grizzlies
9. Miami Heat
10. Denver Nuggets
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