"The Spurs are finished."
After watching the game at home, Chen Yilun muttered calmly to himself.
The Spurs' biggest problem was clear: among the new Big Three, both CJ and Aldridge were pure offensive players. Ironically, Leonard—the franchise star—was their best defender.
Under these circumstances, there was no way Leonard could give up his shot opportunities just to cover for CJ and Aldridge's defensive shortcomings. And those two didn't have the ability to replace Leonard as the anchor of the defensive lineup either. Aside from Danny Green, there was no one on the bench known for defense.
So as long as the Warriors focused on attacking Leonard and drained his stamina, the Spurs' defensive system would collapse on its own.
"The Warriors again?"
Chen Yilun turned off the TV, walked over to his desk, and started working.
He hadn't expected that after intercepting Durant, the Warriors would still show such resilience.
They had forcefully brought in George. Although he was far inferior to the former Splash Brothers, he still posed a real threat.
"The East is getting interesting."
Looking at the data on his computer screen, Chen Yilun smiled faintly.
The Cavaliers had a much easier time in the second round, comfortably eliminating the young 76ers 4–1. Despite Simmons and LeVert fighting desperately, they still couldn't stop the team's decline and were swiftly defeated.
On the other side, the Celtics versus the Raptors turned out to be unexpectedly intense.
The Raptors' dual stars seemed to sense that their partnership was nearing its end, so they went all out in every game.
Even while trailing in the series, almost every matchup went down to the final moments.
In the end, though, it was the Celtics who had the last laugh.
They took down the Northern City 4–2.
When the final buzzer sounded, DeRozan and Lowry stood inside Scotiabank Arena for a long time, unwilling to leave.
"Sorry, brother."
After a long while, DeRozan finally forced those words out.
"Hey, we're family—why say that?" Lowry said breezily from the side. "Worst case, we just win it back next year!"
"Hopefully, there's still a next year," DeRozan muttered softly.
Lowry's eyes widened as he stared at his longtime partner.
"What are you saying? We've been through wind and rain together all these years. Don't be so pessimistic."
Because of DeRozan's psychological struggles, Lowry usually played the role of the team's mood-maker in daily life, always trying to keep his partner upbeat.
"It's hard."
DeRozan let out a heavy breath and said with forced ease.
"I've heard the team's been trying to trade me for a while now—they just haven't gotten a suitable offer. We've wasted too much time. The team doesn't want to wait for us anymore."
After he finished speaking, the two fell into a long silence.
The Raptors' middling results over the past two seasons had long exceeded GM Masai Ujiri's patience. As early as the start of the playoffs, Ujiri had already reached a decision with the ownership.
If they didn't make a breakthrough this year, DeRozan would be traded no matter what.
As for the remaining Spurs and Warriors, things unfolded exactly as Chen Yilun had predicted. In the end, the Warriors were the ones smiling.
The final matchups were set: Warriors versus Kings, Celtics versus Cavaliers.
"Mhm, don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
Chen Yilun hung up the phone and walked into his office.
"Boss, there's something I need to discuss with you."
As soon as he entered, Chen Yilun saw Peja waiting by the door.
"What is it? Why are you looking for me so early in the morning?"
The two walked into the office side by side. Peja spoke from behind him.
"The sales department mentioned earlier that attendance has been overwhelming this year. A lot of areas are understaffed, so they're hoping to expand hiring over the summer."
"That's a good thing."
Chen Yilun walked to the water dispenser, took a sip, and continued.
"Which positions need people? How many? Have the costs been calculated?"
As time went on, Chen Yilun became more and more comfortable handling work matters.
"The finance department has already prepared a report. Take a look."
Peja placed a thick report on Chen Yilun's desk.
"Whoa, that's a lot."
Seeing a report as thick as a dictionary, Chen Yilun couldn't help but laugh. He casually flipped straight to the last page to check the final conclusions.
"Tell the actuaries over there that they don't need to write reports this long every time. Can't they make them more concise?"
After skimming for a bit, Chen Yilun signed his name at the end.
Those actuaries had written pages upon pages, but in the end it all boiled down to just a few lines:
Increase the number of security staff, add more mobile vendors in the spectator areas, and expand the surrounding shops in both size and product variety.
"It really does need fixing. Carrying that thick stack over just now almost wore me out."
Peja said with a smile.
"There's one more thing. The draft lottery's coming up soon. Should we send someone?"
"Send someone for what? To rub salt in the wound?"
This year, the Kings had the best record in the league and had already locked in the 30th pick. On top of that, their own pick had been sold to the Lakers.
"Don't we still have other picks?"
Peja said, suppressing a laugh.
"But we're not the ones drawing those picks."
Chen Yilun replied irritably. "You're really afraid I don't have enough enemies in the league, aren't you?"
Still, talking about it sparked his interest.
"You just reminded me."
Chen Yilun glanced at the calendar on the desk.
"We should start inviting players for tryouts. Those little prodigies need to be booked early."
"Now? Isn't that a bit too soon?"
"It's not early."
Chen Yilun took another sip of water.
"The good reputation we've built over the past two years needs to be properly maintained."
As he spoke, Chen Yilun pulled out his phone and started making calls.
Seeing that Chen Yilun had gotten busy, Peja quietly excused himself.
...
...
"Hey, hey, hey—alright, alright! Don't worry, don't worry! I'll definitely prioritize you guys. Hehehe. Friend—when it really comes down to it, family is still the most reliable!"
On the Kentucky campus, Calipari hung up the phone with a smile in his eyes.
"What happened, Coach? Something good?"
The assistant coach beside him asked curiously.
"Hehehe, my friend just gave me a huge gift."
Calipari said cheerfully as he wiped the corner of his mouth.
"Your friend? You mean that hyena from the Kings—ugh! Director Chen Yilun?"
"That's right."
Calipari nodded, not bothered by the slip of the tongue.
"He just called and said he's taken a liking to Alexander from our team. After the playoffs end, he's planning to invite him to Sacramento for a tryout."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser