One Year Left to Play-Chapter 258 - 91: My Kidneys Can’t Possibly Have a Problem!

Adjusting the team's play style and discipline... these things are relatively simple; it just takes time. Building a championship roster isn't a straightforward task. The Lakers and Celtics have been away from the finals for several years now.

But bringing in new players, that's tough!

"What if we just tank for Duncan? That way, we wouldn't have to brainstorm on how to bring in new players. A twin towers lineup is perfect for the new era of a shortened three-point line... No, no, no, nothing West says can be trusted!

If only that rookie on the opposing team were ours..."

...

21 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal! Only 2 turnovers! 5 assists set a new personal record for assists in a single game!

Zhang Hao achieved his career's first 20+5+5 stat line, though he fell one rebound short.

In the end, the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Heat 92-77, improving their record to 3 wins and 1 loss!

As the final whistle blew, Zhang Hao received a notification.

"Special contracted player Zhang Hao played 31 minutes in the game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Heat, helping the Nets defeat the Heat.

Congratulations, the host has received a total of 5 days of lifespan as a reward.

Remaining lifespan: 428 days, usable lifespan: 427 days."

Ness! Gained 5 Celestial Mandate days!

However, in this match, Zhang Hao didn't feel any of the thrill of winning away from home.

After the season opener victory against the Pistons, the fans almost went berserk.

And here, just as the game ended, only a third of the crowd was left...

Back in the locker room, Zhang Hao accepted a post-game interview with Imperial Channel.

The domestic media seemed even more excited than he was. With a record of 3 wins and 1 loss, tied for second in the East alongside the Bulls and Cavaliers, trailing only the Magic at 4 wins and 0 losses, he felt uneasy about the questions asked during the interview.

"2 blocks and 1 steal, Mr. Zhang smiles slightly, his defense has won the coach's trust..."

Zhang Hao could almost see such headlines.

However, the defense tonight was indeed commendable; against the pace-controlling Heat, their overall team defense was decent.

Once these miscellaneous matters were handled, Zhang Hao didn't put too much thought into it, having no idea what kinds of news headlines the domestic media might concoct.

While the teammates went out to exchange ideas, Zhang Hao stayed behind in the locker room to receive treatment from the team's therapist.

Moning popped into the visiting team's locker room to invite Zhang Hao over to his house, already guessing that Zhang Hao wouldn't be mingling with his teammates after the game, and upon seeing Zhang Hao getting ice treatment, he exclaimed, "Wow, it's my first time seeing an 18-year-old icing after a game. I'll have to try some therapy later too."

Seeing Moning arrive, Zhang Hao was momentarily surprised but calmly asked, "Alonzo, what brings you here?"

"Lost the game, seeing you annoyed me, wanted to pick a fight with you."

"..."

"OH, NO, you have no sense of humor at all!"

"I just didn't expect you to keep a sense of humor after losing a game."

Upon hearing this, Moning felt a twinge in his back!

As for why it was a back pain instead of elsewhere, Moning couldn't quite say.

Moning was tempted to ask—how many beatings have you survived to get here?

But having known Zhang Hao's personality from before, Moning knew he could be rather "straightforward" at times.

Ignoring that issue, he aimed to get more acquainted with Zhang Hao, as the rest of the Brooklyn Nets weren't around, which was ideal.

"How about a visit to my place after therapy? Riley gifted me an amazing bottle of red wine after the lockout ended."

"Next time, maybe? I'm usually asleep by 11 after a game... Just drink less wine, especially after a game, it's not good for your kidneys."

Moning didn't mind this answer. He merely wanted to get more familiar with Zhang Hao, whether they drank or not wasn't crucial; scheduling a future drink already met his goal.

But regarding Zhang Hao's parting comment... Moning flexed his biceps and said, "With a body this strong, my kidneys can't possibly have issues!"

"..."

...

...

When he says he sleeps at 11, he really does sleep at 11.

After his therapy, returning to the hotel and showering, it was close to 11, and Zhang Hao went straight to bed.

At the first second of the next morning, Zhang Hao woke up and started reviewing the game. His overall lifespan decreased by 3 days, leaving him with 425 days.

This review was relatively straightforward since the opponent didn't change much in their gameplay, just controlling the pace.

If the Brooklyn Nets hadn't opened up the game in the first quarter, they would have been the ones pressed on the back foot later on.

The pace-controlling strategy's core intent was disrupting the opponent's offensive rhythm and wearing down their shooting touch through physical contests.

Zhang Hao focused on his post-up plays during the review.

He hadn't practiced this in actual training; he'd only memorized the moves in simulated training.

The opposing power forwards in previous games were fairly tough, either heftily built or seasoned, so Zhang Hao hadn't tried it. This time, it was pure happenstance due to Almon Gilliam passing the buck, and Mr. Zhang discovered a new world...

Irresistibly, he hit the training room to practice post-ups some more, pondering while practicing, Zhang Hao returned to the small lounge, pondering…

"Did I get something wrong? Should I not think solely about catch-and-shoot turnaround fadeaways? Should I get more accustomed to them during matches, like when I played that future dirty Kurt? Only then can I better master the turnaround fadeaway?"

Once the thought struck, he tried it out, and since he'd already begun practicing mid-range shots, the original plan to develop new skills around mid-range shots naturally included turnaround fadeaways, just with a change in order.

...

On the morning of November 9th, the NBA officially announced the Players of the Week for the first week of the season, with Anfernee Hardaway leading the Magic to a 4-0 start clinching the honor.

In those 4 games, Anfernee Hardaway averaged 30.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1 block.

Worth noting, O'Neal has been sidelined with injuries from the start, expected to return in early December at the earliest.

Most importantly, the Magic, without O'Neal, managed to defeat the Bulls among their conquered foes! That night, Anfernee Hardaway scored 36 points, while Jordan shot 8-of-23 for 20 points.

After this start, local media in Orlando began advocating a viewpoint – Anfernee Hardaway is currently the best player in the world.

The reasoning seemed sound. Jordan, with Pippen and Rodman by his side, had a 3-1 start.

Olajuwon had Drexler, also starting 3-1.

Anfernee Hardaway, without O'Neal, had a better record.

For a time, news also surfaced that O'Neal's demand for a billion-dollar contract had reached an impasse in negotiations with the Magic, with talks on hold.

But this news remained hot mainly in Orlando.

Nationwide, besides the never-ending soap opera "The Magician's Comeback Journey," the focus shifted to Wake Forest University's star player Tim Duncan.

By the afternoon of November 8th, Duncan, in his NCAA season debut, had played just two games, with the "Duncan strongest talent" debate resurfacing.

In the first game against Duke University, Duncan dominated with 39 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 blocks, singlehandedly leading the Demon Deacons' underwhelming teammates to upset the Blue Devils.

In the second game against North Carolina, Duncan recorded 28 points, 16 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 6 assists, once again leading his team to an upset, defeating the Wolf Pack.

The ACC Alliance's two powerhouses, at the start of the new season, were both hammered by Duncan.

Why were Duncan's performances in the first two years of college so highly regarded? Because the league his university competed in featured Duke and North Carolina, and annually, they shattered ACC Alliance's historical records, with most of those records belonging to these two universities.

Media reported that the Celtics were considering tanking for Duncan, and this idea was proposed by Cardinal Auerbach.

As such, last night, media swarmed outside Cardinal Auerbach's home; he was unsure how this news leaked, yet he couldn't deny it.

Faced with media questions, Auerbach could only answer, "Who wouldn't want Duncan?"

With this response, Duncan's fame soared even higher!

The Logo Man and the Cardinal, the greatest leaders of the two most storied franchises in NBA history, both set eyes on Duncan, further amplifying the already strong buzz surrounding Duncan as a prospective top pick.