Basketball Terminal

Chapter 30 Chasing Dreams
Levi's on-court feel and attention to detail surprised and delighted Brett. Based on his past experience playing in high school and community college, as well as his statistics, he didn't seem like the kind of player who could survive in the G League.

No one should underestimate the Development League; surviving here is an immense test for players. In this fiercely competitive environment, even the slightest flaw can lead to a coach losing faith in you. There's no such thing as "development" here; if you're good, you're good, and if you're not, you're eliminated—there are plenty of replacements.

This is more brutal than the NBA. In the NBA, some young players are very talented, and the management is often very patient with them, allowing them to make a lot of mistakes and waiting for them to grow.

Kevin Durant played 80 games with a 43% field goal percentage in his first season with the Seattle SuperSonics, yet the team was still happy. Then there are those with connections, like Austin Rivers, who had a season with a shooting percentage below 40%, but after joining the Clippers, his playing time increased. Through training and development, his skill level was raised significantly, simply because his father was the head coach.

Levi was somewhat of a nepotism hire, but McCallian never contacted him again afterward. Brett learned from McCallian that he wasn't actually close to Levi; he was just returning a favor to a friend.

McCallien was equally surprised that Li Wei was able to get into the Long Island Nets through a tryout.

After Levi entered the game, Brett noticed within just two possessions that the guy had a great feel for the game. First, his defensive positioning was sophisticated; he didn't stick to the fixed positions provided by the 3-2 zone defense, but moved and adjusted according to the situation. He was also constantly looking around, his eyes never focused on the ball, but rather on the players.

Defensive coordination is inherently difficult to practice, and forcing a 3-2 formation with man-to-man defense according to Nash's requirements after only a little over a week of training undoubtedly creates problems for Brett and the players. But that's the G League; you're the subsidiary team, the testing ground. If you don't push them, are you expecting the parent team to conduct the experiments?

Experimentation comes at a price. Fortunately, this is a preseason game, and Brett needs to make good use of this game to carefully observe tactics and every player.

The Knicks don't have many offensive options in their half-court offense; it's basically pick-and-roll, drives, passing, and isolation plays when those don't work. The Knicks' starting point guard, Jared Harper, is incredibly fast and a strong scorer. He used his individual skills to shake off the perimeter defense and drive into the paint from the middle.

"Shit," Brett cursed under his breath. The fact that a 3-2 zone defense could be breached and cut into the middle showed that the defenders were not focused and had no teamwork at all.

But Li Wei appeared at just the right moment to protect the rim. He kept moving back and forth near the three-second zone, frantically probing the edge of the defensive three-second zone, all in order to get into the three-second zone to defend as soon as possible.

Jared Harper's driving lanes were blocked, so he opted to pass the ball to the left corner, where number 8 striker Ignaz Brazdekis had a wide-open space.

The opportunity presented itself, but Li Wei didn't rush in; it was too far and he wouldn't have time. He could only gamble on his opponent missing the shot, as No. 8's shooting touch wasn't good tonight. Instead, he positioned himself under the basket, ready to grab the rebound.

Brazdekis took his third shot from the corner, but as expected, the ball missed sharply. Levi, using his eyes to anticipate the shot's trajectory, had already predicted its landing point. He stepped back three paces, positioned himself near the free-throw line, used his back to push aside Sitto, and with a light jump, scooped up the ball, securing a long rebound.

"Shit! Where the hell did you come from?" Xitu was speechless. This guy was just positioning himself under the basket, how did he end up near the free-throw line grabbing a long rebound? Xitu thought he could get one.

Li Wei ignored him and immediately launched a fast break. This time, he passed the ball to CJ Massinberg, a 196cm shooting guard who charged straight to the basket, drawing a foul from the opponent and going to the free-throw line.

With both free throws made, the Nets tied the score. Clearly, the situation had changed dramatically since Li Wei came on, especially in their defense under the basket.

Knicks head coach Derek Alston scratched his head at Levi's performance, wondering where this Chinese-American player had come from; he'd never heard of him before. He asked assistant coach Allen Deep, "Allen, who's this number 26? What's his name? Where did he play before?"

Allen Deep glanced at the database on the Pad and said, "Uh... Victor Lee, 6'7", 232 pounds, graduated from Hunter Community College."

Alston waited a moment, but Deep didn't continue reading. At that moment, the game changed again. Sitto executed another pick-and-roll and cut to the basket, this time cutting deep and receiving the ball under the rim. He had scored repeatedly in previous possessions, but this time he couldn't get past Levi. He tried to drive along the baseline to the other side for a layup, but Levi was there to block his shot. These three consecutive successful defensive plays had a direct impact on the game, giving the Nets another fast break opportunity. The Knicks quickly got back on defense, but speed alone wasn't enough; their formation was lacking. It seems the Knicks aren't doing much better than the Nets in practice; everyone's been rushed into training.

"Allen, what's next?" Alston asked.

"That's all. There's no more to it."

"What? Let me see it."

Alston grabbed the Pad, glanced at the information, and sure enough, that was all. Height, weight, alma mater—that was it. The resume was completely blank, with no college game data.

What kind of school is Hunter Community College?

"As the bottom of the D3 group, my main focus in the competition is participation."

Just as the two were talking, Li Wei "picked up" an offensive rebound under the basket and easily put it back in, giving the Nets the lead! Alston got up and asked the scorer's table for a timeout. The team had been completely overwhelmed by an unknown Chinese player through defense and fast breaks.

Seeing his opponent pause, Li Wei finally caught his breath. In a state of tension and excitement, his heart rate spiked, and his complete focus on the match, coupled with constant use of his abilities, had depleted his energy quickly. Real combat was indeed different, Li Wei told himself. He needed to undergo more rigorous physical training and learn to better manage his energy. For example, sometimes taking a walk with his hands on his hips wouldn't be so bad.

Back on the bench, he was greeted with high-fives and playful shoving from his teammates. Competitive sports are cruel but fair; whether you have the ability or not, you'll know once you step onto the field. Although seniority plays a role, ultimately, it's ability that matters.

He was initially ignored upon joining the team, but he distinguished himself by taking on the strongest one-on-one players. Then, in his first game, he turned the tide with his defense in just three minutes of playing time. Anyone with half a brain could see his incredible skill. Especially on the defensive end—his anticipation, positioning, and rebounding were far beyond the level of the Development League.

Smarter players, like veterans like Shannon Scott, have already vaguely realized that this guy might make it to the NBA in the future. At the very least, it's highly likely he'll be signed by a team on a short-term contract. When the NBA selects players from the G League, defensive considerations take precedence far more than offensive ones.

Because NBA teams are never short of offensive talents, if you are exceptionally strong offensively, it's virtually impossible for you to end up in the Development League. Defense is different; it requires talent, experience, and, most importantly, the right attitude.

In the current NBA, teams generally have a core offensive spearhead, supplemented by some forwards and centers who can defend and shoot from long range. If you're useful, you come; if you're no longer useful or lose your attitude, I'll go and find hungry young players who are willing to play good defense.

In the eyes of Scott, Brett, and others, Levi was that young man, hungry for defense, who would one day be traded to the NBA as a expendable asset. If he was lucky, he could stay longer, gain experience in the NBA, and his market value would be even higher.

Like Novan Pelle, whom Levi defeated, who put up 9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in eight G League games, he was immediately signed by the 76ers and played a full season for them, earning a significantly higher salary. This season, he was spotted by the Nets, but after playing three games, his performance was mediocre. Because the Nets wanted to sign Durant's former teammate Andre Roberson, they ruthlessly cut him to make room on their 15-man roster.

This is the fate of most G League players: they fight tooth and nail for a chance to rise to the top, only to be jolted awake and plunged into reality before they can even dream for a few minutes.

But the players and coaches of the Long Island Nets didn't know that Li Wei had much bigger ambitions than they thought.

(End of this chapter)