The No.1 Anti-Fans in Basketball-Chapter 148 - 109 Some happiness can only be known through experience

Chapter 148: Chapter 109 Some happiness can only be known through experience

"How do you think Rudy will choose?"

After dinner, Guy left first, leaving Hansen and Conley still in the restaurant.

"He might choose the second option or none at all," Hansen shook his head.

Humans are selfish and lazy creatures, especially when Guy seems not too bright.

Although Guy lost face today, as long as he’s thick-skinned enough, he can act as if nothing happened.

Because fundamentally, the fact that Guy signed for a max salary with the team is set in stone; as long as he persists, he can maintain his base position.

Of course, in the end, Guy might still not be able to hold on, because, as he said before, the Grizzlies have passed their rookie grace period. If they can’t deliver results, rebuilding is inevitable.

"I’ll go persuade him," Conley said. Everything Hansen did today might not necessarily move Guy, but it impressed Conley.

Having capability, knowing restraint, and providing practical advice, all these combined is personal charisma, or leadership quality.

Previously, whether it was Guy or Randolph, or even himself, none of them were quite there.

Indeed, only capable players could stand out in a team like the Cavaliers.

Hansen nodded.

He didn’t know what Conley was thinking at the moment, but he knew Conley was well-liked. If he could persuade Guy to at least choose the second path, it would be beneficial for the Grizzlies.

Time quickly moved to the end of September, and various teams’ training camps concluded.

How Guy ultimately chose was unknown, as he did not give Conley a definitive answer, but he quieted down in the camp and didn’t go solo as before.

This was good for the Grizzlies, and for Hansen too.

As Hansen had helped Hollins solve a big problem, his favorability in Hollins’ eyes greatly increased.

Around this time, NBA renowned columnist Mark Stan posted the first power rankings of the 2010-2011 season on social media.

The defending champion Lakers topped the list. free𝑤ebnovel.com

Followed closely by the pinnacle Big Three Heat.

Celtics, Magic, Mavericks, Thunders, Jazz, Spurs, Bulls, Bucks took the 3rd to 10th positions.

The Grizzlies were ranked 20th in this list.

Although the offseason trade between the Grizzlies and Cavaliers sparked discussions and Hansen boasted about helping the Grizzlies to win the championship after joining, the team wasn’t favored.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers, having lost Hansen, James, O’Neal, and Ilgauskas, were ranked 22nd in this list.

The list sparked considerable controversy.

The biggest focal point of the controversy was naturally the ranking of the Lakers and the Heat.

The Lakers had a rocky defense last season, and their lineup had hardly changed, visibly aging. How could they still be ranked above the Heat?

Second was the Grizzlies, who were close to making the playoffs last season. Hansen shone in the post-season last year. Although winning the championship might be unrealistic, could they not even make the playoffs?

Lastly, the Cavaliers, having lost three core members at once, why weren’t they among the bottom three?

Due to these issues, Stan’s social media was bombarded by fans.

Finally, Stan had to publish a detailed article explaining the highly controversial points.

First, he explained that the power rankings considered lineup matchups. He believed if the Heat and Lakers faced each other in the finals, the Heat’s disadvantage in the paint would put them at a disadvantage.

Secondly, he thought Hansen’s abilities were overrated. For this, he used another player, Bonzi Wells, as an example.

Wells, during his time with the Kings in the 2005-2006 season, averaged 13.6 points per game during the regular season, just like Hansen, and contributed 23.2 points and 12 rebounds (4.2 offensive rebounds) with a 62.5% shooting rate in the playoffs against the defending champion Spurs.

However, in the following season, after transferring to the Rockets, Wells only managed 7.8 points per game and played just 28 games.

He believed Hansen’s injury risks would be greatly magnified in a grind-out team like the Grizzlies, and his performance might even be worse than Wells’s.

Finally, although the Cavaliers lost James and O’Neal, they acquired Mayo and Thabeet.

The former was considered a player with a Kobe lower limit and a Jordan upper limit during the draft. He hadn’t received enough nurturing at the Grizzlies, and the latter, as the second overall pick, had only a meager 13 minutes per game in his rookie season.

At the end of this detailed article, Stan also added a personal opinion:

"I always believe the Cavaliers were the winners of that draft night trade, which might only be proven two to three years later."

At the same time, the league announced the new season’s schedule, including preseason and regular season.

The preseason’s opening game would start on October 5, featuring the Lakers vs. Timberwolves.

The regular season would kick off on October 27.

The Grizzlies’ first game would be on October 27, where they would head to Miami to challenge the Heat.

As the league’s orchestrator, Stern knew what kind of drama the fans were anticipating.

This arrangement led to fan celebrations but also sparked doubts among some Heat fans, mainly LeBron fans.