Chapter 724 - 649: Winning the Opponent’s Thanks

Chapter 724: Chapter 649: Winning the Opponent’s Thanks

"Chen, we’re training that way too,"

Skiles said in a low voice.

Whenever there was something good, a new training method, Chen Yu would certainly never favor outsiders. He would naturally prioritize his own team.

That’s why the Phoenix Suns were also training this way.

They even had plans to build a training court completely outfitted with electronic screens for next season.

Chen Yu said, "Yes, we’re training the same way, but they’re training harder."

After a pause, Chen Yu continued, "Let me put it this way. The Pioneers’ training intensity for their tactical plays is at least two to three times ours, and for that matter, any other team in the league."

They have no veterans pulling rank and slacking off in training. They’re just a group of young guys working hard, trying to prove themselves and earn big contracts. Under Rivers’ guidance, a healthy, competitive atmosphere has formed within the Pioneer organization.

No one’s spot is guaranteed. If you train hard and play better, you can take a starter’s job.

That’s how Iguodala earned his spot.

And the starters can’t afford to slack off, either, because one slip-up could cost them their spot.

So they just end up training even harder than the bench players.

So the Pioneers’ performance today is built on pure sweat. There’s nothing fake about it.

The others in the room fell silent.

Sometimes, competitive sports are truly fair. You put in the sweat, and you reap the rewards. ℯℯ𝑙.

When he thought about the Phoenix Suns this season, Skiles himself had to admit they were lacking, both in their training and their drive.

Skiles rubbed his aching temples. "Chen, back to my original question. You understand their system. Tell me how to beat it."

Chen Yu picked up his glass from the table and took a sip. "On the surface, the best way to beat them is to shut down Nash. He’s crucial to their system. He’s the engine."

"And that’s relatively easy to do. A double-team, for instance, can lock Nash down without much trouble."

Nash is a decent offensive player, but he’s only an average athlete. A double-team is all it takes to lock him down.

"The problem is, they’ve already anticipated that and have developed a counter."

The Pioneer players weren’t the only ones working hard all season; the coaching staff was too.

During the regular season, whenever they ran into a problem, they’d identify it and then hand it off to Chen Yu’s team. With his team’s help, they worked hard to find a solution.

It became almost routine, a cycle that pushed the entire coaching staff to constantly improve and refine their strategies.

Since Nash was an easy target, the Pioneers had Chen Yu’s team look for specific training methods to help him improve.

When they realized he just couldn’t be trained to overcome it, they had to find another way.

And they did.

They added Milicic as a playmaker at the high post.

They used Iguodala as a secondary playmaker to distribute the ball.

They also demanded that Nash get the ball out of his hands faster.

Chen Yu’s team worked with Rivers and his staff, constantly looking for solutions.

Following this strategy, they continuously refined their lineup and plugged their weaknesses.

"An opponent can try to slow them down and stop their fast break, but the Pioneers have already thought about what to do when they’re forced into a half-court set."

"Haven’t you noticed? When their fast break doesn’t work out, they quickly transition into their half-court offense, running their standard plays: a high screen from Milicic or a low-post isolation for Randolph."

"Randolph isn’t a great defender, but he’s kept his starting job because his low-post offense is a major threat when the team can’t get out on the fast break."

Chen Yu held nothing back, detailing all the work the Pioneers had put in throughout the season.

"On the perimeter, neither Nash nor Johnson are great defenders, so they’ve been practicing a zone defense."

Chen Yu searched for a moment and pulled up a video of the Pioneers practicing their zone defense.

Five players were connected by a single resistance band.

That way, when one person moved, the band would passively pull the others along with them, forcing them to move as a single unit so the zone defense wouldn’t break down or leave any openings.

The Pioneers shot a ton of threes themselves, but their zone defense was always well-drilled.

When they played the Spurs, their double-teams on Duncan were always perfectly timed.

"Also, to develop some role players, we selected suitable candidates and put them through specialized training programs to enhance their skills."

Tony Allen was a great athlete who was strong at attacking the rim, but they forced him to transform into a lockdown perimeter defender.

Boris Diaw, an interior player, was remade into the bench unit’s primary playmaker simply because of his outstanding court vision.

"They’ve been improving all season. So if you ask me how to counter them on short notice... I don’t have an answer."

Chen Yu spread his hands. He didn’t have a good answer either.

All he could say was that with his team’s help, the Pioneers had done everything possible to plug the holes in their current roster.

That’s why they managed the eighth-seed upset. That’s why they could bring down the Phoenix Suns.

It was just as Nash had said: they were far stronger than Chen Yu had ever imagined.

The men were silent.

Frank Johnson gave Chen Yu a helpless look.

’Chen Yu keeps talking about "them," but really, he should be talking about himself.’

’Weren’t you, Chen Yu, the one who helped train the Pioneers to this level?’

"Scott, don’t overthink it," Chen Yu said reassuringly. "Just do everything you can. Give it your all. That’s enough."

Sometimes, you just have to accept defeat.

The Pioneers now had both the strength and the confidence. They deserved to be playing at this level.

There was, in fact, a way to beat them.

If the Phoenix Suns still had last year’s star-studded roster, they could have easily crushed the Pioneers.

The Pioneers won because of their system and their overall team strength.

But sheer power can overcome any strategy. Last year, the Phoenix Suns’ star power could conquer anything.

In Game 5, Skiles gave up on the fantasy of playing perfect team basketball to disrupt the Pioneers’ system. Instead, he just put the ball in the hands of his stars.

This time, his gamble paid off.

Nowitzki finished the game with 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Hardaway was even more impressive, hitting four three-pointers and exploding for 35 points.

With a score of 99 to 92, a 7-point victory on their home court, the Phoenix Suns staved off elimination.

But it was like a final, fleeting burst of energy. In Game 6, the Pioneers started double-teaming Hardaway. Even though Marion stepped up and dropped 26 points, the Phoenix Suns still lost.

Chen Yu was at the game.

The moment the final buzzer sounded, the entire Rose Garden Arena erupted in celebration.

The deafening cheers seemed ready to blow the roof off the place.

After just two seasons of rebuilding, the Pioneers were back in the Western Conference Finals!

Paul Allen, who had made a point of sitting next to Chen Yu, immediately turned and hugged him, excitedly repeating, "Thank you, thank you."

His attempt to hire Chen Yu himself had failed, but he had put his complete trust in Chen Yu’s team, launching a massive fire sale of his players. Looking back now, his gamble had paid off.

Chen Yu helplessly pushed Paul Allen away.

He looked at the dazed expressions on Hardaway and Nowitzki’s faces out on the court, his own feelings a complicated mix.

’I thought I was mentally prepared to accept defeat, but now that the moment is actually here, I still can’t stomach it.’

The strange thing was, at the post-game press conference, everyone from the Pioneers, from Rivers down to the players, mentioned one person more than anyone else: Chen Yu.

Rivers couldn’t hide the smile on his face. Right after the game, Paul Allen had sought him out to praise his work and had even mentioned being willing to offer him a multi-year contract extension.

"I want to thank my coaching staff, the management, and every single person on this team. They’re the best. But the person I want to thank most of all is actually Chen."

"Many of you know that the only reason I’m in Portland is because of Chen."

"He and his team have been a massive help to me. He’s the main reason we’ve made it this far."

Then there was Milicic.

With Nash being contained in this game, he had put up a comprehensive and efficient stat line of 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. He and Randolph had shot down the Phoenix Suns, and he was named player of the game.

Looking back on his journey over the past two seasons, his heart was filled with gratitude for Chen Yu.

"In Detroit, I didn’t get many opportunities. Nobody believed in me back then, not even myself."

"But Chen saw my talent. He taught me so much, showed me how to establish myself in the NBA, and encouraged me to keep working hard. I can say that without him, I wouldn’t be who I am today."

And when it came to thanking Chen Yu, Nash, of course, had to be mentioned.

"When I was lying in a hospital bed, feeling like all hope was lost, it was Chen. He told me I could make a quick comeback. He was the one who gave me hope!"

For his own team to lose, only to win the unanimous gratitude of the opponent... in the entire history of the NBA, this was probably a first.