novelraw Chapter 236 - 186: His Existence Is Like a Bug
Chapter 236 - 186: His Existence Is Like a Bug
"Chen, over here!"
"Chen, will Penny be able to return for the first round of the playoffs?"
"How’s his wrist? Will he need surgery?"
On one side of the tunnel, reporters craned their necks, shouting at Chen Yu.
Chen Yu walked past with his bag, ignoring them completely.
Today was the last day of the regular season, and also the Phoenix Suns’ final game of the season.
Against the Mavericks.
This game was incredibly important.
The regular season standings were almost set. The top three spots in the West were unlikely to change much; the King, with 57 wins, were still first in the West.
The Lakers had 54 wins and couldn’t catch the King no matter what, so they were relegated to third place.
The Spurs, with 53 wins, had climbed to second place by virtue of winning the Southwest Division. By that logic, the Lakers had gotten a raw deal.
But they were the defending champions and a powerful team. They were confident no matter who they faced, so it didn’t really matter.
Then there were the Phoenix Suns and the Mavericks.
At the start of the season, the Wolves, more familiar with the zone defense, had an excellent record for a time and even shot up to first in the West. But late in the season, after being thoroughly scouted, they had fallen behind. The Pioneer, further back in the standings, were too far behind to affect either team.
The key now was home-court advantage.
If they won this game, the Phoenix Suns would have 51 wins and secure home-court advantage thanks to the win-loss differential.
But if they lost, their record would be the same as the Mavericks’ at 50 wins. And because their head-to-head record was worse, they would lose that crucial home-court advantage.
When he arrived at the locker room, only a few players were there. Nelson and the others were busy with pre-game preparations in a tense but orderly fashion.
Skiles, meanwhile, was taking this last opportunity to discuss the game plan with a few assistant coaches.
Information was being updated constantly. For instance, Nash had a tight calf muscle and had been listed as questionable before the game. No one would know until the last moment whether he would actually play, and if so, whether he’d start or come off the bench.
But there were channels constantly providing the latest updates for Skiles and his staff to consider.
Whether or not Nash played would require completely different strategies.
Chen Yu was also there.
For one, Chen Yu was the head of the medical team, responsible for monitoring the players’ physical condition and constantly updating the coaching staff on who could and couldn’t play.
For another, Chen Yu had always been quite interested in the coaching staff’s strategizing. He felt it was like a game of chess: arranging your forces, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the pieces you had for the five positions, and then deciding on a specific tactic.
It was mentally taxing and a true test of intelligence.
For example, they were now discussing who should play the two-guard: Vinnie DeNegro or Dan Majerle.
With Hardaway out, the Phoenix Suns didn’t have many options in the backcourt.
The two players had similar styles; both were good at outside shooting and hitting threes. However, Majerle’s defense was better. As a former member of the Suns’ Trident, he could play on both ends of the court.
It was just that this season, with Hardaway’s high attendance rate, Majerle had been on the injured list and had almost no playing time. He was rusty from being away from the game for so long, so no one knew what his condition would be like.
If they chose DeNegro, his terrible defense meant he most likely wouldn’t be able to guard Finley.
Of course, the two also had one other thing in common: they were both old.
After a serious discussion, Skiles finally decided to start Mario Elie, a swingman who could play both the two and three, at the shooting guard position.
Mario Elie, also labeled an outside shooter, was a tougher defender—or, you could say, a bit dirtier.
Looking up, Skiles saw Chen Yu and couldn’t resist asking again about Hardaway’s recovery.
"Don’t worry." Chen Yu gave him a thumbs-up and nodded with a smile.
In the end, Nash did start the game.
He was probably playing through an injury.
Clearly, the Mavericks also knew how important this game was and wanted that home-court advantage.
"I heard they’re planning to make the first round of the playoffs a seven-game series next season. Is there any truth to that?" Brian, who had also come to the arena, was sitting in his usual spot next to Chen Yu. Their conversation drifted to some insider gossip as they watched the game.
Chen Yu shot Brian a silent glance. ’This guy is always trying to get information out of me.’
"That’s right, it’s being considered. But I don’t know if it will actually be implemented." Chen Yu had already heard such rumors.
As for the reason, it was simple: money.
Two more games meant two more games’ worth of ticket sales. Cold, hard cash.
It also seemed to involve the broadcasting contracts. More playoff games would also be beneficial for the television networks.
Brian rubbed his temples, vexed. "That’ll be a bigger drain on the players, and it adds a lot more uncertainty."
Instead of winning three out of five, you have to win four out of seven. It’s one more win, which is more tiring, and the risk of an upset increases.
"Nothing to be done. You know the ratings have been dropping. David is getting anxious," Chen Yu said helplessly.
The NBA’s ratings and viewership were in decline.
And this time, Jordan’s comeback hadn’t saved the NBA like it did before.
"That’s why viewership is so important now." Chen Yu recalled another piece of news and lowered his voice. "This is what I heard: David is paying close attention to this year’s draft, specifically Yao Ming. David wants to use him to open up the Chinese market. You’ve been to China, so you should know—it’s huge, so many people. The market potential is incredible. So if we actually get a chance to draft Yao Ming, picking him would also mean cashing in on the Chinese market behind him."
Brian had apparently heard similar news. "Unfortunately, our first-round pick isn’t very high. Given the hype around him now, he’ll probably go in the top three."