Chapter 80: Situation Analysis
“No wonder everyone in the league calls Chen Yilun a vampire from the East—nobody gets past him without losing something. Now I get it.”
In a Sacramento apartment, Lawrence Frank sat on the sofa, laughing heartily.
“I don’t know about that. I’ve just been doing my job. I haven’t broken any league rules.”
Across from him, Chen Yilun sat casually with his legs crossed.
“I get what you mean.”
Frank continued, “But I’m doing pretty well with the Clippers right now. Doug trusts me and has given me a lot of freedom. For now, I don’t plan on leaving.”
“But that said...” Frank straightened up. “If I ever get the chance to work alongside you, I definitely won’t pass it up.”
What an old fox—hard to fool. Still, you’re bold enough to even set your sights on Malone’s spot.
Chen Yilun sneered inwardly.
This old fox still dreams of becoming a head coach again. His record already proved he doesn’t have what it takes—he’s only fit to be an assistant. And yet he keeps fantasizing.
“This season in the league won’t be easy,” Frank suddenly shifted the topic.
“Golden State’s championship last year made a lot of people realize things were about to change.”
The Warriors’ title was a turning point—it marked the true beginning of the small-ball era. The importance of the center position would only continue to decline in the coming years, while perimeter playmakers would rise to absolute dominance.
“So who do you think has the most potential this year?” Chen Yilun asked.
After all, it was his own influence that had thrown the league’s balance into chaos. Even he wasn’t sure how things would shake out this season.
“Let’s start with the East.”
“The East is still Cleveland’s to lose. With their Big Three, the Cavaliers basically have no real opponents. Just look at how your old teammate’s team got dismantled in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.”
Last year’s East Finals were Cavaliers vs. Hawks.
The Hawks, long known as the league’s working-class team, relied on multiple scoring options and a balanced approach on both ends of the floor.
With Horford, Millsap, Teague, Carroll, and Korver, their starting five looked strong on paper.
But their biggest weakness was clear—they didn’t have a true superstar. And in the playoffs, that meant nothing but struggle.
Against the Cavaliers, they were completely overmatched.
“But this year, there’s a twist. The Wizards, thanks to your moves, are the biggest challengers.”
The East hadn’t changed much overall.
With LeBron James, Cleveland stood alone at the top, while the rest of the East scrambled to dethrone the king.
First were Budenholzer’s Hawks, often called the “Eastern Spurs.” Then came Randy Wittman’s Wizards, who went all-in on a trio of Wall, Beal, and Cousins.
A tier below them were the Bulls, led by Tom Thibodeau.
After the Windy City’s Rose withered, Chicago found hope again with the young Jimmy Butler paired with the veteran Pau Gasol, still keeping them competitive.
The Raptors were lurking as well.
After failing to land Aldridge in the summer, they stuck with their core of Lowry and DeRozan.
Then there were the reborn Indiana Pacers.
After a dreadful season, they finally got good news—Paul George had recovered from that horrific injury and was ready to lead them forward again.
The rest weren’t much of a threat: the Bucks led by the still-developing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Wade carrying the remnants of Miami’s dynasty, Kemba Walker’s Hornets, and the 76ers who were still “trusting the process.”
Compared to the East, the West was pure chaos.
The defending champion Warriors kept their roster largely intact.
The dethroned Spurs came back with a vengeance, signing All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge and veteran big man David West in the offseason, determined to reclaim their crown.
The Clippers, “Lob City,” kept their core together, but it was obvious to everyone—they had already squandered their best chance at a title.
The Trail Blazers tore everything down, leaving Damian Lillard to carry the team on his own.
Teams like the Grizzlies, Thunder, and Rockets mostly stayed the same.
That’s also the nature of trades in the league—GMs usually avoid trading within their own conference. Just like when Chen Yilun traded for Cousins, his first choice was to send him East.
“Let the East burn themselves out. As long as the fire doesn’t reach my house, I’m fine with it.”
Since becoming GM, Chen Yilun hadn’t really changed the overall landscape of the league. The main difference was his subtle manipulations.
Eastern teams, whether rebuilding or competing, were moving ahead faster than they would have otherwise.
But deep down, to Chen Yilun, the only real rivals were the Cavaliers and Warriors.
If he wanted a championship, he had to beat both of them!
“Still not enough!”
After parting with Frank, Chen Yilun sat alone on the sofa, frowning.
The Kings had made great progress, but they were still far from a championship.
“There’s still so much work to do.”
...
Two days after their game against the Clippers, the Kings hosted another Los Angeles team at home.
Lakers head coach Byron Scott stood on the sideline with an easy smile.
His job this season was simple: tank for a high draft pick while accompanying franchise legend Kobe Bryant on his farewell tour.
So the pregame atmosphere was friendly.
Several young players couldn’t resist going over to greet and pay their respects to the legendary guard.
The Lakers’ strategy was simple too—give their rookies Russell, Randle, and Clarkson minutes to grow, and let Kobe get his shots in.
Unsurprisingly, the Kings easily won the game.
“Hey, Kobe!”
After the game, Chen Yilun walked up enthusiastically to greet him.
“Hey, Chen! Finally got to meet you, you busy guy.”
Kobe greeted him warmly.
In truth, they weren’t familiar at all—this was actually their first real conversation.
“You’re retiring after this season?”
“Yeah. It’s been long enough. I don’t have the energy to keep going.”
Kobe’s tone was calm—nearly twenty years of ups and downs had taught him to let go of many things.
“Have you thought about life after retirement?” Chen Yilun asked.
“Most likely, I’ll focus on running my own brand. I’m also really interested in animation—I want to give it a try.”
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