Chapter 83: Facing the Raptors 2
Listening to Chen Yilun exchanging thoughts with players and staff, Malone stood courtside with a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Having a partner like Chen Yilun was simply a blessing. He handled everything seamlessly, allowing Malone to pour 100% of his energy into refining tactics.
And this team was truly a joy to coach.
No one fought for control. Anyone could start a play, and anyone could finish it.
The Kings were like a tireless tactical machine, constantly generating new offensive schemes.
After another beautiful sequence on the court,
Charles Barkley finally spoke up.
“What kind of magic is there in Sacramento? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a dazzling offensive system. If I’m not mistaken, the last team like this was also the Kings.”
“That’s right.”
Shaquille O’Neal nodded.
“It was that Kings team coached by Adelman at the start of the century.”
Even now, O’Neal shuddered at the thought of it. That Kings squad was terrifying. His Lakers had suffered plenty against them, even being pushed to the brink of elimination.
Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby, Peja Stojaković, Doug Christie—that team was the very definition of flair.
Unlike the Spurs, who also emphasized team basketball but relied on the “one more pass” philosophy to patiently grind out half-court offense,
the Kings leaned on nearly everyone’s playmaking skills, constantly shifting strategies to overwhelm opponents.
That Kings team was the pinnacle of tactics in the league.
And now, it felt like that very Kings team had returned—dominating the league once again.
...
As the studio discussion heated up, the Kings executed yet another brilliant play.
The ball bounced on the rim a few times before finally dropping through.
DeRozan was stunned.
“What was that? The more I watch their sets, the less I understand!”
Hearing him, Lowry tilted his head, thinking.
“Looked like a side horns set flowing into a motion offense.”
“Seriously? Where do they even get all these plays? How do they even remember them?”
Frustrated, DeRozan snatched the inbound from Valančiūnas and pushed it up the floor.
But it wasn’t as complicated as he thought. Coach Malone had drilled the players on a few core plays until they executed them to perfection.
Everything else was just freedom and improvisation.
For example, in the same horns set, if the small forward cut out, the power forward and center could set a flare screen to naturally open another spot.
Or take the basic Diamond set—when the shooting guard cut to the weak side, he’d draw defenders toward the short corner.
From there, the center could call for an off-ball screen from the power forward on the opposite side, roll to the free-throw line, and create a brand-new action out of the Diamond.
It sounded simple, but one key factor was critical:
The team needed players with elite court vision—guys who could instantly read the game and adjust.
In truth, this was essentially the Spurs’ later motion offense!
But even the Spurs only made it work because they had Parker, Duncan, Manu, and Diaw—all with elite basketball IQ.
The Kings, right now, could only run half-court passing sets.
Only CJ and Jokić could serve as dual engines—one inside, one outside.
Whenever either sat, the seamless flow of quick tactical transitions dropped off sharply.
Chen Yilun watched the dazzling plays on the floor.
He knew better than anyone what problems the team faced. But there was no easy fix.
The biggest issue: the Kings had no go-to scorer.
And without one, a team would struggle in the playoffs.
Last season, the Kings had two.
Cousins was one, and CJ and Gay made up the other.
After trading Cousins, Gay’s decline was inevitable. Even with Jokić’s clear improvement this year, the team’s true firepower was stretched thin.
What could be done?
Sure, trading for an All-Star could solve the issue, and Chen Yilun had considered it seriously. But then what?
Basketball wasn’t just simple math. Bringing in an All-Star meant the young players’ touches and roles would shrink.
Chen Yilun knew exactly how much potential the youngsters had. Losing even a single season of growth would be a massive setback.
That was why he had to trade Cousins.
As long as Cousins stayed, Jokić’s development would be delayed—just like in the original timeline, where he only blossomed into the team’s leader after his rookie contract ended.
Chen Yilun couldn’t wait that long.
...
As he racked his brain in frustration,
a young man in a purple No. 13 jersey used Jokić’s screen to fire a sudden three from beyond the arc.
“Swish! Nothing but net.”
The ball splashed cleanly through.
“What a shot!” Tang Zhou exclaimed. “That decisiveness and confidence—so rare for a rookie.”
Hearing that, Chen Yilun looked up.
Devin Booker roared in celebration as he sprinted back on defense.
Watching Booker’s back, Chen Yilun fell deep into thought again.
Should he unleash Booker early? If he developed faster, the Kings might finally have their go-to option.
This was the Booker-Jokić duo on display. During summer training, Booker had already shown remarkable offensive talent.
Malone and Chip had even been giving him extra personal sessions.
On the Raptors’ possession, DeRozan had the ball at the top of the key. He called for a double screen, with Patrick Patterson and Bismack Biyombo working hard up top to free him.
As one of the league’s few old-school forwards,
DeRozan pushed inside the arc, met by Booker rotating over. Without hesitation, he dropped his shoulder, seeking contact.
Booker pressed up as expected—unaware this was DeRozan’s sweet spot.
DeRozan powered through, created a sliver of space, and launched a picture-perfect turnaround jumper.
The ball splashed in.
“Damn! That was smooth!”
Chen Yilun watched DeRozan score with ease, unable to hide his envy.
The mid-range jumper was a deadly weapon. If DeRozan had been born a few years earlier, his career could have soared even higher. Unfortunately, he was born in the wrong era.
The final score settled at 98–90.
The Kings once again protected their home court.
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