571 Dai Li’s First NBA Game

Los Angeles Clippers.

Assistant Coach Cassel glared at the head coach's office. He whispered to himself, "Nepotism got you this position. If you weren't dating the boss's daughter, there is no way you would have become the head coach. That room should be mine."

Cassel cursed in his head. He calmed himself down and knocked on the door of the office.

Dai Li was inside. This was his first day as the head coach of the Clippers. When he saw Cassel, he smiled. "Coach Cassel, do you want something to drink? I have coffee and tea here. There's also some whiskey."

"Coffee is fine, thank you." Cassel was very cautious.

Dai Li poured a cup of coffee for Cassel. As he was pouring, he said, "Coach Cassel, from now on we are colleagues. I hope we can cooperate and work well together."

"Of course. It is my pleasure to cooperate with the Coach of the Year." Cassel gave him a compliment. He did not express his dissatisfaction to Dai Li's face.

Dai Li handed a folder to Cassel and said, "Look at this."

Cassel opened the folder and saw that a new contract was inside.

"This is..." Cassel looked at Dai Li doubtfully.

"Look at the numbers on the back first," Dai Li said.

Cassel turned to the back and saw the number at the top. It was 50% more than his current salary.

"Coach Li. What is this for?" Cassel asked, puzzled.

"What do you think? Aren't you satisfied with this new contract?" Dai Li asked.

"New contract? Is this contract for me?" Cassel couldn't help but be excited by a 50% bump in his salary.

"Normally, a team's manager should sign an assistant coach. This is a little bit outside my jurisdiction, but I've gotten the okay from the team's management. After all, my relationship with the boss is no secret. Coach Cassel, you are a smart person. You should be able to understand my intentions," Dai Li said.

Obviously, Cassel understood Dai Li's intention. Dai Li, the head coach, had given him a bump in his salary to show Cassel who his "boss" was.

Dai Li said, "Coach Cassel, I recognize your ability and I think that you are an indispensable member of the team. I suggested management give you this raise. I hope that you can continue to perform well for this team. Believe me, this is just the beginning. You will get more in the future."

Dai Li was subtle, but Cassel fully understood him. Dai Li was, without a doubt, saying that, if Cassel was loyal to him, Cassel would make a lot of money.

Cassel looked at the contract in his hands and thought about the salary. Cassel's dissatisfaction with Dai Li disappeared.

Cassel really wanted to be the head coach, but he also wanted to make money. Compared with the position of the head coach, making money was more practical.

Dai Li is the future son-in-law of the new boss. He is also the boss of the team. I can't compete with him for this position. It is better to earn money while he is willing to recruit me. Right now, they need an assistant coach who is familiar with the team. If I stand out, I might be able to sign a multi-year contract with the team. That way I won't struggle to put food on the table for the next few years.

The more Cassel weighed the pros and cons, the more he saw that accepting Coach Li's kindness was his best option.

...

Several other coaches and staff members also got their salaries increased

Dai Li knew that, when a team got a new boss and head coach, the most important thing to maintain was morale. The easiest way to do this was to throw money at them. When faced with more money, complaints tended to disappear.

The offer of new contracts was a way to communicate to the team that no significant changes were going to be made. They would keep their jobs and could work for the new boss with peace of mind.

This generosity solidified Dai Li's place on the Clippers. His next step was to exercise his duties as the head coach.

Dai Li did not intend to change the strategy of the Clippers. In fact, a coach like him wouldn't have anything practical to contribute. Thus, the Clippers tactics would remain the same.

The Clippers' strategy this season was to quickly switch between fast attacks and defense.

This season, many teams were using this style of play. There were not many teams that were using conventional tactics. Therefore, the Clippers seemed to be merely following the trend of the NBA.

The Clippers were weaker than the other teams. Their frontline was not up to par because they had no first-rate offensive players. On top of that, the team's defense wasn't very efficient. Most of their points came from players that were only occasionally good. They were not good enough to win using conventional tactics. They could only score by quickly switching between fast attacks and defense.

Dai Li would hand the responsibility of strategy over to Cassel. Dai Li observed from the sidelines. This was a learning process for him.

As for the team's training, they each had their own professional coaches. The coaching staff of the team was relatively well-equipped. Some coaches were responsible for the offense. Some coaches were responsible for the defense. There were special coaches that handled shooting and rebounding. The head coach need not worry about them.

For example, if a player's free throw accuracy got worse, the player would have to work on free throws. The shooting coach would be responsible for the player's free throw training. The head coach only needed to arrange the training, instead of having to coach the player himself. Of course, if the head coach was very good at free throws, or had a particular preference for this player, it was possible for the head coach to step in.

Dai Li was obviously not skilled at basketball. He could not get involved in any of the tactical elements of the game. The only thing he could take charge of was the physical training.

Dai Li was considered to be the best in the United States when it came to physical training. No one could challenge that. Track and field coaches were inherently good at physical training. Dai Li had led the American track and field team to create miraculous results. Naturally, no one would question his ability in that field.

It was currently the middle of the season. The turbulent Clippers lost two games before Dai Li joined them and their record became 16 wins and 32 losses. According to the schedule, the Clippers had five days without a game followed by four away games.

Before Dai Li was familiar with the team, he had to board a plane and start this four-match journey

The first stop opponent on this journey was the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers had made it into the playoffs the last five seasons. Considering that the competition in the Western Conference was fierce, reaching the playoffs in five consecutive seasons was an impressive feat.

The Blazers' current record was 34 wins and 15 losses. They had won close to 70% of their games and they were ranked third in the Western Conference. They were regarded as a strong team. It was almost impossible for the Clippers to beat them.

A betting company gave them odds that confirmed this. The Blazers had 14.5 points, and the odds were 1.75. With such odds, no one thought the Clippers could win the game.

...

In the visiting team's locker room at the Moda Center, the Trail Blazers' stadium, the Clippers players were talking and laughing. They seemed very easy-going.

Dai Li could feel that this was not confidence but a lack of focus. The players didn't seem to be thinking about the upcoming game.

Their opponent was a strong team playing at home. Even the NBA's reigning champion couldn't hope to win without giving their attention to the game. The Clippers were inattentive, however, because they knew they were not good. They thought that their loss was inevitable so there was no need to put up any sort of resistance.

In fact, the Clippers record was terrible. They had just experienced a six-game losing streak. Coupled with the turmoil caused by the change in leadership, the players had forgotten what victory felt like. They were no longer eager to win.

For them, being weak is not scary and losing is not scary. The scary thing is that the players have lost their desire to win. Dai Li felt helpless.

In this case, I can only gamble. Whether we win or lose depends on God's will. Dai Li shook his head and equipped "Evenly Matched."

...

As the game had not yet begun, the two commentators were talking about the two teams.

"In the previous four games, the Clippers were led by the assistant coach Cassel. Under his leadership, the Clippers lost four games in a row. I heard that a new coach will lead the team in this game. I don't know what he will bring to the Clippers," said a commentator.

"I think we won't be seeing much change in the Clippers. Their new coach has just taken over and he doesn't have any basketball experience. He will definitely follow their old strategy and not make any adjustments. With their current lineup, there isn't any room to adjust," another said.

"The key to the Clippers' current strategy is Ronny. He has improved a lot this season, but he still can't carry the team. They would be doing even worse if it were not for Naismith's occasionally outstanding performances.

"In this game, the Clippers face the Blazers. I am afraid they will have to swallow a bitter pill. The Blazers normally win at home and the Clippers aren't a strong team, so they are unlikely to beat the Blazers."

During this conversation, the player's walked onto the court.

...

The Blazer's head coach, Terry, came to Dai Li's side. With a smile on his face, he gave Dai Li a hug. He looked sincere.

"Li, welcome to the NBA!" Terry said.

Dai Li did not feel welcome based on Terry's tone. He looked at Terry's smile and remembered the smile of the wolf that tricked Little Red Riding Hood.

Terry may be welcoming me, but I am afraid he is thinking of ways to destroy me!" Dai Li thought. Out loud, he said, "Terry, this is my first game in the NBA. I hope the Blazers can be merciful and don't make me lose by too much."

At least you know how to behave, Terry thought, the smile on his face getting bigger. "What are you talking about Coach Li? The Clippers have always been a strong team. We will need to go all out."

The broadcast footage was on the two of them. The two did not show any arrogance, and they seemed cordial. This disappointed the reporters.

Terry returned to the Blazers' bench and called the players to his side.

"In this game, your opponents are the five Clippers players on the court. My opponent is the head coach of the Clippers. He is a coach who has no basketball experience. He is a layman! I want a big win today! I hope that you crush your opponents!" A spark of color flashed in Terry's eyes. "I am your head coach, and you are my players. I hope that you tell the world through your actions that I am far better than this layman!"