Chapter 880
Don't waste a good boss, the ultimate way to use a mascot!
The absolute core of the Bobcats' lineup is, without a doubt, Rose!
Rose, who is about to enter his third season in the professional league, is destined to take off this season. The previous year, he had already averaged 21 points and 6 assists per game and was selected for the All-Star team with his explosive playing style.
He is also the first All-Star player in Bobcats history. This year, with the popularity of Yao Ming and Lin Tian, if nothing unexpected happens and he doesn't perform too poorly, he will most likely be able to become an NBA All-Star starter alongside Yao Ming!
The Bobcats have gained a huge amount of traffic and attention in North America this year, but the increase in traffic in North America is really insignificant compared to the huge number of fans the Bobcats have suddenly gained in China.
No other reason is needed; the mere mention of Lin and Yao joining forces is enough to keep countless fans glued to their TVs watching the Bobcats' games!
In particular, given the current situation, with Anthony and Wade teaming up and James jumping ship to the Mavericks, these guys' reputations have been affected to some extent. They will definitely be at a disadvantage in the MVP selection, and many people will not vote for them.
Meanwhile, the Celtics, another strong team in the East, emphasize teamwork and coordination. Therefore, Rose might actually be able to win an MVP this year, just like Lin Tian remembers, and become the youngest MVP in NBA history!
Everything depends on whether Lin Tian's tactical system can work!
In any case, he has received considerable praise for his work in building the team.
With the offseason free agency and various trades largely concluded, the Bobcats acquired a total of 10 new players during the offseason, only 4 of whom were already with the Bobcats last season.
He transformed the Bobcats in just one summer, and it looks quite reasonable, a very competitive roster.
In many media outlets, when they conduct offseason management ratings, they give Lin Tian at least an A grade!
Lin Tian's former employer, ESPN, even gave him an S+ rating!
Their comments were quite interesting: "Lin's every trade and signing this summer was very low-key. Compared to those teams that made big trades and brought in superstar free agents, Lin was definitely making a fortune quietly, transforming a team into the way he wanted it to be without making a sound!"
"More importantly, with only four players from last season retained, Lin made numerous moves without incurring the luxury tax for the team, effectively controlling the game. Lin truly made the most of the available resources and maximized the use of salary cap space, operating within the limited scope."
"They forced Boozer to break his contract again, signed Odom, who disappointed last season, for a low price, picked up Stevens' former college player Hayward with a first-round pick, and even managed to acquire Yao Ming through a trade!"
"In addition to the players the team already had, Lin strengthened the team to the maximum extent without paying the luxury tax. His decisive and ruthless trading style and his willingness to make moves are so similar to Bird's back then. It has to be said that after these two have worked together for 7 years, Lin does have the shadow of Bird in him."
"Lin's experience is too much for a rookie general manager! He's more like a seasoned veteran who's been in the league for years. If everything goes smoothly, he's definitely one of the strongest contenders for General Manager of the Year!"
It has to be said that Lin Tian made a fortune quietly this offseason. While everyone's attention was focused on players like Anthony and James, he quietly kept making moves without making a fuss.
When the final results screen appeared, many people were surprised to find that the MVP was Lin Tian again? This guy, without anyone noticing, actually assembled such a powerful lineup for himself?
More importantly, the Bobcats now have very healthy salary cap space, thanks to the rookie benefits they've received from players like Rose and DeRozan!
Yao Ming's annual salary is $2000 million, Carlos Boozer's is $1400 million, Marvin Williams' is $800 million, Lamar Odom's is $500 million, Derrick Rose's is $500 million, DeMar DeRozan's is $300 million, and Harrison Barnes' is $200 million. Apart from these players, the rest of the Bobcats' players are on minimum salary contracts between $50 and $150 million.
Their total salary is a mere 6800 million! That's only slightly above the salary cap, and they still have a few million left before they have to pay the luxury tax!
To be able to create such a promising lineup with this amount of money, Lin Tian's methods are indeed quite remarkable!
Of course, this lineup also has its share of problems.
Yao Ming and Derrick Rose, the team's two most important core players, are both at risk of injury, especially Yao Ming, who has not played well for two consecutive seasons.
Besides these two, Odom is seen by many as a troublesome asset and a liability that could cause problems for the team at any time. Boozer, although he doesn't have any off-court troubles, is not the type of guy who can carry the team forward, especially since his reputation is quite bad.
As for the others, they were either very old or very young, either newcomers or on a minimum salary.
In other words, how far the Bobcats can go this season, and how deep they can go, basically depends on Yao Ming's ankle and Derrick Rose's knee. If both of them are healthy, the Bobcats can definitely go very far!
What if it's unhealthy?
This year's Bobcats team really made a lot of noise but delivered little, only able to play second fiddle.
Despite the potential for injuries, the Bobcats have made rapid progress under Lin Tian's management, and everyone believes they can easily make it into the playoffs, or even secure a spot in the top half of the bracket.
Actuaries in Las Vegas have also released the first round of odds for winning the championship before the start of the new season.
The Bobcats are ranked third in the Eastern Conference, behind only the Celtics and Cavaliers, and even ahead of traditional Eastern Conference powerhouses like the Knicks.
Of course, if the Western Conference is included, the Bobcats' odds of winning the championship would rank ninth.
The Lakers, Suns, Mavericks, Nuggets, Warriors, and Hornets in the West are all better than the Bobcats!
Ultimately, the league is still significantly stronger in the West than in the East, with the top teams in the West being more numerous and concentrated.
The power rankings given by ESPN and TNT are similar, with ESPN ranking the Bobcats at number 7 and TNT only ranking them at number 10.
This basically explains the Bobcats' current standing in the public eye; they are essentially a top-ten team in the league.
Of course, training camp hasn't even started yet, and the current rankings are purely preliminary based on the teams' on-paper strength.
As the season progresses and the regular season deepens, the rankings are bound to change dramatically at any time.
But those are not things the Bobcats need to worry about right now. All they need to do now is improve themselves and increase the team's competitiveness!
The August training camp arrived as scheduled.
In addition to all the current players of the Bobcats, Lin Tian and his coaching staff arriving on time, team owner Michael Jordan also came.
"You sent me here to give them a speech, boost their morale, and then make them train even harder, right?" Before the training officially started, Jordan, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, stood next to Lin Tian, still chewing his gum as usual.
"That's the idea, but what are you wearing?" Lin Tian glanced disdainfully at Jordan's obviously custom-made high-end Jessani suit and curled his lip, saying, "You come to the court without even wearing basketball shoes?"
"Why would I wear that stuff? Am I supposed to go down the court and play with them?" Jordan snorted, indicating that he was already the owner and his status was different now.
"Then why did I bring you here? To watch them play basketball or to freeload on the air conditioning? Do I need you to do things like boosting morale? Can't I do it myself?" Lin Tian kicked Jordan in the butt and said, "Either get out of here or go change your clothes."
"I'm the boss." Jordan raised his leg to give Lin Tian another kick, but unfortunately, how could his skills compare to Lin Tian's? Lin Tian not only dodged his attack with a sidestep, but also kicked him in the butt with the same momentum.
"I've left you a locker in the locker room, and all your gear is ready. Go now, unless you're scared, scared of being wrecked by these guys, or worried they'll beat you to a pulp."
"Afraid?" Jordan scoffed. "Afraid of them? Even if you send Rose, I'll still beat him to a pulp!"
While cursing and swearing, Jordan walked towards the locker room.
"Still the same arrogant attitude." Lin Tian muttered as he watched his back before sitting down on the spot.
When it comes to dealing with Jordan, the best approach is always to use reverse psychology.
Speaking to him in a nice tone won't work.
Lin Tian didn't try to guess how excited the players in the locker room would be to see Jordan, nor did he think about how Jordan would encourage these young men. He had seen Jordan's moves far too often in his career.
Right now, his mind was completely focused on the training that was about to begin.
Not counting those training camps, this was his first time starting real training as a coach, and he was somewhat excited about it.
Of course, just a little bit.
Because Lin Tian had already planned out all the training programs for the next phase.
Things that are predictable and already planned are unlikely to excite him.
About 20 minutes later, Jordan, having changed his clothes, walked into the arena with a string of players behind him, looking incredibly excited.
Well, everyone else was excited, but Jordan remained expressionless.
Judging from everyone's expressions, you can tell that Jordan must have given them a good pep talk in the locker room, telling them to train like crazy, follow his lead, and that they'd definitely be rich and famous in the future.
Judging from Jordan's expression, you could tell he was full of complaints and annoyance, probably cursing Lin Tian a hundred times in his mind. But you can't blame Jordan; anyone would be unhappy if Lin Tian tricked them like that.
"Welcome everyone, and thank you all for coming to this training camp. I'm very happy that no one was absent or late. This is the team I want, and this is the spirit I want."
"I don't think I need to go into too much detail about the Bobcats' history. Although it was short, it was incredibly unsuccessful, lacking any highlights, and full of regrets and disappointments. As for these unbearable memories in our short history, there is only one instigator."
"Michael Jordan."
Jordan never expected that Lin Tian's opening remarks would be to launch into a tirade against him in front of everyone, and to relentlessly criticize him for his weaknesses and most painful and unsuccessful experiences.
Even though the Bobcats players didn't dare to laugh or actually boo Jordan, Jordan had never been treated like this before. He wanted nothing more than to punch Lin Tian and then disappear into a crack in the ground.
“So we should thank Michael,” Lin Tian continued. “If he hadn’t failed so miserably, I wouldn’t be standing here. If his previous team building hadn’t been so utterly ineffective, you wouldn’t be standing here either.”
"It was Michael's failure that brought us together here, it was Michael's foolishness that brought us all together, and it is also Michael's failure that makes our subsequent success so dazzling!"
"I think everyone has seen the power rankings and championship odds for the new season, right? The general consensus is that we are a top-ten team in the league. I'm sure some of you are quite satisfied, and some of you are incredibly excited, right?"
"But for me, top ten is pretty bad! I've never played on such a bad team in my life. I've always been a championship favorite, and all the teams I've played on have been dynasties."
"Of course, I'm not dissatisfied with you guys, and I don't think you're bad. I just simply think that those so-called actuaries, reporters, and commentators know absolutely nothing about basketball! They're a bunch of hopeless and self-righteous idiots!"
"They think they can decide our ranking with a flick of their fingers, they think they can determine our future and ranking this season just by looking at the roster."
"That's utter nonsense!"
"This ranking is too low, so low that I don't even want to study it or look at it carefully, nor do I want to argue with anyone. I only have one thing to say here."
"We'll train hard for the next two months! Then when the new season starts, when the regular season begins, we'll show those idiots and morons just how stupid they are! We'll slap their faces, we'll smash their mouths!"
"We told everyone that we were number one!"
"First! First! First!"
"We are number one!"
Smash their faces!
The players cheered, but Lin Tian once again reached out and pressed down, signaling everyone to be quiet: "I'm not saying these things to motivate you, nor to make you train harder or to say any high-sounding nonsense."
"I say this because I truly believe it, because I genuinely think we are the best team in this league!"
"We have the best center, an MVP candidate, a multi-talented but unrecognized genius, and a top power forward who is misunderstood. We are a super team made up of geniuses, and everyone is a genius."
"I don't understand why we're not the best team. Is it because we're young? Is it because we've failed before that we're worthless?"
"In the new season, we have only one goal: the championship! I will do everything in my power, I will put you through rigorous training, and then, together we will stand on the summit and become the champions!"
"I'll say it again: I'm serious! I genuinely believe we're very strong, I genuinely believe we're the strongest team in the league! The strongest team in the league winning the championship, isn't that only natural?"
“Even our boss, Michael, believes we can win the championship. Otherwise, why would he stand with you guys in his practice clothes on the first day of the new season? It’s because he thinks you’re just missing a tiny little thing.”
"He is here to help you fill in these gaps and deficiencies."
"So, in the new season, let's work together and give everyone a good show!"
"Any more questions?"
"no!"
"Alright, let's begin training! Brad, give everyone a basic workout and let them warm up. Jeff, have Mason and Mendes get ready. After warming up, we'll do group training."
"The inside players, forwards, and guards each have their own tasks. I have arranged targeted training for each of you. In the first phase, we will each train separately, and each of you will make up for the parts you are lacking!"
"And from now on, all your performances, including but not limited to ability, technique, attitude, and how hard you play, will be the focus of my observation and recording! I will remember everything and then decide the playing order for the new season based on your performance in training camp."
"Ability is important, but attitude is even more important! If anyone slacks off in training, I don't care who you are, you'll all be my substitutes. As long as you work hard enough, whether you're a second-round pick or an undrafted player, you'll get your chance!"
"This is my principle! No one, including Yao and Derrick, has any special privileges here! If you slack off in training, you won't get to play in the game; if you train like your life depended on it, I'll think of you first in the game."
“I myself was a second-round pick, so I think you can understand what I mean.”
"By the way, our boss is right here. You can ask him if he supports me 100%! You can ask him if he would support me if I wanted to get rid of some lazy, disobedient jerk who slacks off in training!"
"Of course I support Lin!" Jordan finally spoke up: "Even though he's a shameless, despicable, vile, and insidious bastard, I support him!"
"I also believe that as long as you listen to him and work hard with him, we can become champions together! We can reach the top together!"
"I've been preparing my champagne for many years, and I hope we can open it all next summer!"
"Thank you for your remarks, Michael." Lin Tian opened his arms again and said, "Now, let's begin!"
"Yes!"
With a unified roar, the players began running to warm up.
"What are you still standing here for?" Lin Tian glanced at Jordan, who was standing next to him as if it were his due, and said directly, "Go run, you son of a bitch!"
"Me too?" Jordan pointed to his nose and said, "I'm the fucking boss."
"Then get lost." Lin Tian pointed to the door and said, "If you're not going to train with us, what are you doing here?"
"But don't worry, I've considered your age and condition, and I know your physical abilities can't compare to theirs."
"Two percent is enough. Just maintain two percent of their training volume. If you follow the whole thing, you'll probably die of exhaustion."
"Attitude is the most important thing."
"Or are you saying you can't even keep up with 20% of their workout intensity?" Lin Tian glanced at Jordan, his face full of mockery and contempt.
"Twenty percent, fucking twenty percent!" Jordan roared, turning around to join the players' training group.
"Having a mascot is great," Lin Tian said comfortably, leaning back in his chair. "Otherwise, I would have had to do it all myself!"
"If I ever have the chance to become the owner of a team, I would rather die than hire you, let alone work with you." Van Gundy couldn't help but mourn for Jordan as he listened to Lin Tian's words.
"Not going to work with me?" Lin Tian stared at Van Gundy and said, "So you're going to be my enemy?" (End of Chapter)