score maniac

Chapter 34: Basketball Hell

By the time Gu Yu emerged from Westphal’s room, Cousins and the others had grown impatient and had already gone back to their respective rooms. “Gu.” Just as Gu Yu was about to turn around to close the door, the old coach’s voice came from inside the room. Gu Yu stopped in his tracks and looked back. “Remember, you’re the lever.” Westphal looked at Gu Yu and made a gesture resembling a balance scale with his hands. “I haven’t made a decision yet. I can’t see their future potential in the short term, so it’s a tough call. But right now, Sacramento is a basketball hell. To change that, you are the key…!” “Screw that. I’m not about to be a lever.” Gu Yu showed no respect whatsoever, and his words left the old coach completely dumbfounded: “If you want, I’ll trade both of them away—no problem. I’ll rule with an iron fist and prove to you that I can single-handedly turn Sacramento around!” “Bang!” After the door slammed shut, Westphal stood there in a daze for a long time before coming to his senses. “Ha…” Chuckling to himself, Westphal shook his head slightly and muttered, gazing toward the door, “Like Charles? I was wrong.” This guy is ten thousand times more cocky than Barkley…! “…Hey.” Just as Gu Yu was storming off to his room, a voice rang out from the side of the hallway. “Who is it?!” Gu Yu turned around and saw Tyreke Evans standing in the shadows cast by the light, his hands in his pants pockets, staring at him coldly. “What do you want?” Gu Yu sensed a dangerous aura and turned to give him a death stare in return. “Finished… talking to the coach?” Evans stepped forward, each footfall light as if he were a lion about to pounce on its prey. “Yeah, the coach said I’m just too damn awesome, so he won’t let me start—he’s afraid it’ll crush the others’ confidence.” Gu Yu made up the story on the spot without a second thought. “Hmph, you?” Evans snorted derisively. “What’s this? A 56th-round pick—are you so full of yourself that you think you can conquer the world?” “A 56th-round pick scored 17 points, while the No. 4 pick only managed 13. Sigh…” Gu Yu shrugged. “…You stole two of those damn points right from me!” Evans finally tore off his mask of hypocrisy, clenched his fists, and snarled, “You don’t think I’ve forgotten that steal you pulled on me, do you?!” “Steal? If you hadn’t been so ball-hogging and refused to pass, I would’ve scored on an open shot ages ago—and you’d have gotten an assist! You had a win-win situation but chose to show off your dribbling instead, only to get cornered with no way out. If it weren’t for Daddy here coming to save you, that assist would’ve turned into a turnover—do you even realize that? And now you’re blaming me??” Gu Yu didn’t back down an inch, firing back just as fiercely. “…Kid, are you looking to get yourself killed?” Evans took a step forward. “Haha, you wanna fight Daddy?” Gu Yu also took a step forward, his eyes fixed intently on Evans. This guy…! Evans hadn’t expected that a mere rookie would dare to directly confront the team’s undisputed leader. Faced with Gu Yu’s glare, he actually backed down a half-step, unable to hold his ground, and growled through clenched teeth, “…You’re ruthless!” “Not bad, not bad—just average.” Gu Yu stood rooted to the spot, his feet as firmly planted as the gnarled roots of an old tree. Tilting his head, he looked at Evans and said, “Next time, remember to pass the ball. Don’t be afraid—Daddy’s here. I’ll take you home.” “…Hah, pass the ball??” Hearing Gu Yu’s words, Evans chuckled, a teasing smile flitting across his face as he said, “Did the coach tell you what’s going on in Sacramento these days??” “Daddy knows exactly what’s going on,” Gu Yu replied. “Knows? Hah, I’d say you’re completely oblivious to just how unbearable this ‘basketball hell’ really is.” Evans shook his head and turned to walk away: “Passing? Haha, in Sacramento these days, you’re talking to me about passing?? You’re so naive…” “Pfft, pfft, pfft—you’re an idiot!” Watching Evans walk away, Gu Yu stuck out his tongue, then turned around and headed back to his room. Basketball Hell? Why do the coach and Evans both describe Sacramento this way?? And… “What’s wrong with talking about passing in Sacramento?” Evans’ parting remark kept echoing in Gu Yu’s mind, leaving him utterly baffled. Aren’t the Sacramento Kings the team that made its mark in the league with spectacular passing, playmaking, and a multidimensional team offense? Even though it’s been a long time since those glory days, the foundation of a strong team shouldn’t, in theory, vanish so quickly! Last season, the Kings’ record was abysmal, with their stats ranking near the bottom of the league. Despite having the 7th-fastest pace in the league, their offensive efficiency ranked 8th from the bottom. To be honest, Gu Yu hadn’t really paid much attention to the Kings last season. He only knew that Tyreke Evans had played well and was considered the future hope of this longtime powerhouse. Kevin Martin was still going strong, averaging nearly 20 points per game thanks to his astonishing ability to draw fouls. Other than that, Gu Yu hadn’t watched many of the Kings’ games, so he really didn’t know much about the team’s current situation. Do the Kings not pass the ball anymore? Is everyone just going one-on-one? “It can’t be that bad! Although the Kings’ average assists per game were terrible last season, I remember they were still around 20th in the league!” Back in his room, Gu Yu immediately called Yu Chenyi. He didn’t go into detail about what had happened that night; he just asked about the Kings’ current situation. “To be honest, though, I haven’t watched many Kings games either. You know how it is—last season… everyone was watching the Lakers and the Celtics. Of course, the highest ratings went to Chen Mu and his 76ers.” True to her reputation as a professional reporter, Yu Chenyi didn’t need to look anything up—she knew every detail, big or small, about the league at the drop of a hat: “Our network only broadcast two Kings games. I watched them roughly—their offense and defense were both chaotic, but their ball distribution and overall system were still solid. It’s just that Evans hasn’t quite become a star who can carry the team on his own yet; his scoring ability in the paint is incredibly weak, and most of the time he relies on fast breaks to rack up a few points.” “What’s the team chemistry like?” Gu Yu asked. “I really don’t have a clear impression of that…” Yu Chenyi said, looking a bit embarrassed. “You know, bad teams usually don’t get much attention. If the Kings were like that New York team from a few years ago—sitting in a huge market and signing a bunch of past-their-prime stars—or if they had a few particularly troublesome troublemakers, like the Trail Blazers at the turn of the century, then there’d be some buzz. But the Kings as they are now… there’s really nothing to care about…” “Mm-hmm, I get the picture.” Gu Yu nodded, thanked Yu Chenyi, and hung up the phone. Basketball Hell? Why would a team that hasn’t even defined its rebuilding goals or direction be called “Basketball Hell”? The answer to this question became painfully clear to Gu Yu over the course of the next few games. Devin Booker!!! A top member of the “empty stats” club!!