Chapter 133: Enough, That Is Enough

Chapter 145: Enough is Enough

Afterward, William Adams Miller changed his training plan. He had Edward Rodman step away from the shooting range for a while and tossed the tall "Tower" into the strength training room.

Instead of having this guy do some unrealistic shooting drills—which, frankly, was just not working—it was time to stop! Enough is enough!

The glutes were the primary target area for Edward Rodman’s training. Strengthening the glutes would reduce pressure on his knees and ankles and improve his ability to battle in the paint. Miller never wanted him to look like Hercules, or even Dwight Howard. He did not want Edward Rodman to sacrifice mobility and flexibility for raw strength. Most of the targeted strength training involved a series of movements using light weights and resistance bands. For instance, there was a 15-rep routine designed to mimic basketball-specific movements: he would perform layup slides with resistance bands wrapped around his knees, and use light dumbbells to simulate one-footed dunks and other jumping motions. The goal was always to maintain a physique suitable for basketball, not just for show.

Frankly, finding the perfect balance between flexibility and physical confrontation was something Miller had racked his brains over for Edward Rodman. Back then, Miller could train Su Feng; rebuilding a better "Tower" now was not difficult.

Since changing his training plan, Edward Rodman’s progress had been significant. He was getting stronger by the day, yet his flexibility remained unaffected. He was well-balanced—not muscle-bound, but no longer as easy to knock over as before. Watching Edward Rodman sweat in the strength room day and night, then practicing with Su Feng, was truly incredible. To become stronger and shut up those who disliked him, Edward Rodman seemed willing to do anything.

"Those who can keep up with you are goddamn monsters!" That was Miller’s assessment of Su Feng and Edward Rodman, who seemed to never know the meaning of fatigue.

Perhaps this man, who was only selected in the second round, could be like Su Feng back in the day—never to be looked down upon again. These two possessed a terrifying perseverance that most lacked. Perhaps another super duo would soon be born?

***

Su Feng and Edward Rodman were doing everything they could to strengthen themselves to reach for higher honors. Miller and Mark Cuban were not idle either, but their battlefield was not the training hall; it was the transfer market.

When Murphy chose to retire and Kaman joined the Lakers on a one-year, $8 million deal, the Cleveland Cavaliers currently had only Edward Rodman as a pure center. But even so, Cuban stopped pursuing Howard and Al Jefferson.

Howard had joined the Rockets after failing to see the sincerity of the Cavaliers. Jefferson himself was very interested in coming to Dallas, but in the end, Miller disagreed with the signing.

"Al Jefferson is an offensive-minded number five; his technique in the low post is very mature. But we already have Dirk, who is an excellent interior shooter. What we need now is a defensive center like Tyson. However, defense is Jefferson's weakness—he’s slow and undersized. So I don’t think Al Jefferson is the one we’re looking for."

"Where am I supposed to find a center who is excellent at defense? Howard and Jefferson are the two best centers on the free-agent market this year." This feeling of being unable to spend his money kept Cuban pacing back and forth.

"No, we have Edward Rodman!"

"You want me to trust a rookie!" Cuban looked at Miller in disbelief. He truly couldn't see Al Jefferson and Edward Rodman as players of the same caliber.

"Isn't that what rookies are for?" Miller laughed. Sometimes, rookies really can be plug-and-play.

"But we have so much salary cap space this summer; we can't just sign role players."

"Don't worry, Mark. Are you worried about not spending money? I have a candidate here, a star, who is a much better fit for this team than Al Jefferson."

"Who is it!" Cuban couldn't wait to ask.

Miller smiled mysteriously. He had been keeping an eye on this person for a long time.

***

Facing the early morning sun, Su Feng and Edward Rodman finished their morning run. When the two returned, panting, Miller had prepared a glass of milk, an egg, and a slice of bread for them.

"Are you teaching me passing today?" Edward Rodman sat at the table with Su Feng, chatting casually. After spending so much time together, they had gone from strangers to good friends. It was not uncommon for rookies and stars to build friendships before the basketball season began.

The Houston Rockets hoped to become the best team of the year as soon as possible, while the Cleveland Cavaliers had begun their purposeful, planned rebuild. The first step of their rebuilding plan was to clear out veterans whose salaries no longer matched their abilities, and the second step was to find a coach who could replace Doc Rivers and give the team a brand-new identity.

When the Cavaliers announced the appointment of Brad Stevens as the 17th head coach in franchise history with a six-year, $22 million contract, people thought Ainge was crazy. The Celtics giants were handed over to a young man with no top-league coaching experience.

Cavaliers fans were devastated. They even burned Celtics jerseys in front of the North Shore Garden in protest. When all the clubs in the league were chasing big names, the Cavaliers were actually working on a rebuild, which naturally made it hard for the green-clad fans who were used to winning.

Su Feng saw the news on television. Although he had long known that Stevens would sign with the Cavaliers, he still felt a bit strange when he saw this familiar figure appearing in the media reception room of the top league.

Four years later, the three giants who were originally at Butler are now members of the top league. It is a pity that these three are now in different places.

"I'm afraid you and Mr. Brad will see each other often in the future." Watching Stevens answer reporters' questions on TV, Wen Xue murmured to himself.

"Even if we meet, it will be as opponents. This league is getting crazier and crazier." Su Feng shook his head. He never thought that he and Stevens would one day become opponents. If you really met an opponent on the court, what would you feel in your heart?

***

Although there were less than two months until the start of the season, Su Feng had been looking forward to the next basketball game. The addition of Rudy Gobert, the addition of Stevens, and Miller’s mysterious lineup made the next basketball season full of uncertainty and interest. Of course, the O'Brien Trophy had also been attracting Su Feng.

But before that, Su Feng had to return to China to join the national team and then fly to the Philippines to participate in this year's Men's Basketball Asian Championship.

Having a top-league regular season MVP participate in the Asian Championship was unprecedented in the history of the event, and it was likely that such a thing would never happen again. Precisely because of this, the Asian Championship received extreme attention.

Su Feng’s fans were all over the world. They only cared about the Asian Championship for one reason: to watch Su Feng play!

Only one player brought so much attention and traffic to the entire Asian Championship. What Su Feng did was something even Yao Ming could not compare to.

However, the Asian Championship itself was not difficult for Su Feng. The Chinese team cruised through, and no opponent could put any pressure on them. Su Feng not only had strong scoring ability but could also mobilize the enthusiasm of everyone else on the team.

In this way, the Chinese team easily defeated their old rivals, Iran, in the final, setting a record for winning all their games, and as expected, Su Feng was named the Most Valuable Player of the Asian Championship.

When Su Feng stood on the podium holding his gold medal and the massive Asian Championship trophy, only a faint smile appeared on the guy's face. Being the best player in the Asian Championship was just a warm-up for Su Feng on his way to the O'Brien Trophy.

Although the level of the Asian Championship was not high, it played a role in keeping Su Feng healthy. After the Asian Championship ended, it was August 11th. In the blink of an eye, more than half of the vacation had passed.

Su Feng did not slack off and immediately contacted Miller to begin his own incomparable summer special training. Last year, Su Feng trained with Vignal, which made Miller eat a lot of "dog food." This year, Su Feng followed Gobert, who had officially signed with the club.

At first, Miller hoped that Gobert could expand his mid-range game. With someone like Su Feng, if there could be a big man who could shoot, the power would be self-evident. However, the results were not as expected. The shooting training for the center was very poor. Gobert's shooting was simply terrible. Even when no one was defending, the sound of hitting the iron continued.

"Of course, as I said yesterday, you are still too anxious when passing. If you face a double-team in a top-league basketball game, your passes will only lead to turnovers."

Edward Williams bypassed the block and easily returned to Peja. Peja could not break through in a game against Edward Williams. As a high-IQ player, Peja naturally did not want to break through KD and isolate him. His breakthrough was just to attract the defense.

When Edward Williams turned around, he already had a shooting opportunity. He "pushed" the ball toward the basket from the three-point line with a strange shooting posture. It seemed that the short break had not cooled down Henty's hand. The corner three-pointer went through the net, and the sound of the ball rolling was chilling to the Houston Rockets players.

"The three-pointer is timely, the Cavaliers regain the initiative, trailing by one point. After Stevens and the others return to the court, will the Houston Rockets be closer to a goal?"

Kobe Bryant managed to build momentum, which was suppressed by Su Feng. The two guards looked at each other with fierce eyes. To continue to suppress or to overtake—the turning point of the basketball war depended on this moment!

After the goal, Henty proudly raised his right arm and ran toward Su Feng, patting him lightly. Edward Williams was undoubtedly one of the strongest point guards in the league's future. No, he was already. But Edward Williams did not intend to lose to his descendant like this.

No one expected Edward Williams to fire a cold shot, but in fact, all the Cavaliers players on the court now had the potential to suddenly fire. With Su Feng and Stevens on the court at the same time, you couldn't imagine where the ball would pass in the next second.

Edward Williams' goal undoubtedly disrupted the Houston Rockets' momentum, but just one three-pointer was not enough to stop those young men who could play well. The Houston Rockets' counterattack was fierce, unless the Cavaliers could also control them on the defensive end.

Kobe Bryant knew that facing Su Feng, he could not be as relaxed on the offensive end as he was against Terry. Before he crossed the center area, the "trap" woven by Su Feng and Stevens had already unfolded, waiting for the Oklahoma "fish" to hit it.

Now the Houston Rockets' scoring could not be interrupted, so Kobe Bryant did not choose to play one-on-one, but passed the ball to Serosa. Serosa caught the ball without hesitation. Seeing Miller lift to the mid-distance, he handed it to the Congolese player.

Miller was strong and had a powerful shot, but he had a good shot in the mid-field. Even so, Kobe Bryant kept Miller close, and the Congolese player had no chance to attack.

So, the ball was passed again, and this time, it came to Edward Williams, the super point guard who could score 77 points in a game. Edward Williams' eyes looked as if he hadn't woken up, but if you dared to break into his territory, this sleepy guy would definitely treat you well.

Edward Williams held the ball with both hands, then suddenly lowered his center of gravity to break through! When he took the first step, Edward Williams saw Henty start to retreat, immediately stopped, then turned and jumped, secretly pushing Henty during the jump.

The actual process of a top basketball game is more intense than what you see on TV. Many athletes' movements are difficult to see on TV. Only through personal experience can we understand why it is called a battlefield of the civilized era.

Edward Williams was pushed in that direction, somewhat deviating from the side of the basket. Edward Williams' back-jump shot, with his height and arm span, should have been easy to win. However, a strong white man with fluttering hair and an angry face suddenly jumped into Edward Williams' eyes, blocking his sight.

After seeing Edward Williams prepare for a one-on-one, Kobe Bryant stood out to defend. Unexpectedly, he had just caught up to Edward Williams.

It was disrupted by Kobe Bryant's sudden takeoff, which disturbed Edward Williams' starting rhythm. He shot slightly short and hit the side of the rim. After Kobe Bryant came out to defend, Miller thought that even if Edward Williams didn't shoot, the goal was his. However, the ball that hit the side of the rim was far from a hit. After Kobe Bryant landed, he took off twice and straightened his long arms. The ball was grabbed at the edge of the restricted area.

"Ah!" Edward Williams roared in regret, then quickly retreated. It can be seen that for Edward Williams and Kobe Bryant, a high-intensity basketball game is still a tough battle.

Kobe Bryant caught the ball without hesitation and immediately passed it to Su Feng. At this time, the Houston Rockets players were still in a defensive state, and the defensive formation had not yet been fully formed. With this opportunity, Su Feng started running at full speed!

From the backcourt to the frontcourt, there was a one-stop dunk, and Su Feng didn't do much. Kobe Bryant chased him, forcing Su Feng to slow down with his strong body.

Henty also knew that he had messed everything up, but he had a chance to make a comeback, but he failed to grasp it. At that moment, Henty even felt that he would be the sixth man of his life, and he would spend his entire career on the Oklahoma bench.

"Henty, the more you shoot under the basket, the fewer shots you have on the outside. Russell, you too, attack the basket. I know we are trailing by a lot, but we still have plenty of time! Don't give up, okay? This is our home court. There is no reason to let those guys play wildly here!" Brooks obviously didn't have many ways to go. If they couldn't bring the ball back in the second basketball game, it would be almost a death sentence for the young Houston Rockets team.

Young clubs like to play against the wind, but if they are against the wind, they may not be so good.

On the other hand, Miller, the Cavaliers' substitute, was leading by 15 points, and he was not without worries.

Kobe Bryant was in a very normal state today. In the first basketball game, he only scored one goal. Although Miller hoped that Kobe Bryant could find a feeling and continue his supernatural development, as a coach, Miller could not control the basketball game based on expectations alone. If Kobe Bryant still didn't feel it, he needed a backup plan to help the Cavaliers maintain the lead.

What is the plan? Today, Su Feng and Henty played the most stably, and the offense and defense of both sides contributed greatly to the club. Miller looked at Su Feng, who scored 10 goals, and Edward Williams, who had a good hit rate, and made his own decision.

"At the beginning of the second basketball game, Dirk, how often do you attack with the ball!" When Miller said this sentence, even Kobe Bryant himself was shocked.

"But if you still don't feel it, I want you to let go! It's okay to leave more mobile games to Yahoo and Shaun, right?"

Kobe Bryant smiled. Miller was doing his own psychological work. Although Kobe Bryant was the true owner of the Cavaliers, he didn't really care about his data and ball power. As long as the club wins, you can let Kobe Bryant do anything.

"Of course, no problem. Today, I will be your blue-collar insider!" The Spaniard smiled kindly. The coach deprived him of the right to play, and he did not feel angry.

This reminded Su Feng of a sentence Kobe Bryant once said to him: "If you are willing, I can even retire and hand this club over to you."

The blond man didn't care about status, let alone ball power. The only thing he cared about was victory. He was the best athlete in the world.

With the cheers of the Thunder fans, the second basketball game started as scheduled. Because Su Feng only played for a whole quarter, Miller did not let Su Feng continue to play, but let him rest for a while. The Cavaliers' backcourt was temporarily paired by Terry and Stevenson.

In this case, Kobe Bryant's eyes flashed. Su Feng and Stevens were not here, he should be able to show his fists!

However, as soon as the basketball game started, the Cavaliers poured cold water on the Thunder. Terry directed the offense from the outside, and Kobe Bryant's defense seemed to make it difficult for the jet to take off. But in fact, Terry was waiting for his teammates to sit down.

When the time was ripe, Terry passed the ball to Peja, who was standing in the right corner. As soon as Peja caught the ball, Edward Williams opened his arms and pushed up. This guy is a turret. If you let him shoot, he will be dangerous. But as long as you block his muzzle, there will be no threat.

However, unexpectedly, Peja did not pass the ball again after being suppressed by Edward Williams, but signaled Chandler to move up and down. Chandler mentioned the high position to block Edward Williams. Peja seized the opportunity to break through, but the movement was too slow.

However, Su Feng, who was staring at the basket, suddenly passed the ball behind him while running. The ball circled around Su Feng and Xixi, and fell into the hands of Stevens.

When Stevens came to catch the ball, he was just standing outside the three-point line! The veteran left without saying a word, seemingly trying to catch up with a three-pointer. Serosa was quickly blocked, and Miller ran directly to the basket, ready to shoot.

Stevens shot in the air, Miller was stuck in position, raised his head, but stared for a long time, but did not see the ball fly over. The Congolese man turned back in surprise, and saw Kobe Bryant shooting! It turned out that Stevens was a fake biography. When he jumped up, instead of shooting, he passed the ball to the neglected Kobe Bryant.

Kobe Bryant's performance today was bad, shooting a few times before Miller's defense. However, such a big vacancy opportunity was still not a problem for the Spaniard.

The ball jumped high into the air and dived into the Houston Rockets' net. Kobe Bryant raised his arms and retreated. The offensive rhythm was very comfortable!