Chapter 66: Lineup confirmed

Days without games dragged on for Jake, but time kept moving forward as he wrapped up the offseason work with the Nets trade behind him. He made one last trip to Las Vegas to watch the Kings in the Summer League. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to witness a victory—the Kings were stopped in the semifinals. In the end, it was the Spurs who claimed the championship, with Kyle Anderson snagging Finals MVP honors. With the summer winding down, Jake headed back to Sacramento, watching the Sacramento River flow by as he waited for the team to regroup.

One by one, players returned from their vacations, each carrying their own off-season stories. First, Rudy Gay walked in. Jake looked him over, relieved to see that the forward hadn't completely let himself go. With some intense training, Gay would be in fighting shape in no time. Not long after, Divac returned from Europe, bringing a leaner, more fit Nikola Jokic back to the team.

"Boss, you've got to save me!" Jokic pleaded with Jake, half-joking but visibly worn out. "Divac put me through the wringer!"

"Alright, alright," Jake chuckled, patting the big man on the back. "Take a couple of days to recover. Divac won't be bothering you until then."

As Jokic left with a sigh of relief, Divac appeared, looking even more energized than the players. "This kid is incredible, Boss! I'm telling you, he's almost as good as I was back in the day—and it's only his second year!"

Jake nodded, knowing he'd heard this spiel before. "I know, I know. You've earned a couple of days off, too, Divac. Go rest."

Just as Jake was about to find a moment's peace, a voice interrupted. "Boss!" Greg Oden, the towering center with a history of injuries, approached. "I've been working on my mid-range shot all summer, and I'm now shooting consistently from just inside the three-point line!"

"Really? Great! Go see Coach Chip over there—let him give you a few pointers." Jake couldn't help but smile. With so many moving parts, he was beginning to feel more like the team's head honcho than just a manager.

After finally sending off the last of the players, Jake settled in for a break, only for Coach Malone to walk in, roster in hand. "Jake, I think we've got our lineup nearly set for the season."

"Alright, hit me," Jake replied, as Malone flipped through the pages.

"We need to decide on the starting backcourt. CJ will handle point guard duties, but I'm considering bumping LaVine up to the starting lineup after all his progress this summer."

Jake nodded thoughtfully. "Good call. LaVine always wanted to be a reliable 3-and-D guy, but we've been pushing him into a playmaking role. With Devin here now, he can focus on his strengths."

"No arguments on the frontcourt," Malone continued. "Gay and Young are our guys there. And for center, we'll go with Jokic."

Jake nodded in agreement, finalizing the starting five: CJ McCollum, Zach LaVine, Rudy Gay, Thaddeus Young, and Nikola Jokic.

"Perfect!" Malone said, scratching down notes. "But hold on—there's still the bench!"

After some debate, they agreed on a solid second unit: Greg Oden, Otto Porter, Devin Booker, Ben McLemore, Omri Casspi, and Josh Richardson, who was still building his skills in the Development League. Despite Cousins' departure, the roster felt strong. With Jokic taking the reins as the inside playmaker and Young covering him on defense, it seemed balanced. On the bench, Booker, though a natural guard, could handle the ball well enough to keep things steady during his minutes.

Looking at the lineup, Malone let out a surprised laugh. "I don't know why, but this lineup feels even better than last season's."

Jake raised an eyebrow, a grin spreading across his face. "Of course, it does! This team's been strengthened, no doubt about it. And remember, our aim isn't just to make the playoffs. We're aiming for the championship. The boss isn't giving us time to rebuild slowly."

Malone, sensing Jake's tone shift, became serious. "Understood. I'll keep the team on track and deliver."

"Good," Jake replied, nodding approvingly. "And don't worry about the finances. I'll keep things smooth on that end, but I need the results. Last season's progress was good, but this time, we go further."

Seeing Jake's determined expression, Malone mirrored the sentiment. "Trust me, I'll lead this team right. We'll get the results you want."

As preseason drew closer, the team fell into a rhythm. Coaches Chip and Chris Finch worked tirelessly, each honing in on their specialties. Chip, the shooting coach, focused on refining LaVine's jump shot technique. He'd observed that LaVine took an extra second to set up after catching the ball, which he pointed out could easily cost him open shots.

"You're wasting a second adjusting after you catch it," Chip explained. "Top shooters like Ray Allen can sink immediately because they're already prepared before the ball gets to them. You need to strengthen your hips, so you're ready to go the second it hits your hands."

Elsewhere on the court, Finch was running defensive drills with Porter and Richardson. Finch had quickly proved himself as a defensive guru, adding layers to the team's strategies and improving rotations.

Malone watched from the sidelines, his confidence in the coaching team growing. They were cohesive and brought out the best in each player. Chip's detailed shooting techniques and Finch's defensive drills added a dimension that was missing last season.

"Jake's really built something here," Malone muttered to himself as he glanced over at Jake, who was giving pointers to some of the younger players. This season had a different energy, and Malone could feel the urgency from Jake. This wasn't a team aiming just to make the playoffs—they were aiming to contend.

The days of quiet summer training gave way to the electric anticipation of the upcoming season. The Kings were ready to step onto the court as a refreshed, focused, and hungry squad. With Jake and Malone at the helm, they looked forward to testing their new lineup and pushing the limits. The playoff picture was in sight, and beyond that, the goal was clear: make a deep run and leave no doubts about their place among the best.