Some Joys Can Only Be Experienced.

"How do you think Rudy will choose?" 

After dinner, Gay left first, leaving Han and Conley still in the restaurant. 

"Maybe the second option, or maybe he won't choose either," Han Sen shook his head.

People are inherently selfish and lazy, especially since Gay doesn't seem particularly smart. 

Although Gay lost face today, as long as he's thick-skinned enough, he can act like nothing happened.

Fundamentally, the fact that Gay signed a max contract with the team is a done deal, so as long as he puts his mind to causing a fuss, he can secure his position.

Of course, in the end, Gay might not hold on, because as he mentioned before, the Grizzlies are past the rookie benefit period, and if they don't start producing results, rebuilding is inevitable.

"I'll try to persuade him." What Han did today may not necessarily convince Gay, but it did earn Conley's admiration.

Having the ability, knowing when to stop, and being able to offer practical advice—all these combined create personal charm, or what could be called leadership.

Neither Gay, Randolph, nor Conley himself had really shown much of that quality before.

Indeed, anyone who could stand out on a team like the Cavaliers was not just average.

Han Sen nodded.

He didn't know what Conley was thinking at that moment, but he knew that Conley was well-liked. If Conley could persuade Gay to choose the second option, it would be good for the Grizzlies.

---

Time flew by, and by the end of September, training camps for various teams had wrapped up.

What Gay ultimately chose was unknown, as he didn't give Conley a clear answer. However, he calmed down during training camp and didn't go back to his old solo ways.

This was a good thing for the Grizzlies, and for Han Sen as well.

Because Han helped Hollins solve a big problem, his standing in the latter's eyes improved significantly.

Around this time, NBA columnist Marc Stein published the first power rankings for the 2010-2011 season on social media.

In the rankings, the defending champion Lakers were at the top.

Following closely were the peak Miami Heat with their Big Three.

The Celtics, Magic, Mavericks, Thunder, Jazz, Spurs, Bulls, and Bucks occupied positions 3 through 10.

The Grizzlies were ranked 20th.

Although the Grizzlies' offseason trade with the Cavaliers generated some buzz, and Han made bold statements about leading the team to a championship after joining, the team was still not highly regarded.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers, who had lost Han, James, Shaq, and Ilgauskas, were ranked 22nd.

The rankings sparked considerable controversy.

The biggest points of contention were naturally the positions of the Lakers and the Heat.

The Lakers' path to defending their title last season was tough, and this season their roster had hardly changed, looking clearly aged. So why were they still ahead of the Heat?

The second point was the Grizzlies. They were close to making the playoffs last season, and Han Sen shined during the previous season. Although talk of a championship was unrealistic, were they really not even good enough to make the playoffs?

The last issue was the Cavaliers. After losing three core players, why weren't they considered a bottom-three team?

Because of these questions, Stein's social media was bombarded by fans.

In the end, Stein had to write a detailed article explaining the points of contention.

First, he explained that the power rankings took into account matchup dynamics. He believed that if the Lakers and Heat met in the Finals, the Heat's weaknesses in the paint would put them at a disadvantage.

Secondly, he argued that Han Sen's abilities were overestimated, using Bonzi Wells as an example.

Wells, during the 2005-2006 season with the Kings, averaged 13.6 points per game in the regular season, just like Han Sen. He also posted impressive stats in the playoffs against the defending champion Spurs, averaging 23.2 points and 12 rebounds on 62.5% shooting.

But in the following season with the Rockets, Wells averaged just 7.8 points in 28 games.

Stein believed Han Sen's injury concerns would be exacerbated on a Grizzlies team that played a half-court style, and that he might perform even worse than Wells.

Finally, despite losing James and O'Neal, the Cavaliers had acquired Mayo and Thabeet.

Mayo had been considered a player with a floor of Kobe Bryant and a ceiling of Michael Jordan when drafted, but he didn't receive enough development in Memphis. Thabeet, a former second-overall pick, had only played 13 minutes per game as a rookie.

At the end of the article, Stein added a personal opinion: "I still believe that the Cavaliers were the beneficiaries of the draft night trade. It may take two to three years for this to become clear."

At the same time, the league released the schedule for the upcoming season, including pre-season and regular-season games.

The pre-season opener was set for October 5, with the first game being the Lakers vs. the Timberwolves.

The regular season would begin on October 27.

The Grizzlies' first game was also on October 27, as they would head to Miami to face the Heat.

As the league's strategist, Stern knew what kind of script would excite the fans.

This arrangement sparked excitement among the fans but also drew some criticism, mostly from Heat fans and especially LeBron's followers.

The Heat had just formed and needed time to develop chemistry, but the Grizzlies' style was clearly a bad matchup for them, making this arrangement unfavorable to the Heat.

However, what these critics overlooked was that Stern was firmly opposed to 'The Decision' and did not want to see the league dominated by superteams.

The old collective bargaining agreement would expire next summer, and negotiations had already begun in February of the previous year. Introducing a superteam now would make many team owners anxious about losing their star players and, subsequently, their fanbase.

Furthermore, if top stars continued to form superteams, the league would become dominated by a few teams, leaving others in decline.

To prevent this trend, a hard salary cap would need to be implemented, which was the biggest sticking point in labor negotiations.

If the disagreement could not be resolved, Stern would have to face a lockout during his tenure.

Han was very pleased with this arrangement by the league. Although Gay's issues were not yet completely resolved, as a time traveler, he knew the Heat's Big Three would face more early struggles than the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies would have a chance to deliver a 'rude awakening' to the Heat in this game.

However, the regular season was still a while away, and they had seven pre-season games to play.

The Grizzlies' first pre-season game was at home against the Pacers.

The Pacers were ranked 21st in Stein's power rankings, making them fairly evenly matched with the Grizzlies.

The game quickly saw the Grizzlies take the upper hand.

At this time, David West had not yet joined the Pacers, and their power forward rotation consisted of Tyler Hansbrough and Josh McRoberts.

One had brute strength but couldn't use it effectively, while the other wasn't known for his defense. Neither could handle Randolph in the post.

Hansen's impact was also evident, as his presence at the three-point line created plenty of space for Randolph to operate in the post.

This prompted the commentator to remark, "As long as Han stands there, he's worth 10 million dollars."

Although Mayo had shot well from three-point range last season, he wasn't a true three-point specialist and didn't have the same tactical impact.

But as the Grizzlies took control, Gay started his isolation plays.

Facing Mike Dunleavy's defense, Gay's superior speed and overall skills gave him the advantage.

After driving past Dunleavy several times and hitting mid-range jumpers, the crowd cheered loudly.

Pacers coach Jim O'Brien, seeing trouble, replaced Dunleavy with Paul George.

George was the Pacers' tenth overall pick this year, with similar physical measurements to Han Sen but with a longer wingspan by 2 cm. He also had better dynamic athleticism, including vertical leap and jump speed, and excellent flexibility.

The Cavaliers had previously considered trading Han Sen for George, but the Grizzlies' offer was more attractive, so they dropped the trade.

Seeing the Pacers bring in a rookie, Gay's desire to score one-on-one grew even stronger.

However, he underestimated George's abilities.

Though a rookie, George had quick lateral movement, making it hard for Gay to get past him.

With 7-foot-2 Roy Hibbert guarding the paint, Gay couldn't easily drive inside without risking a blocked shot.

This forced him to resort to post-up plays, but with mediocre post skills and George's quick hands, he almost got stripped.

Gay's scoring efficiency declined, allowing the Pacers to take advantage and launch frequent fast breaks.

Although they didn't succeed every time, they managed to force the Grizzlies' twin towers to repeatedly sprint up and down the court, allowing the Pacers to completely control the game's pace.

If the previous scrimmage within the team had only shown a glimpse, this pre-season game clearly illustrated why Hollins was reluctant to grant Gay a bigger role in the offense.

The essence of the twin towers' lineup is to reduce the number of possessions in the game and aim to score on every possession. Essentially, slowing down the game and maximizing each possesion.

If they could hold their ground defensively, their chances of winning would significantly increase.

But now, with Gay being inefficient, the game turned into a running contest, and the twin towers became a liability.

In the end, Hollins had no choice but to sub in Sam Young for Gay, allowing the Grizzlies to regain control of the game.

Han was speechless about the situation.

Although Gay had not explicitly stated it, his previous actions made Han think that he had accepted his suggestions.

But now, it seemed like Gay still hadn't come around.

This made Han think about Gay's entire career.

It seemed like Gay carried bad luck with him wherever he went.

When he was on the Grizzlies, they could never make the playoffs, but as soon as he got injured, they became the eighth seed to upset the first; when he left, the Grizzlies made it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in history.

When he was with the Raptors, they were at the bottom of the East year after year, but as soon as he left, they made it back to the playoffs for the first time in five years.

He played four years with the Kings, but they never won more than 40 games.

In hindsight, it wasn't bad luck at all—it was purely a matter of playing style.

This situation persisted throughout the pre-season.

Gay's skills and form were at their best since entering the league, but his playing style clearly didn't fit well with the team.

Han Sen even had the urge to crack open Gay's head and see what was going on inside.

But it was obvious that after signing a max contract, even Hollins couldn't do much with Gay.

Before the final pre-season game against the Mavericks, Han approached Hollins.

"You want me to bring Rudy off the bench?" Hollins was shocked by his suggestion.

A max-contract player coming off the bench? Han Sen, are you out of your mind?

"Rudy's reckless behavior comes from his belief that no one can do anything to him."

Hollins didn't say anything. He knew Han was right, but the problem was that management wouldn't let him do that.

"If we let Rudy continue like this, we probably won't make the playoffs again this season, and then even the coach might get dragged into it."

This made Hollins immediately look up.

Most people only care about things that are related to their own interests. From Theus to Shaquille, and now to Hollins, it was no different.

"And it's just for this one pre-season game. Of course, we wouldn't say it that way," Han Sen's meaning was clear—this was to give Gay a warning.

Hollins stroked his chin and thought for a moment before finally agreeing.

Han's idea was perhaps the only feasible solution.

On October 23, the Grizzlies hosted the Mavericks in their final pre-season game.

Han saw Shaq for the first time in nearly five months, and he seemed to have gained more weight.

Shaq's injuries last season were largely due to poor weight control.

The two caught up and chatted about their current situations.

Shaq was enjoying his time in Dallas.

Although racial discrimination was also prevalent in Dallas, as an elite black man, he didn't feel it much.

Moreover, he played very comfortably alongside Nowitzki in the frontcourt, and the Mavericks' offensive spacing was even better than the Cavaliers'.

After catching up, the game between the two teams soon began.

Gay did not start in this game and sat on the bench with a gloomy expression. It was as if there was a murderous aura around him, causing his teammates to subconsciously keep their distance.

On the court, the Grizzlies and Mavericks went back and forth.

Carlisle used O'Neal to match up with Randolph, while Nowitzki was assigned to defend Marc Gasol, making it difficult for the Grizzlies to initiate low-post offense.

At this point, Han seized the opportunity to showcase his skills, frequently attacking the Mavericks' interior when O'Neal was drawn out of the paint by Randolph.

The player defending him, Caron Butler, was known for being a defensive liability, and compared to him, even Jamison seemed like a defensive stopper.

However, the Grizzlies still struggled to contain the Mavericks' offense, and Randolph versus Nowitzki looked like a tank being kited by an archer.

Even when Hollins adjusted the lineup to have Marc Gasol guard him, Nowitzki still managed to use screens to target Randolph.

With nine minutes into the first quarter, the score was tied at 20.

Han had scored 9 points in the quarter, putting on an impressive performance.

As the regular season was near, both teams played seriously and rotated their players normally.

Gay was subbed in by Hollins at this point.

Fueled by anger, Gay dominated his matchup with DeShawn Stevenson, even pulling off a humiliating poster dunk.

Although Gay's playing style was problematic, his skills and condition this season were indeed good enough. He completely overwhelmed his opponents in the bench minutes.

In the end, the Grizzlies defeated the Mavericks 107-98, securing their final and most impressive win of the preseason.

Han contributed a team-high 24 points, while Gay added 20 points off the bench.

After the game, Han returned to the locker room.

As soon as he sat down, Gay walked over to him.

This time, Gay did not look down on him but sat beside him.

"You were right."

Hearing Gay's words, Han broke into a smile.

Sometimes, the joy of staggering your schedule can only be understood after experiencing it.

That was another reason why he had Hollins bring Gay off the bench.

For straightforward people, simple and direct methods are often the most effective.