Everything is Ready.

"Championship? Us?" Battier's reaction was just like Randolph's earlier.

No, he might even be more realistic.

After all, going from winning one playoff game to contending for a championship is quite a leap.

But Han Sen's next words to Battier were very different from what he had told Randolph.

"Who do you think is most likely to make it to the Finals from the East this year?"

"Miami," Battier responded quickly after only a brief pause.

The Eastern Conference contenders this year were the Bulls, Heat, Celtics, and Magic.

The Celtics were getting too old, the Magic weren't much of a threat anymore, and the Bulls were too young.

In comparison, though the Heat had some chemistry issues, the playoffs are the stage for superstars, and in that regard, they already had the edge.

"Do you think we stand a chance against the Heat if we meet them in the Finals?"

"Yes." This time, Battier didn't hesitate at all.

There was definitely something to the idea of a bad matchup. Everyone said the Lakers countered the Heat, but honestly, the Grizzlies were a nightmare matchup for Miami.

It wasn't just a chance—they had a pretty good shot.

"We've already beaten the Spurs, Lakers, and Mavs this season. We've got a chance against all of them, so making it out of the West isn't impossible."

Battier looked at Han Sen, nodding slightly. "You make a good point."

"But Rudy…" Battier trailed off, thinking of Rudy Gay.

If Gay hadn't gotten injured, the Grizzlies would have an even better shot.

"We can win without Rudy," Han said, locking eyes with Battier. "Besides, does your unfinished business only matter for one season?"

Rudy was out for the season, not his career.

Battier looked back at Han Sen, reading between the lines. Smart as he was, he knew what Han was implying—this was about staying with the team.

"Han, you know… you're the second person to make me feel like you can really do it," Battier said, giving Han a rare compliment, though not a direct answer.

The first person, of course, had been Yao Ming.

Yao was truly admirable, especially two years ago when he made his incredible comeback.

Anyone who played on that Rockets team had the same admiration for Yao that Willis Reed's Knicks teammates had for him.

"Trust your gut, Shane." Han wasn't pushing for an answer yet.

He knew that if they made a deep playoff run this season, even if they didn't win the championship, as long as they went far enough, Battier would see the Grizzlies as a legitimate contender and want to stay.

After all, if you could fight for your dream in the place where it all started, who would want to leave?

And if he stayed, he might become even stronger than the version of Battier Han Sen knew because he would have more motivation.

...

One day later, the Grizzlies hosted the Thunder in a game at home.

Both teams made significant moves at the trade deadline, and this game would serve as a test of how successful those trades were.

As the game began, the intensity quickly escalated.

The addition of Perkins immediately boosted the Thunder's interior strength by a level.

With him and Ibaka—one excelling at defending the post, the other at help defense—the Grizzlies' usual inside advantage over the Thunder was significantly reduced.

On the other hand, the pressure on the Grizzlies inside and out didn't ease at all.

Especially Kevin Durant.

Before, with Gay on the court, the Grizzlies could somewhat contain him with their athleticism, but Young's defense was practically non-existent against KD.

Coach Hollins had no choice but to bring Battier in early.

However, Battier's effect on Durant wasn't much better either.

Though he could limit Durant's shooting to some extent, Battier simply couldn't keep up with him on the drive.

To put it vividly, Battier earned Durant's respect, but that was all.

In the end, Hollins chose to switch Han Sen to guard Durant instead of putting Tony Allen on him.

After all, Allen was only 6'4" (1.93m), and Durant's official height of 6'10" (2.08m)—which was probably more like 6'11" (2.11m)—made such a matchup seem disastrous.

Han Sen performed excellently. His improved athleticism helped him limit Kobe's performance in previous games, and he was able to similarly disrupt Durant.

But by the end of the first quarter, the Grizzlies were trailing the Thunder 12-20.

Randolph and Han Sen were now the Grizzlies' core offensive players, one inside, one outside, but both struggled offensively, so it was hard for the team not to fall behind.

During the bench rotation, with the starters resting, Hollins put Jordan Crawford into the game.

Crawford had few opportunities with the Hawks before, and since he'd just joined the team, Hollins giving him a spot in the rotation over Ish Smith was a real opportunity.

And Crawford did not disappoint.

He hit a three-pointer from the outside after receiving a pass from Marc Gasol.

Shortly after, after the Grizzlies forced a turnover, Crawford drove on a fast break and made an acrobatic layup over Westbrook's chase-down block.

This instantly ignited the FedExForum crowd, and even Han Sen was impressed.

During this time, Han Sen started paying close attention to this new, often-overlooked teammate.

Aside from the infamous 'tape incident,' Han Sen didn't know much about Crawford.

Or perhaps because his name was also Crawford, and since they were both slim guards, Han Sen often found himself associating him with Jamal Crawford, or instinctively thinking they were similar players.

But after watching him for a while, Han Sen realized that wasn't the case.

Jamal Crawford, known to fans as 'JCrossover', excelled at ball-handling, easily breaking down defenders with crossovers.

Jordan Crawford, on the other hand, was mediocre at handling the ball. In the last possession of the first quarter, he couldn't even shake off Eric Maynor.

However, his spot-up shooting was impressive—better than "JCrossover's."

Moreover, his athleticism was more explosive, despite his lean frame. His leaping ability and hang time were top-tier.

After observing him, Han Sen understood why the Hawks had drafted him but hadn't developed him.

They drafted him for his athletic potential but didn't develop him because, standing only 6'4" (1.93m), his ball-handling wasn't good enough, and his height wasn't ideal.

He was a jack of all trades, master of none.

However, Tony Allen had transformed himself into a defensive player, while Crawford seemed to be putting his skill points into offense.

Such players were a great fit for China's CBA.

But in fairness, Crawford seemed to fit the current Grizzlies quite well too. After Gay's season-ending injury, the Grizzlies' bench lacked a scorer.

He would need to be paired with Marc Gasol, though, because his ball-handling wasn't strong enough to be the primary ball-handler.

This became obvious in the second quarter when Gasol sat down.

After a failed attempt at dribbling past his defender, resulting in a steal, Coach Hollins promptly benched him.

In his 6 minutes on the court, Crawford had 7 points but also committed 2 turnovers and 2 fouls. His strengths and weaknesses were clear, but overall, his performance was good.

Once the starters returned, the game remained neck and neck.

By halftime, the Grizzlies were down 52-58 to the Thunder.

As it turned out, Battier knew his basketball well—focusing Han Sen on defense did indeed diminish his offensive impact.

While the Grizzlies had beaten the Lakers, that win came from dominating the paint. With Randolph unable to dominate inside like before, the Grizzlies were forced into a passive situation.

In the second half, Durant remained unstoppable.

Just like he showed during summer workouts with Han Sen in Memphis, Durant had become a top 10, if not top 5, superstar in the league.

Young was like air in front of him.

Hollins had no choice but to try Tony Allen.

This became the turning point of the game.

Allen's defense frustrated Durant.

Despite a significant height disadvantage, Allen relentlessly attacked Durant's lower body, making it tough for him to maintain his offensive rhythm while holding the ball.

If Durant wasn't careful, Allen would strip the ball from him.

And not just with the ball—when Durant tried to move without it, Allen shadowed him like a ghost.

While Allen's height limited his ability to defend players one-on-one, Durant was tall but dribbled with a high center of gravity, which allowed Allen to contain him.

On the other hand, Allen struggled more against Kobe's smoother, lower dribble.

Defense relies on physical gifts, and that applies to every player. Allen had already suffered a torn ligament, which had diminished his athleticism.

But Allen has one defensive ability that even Han Sen can't match: navigating around screens.

He can slip through them with just a quick move, a skill that requires not only great speed but also exceptional defensive awareness.

In this aspect, he's nearly unmatched in NBA history.

With Durant limited, the Thunder's offensive efficiency began to drop.

And with Allen guarding Durant, Han Sen was freed up.

Although it sometimes felt like the Grizzlies were playing 4-on-5 offensively, Han Sen had developed a mid-range game, allowing him to pull up from around the free-throw line before the defense could collapse on him.

These adjustments helped the Grizzlies secure a 112-106 victory over the Thunder, winning this critical 'trade test' game.

Battier wasn't on the floor in the final moments, but he was constantly cheering for his teammates from the sidelines.

You could see the excitement on his face—he truly understood what Han Sen had told him before.

Even without Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies still had a shot at making it out of the West.

After all, they had already beaten all the contending teams.

Following the Grizzlies-Thunder game, the league hit the final key date of the season: the buyout deadline.

Unlike the trade deadline, the buyout deadline doesn't mean players can no longer be bought out after this date.

Instead, it means that only players bought out before this date are eligible to play in the playoffs.

It was a busy day.

For example, Mike Bibby reached a buyout agreement with the Wizards and was expected to sign with the Heat.

Corey Brewer, after reaching a buyout with the Knicks, signed a 3-year, 7 million dollar deal with the Mavericks.

Delonte West had already been bought out earlier and joined Dallas, so he wasn't part of that day's news.

Most of the players bought out were either veterans or capable players who hadn't had much opportunity, and they usually chose teams with championship aspirations.

The Grizzlies also made a move that day, signing veteran Jason 'White Chocolate' Williams, who had reached a buyout with the Magic.

This buyout was different from the others because the Magic themselves were contenders.

To put it simply, Williams' motivation was similar to Battier's.

As a former Grizzly, Williams had helped the team make the playoffs between 2003 and 2005, only to be swept.

Previously, the Grizzlies had sent away three players for two in return, leaving a gap in the roster.

After trading away West, they were missing a playmaker.

After the buyout deadline passed, the Grizzlies went on a solid run until mid-March, maintaining the fifth seed in the West without further slippage.

However, during this period, there were some internal issues, primarily involving Jordan Crawford.

Crawford had performed well in his debut against the Thunder, but after the team acquired Jason Williams, he found himself benched.

If you paid close enough attention, you could figure out why. Coach Hollins prioritized discipline, and in that Thunder game, Crawford had gone rogue.

Naturally, Crawford was unhappy. And with his somewhat confrontational personality, he ended up in a heated argument with Williams during practice.

Conley tried to step in but wasn't able to calm things down. Essentially, Crawford was venting his frustration in this way.

Hollins was furious, and if the buyout deadline hadn't passed, Crawford might have been let go by the team right then and there.

In the end, it was Battier who stepped in, first breaking up the argument, then having a long talk with Hollins.

Magically, in the next game against the Hornets, Crawford was back in the rotation and played well, scoring 14 points off the bench, the most among the reserves, helping the team win.

Even Han Sen was surprised by how it all played out.

He couldn't help but talk to Battier afterward, and Battier said something that stuck with him:

"Everyone who makes it to the NBA has a skill they're good at. If you can find the right spot for them, they can contribute."

It made sense. Whether it was Crawford or Williams, both were valuable to the Grizzlies at that moment.

What truly amazed Han Sen, though, was Battier himself.

Not only could he resolve conflicts that even Conley couldn't, but he could also communicate effectively with the coaching staff.

For Hollins to actually take a player's advice was unheard of, given his personality.

It made Han Sen think of one word: locker room leader.

This kind of role requires a person who can maintain good relationships with both teammates and coaches while having a strong enough reputation in the league so that when they step up to resolve issues, others listen.

Conley had the potential, but he was still too young.

Battier fit the role perfectly.

Now, the Grizzlies really seemed like they were ready for anything.

By late March, there were just a few weeks left in the NBA season.

During this period, the Grizzlies made some adjustments.

After his strong performance against the Thunder, Tony Allen replaced Young as a starter, and Han Sen moved from his familiar shooting guard position to small forward.

With Battier around, the lineup change didn't cause any disruption within the team.

And thanks to him, Han Sen had enjoyed nearly a month of combined training sessions with both Allen and Battier. His mid-range game had improved rapidly, and he had already reached a bottleneck in his progress toward mastering the [Classical Master] talent.

Then, on March 23, the Grizzlies were set to face the Miami Heat for the second time this season.