Welcome to the NBA.

Draymond Green wasted no time showcasing his defensive grit, successfully disrupting Marc Gasol's initial shot—though Gasol managed a put-back over him anyway. 

Green's strengths lie in his physicality and wingspan, but his height is a glaring weakness. Physically, he resembles Dennis Rodman, but even Rodman was limited to playing power forward during his time with the Bulls.

Trying to shut down a massive center like Gasol? That's a tall order, literally. 

While Green didn't make much of an impact on defense, his presence on offense didn't go unnoticed.

His knack for setting moving screens without drawing fouls gave Steph Curry some prime shooting space. Curry capitalized immediately, draining his first three-pointer of the night off the dribble. 

On the other end, Coach Mark Jackson adjusted the Warriors' defense to double-team the Grizzlies' big men. Green's agility compared to David Lee gave Golden State more options defensively. 

In response, Han Sen ran a pick-and-roll with Rudy Gay, took the pass, and hit a pull-up jumper to keep the scoreboard ticking. 

Then came the next possession.

The Warriors executed what seemed like an 'elevator doors' play, freeing Curry for an open shot. [1]

Han was caught off guard. He'd always assumed Steve Kerr introduced this play, but it seemed Jackson had a few tricks of his own. 

As Curry broke free, Han scrambled to contest the shot.

However, Green swung the ball behind him to a moving Klay Thompson in the corner. Thompson caught it and drilled the three-pointer before Han could recover. 

15-11.

The Warriors' infamous reliance on the three-ball was already making its presence felt. For Han, though, the real eye-catcher wasn't the Splash Brothers—it was Green. [2]

Say what you will, but Green might be the most perfect role player for these two sharpshooters.

He sets the screens, moves the ball, and does the dirty work no one else seems eager to handle. 

But Han wasn't about to let the narrative shift. On the next possession, he called for the ball from Mike Conley, orchestrating a high pick-and-roll with Gasol to get a switch onto Green. 

The crowd buzzed. Even Charles Barkley on commentary got fired up. 

"It's about time Han welcomes this rookie to the NBA!" Barkley exclaimed. 

Green didn't back down, clapping his hands and signaling he was ready. 

Han smirked. Green's energy was amusing, but it wasn't going to save him. With a quick first step, Han blew past him, and with Andrew Bogut out injured, the Warriors' paint was wide open. 

Han rose and slammed the ball through with a ferocious one-handed dunk, hanging on the rim for emphasis. 

As he dropped down, he turned to Green, smirking. "So…what exactly did you improve on during four years of college?" 

Green shot back, "I'm here, aren't I? This is the NBA!" 

Han shrugged. "Yeah, so why didn't you get here earlier? Didn't want to, or no one wanted you?" 

That jab landed harder than Green expected, but he wasn't done. On the next play, he set another textbook screen for Curry and rolled to the top of the key.

Curry drove in, then kicked the ball back out to Green, who drained a rare three-pointer. 

"Shut your mouth! We're about to take the lead!" Green yelled as he jogged back on defense. 

Han chuckled, shaking his head. Green was definitely more entertaining than his bigger namesake. At least this one knew how to bark back. 

Han continued to target Green, and though Green held his ground admirably, Han's skill was too much.

Another pick-and-roll left Green switched onto him, but Han breezed past again, this time hitting a tough fadeaway over Ezeli's contest. 

Green didn't give up. On the next possession, as Han drove in again, he lunged in for a desperate swipe, smacking Han's shooting arm with an audible slap. 

The whistle blew immediately, but Han still adjusted midair, managing to bank the ball in off the glass. 

The crowd erupted. Green stood frozen, staring at the basket, realizing just how much ground separated him from Han. 

As Han landed, he locked eyes with Green. "Better start praying. Divine intervention might be the only way you'll stop me." 

Green's face flushed red, but Han had already turned to the free-throw line. 

With the ball in hand, Han dribbled twice, then paused as if something had just come to him. He glanced over his shoulder at Green and smirked. 

"Welcome to the NBA, my boy," Han said with a sly grin before nailing the and-one free throw. 

Draymond Green stayed silent.

He had clearly realized the power of Han's trash talk and decided to keep his distance—though it was obvious he was mentally drawing circles to curse Han in his head. 

Even without a word, Han could tell from Green's expression that his effort to cultivate this new 'chief hater' was progressing nicely. 

Green got another open look from three on the next play, but this time, despite putting all his effort into the shot, it clanked off the rim.

College experience might have matured him, but as an NBA rookie, facing relentless pressure from Han was clearly shaking his confidence. 

The rebound fell into Marc Gasol's hands, and he immediately spotted Han already streaking beyond the arc.

The Grizzlies' twin towers lineup wasn't built for transition, but Han was the exception—his speed was next level. 

With a quarterback-style full-court pass, Gasol hit Han in stride.

Han took one look at the trailing Stephen Curry, then unleashed a ferocious windmill dunk to ignite the crowd. 

22-14.

Han's personal scoring spree pushed the lead closer to double digits, forcing the Warriors to call timeout. 

During the break, Coach Joerger skipped the clipboard, giving only some motivational pointers since the Grizzlies' game plan was already clicking. 

Han, immune to pep talks, let his attention wander. And then—he spotted her. 

Amid countless cheerleader performances he'd grown indifferent to during his three years in the NBA, this one caught his eye.

She wasn't just beautiful; her exotic features and striking presence made Han feel something he hadn't in a long time—a genuine urge to ask for someone's number. 

"Shane," Han turned to Shane Battier with a rare hint of curiosity, "does the no-contact rule with cheerleaders apply only to our team's squad?" 

Battier, momentarily stunned, took a second to process the unexpected question. 

"Well… it's primarily for the home team's players and cheerleaders. Keeps things… less complicated," he said after some thought. 

"But what about cheerleaders from other teams?" Han pressed on. 

Battier shrugged, finally cracking a grin. "If you're that curious, check their team's website. They're all registered there." 

Han gave Battier a thumbs-up, silently praising the veteran's resourcefulness. 

...

At halftime, the Grizzlies led 51-38, thanks to the dominance of their twin towers, who had already combined for 26 points and 14 rebounds. 

In the third quarter, Memphis turned up the defensive intensity—a trademark move during their winning streak. As in the opener against the Thunder, the Grizzlies' sudden lockdown defense left their opponents scrambling.

Joerger also adjusted the game plan: aggressive closeouts on threes and heavy interior help, daring the Warriors to take mid-range shots. 

Though Curry and Klay had decent mid-range games, they weren't enough to keep up with Han's clinical efficiency in that area. 

The Grizzlies quickly widened the lead—until Curry decided to take matters into his own hands. 

Switching to frequent pick-and-rolls with Ezeli, Curry found slivers of space to unleash his signature threes.

Memphis's bigs, particularly Zach Randolph, struggled to contain these actions, forcing Marc Gasol to switch and Conley to apply relentless ball pressure. 

Even under this suffocating defense, Curry showed flashes of his era-defining talent, hitting contested threes with jaw-dropping quickness.

By the end of the quarter, he'd drilled four triples, keeping the Warriors within striking distance. 

...

But in the fourth, the game was sealed by Han, who had been saving his energy. 

He exploded for 20 points in the final frame, leaving Klay Thompson visibly shaken.

Klay, tagged as a promising 3-and-D player, found himself helpless against Han's lethal mix of quickness and strength.

Han's post moves, fadeaways, and even double-teamed counter-turnarounds were unstoppable. 

On rare misses, Memphis's twin towers dominated the offensive boards, making the Warriors pay for focusing their defense on Han. 

As the Grizzlies' lead ballooned, the Warriors' defense crumbled, taking their offense down with it. Memphis closed out a decisive 104-84 victory.

...

The final stat line was a testament to Memphis's dominance.

Han dropped 32 points, while the Gasol-Randolph duo combined for 40 points and 20 rebounds.

On the Warriors' side, only Curry reached 20+, finishing with 26 points on 6-of-10 shooting from deep. Green contributed 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists but struggled to make a significant impact. 

In the postgame presser, Green doubled down. 

"Han said he'd break us by the third quarter. Did he? No way," Green said, flashing his trademark defiance. "We didn't have Andrew (Bogut). When he's back, things will be very different." 

When reporters relayed Green's comments to Han, he couldn't help but laugh. 

"Come on," Han said, smirking. "They weren't holding on in the third quarter because of Green—it was Steph keeping them afloat. 

"But I'll say this—I'm looking forward to seeing them in the playoffs. That's when Green will learn just how fragile so-called 'modern basketball' can be against us." 

-End of Chapter-

Translator's note:

[1] Elevator Doors Play is a classic play used by the Warriors, highlighting their sharpshooting. It works as follows:

1. A shooter (often Curry or Thompson) starts at the baseline and runs up toward the top of the key.

2. Two screeners, typically big men or wings, stand side by side at the free-throw line, forming a gap (the "elevator door") for the shooter to pass through.

3. Once the shooter moves through the gap, the screeners step together ("close the doors") to block the defender from following the shooter.

4. The shooter receives a quick pass and takes an open three-point shot.

The "Elevator Doors" play is a simple but highly effective way to create space for elite shooters like Curry and Thompson, and it has become a staple in the Warriors' offensive arsenal.

[2] The nickname 'Splash Brothers' refers to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the Golden State Warriors' star backcourt duo. Known for their exceptional shooting range and accuracy, the term 'splash' symbolizes the swish sound their shots make as they hit nothing but net.