In reality, the Phoenix Suns’ scouting department had also taken notice of Yao Ming.
But they were running all over the world and watching a ton of players. Just noticing a player didn’t mean they’d be reported up the chain. For that to happen, the director of scouting would have to create a file, conduct another round of evaluations, and only then would it be brought to Brian’s attention.
And those reports would only come when the team began its pre-draft work.
It was currently the middle of the season, so the scouting department generally wouldn’t bother Brian.
The exception was for players Brian had specifically asked them to keep an eye on.
Or, if a player was so exceptionally talented—on the level of an O’Neal or a Jordan—and had somehow gone undiscovered by other teams, the director of scouting would be knocking on Brian’s door in the middle of the night.
Of course, a situation like that was practically impossible. Forget overseas—even within the United States, it wasn’t just college and high school prospects; some promising middle schoolers were already on the radar of NBA scouts.
After all, talent was what they were drafting.
So, if Chen Yu hadn’t brought him up, Brian truly would have never paid any attention to Yao Ming.
And now, Brian was intrigued.
The Magic were short on big men, but weren’t the Phoenix Suns in the same boat?
Olajuwon and Ewing were solid, reliable, and a reassuring presence, but look at their age. They’d play for another year or two, and then they’d be retiring.
Looking at the long term, the Phoenix Suns also needed a top-tier, All-Star-caliber center.
If they wanted to keep their two top-tier perimeter stars, Hardaway and J Kidd, their only option was to take a gamble in the draft and capitalize on the value of a rookie contract.
A seven-foot-six big man who was also sufficiently mobile, with a large frame that could pack on muscle—the temptation for Brian was immense.
The only problem was their lack of a draft pick.
But Chen Yu knew Brian was already working on it. He planned to see which teams had poor records before the trade deadline, then try to make a deal and test his luck.
A short while later, the car arrived at the arena.
There was no game or scheduled practice today, but players were free to come in and train anytime.
Originally, only Tracy McGrady had been notified, but when they arrived, Hill had come as well. Monty also hurried over to join them.
The group met, and naturally, there was a round of greetings.
Hill was pushing a stroller carrying his daughter, Mira.
The little one was quite lively, around three or four months old. When Chen Yu tried to hold her, she squirmed and kicked, even smacking him once.
"She could be a boxer," Chen Yu exclaimed.
Hill roared with laughter.
The group walked toward the practice court. Tracy McGrady had already changed and was warming up.
It was the Five Animals Qigong!
Not many players in the league were willing to accept this routine, and even fewer stuck with it.
After the pleasantries, Chen Yu called Nelson over to evaluate Tracy McGrady’s training methods.
Chen Yu, meanwhile, stood by and observed with his Eye of All-Seeing.
Chen Yu had already taken a look earlier, and just as he’d surmised, Tracy McGrady had injured the longissimus muscle in his erector spinae. It had healed now, but there were still traces of the injury.
Namely, inflammation.
Looking deeper, he could also see damaged muscle fibers.
Then there was his scoliosis. That was holding steady, without any significant worsening.
’At my current level, though,’ Chen Yu thought, ’I should have a way to fix this problem for good.’
’But that’s something to consider during the offseason. It definitely can’t be dealt with now.’
Nelson’s task was to use his experience to evaluate Tracy McGrady’s training plan, from physical conditioning to technical and tactical drills, to see if there were any issues.
After watching for a while, during a break when Tracy McGrady was resting, Nelson walked over to Chen Yu. "Chen, you were right. The way he generates power for his shot puts extra strain on his lower back, increasing the risk of injury."
He brought over a laptop.
They had a video camera with them to film Tracy McGrady’s training session for analysis.
"Look at his jump shot," Nelson said, pointing at the screen. "I don’t know who taught him this, or if he adjusted it himself based on his habits, but before he releases the ball, he incorporates a triple-threat move. This has the effect of freezing the defender in place."
He even demonstrated the move himself.
When a normal player takes a jump shot, they first bend their knees and dip down. A defender with quick reflexes will already be raising their arms at this point, preparing to jump and block the shot.
But Tracy McGrady is different. He adds a triple-threat move, like a simple jab step or a ball fake. Because his drive is such a huge threat, the defender will instinctively assume he’s about to attack the basket. Their arms will typically spread out to the sides to cut off the driving lane.
At that exact moment, however, Tracy McGrady just pulls up and shoots. It’s like he uses a fake to freeze the defender in place, creating space for his shot.
"But by doing that, he can’t properly use the power from his legs. He has to generate force from his waist and core. And to get a higher release point, he tries to jump higher. His explosiveness is outstanding, but as I said, this technique places immense demands on his core strength."
"This is likely the reason why, over time, his lower back is prone to strain."
"And on top of that, he practices his shot way too much."
After asking, they learned that whenever he had time, Tracy McGrady would practice his shot, easily putting up hundreds of them at a time.
Chen Yu nodded repeatedly. It seemed bringing Nelson along was the right call; he understood medicine, but he understood training even better.
"So what’s your recommendation?" Chen Yu asked, looking at Nelson.
Nelson folded his arms and thought for a moment. "I remember he has a pre-existing condition with scoliosis. It doesn’t look severe, but it definitely has an impact. So the best option would be surgery to correct the spine and eliminate the underlying problem for good."
He looked at Chen Yu.
Chen Yu understood his meaning. "Even if we consider surgery, it would have to be during the offseason."
Nelson nodded and continued, "Making him shoot like that less often isn’t realistic."
It’s a move he worked hard to perfect and it helps him score. You can’t just ask him to give it up. Besides, there’s no time to make adjustments mid-season. Forcing a change would definitely affect his performance in games.
"The only way is through targeted training to strengthen his core and prevent injury."
He gets injured because his lower back muscle group isn’t strong enough.
If he could build a body of steel, it would be hard to get injured even if he tried.
"We leave tomorrow, so we still have time today. I’ll see if I can draw up a targeted training plan based on his condition," Nelson said, glancing at his watch.
The team still had games to play. Chen Yu could come and go as he pleased, but Nelson couldn’t. The two of them had to return to Phoenix early the next morning.
Chen Yu nodded, then added, "Have him wear a back brace."
Like Larry Bird used to.
Even without a back injury, wearing a brace helps maintain lumbar stability and reduces the risk of getting hurt.
The only downside is having something strapped around your body, which takes some getting used to.
Chen Yu was on good terms with Johnson & Johnson. He could reach out to them later to get a custom-made back brace that was more form-fitting and comfortable.
Ultimately, however, solving the problem for good would require surgery to correct his spine.
After tentatively agreeing to reassess for surgery in the summer, Chen Yu and Nelson hurried back to Phoenix.
As the saying goes, it’s always awkward for the one who’s missing.
During the days J Kidd was out, Hardaway led the team, and the Phoenix Suns’ record was excellent. Their fourth-place spot in the West was secure, and there was even hope of moving up to third.
But the game against the Lakers on January 4th taught Brian a lesson.
"What’s on your mind?"
The game ended, and Chen Yu chatted with O’Neal for a bit.
In fact, when they met before the game, O’Neal had already complained to Chen Yu about his diet, saying he was eating five meals a day and was still starving.
In response to O’Neal’s five-meals-a-day situation, Chen Yu hadn’t reduced the number of times he ate.
Eating smaller, more frequent meals was actually a good way to lose weight.
But what he ate was different. The dieter’s best friend, chicken breast, was essential, along with various vegetable salads and a reduced carbohydrate intake.
O’Neal said his legs felt like jelly now.
Chen Yu ignored him. ’Your legs feel like jelly, yet you still dropped 33 points on Olajuwon’s head?’
Brian was sitting in his seat, not having moved since the game ended. Seeing Chen Yu’s question, he let out a long sigh. "We still have to find a way to improve our frontcourt."
The backcourt was fine. They played good defense and did a great job limiting the Lakers’ perimeter shooting percentage.
And Hardaway played as well as ever, unsurprisingly leading the team with 31 points.
The main issue was the frontcourt.
They truly couldn’t stop O’Neal.
Once upon a time, Olajuwon had been able to hold his own against O’Neal under the basket.
But back then, O’Neal was still the young "Shaq" of his Magic era, while Olajuwon was in his prime.
But now? How much weight had O’Neal gained, and how old was Olajuwon?
Aware of this, Skiles had tried having Olajuwon use his quicker feet to front O’Neal on defense in this game.
But the effect was limited.
Jackson’s triangle offense was the real deal. With the chemistry built from two championships, the Lakers’ teamwork was superb, and they could still get the ball into the post.
Ewing couldn’t handle him either.
Ewing was a bit stronger, with more power, but he was just as old.
How else did that famous clip of O’Neal sending him flying come about?
So Brian was genuinely worried.
Chen Yu understood. He thought for a moment and said, "From a psychological perspective, worrying is a negative response. Wallowing in self-pity won’t make the problem go away. So, look on the bright side. If one person can’t guard him, then double-team him with two. There’s always a way."
O’Neal was unstoppable, but not unbeatable.
Brian’s current hope of having one person shut down O’Neal was clearly unrealistic.
If they actually made it to the Finals, no one would try to guard O’Neal like that anyway.
Brian sighed, then suddenly asked, "Chen, do you think that guy, Yao, could guard O’Neal?"
’Seven-foot-six... His arms are a bit short, but he’s just so tall.’
"No, he’s too skinny. He definitely couldn’t stop him." As soon as he said it, Brian immediately shook his head.
’With Yao Ming’s build, he’d probably go flying with one bump from O’Neal.’
But after saying it, Brian shook his head again.
’He can gain weight if he’s skinny. O’Neal wasn’t this big when he first came into the league, but height is something you can’t change.’
And if you want to compete in the West, you have to find a way to deal with O’Neal. So, even from a long-term perspective, they needed someone specifically to counter him.
The previous draft pick, Alton Ford, was intended to be that guy—using his weight against O’Neal. But now, it seemed that was just Brian being overly optimistic.
"Chen, do you have any friends in China?" Brian asked, suddenly looking up.
Huh?
Chen Yu was stunned.

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