"Most importantly, we think he’s a pretty dirty defender."
After a moment of thought, Chen Yu added another sentence.
Having trained with the team for so long, they had accumulated dozens of hours of footage from training camp scrimmages, and much of it was analyzed frame by frame.
It was Oakley who had discovered it.
He believed that Raja Bell had many bad little habits on defense.
In other words, he liked to use physical contact to limit his opponents.
Right now, because he was a rookie, he might be holding back and not showing it much, but you could see it in the details, like the angle of his elbows or the way he used his feet to jockey for position.
Oakley himself was an expert at this.
As a mixed martial arts enthusiast, he was seen as an unpardonable villain in his opponents’ eyes.
He even joked to Chen Yu that Raja Bell was the type of person who looked gentle on the surface but was extremely fierce underneath. To use an exaggerated analogy, he was like a rabid dog that bites without barking; even if he couldn’t stop you, he had to take a couple of chunks of flesh off you.
"Oh?"
Jackson perked up a little.
Describing a player as dirty wasn’t really a bad thing in the league; it could even be taken as a compliment.
Besides, to become an excellent defender, sometimes you really did need to be a little dirty.
He continued to flip through the report.
The report already contained a detailed defensive improvement plan for Raja Bell, focusing mainly on physical conditioning.
It also noted the creators of this training plan: Nelson and Tim Grover.
Jackson recognized both names.
"His three-point attempt rate has been rising year after year, and his percentage is also gradually improving. Over sixty percent of his threes are from the corner, and he hits them at a forty percent clip. So you believe he has the potential to become an excellent shooter."
Jackson thought back on Raja Bell’s stats but couldn’t recall much.
He wouldn’t look at the stats of an ordinary role player in such detail.
Chen Yu said, "There’s very little statistical data on him."
He went undrafted in ’99, then went to play in the Development Alliance. Later, he was discovered by a Spurs scout but didn’t get a chance. After that, the 76ers took a chance on him, and he finally made it to the NBA.
In his three years in the NBA, he had only taken a total of 458 shots. The statistical data was pitifully small.
"It was Dale Curry who thought he has a great sense of positioning on the court and can always find an open spot. I tend to agree with that view because he’s a smart guy who did well in school."
A player with a good sense of positioning on the court was clearly playing with his brain.
And someone who could do well in their studies obviously had a brain.
"I understand." Jackson nodded thoughtfully, not asking any further questions.
For a role player with a ready-made training plan, they just needed to develop him a bit. If he panned out, it was a gain. If he didn’t, there wouldn’t be much of a loss.
Compared to Raja Bell, Jackson was more concerned about another suggestion in the report. "Chen, you proposed in the report that we should limit Yao’s playmaking range to below the free-throw line. Is the data provided here accurate?"
The report suggested an adjustment to Yao Ming’s playstyle: shrink his pick-and-roll playmaking area, keeping him inside the free-throw line and no further out.
Chen Yu nodded. "At least, that’s what the data shows. Phil, you know that one of Yao’s biggest problems right now is his stamina. We found through the data that when he increases his high-post playmaking, both his offensive and defensive efficiency drop."
"But not letting him facilitate for the team at all would also lower the team’s offensive success rate. Below the free-throw line is a more balanced position."
"At the same time, you have Odom. He can come up high to set screens, compensating for Yao’s shortcomings."
Truly flawless players are rare. That’s when you need suitable players to make up for the deficiencies.
"So, Phil, trading for Odom this year was the right move. He’s a really good fit with Yao."
This brought a smile to Jackson’s face. He was quite proud of his own judgment.
But after the smile, he couldn’t help but sigh.
A few days ago, the idea of trading for Kirilenko had come up. He had watched a lot of film and scout reports and discussed it seriously with Lambis and others. They felt Kirilenko would be a perfect fit for the current Lakers.
Tall, agile, an excellent help defender, not afraid of contact, with decent offensive skills, and the potential to fill up the stat sheet.
Unfortunately, after contacting the Jazz, that old bastard Sloan basically spat in his face, calling Kirilenko untouchable unless they were willing to trade Yao Ming and Kobe for him.
Then it was Jackson’s turn to spit in his face. ’What a joke. Yao Ming and Kobe? Dream on.’
That trade was probably dead. Jackson had made a high offer, similar to the one for Mashburn, eventually offering two first-round picks, but they still couldn’t reach a deal.
If they had actually managed to trade for Kirilenko, the Lakers’ current roster would have been even more perfect.
"By the way, there’s one more question, Chen. Are you sure you want Kobe to bulk up?" Jackson asked again.
In the report, Chen Yu had also suggested that Kobe should bulk up.
"You know that bulking up increases the risk of injury, and his knees have already been injured before," Jackson said with a grave expression.
Everyone knew the benefits of bulking up: stronger in contact, a bigger advantage in matchups.
But it was a double-edged sword that could hurt both the opponent and oneself.
Moreover, in the report, Chen Yu also proposed that Kobe should increase his number of attacks near the rim.
The analysis in the report was consistent with Jackson’s own views.
During the OK Duo era, O’Neal was the focus. Plus, with O’Neal’s laziness and playing style, he would never proactively leave the paint to set screens for Kobe or, more importantly, to clear out space inside.
In that period, Kobe existed as the secondary attacker. His offense was primarily based on tough shots from the high post, complementing O’Neal.
Then, in the 00-01 season, after relentlessly practicing his mid-range shot, Kobe evolved for the first time, gaining an offensive capability that rivaled O’Neal’s.
But the problem remained: there wasn’t enough space in the paint.
Then O’Neal was traded, and Yao Ming arrived.
Last season, if you looked at the stats, Kobe’s scoring near the rim increased significantly.
Because Yao Ming was willing to come out and create space for Kobe.
The introduction of the defensive three-second rule also freed up space in the paint, giving Kobe enough room to leverage his athletic advantages.
So his stats rose again, at one point soaring to an average of 30 points per game.
But the problem that followed was that frequent drives to the paint led to more contact and the onset of injuries, especially the increased strain on his knees.
For a guard, driving to the basket is the most efficient way to score, but it also carries the highest risk of injury.
And now, Chen Yu was actually suggesting that Kobe bulk up, which would only increase the physical burden.
Chen Yu said, "Phil, you should know that bulking up can increase the success rate of his drives."
With more weight and strength, he could absorb contact from defenders and finish his drives.
"And it’s not just about driving. After bulking up, it will also help his perimeter one-on-ones and improve his offensive efficiency."
"As for your concerns about injuries, isn’t that what I’m here for?"
’What’s the point of the medical services I provide if not to be a safety net?’
’Go ahead and bulk up, jump around all you want. If you get injured, just come to me, and it’ll be taken care of.’
’With in-season injury management and off-season maintenance and treatment, as long as we can ensure his body won’t have any major problems, then bulking up is definitely beneficial.’
Look at Jordan. He continuously bulked up in the latter part of his career, and at the guard position, he was truly unstoppable, completely dominating everyone.
Jackson smiled.
’That’s true. If there’s an injury, they just have to find Chen Yu.’
"Alright, we’ll give it serious consideration," Jackson said.
The report recommended that Kobe bulk up from his current 90 kilograms, 198 pounds, by 10 pounds, to reach around 95 kilograms. He would then acclimate for a season before considering further directions for improvement.
At the same time, it also required Kobe to continue practicing his post-up game.
Once his weight was up, his advantage in strong post-up plays would be huge.
Jackson didn’t think for too long.
The Lakers were paying 2 million US dollars in consulting fees alone, not to mention the money spent on purchasing various tech equipment and upgrading training facilities. With such a huge investment, what reason was there not to trust them?
And soon, an opportunity arose to initially validate the report submitted by Chen Yu’s team.
Preseason.
The Lakers hosted the Warriors at home.
Chen Yu and his team sat courtside and watched the entire game.
The Lakers lost 83 to 97, a 14-point defeat.
The game exposed two problems for the Lakers. First, the zone defense they had been practicing relentlessly was a complete mess.
It really was a mess—all sorts of blown coverages, slow rotations, and a total lack of coordination.
It was understandable, since they had only officially started learning and practicing the zone defense this season.
The other problem was that their bench was truly awful. Few players were able to provide any help.
Plus, the starters only made a brief appearance and didn’t play for many minutes, so the loss wasn’t a surprise.
Chen Yu wasn’t concerned, and neither was Jackson.
After the game, Chen Yu returned to Phoenix.
The team stayed behind in Los Angeles.
The consulting service Chen Yu’s company provided wasn’t like treating an illness, where you have surgery one day and are up and about the next, with immediate improvement.
Sometimes, it took several months, or even an entire season, to see results.
There was still a ton of work back at the clinic; he couldn’t be away for long.
The day after returning to Phoenix, Chen Yu was also on-site to watch the Suns’ first preseason game of the year.
"How’s it feel?"
In the top-level suite, Brian asked with a mischievous grin.
Chen Yu shot him a glance and retorted, "What do you want me to say? That my status is different, so my mindset is different? Bullshit. What’s the difference? It’s not like I haven’t watched a game from a suite before."
Brian pouted and muttered that it was no fun. Chen Yu could always guess what he was thinking.
The arena’s attendance wasn’t low.
Before, Chen Yu was the team doctor and didn’t care about this, but now he was a minority owner of the team. High attendance meant his shares were worth more.
"By the way, did you see yesterday’s game? With James’s performance, don’t you feel like you’ve been proven wrong?" Brian, not giving up, teased him again.
Yesterday, by the league’s deliberate arrangement, the Knights and the Pistons played a preseason game.
A battle between the first and second overall picks.
As a result, James played 26 minutes, shot only 4 for 12, and finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Compared to the prediction in Chen Yu’s previous potential report, which stated James would be a future Hall of Fame-level player, this performance was a bit of a letdown.

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