It can be said that it was the mask incident that made Gilbert successful. Affected by the mask incident, the incomes of many companies and ordinary people across the country were seriously affected. They had to borrow part of their cash in the form of mortgage loans to make a living. This made Gilbert
Gilbert's mortgage company business grew exponentially, making money every day.
However, in this time and space, I don’t know whether it is because of the concept of parallel time and space or the butterfly effect caused by Wang Feng’s time travel. The mask incident did not happen. Therefore, Gilbert’s current net worth is still several billion dollars, and his net worth has skyrocketed in another time and space.
Nearly ten times as many Cavaliers bosses are there, a huge gap.
In this case, he is naturally more eager for more money-making opportunities.
Wang Feng's return to the Cavaliers will not only bring a lot of attention and advertising endorsements from China to his team, but more importantly, it is also an opportunity for his mortgage company to enter China.
As the world's second largest economy, China's market is extremely vast and is still developing at a very high speed.
Many American companies have made a lot of money in China, including the NBA and the Houston Rockets, which once owned Dayao.
In the past four years, the Los Angeles Lakers have also made a lot of money in China because of Wang Feng.
Making money is even more important to Gilbert, a businessman, than winning the team's championship.
The reason why he spent huge sums of money to build a championship team for James to compete for the championship was partly because of his love for the team, but more importantly, he knew that once he brought an NBA to Cleveland, a city that had never had a championship,
A championship will bring huge benefits to him and his team.
All of this directly determines that Gilbert's attitude towards Wang Feng is no less than his treatment of James.
During the banquet, Gilbert very enthusiastically introduced Wang Feng to his family and some of the celebrities attending the meeting, and his words all showed the importance he attached to Wang Feng.
Wang Feng was well aware of Gilbert's thoughts and accepted it calmly.
With his current status in the world, he deserves to be treated like this by the owner of any team.
Wang Feng also knew that while Gilbert showed his kindness to him, he also had some selfish motives in it. The minds of capitalists are always much more delicate and lively than ordinary people.
As long as these little thoughts do not prevent Wang Feng from completing his goal, which is the system upgrade task, then he will turn a blind eye and not bother to care.
…
After meeting a series of Cavaliers figures including the general manager, head coach, and team owner, Wang Feng soon made an appointment for a meal with the team's only star player, Kevin Love.
Wang Feng still feels pretty good about Love.
When he was with the Cavaliers, Love was an approachable star who didn't fight for anything. This was one of the main reasons why he had the worst statistics among the Big Three.
During this Olympics, Love took the initiative to greet Wang Feng despite the pressure from his coach and teammates, which also made Wang Feng have a favorable impression of Love.
Of course, the most important thing is Love's strength.
Although Love's performance last season can be described as poor, he was always injured and stopped, and his competitive state was also quite worrying. In more than 30 games, he averaged only 12.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
According to statistics, outsiders believe that Love is dead.
After all, when inside players like Love reach the age of 33 or close to 34, most of their competitive status will decline significantly.
But Love's final performance in the 2021-22 season surprised everyone.
In another time and space, Love, who was persuaded by the coaching staff to serve as a substitute, played 74 games in the new season, starting only 4 of them. With an average of 22.5 minutes per game, he could contribute 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds, with a shooting percentage of 43.
%, and the three-point shooting percentage is as high as 39.2%, becoming the main scorer on the Cavaliers' bench.
This fully proves that Love still has some strength, it just needs to be seen how to use it.
…
"I didn't expect that you actually beat us and won the Olympic gold medal..." At the dinner table, Love smiled bitterly and shook his head. "You haven't seen the atmosphere in the locker room after the game. It felt like a dead person.
Same."
"Maybe it's because I know you and I will be teammates in the new season. No one talked to me on the way back. I even regret participating in this Olympics."
Listening to Love's complaint, Wang Feng also smiled. "Who told you to come over and say hello to me during the opening ceremony? Some people saw it and took it to heart."
"What does that have to do with it? Just saying hello doesn't mean that I will let off steam on the court." Love said angrily: "We are all colleagues playing in the same league. Even if there is a competitive relationship, it won't be like this.
"
Saying that, Le Fu shook his head and didn't want to mention it again.
This trip to the Olympics, especially the final, was a bad experience for him. When playing against the Chinese men's basketball team in the final, Love did not appear on the court at all. He sat on the bench the whole time. I don't know if it was because of it.
Popovich was worried that Love would betray Wang Feng.
"Forget it, let's not talk! Wang, what is your goal for the new season? Lead the Cavaliers back to the playoffs?"
Love finally asked the question he was more concerned about.
He feels that if a player with Wang Feng's character chooses to join a team at the bottom of the league like the Cavaliers, he must have his own ideas and purposes.
"Of course not." Wang Feng shook his head and did not hide Love's thoughts. "My goal in the first year after coming to the Cavaliers is to at least win the Eastern Conference championship. If the goal is achieved, I can consider competing for the championship in the second year.
Champion."
"East...Eastern champion?"
Although he was mentally prepared, Croft was still shocked by Wang Feng's casual words and opened his mouth wide.
Wang Feng’s appetite must be too big!
Is the Eastern Conference championship so easy to win?
The current Eastern Conference is not the same period when James won the Eastern Conference championship for eight consecutive years and reached the finals.
The environment in which the West is strong and the East is weak has changed significantly in recent years. Although in recent years, the championship is still monopolized by the Western Conference or the Warriors and Lakers, the Eastern Conference is currently full of powerful teams.
The Brooklyn Nets have three top superstars in Durant, Irving, and George.
The Milwaukee Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo, a new-generation super striker second only to Wang Feng.
The Philadelphia 76ers have the dual core of James Harden + Joel Embiid and a number of capable players.
And in recent years, under the leadership of famous young coach Brad Stevens, the Boston Celtics have always maintained good competitiveness.
These four teams are currently the four strongest teams in the Eastern Conference.
If Wang Feng is still with the Los Angeles Lakers, he can still compete with them in terms of lineup depth.
But now Wang Feng plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Apart from Wang Feng, there is no All-Star in the team. There is not even a player who averaged more than 15 points per game last season.
With such a Cavaliers, how can Wang Feng lead his team to win the Eastern Conference championship?
A miracle like that in the Olympic finals would be overwhelming if it happened once or twice. The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven series. It is difficult for just one player to win the series.
, the overall strength of the team is indispensable.
"Wang, there is something I still want to ask your thoughts on." Love showed a slightly tangled look. "Some time ago, the coaching staff had talked to me, and they hope that I will serve as a rotation substitute in the new season.
"
"You also know that my condition was not good last season. The reason why the Cavaliers were at the bottom was directly related to my performance."
"If it is for the team's victory, I don't think it is completely unacceptable to accept the role of substitute..."
Hearing the declining Love in his voice, Wang Feng shook his head slightly.
"Kevin (Love), you don't have to worry about this issue. I have already thought about the Cavaliers' lineup for the new season. You are the team's starting center and you have very important tactical and strategic significance."
"What?" Le Fu was stunned, and then his eyes burst into surprise. "Is this true?"
After all, he is a five-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA player. Love, who is less than 34 years old, is still in his prime. If possible, who would be willing to become a substitute rotation player during this period?
"Of course it's true."
Wang Feng was not kidding.
In the 21-22 season, Love's three-point shooting percentage was as high as 39%, and he averaged 2.5 three-pointers per game. He was the most accurate among all interior players in the league!
At the same time, Love can still grab 7.2 rebounds in 22.5 minutes per game. According to this efficiency, if the average playing time reaches more than 30 minutes per game, Love's rebounds per game can still be maintained at more than 10.
What are the requirements for inside players in the small ball era?
He can protect the basket and grab rebounds, has a certain mid-to-long-range shooting ability, and can create enough space for the team.
Love meets these conditions perfectly. Wouldn't it be a waste to let him play as a substitute?
When Wang Feng was with the Lakers, the team's unbeatable center was Brook Lopez.
Lopez's frame-protecting ability and rebounding are not very good, his pace is slow, and his ability to help defend smaller players is also poor.
But even so, he is still the starting center of the Lakers, and his annual salary of 4 million has been called a high-quality contract with high quality and low price by the media more than once.
If Wang Feng hadn't foresighted the Lakers to sign Lopez first, Lopez would have been able to get a contract with an annual salary of US$13 million after moving to the Bucks.
Why is an insider who averages just over 10 points per game and averages less than 5 rebounds per game in many cases so popular? It’s because Lopez’s shooting percentage from beyond the three-point line is close to 35%, which can pull down the perimeter and create space for Antetokounmpo to attract opponents.
Defensive player inside.
What Lopez can do, Love can do, and even better. Why can't Love start?
In Wang Feng's view, in another time and space, it was a helpless move for Love to serve as a substitute. The Cavaliers did not have top outside players who could take advantage of Love's range, but it was too much for a player with an annual salary of 28 million to serve as a substitute.
Wasted.
"Just rest assured, you are the starting center of the Cavaliers, that's what I said." Wang Feng said bluntly to Love: "I have discussed this matter with the head coach before, and he has no objections.
"
"That's great...thank you." Le Fu was so surprised that he ignored some of the inconsistencies in Wang Feng's words.
The head coach must listen to the players and dare not have any opinions. This is very James...
…
Wang Feng is actually quite satisfied with the current Cavaliers lineup.
Although the lineup seems to be very simple, even to the point of being completely unbearable, in fact, after the free market opened, several players he asked the Cavaliers to trade and sign should all perform well in the new season without any accidents.
.
In another time and space, Kevin Love averaged 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and shot 39% from three-point range.
Jordan Poole of the Warriors averaged 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4 assists per game, and shot 36.4% from three-point range.
Desmond Bane of the Grizzlies, averaging 18.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, and shooting 43.6% from three-point range.
In addition, there are high-quality and efficient players such as Malik Monk, Max Struth, Desmond Bain, Otto Porter, etc. who average nearly 10 points per game.
Although they are still unknown, they do have outstanding potential.
Wang Feng also knows that data does not necessarily represent strength, but this is the maximum reinforcement he can achieve under the conditions of the system upgrade task.
He also has every reason to believe that with the increase in his two top purple badges, his organizational core and his defensive core, these players will perform even better than they did in another time and space!
He already has a preliminary idea for the Cavaliers' lineup for the new season.
In terms of the starting lineup, he prepared two plans.
The first set of plans: starting point guard Jordan Poole, shooting guard Desmond Bane, small forward Otto Porter, power forward Wang Feng, and center Love.
This lineup is the most typical small ball lineup. All members have three-point shooting ability, and Jordan Poole, who is the weakest three-point shooter, also has a 36% three-point shooting rate. He has good mobility and strong offensive firepower.
However, due to the constraints of the lineup, the team's inside height is insufficient. Love's actual height is 2.03 meters, Wang Feng is 2.01 meters, and Otto Porter Jr. is also 2.03 meters. The defense and rebounding of the frame are weak.
The second starting lineup is to strengthen this shortcoming.
Starting point guard Wang Feng, shooting guard Desmond Bane, small forward Otto Porter Jr., power forward Kevin Love, and center Jarrett Allen.
The blue-collar center signed with a cost of US$100 million over five years will now have a place to play.
Jarrett Allen is 2.08 meters tall, has long arms, excellent frame protection, and also has high mobility. He can cooperate with Wang Feng, a point guard, in pick-and-roll situations on the court.
At the same time, Desmond Bain, the shortest person in this lineup, is also 1.96 meters tall, followed by Wang Feng, who is 2.01 meters tall. The average height is quite outstanding.
In addition to the two starting lineups, the Cavaliers' bench is also full of talents, including Gary Payton II, the son of the famous "Glove" Gary Payton, the Cavaliers' original forward defensive guru Cedi Osman, Ma
Players such as Monk and Max Struss will get at least 15 minutes of playing time and have the opportunity to give full play to their strengths.
Both sets of starting lineups satisfy Wang Feng, which gives him a certain degree of confidence in competing for the Eastern Conference championship in the new season.
But at present, only he, a time traveler with the advantage of foresight, knows that the Cavaliers' lineup is not as vulnerable as it seems, and the so-called top four teams in the East are definitely not as strong as they seem.
There are still many opportunities, as long as you can seize them!
…
In the days that followed, Wang Feng's life began to become peaceful.
Every day he goes in and out of the mansion and training hall arranged for him by the team, conducts daily training with Love and other Cavaliers players, gets acquainted with new teammates, and discusses and studies tactical coordination.
The head coach of the Cavaliers clearly obeyed the two starting lineup plans given by Wang Feng.
However, this is not entirely due to Wang Feng's identity.
As a head coach of an NBA team, Bickerstaff also has some real talents.
After just two simple intra-team competitions, Bickerstaff tested the pros and cons of the two lineups given by Wang Feng, and was keenly aware that this seemed to be what the current Cavaliers team could put together.
The most suitable lineup.
Even if Wang Feng doesn't come up with this plan and let Bickerstaff make his own judgment, after a period of training and inspection, he will most likely list a similar starting lineup.
This undoubtedly surprised Bickerstaff.
I have been an assistant coach for many years, and then became the head coach based on my good work ability.
Wang Feng, a player under thirty years old, actually has such vision. No wonder he has averaged double figures in assists per game for two consecutive seasons.
A simple little thing successfully made Bickerstaff understand Wang Feng's level.
Although most people in the team do not have high hopes for the Cavaliers in the new season at this time, everyone also feels that under the leadership of Wang Feng, it should not be a problem for the team to enter the playoffs.
Before we knew it, time quickly came to the beginning of September.
The NBA preseason begins in early October, but in September, most teams have completed their recruitment and reinforcement work and have begun training and preparing for the new season.
Even if there are signings and deals, most of them are trivial and inconsequential, and many of them are not even worthy of being in the news.
But at this time, Wang Feng received a call from China.
The call was from Zhou Qi, a teammate of Wang Feng’s national team and known as the Big Devil in the CBA.
The purpose of Zhou Qi's call surprised Wang Feng. Zhou Qi was unable to compete in the CBA. This was considered a big event in China. This kind of thing did not happen at the time he traveled through. He did not know that it was a parallel time and space.
The reason is that he didn't time travel enough to eat this melon.
Wang Feng was completely unaware of the cause and effect of the matter, and he had not paid much attention to the CBA, so he did not know who was right or wrong in this matter.
He even has some regrets, because judging from Zhou Qi's incident, it should be a problem with the entire CBA system. Guo Ailun and others faced the same situation as Zhou Qi, but they all chose to compromise and renew their contracts with the team.
, only Zhou Qi fought to the end with the team, and in the end both sides suffered losses. The team lost its star, and the players were unable to continue competing in the CBA in the new season.