Coach Malone stood at the edge of the court, arms crossed and frowning as he observed the practice session. Rookie Zach LaVine moved with agility, his athleticism on full display, but there were glaring flaws—especially in his jump shot after dribbling from the outside. Despite a summer of intense training, LaVine's shot wasn't sharp enough to be a reliable weapon just yet. His biggest strength remained his ability to create space, shoot from the perimeter, and slash to the basket.
Jake, unnoticed until now, appeared beside Malone. "LaVine should come off the bench to start the season. His dribbling and outside threat are perfect for anchoring the second unit's firepower."
Malone, still focused on the court, nodded slowly. "Yeah, I agree. Forcing him into the starting lineup would only disrupt the flow. CJ and Ben complement each other well out there."
Jake smiled. "I've been thinking… what if we move Rudy Gay to the four this season?"
Malone turned to him, startled. "The four? He's barely 6'7". Can he handle the power forwards in the league?"
But then a flicker of understanding crossed Malone's face. "Wait, you're suggesting a run-and-gun or a one-star-four-shoot strategy, aren't you?"
The run-and-gun concept, pioneered by Don Nelson and immortalized by the 2007 Phoenix Suns, required quick, high-paced ball movement, targeting the opponent's defensive gaps. The one-star-four-shoot model, made famous by Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic, surrounded a dominant big man with shooters to spread the floor and force defenders to pick their poison.
However, Malone quickly frowned again. The Kings weren't built for those tactics. DeMarcus Cousins, their cornerstone, wasn't exactly light on his feet. Running an uptempo offense might drain him before halftime. And Cousins wasn't quite the force Howard had been in the paint, especially on defense.
Jake raised a hand, sensing the coach's hesitation. "No, no. That's not what I meant," he corrected. "Gay's athleticism is perfect for the four. He's played there before. With him at power forward, he'll stretch the floor and open things up for Cousins. Against slower, bigger forwards, Gay can drive to the basket and create mismatches."
Malone paused, considering the idea. "Plus, with Gay staying outside, he becomes a real perimeter threat," he added, catching on. "He could draw double teams, creating space for shooters like CJ."
The pieces started to click for Malone, his mind forming a new tactical vision. "And then we put a tall, shooting small forward at the three, not exactly one star and four shooters, but something close," he mused, his voice gaining energy. "Gay and CJ can handle the offense from outside, and Gay can slide inside to help Cousins when needed. We could lock down the paint and still be a threat on the perimeter!"
Malone's excitement grew. The gears were turning in his head, and Jake's suggestion had opened up a whole new strategic possibility. If it weren't for the formality of his position, Malone might have hugged Jake right there.
The offseason soon ended, and the Kings reshaped their lineup. CJ McCollum started at point guard, with Ben McLemore at shooting guard, Omri Casspi at small forward, Rudy Gay at power forward, and Cousins locking down the center position. Off the bench, LaVine, Mozgov, and Jokic were ready to fuel the second unit.
Jokic, slumped on the bench, looked less than enthusiastic. Having just sworn off soda, he now faced another battle: his fellow Serb, Divac.
While Jake and Divac didn't always see eye to eye on management decisions, there was no denying Divac's legacy as a player and his deep sense of patriotism. Having learned that another Serbian was joining the NBA, Divac had taken it upon himself to whip Jokic into shape. All summer, the veteran put the young center through grueling training sessions. By the end, Jokic had lost weight and a good bit of his old self.
As the players hustled on the court, Jake stood with his arms crossed, watching them with a sigh. He had done everything in his power to execute his plan for the team's rebuild. He knew that bigger moves—like trading Cousins and Gay for a top-tier star—were tempting, but his experience with the Spurs had taught him patience. The risks were too high, and Jake preferred methodical progress over a reckless gamble.
Just as Jake was deep in thought, the familiar voice of the system buzzed in his mind: "Ding! It is detected that the host has completed all transactions. Now it is time to evaluate the transaction quality!"
The sudden alert startled him. Jake had almost forgotten about the system amidst the whirlwind of the offseason. It had been silent for months, leaving him to navigate the complex world of trades and negotiations without interference. But here it was again, ready to judge.
"The host's transaction quality has been calculated: MVP Jokic, Dunk King LaVine, and MIP McCollum have been successfully obtained. The transaction quality is rated A+. The task is accomplished. Now the reward is issued!"
Jake exhaled slowly, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He had relied on his instincts, and even without the system's constant guidance, he had shaped a team with immense potential. Now, the only thing left was to see how it all played out on the court.
Looking at the shimmering gift pack floating in front of him, Jake made his decision without hesitation. With a mental click, the pack opened.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the 'Combo Guard 101' badge, and congratulations to the host for obtaining the team's three-point enhancement card!"
Jake's eyes immediately scanned over the details of the new badge. The Combo Guard 101 badge could be permanently assigned to a player, granting a +5 boost to both dribbling and passing attributes, and a massive +10 to three-point shooting ability. However, if it was given to an inside player, the enhancements would be halved. The team's three-point enhancement card, on the other hand, could be activated once per game, temporarily boosting the entire team's three-point shooting by 10 points for 20 minutes—a powerful tool to swing momentum in crucial moments.
Jake whistled softly to himself, impressed. The ability to boost a player's three-point ability by 20 points in a single game was game-changing. For any decent shooter, that kind of improvement would make them comparable to legendary sharpshooters like Ray Allen or Peja Stojaković.
"This is good. No, it's great," Jake muttered to himself, quickly stashing the items away in the system's inventory. Now, with two badges and the enhancement card in his possession, he had to be smart about how to use them. The amplification card was straightforward—it could be pulled out at the right time during a game. But the badge was another matter. Once assigned, it couldn't be taken back. He needed to choose carefully; if he bound it to a player who later left the team, that would be a serious waste.
Jake's gaze shifted to the court where his players were practicing. He had given them the tools to succeed—now it was up to them to make it happen. But he needed to play his cards right.
Turning toward Coach Mike Malone, Jake asked casually, "Coach, looking at where we stand right now, you think we have what it takes to go further this season?"
It seemed like a simple question, but Malone could sense there was more behind Jake's words. He puffed out his chest and gave a firm nod, taking the inquiry as a challenge. "Don't worry, Jake. If I can't get results with this roster, I'll quit and start fetching golf balls as a caddy!"
Jake chuckled, waving off Malone's dramatic pledge. "Alright, alright, no need for that. I trust you. But we've got to show some early success—get a streak going and build momentum. It'll keep the boss happy and the critics off our backs."
Of course, Jake was also thinking about the five-game winning streak mission the system had assigned him. He wasn't a player or a coach, so he couldn't directly influence what happened on the court. But he could nudge things in the right direction, indirectly guiding Malone and the players.
Malone, nodding vigorously, shared the same sense of urgency. After a rough rookie season as head coach, he knew that this was his chance to prove himself. Many critics had already written him off as lacking the talent to be an NBA head coach. He needed a breakout season, just as much as Jake needed those five wins.
"Alright, boys, huddle up!" Malone barked as he strode onto the court, stopping practice. "This is Mr. Allen Chen, our general manager. Most of you are here because of him."
The players turned their attention to Jake, some with admiration, others with curiosity.
"Zach," Malone said, addressing LaVine, "you were drafted against all odds by Mr. Jake. He made sure I crafted the right plays to help you develop quickly."
LaVine gave Jake a grateful nod. The media had predicted he would be selected after the 13th pick, but Jake had gambled on him at 11, boosting the young guard's confidence in a way no one else had.
"Nicola," Malone continued, turning to Jokic, "you're here in the NBA because of Mr. Jake. And it was him who went through great lengths to get Divac to personally mentor you."
Jokic, who had started out nodding along, winced at the mention of Divac. The intense summer training sessions had pushed him to his limits—Divac was a relentless coach. Even though the mentorship was invaluable, Jokic had found himself cursing Jake under his breath more than once during those grueling drills.
Malone kept going, addressing players one by one, "CJ, Ben, Ray—you're all still here because Mr. Jake saw your potential when others didn't. So now we have to work together, like a family. Play for each other and prove that this team is something special!"
The speech hit home. Several of the players' eyes were red with determination. Jake remained silent, letting Malone's words sink in, though he kept an eye on Rudy Gay, who stood a little apart from the others, spinning a basketball casually in his hands. Gay was the consummate professional—a player who came to work, did his job, and left it at that. He wasn't driven by a burning desire for glory; basketball was a career, a means to provide for his family.
"DeMarcus," Malone said, turning to Cousins, "you always said you didn't have enough help before. How about now?"
Cousins grinned widely, looking at the lineup around him. "Satisfied—very satisfied," he said with a cocky smile. "I can't wait to get out there and wreck those fools!"
His fist pumped in the air, sparking a round of laughter from the rest of the team. The mood lightened, but there was an underlying resolve in everyone's eyes.
Standing on the sidelines, Jake couldn't help but smile. Malone had done a great job rallying the troops, and the team seemed to be coming together. Now, it was just a matter of time before they proved themselves on the court.
As the sound of laughter and the rhythm of bouncing basketballs filled the air, Jake heard the familiar chime in his head again.
"Ding! Host, five-game win streak mission has been activated. Good luck!"
Jake tightened his grip on the clipboard in his hand, knowing that the real challenge had only just begun.