Chereads / The NBA's Twilight Star System / Chapter 44 - Jay Sun Doesn’t Hit a Rookie Wall

Chapter 44 - Jay Sun Doesn’t Hit a Rookie Wall

The break between quarters ended, and the fourth quarter began.

Since the Warriors were trailing by a considerable margin, Steve Kerr couldn't sit still. He sent out their small-ball lineup right at the start of the fourth quarter.

This was the benefit of pulling back in the third quarter — the Warriors' small-ball unit still had the energy to play at full throttle.

But the Cavaliers weren't going to back down either.

What? Only you can play small-ball? We've got our own version too!

The Cavs sent out a lineup of Kyrie Irving, Jay Sun, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, and Kevin Love — Cleveland's version of small-ball.

When small-ball goes head-to-head, the game becomes a spectacle of offensive firepower. It was now a matter of who could score more.

On the first possession of the quarter, Kyrie passed to LeBron. Facing Harrison Barnes, LeBron drove to the basket, making it look like a college player dominating a high school kid.

As he drove, Draymond Green came over to double-team him. LeBron kicked the ball out to a wide-open Kevin Love.

But as soon as Love caught the ball, Klay Thompson switched over, cutting off his shooting opportunity.

Seeing no clear shot, Love quickly passed the ball to Jay.

By the time Barnes realized he should be closing out on Jay, it was already too late.

Jay had already taken the three-point shot.

Swish!

Three points in.

Jay raised three fingers to celebrate. After all, when your cheat code is active, why not flaunt it a little?

Honestly, Barnes was a weak link in this lineup. Of course, that weakness wouldn't last long.

Not because Barnes would get stronger — but because Barnes would soon be gone.

Back on offense, the Warriors ran their typical set. Green held the ball at the top, with Love sticking close to him.

Curry and Thompson each stood at a wing, while Iguodala and Barnes positioned themselves in the corners.

The spacing was immaculate, leaving the paint wide open.

All five Warriors, except Green, began cutting and running around screens like madmen.

Eventually, Curry got free for a moment.

Cleveland's defense scrambled to keep up.

The only slightly slow-footed player? Kevin Love.

That split-second delay was all Curry needed.

Swish!

A three-pointer right in Love's face, as Love arrived just a second too late.

LeBron noticed Love getting picked on and decided to take it out on Barnes. He drove hard to the rim once again.

Barnes: Why me? I wasn't the one bullying Love!

LeBron powered his way to the basket and scored with ease.

Next possession, Curry received the ball again. This time, he didn't bother with fancy off-ball movement. He called for a screen to get a switch onto Love.

Once he had Love in isolation, Curry went to work.

With quick changes in pace, Curry shifted Love's defensive stance back and forth.

In, out. In, out.

Love couldn't keep up.

Curry blew past him and scored an easy layup.

LeBron saw what was happening and knew he had to keep carrying the team.

Once again, he bulldozed his way to the basket, leaving Barnes feeling completely defeated.

Barnes: I want to retire right now.

For a stretch, neither team could stop the other. But as time ticked down, the gap remained unchanged — the Cavs still led by 12 points, and both teams were visibly tiring.

With two minutes left, Kerr glanced at the scoreboard, sighed, and waved the white flag.

He subbed out his small-ball lineup, sending in the bench crew — Livingston, Barbosa, and David Lee.

Seeing this, Tyronn Lue decided not to push the issue. He also pulled his starters, leaving only Jay on the floor to lead the bench unit.

But Lue gave Jay a word of advice before he went back out:

"Don't go too hard. If you score, don't celebrate too much. Let's finish this respectfully."

Jay nodded.

With Jay leading the reserves, the Cavs maintained control. The gap neither widened nor narrowed, and the fourth quarter ended 21-20.

Final Score: Cavaliers 110, Warriors 99.

Jay Sun had another stellar game, finishing with 31 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals.

LeBron James was the game's best performer, tallying 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists.

The only Cav who struggled was J.R. Smith, who had 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists — not terrible for a bench player, but below expectations.

The Warriors performed well overall, but their biggest problem remained — Barnes was a liability.

The primary reason for the Warriors' loss? Their small-ball lineup couldn't create enough separation.

The Cavs' small-ball defense was decent, and their offense was comparable.

The wild card? Jay Sun.

Jay served as the perfect bridge between the Cavaliers' stars, dominating the non-star minutes and exploiting Kerr's defensive schemes.

By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Cavs already had the game in hand.

Although LeBron was named Player of the Game, Jay's impact was undeniable.

And this wasn't just the opinion of the media or fans — it was a sentiment shared by rival coaches.

In fact, teams across the league were now designing defensive schemes specifically to stop Jay.

The Hawks, in particular, took notice.

For any Eastern Conference team with championship aspirations, the Cavs — and LeBron — were the biggest obstacle.

But now, it wasn't just LeBron they had to worry about.

Jay Sun was the X-factor.

While opposing coaches were scrambling to figure out how to stop him, basketball analysts had a different question:

Why hasn't Jay Sun hit the rookie wall yet?

The "rookie wall" refers to the physical and mental fatigue rookies experience due to the grueling NBA schedule and higher level of competition compared to college basketball.

Most rookies struggle with:

Endurance.

Foul trouble.

Injuries.

Jay, however, seemed immune to all three.

Endurance? Not extraordinary, but his Closer badge helped him stay fresh in the fourth quarter. Plus, with the Cavs' Big Three taking most of the burden, Jay wasn't overexerted.

Foul trouble? Thanks to his badge upgrades and template cards, Jay's adaptability was far superior to most rookies.

Injuries? Jay was constantly mindful of injury prevention. He knew that staying healthy was the key to maximizing his potential.

In summary, Jay had managed to avoid hitting the rookie wall by addressing all three areas.

After defeating the Warriors, the Cavs had only one more game in February — against the Pacers.

To protect his stars, Lue decided to rest LeBron and Kyrie for the game.

"With Jay, J.R., and Love, we'll handle the Pacers easily," Lue thought.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

The Cavs lost 86-93 to the Paul George-less Pacers.

Jay did everything he could, finishing with 32 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds, just shy of a triple-double.

Kevin Love had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists, while J.R. contributed 14 points.

Beyond those three, no one else on the Cavs scored in double digits.

The loss brought Jay back down to earth.

He realized he wasn't ready to lead a team on his own just yet.

After receiving the Stockton card and upgrading his badges, Jay had started to feel a bit cocky. But reality hit him hard.

If anything, this was a wake-up call.

Jay knew what he had to do — put his head down and keep grinding.

With renewed focus, Jay dove into another round of intense training.

The gym rat life continues.