The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 707 - 261: Even as a Substitute, He is the ’Chosen One’_3

Chapter 707: Chapter 261: Even as a Substitute, He is the ’Chosen One’_3

But as the game reached the second half, Stephen Curry made New Yorkers break out in a cold sweat.

He fell during a scuffle and twisted his ankle.

At that moment, the painful expression on his face made Knicks fans think he was about to suffer another injury, Barkley joked, "Stephen Curry’s ankles are as tender as his face!"

Fortunately, the final outcome was without danger, as Stephen Curry tied his shoelaces and stomped his feet, and then he was fine.

However, Su Wan was already considering adjusting Stephen Curry’s force exertion this summer.

He was very clear that in his third professional season, Stephen Curry would suffer a major ankle injury, so severe that the doctors issued him an "ankle death notice." Afterwards, by changing the way he exerted force, Stephen Curry experienced a baptism of fire.

Now, Su Wan viewed each ankle twist as a harbinger...

He couldn’t just watch Stephen Curry miss the entire season.

It wasn’t just from the perspective of a team leader, but more importantly... he had promised New York fans that within a maximum of two years, they would certainly win a championship.

If Stephen Curry were out for the season next year, that would definitely not be good news for him.

Just that point alone was enough to start his "Save Stephen Curry’s Ankles" plan.

Actually, as early as last summer, Su Wan was considering whether to change Stephen Curry’s force-exertion methods in advance. But then he thought, he and Stephen hadn’t even met, and it would be bizarre to start their first conversation with, "Come on, Stephen, let’s change the way you exert force," like some kind of "lunatic!"

Nevertheless, now, with Stephen Curry frequently twisting his ankle, it was a great opportunity.

On the bus from United Arena to the airport, Su Wan made sure to sit next to Stephen Curry.

Curry’s foot was already wrapped in thick bandages.

Although the examinations showed no major problems, discomfort in the ankle was inevitable. Stephen Curry’s face was also continuously wrinkled. He had just put on a good performance, and then immediately received an injury warning, no wonder he felt upset.

Su Wan pretended to say nonchalantly, "Stephen, have you ever considered changing your force-exertion methods to reduce the burden on your ankles? Maybe then you wouldn’t twist them so frequently!"

Change force-exertion methods?

Stephen Curry was obviously intrigued.

Su Wan struck while the iron was hot, "You could give it a try. I have a very good relationship with Tim Grover, and you should know, he’s an excellent trainer. How about this summer, I take you to meet him?"

Curry nodded slightly, but his expression still showed some struggle.

Su Wan knew what he was worried about.

He feared that if he changed his force-exertion methods, he wouldn’t have enough time to adjust before the new season.

Regarding this, Su Wan did not say much.

When summer came, everything would naturally fall into place.

He was very clear that this summer, the league would enter into a period of tanking.

Especially last year, with the arrival of Su Wan, the league had earned several billion more than usual, which meant it was destined to enter a lockout—because the main reason the league owners often demanded a lockout was quite simple; they felt they were earning too little.

The 1998 lockout was like this, and so was 2011...

When they made enough money, they wouldn’t consider a lockout.

was a good example!

Don’t be fooled by the three billion extra earned this year, but because players’ incomes account for 56% of the total revenue, the owners earned far less than the players.

Could the capitalists not be jealous?

The profits now were better than usual, and those capitalists were probably itching to initiate a lockout immediately to redistribute earnings!

The arrival of Mike Malone significantly improved the defensive tactics of the New York Knicks.

The New York Knicks’ defense strategy was now very clear, centered around Su Wan and Tyson Chandler.

This marked a significant change from the previous core of Artest and Tyson Chandler.

Artest was really getting old now, and his slowing steps had an adequate effect on defending ball handlers without many evasive moves like LeBron, or wings who increasingly relied on back attacks like Kobe.

However, against faster wings or those who favored off-ball movement, Artest’s defensive effectiveness was not as good.

As the first line of defense, if the quality was not high, it would also prevent Tyson Chandler from unleashing his ability to provide help defense.

But after adjusting their organizational structure, the defensive efficiency of the Knicks surged.

Don’t forget, the Knicks were originally a team with a defense counterattack as their primary focus.

As their defensive efficiency improved, their offensive firepower also began to grow more formidable.

In the remaining games of January, the Knicks went on a "5-game winning streak", during which they averaged 109 points per game and managed to keep their opponents’ scoring to around 94 points.

After several months of blending and adjustments, the offensive and defensive systems of the Knicks were now starting to show signs of strength.

Most importantly, the team’s form was becoming steady.

This meant that players like Stephen Curry and Danilo Gallinari were getting used to their current roles in the team.

New York Times: "This is the driving ability of Su Wan!"

Yet at the end of January, the Knicks’ ranking was still third in the Eastern Conference.