Old Acquaintances Meet

On the morning of the 26th at seven o'clock, the Grizzlies players arrived at the airport ahead of schedule. Since they were taking a chartered plane, they didn't have to queue like regular passengers.

But even so, the players still got up early. After all, everyone had to gather at the FedExCenter first before taking a team bus to the airport.

The team arranged it this way for safety reasons—if a player was late or had an accident on the way, the loss would outweigh the gain. So whenever playing away games, NBA teams basically always gathered first before departing.

This was Link's first time following an NBA team on a road trip, and he found the supporting services of an NBA team incredibly luxurious.

First was luggage. When playing in the G League, no matter how much luggage you brought, you had to carry it all yourself.

But with an NBA team on the road, you only had to hand your luggage to the staff, and you could wash your hands of it. By the time you arrived at the hotel room, the luggage would naturally appear in the closet.

Second, equipment like jerseys and shoes naturally didn't need to be carried by the players themselves. Before he transmigrated, watching TV, when Rockets player P.J. Tucker entered the arena, he always liked to carry a pair of shoes, but that was just his personal decoration. The actual game shoes were already neatly placed in their locker room.

Finally, the team's travel conditions were also very good. Although there was no sixty-dollar meal allowance, the luxury bus and chartered plane were perks he couldn't enjoy in the G League.

This time, Link didn't have to squeeze into economy class with everyone else. The entire plane belonged only to the Grizzlies players. As Randolph put it, "You could even do somersaults up there if you wanted."

So, carrying his small shoulder bag, Link set off. Even after the plane had left Memphis soil, Link still couldn't quite believe he was sitting in an NBA team's chartered plane, heading to play an away game!

Speaking of which, the destination for this Grizzlies road trip was quite interesting—it was Indianapolis.

Link remembered that before he transmigrated, he had read a basketball novel where the protagonist coached in Indianapolis. And in reality, the Pacers also had his good friend Paul George.

Last night, George had called to ask Link if he would be coming to Indianapolis with the team to play the next day. At that time, Link didn't know he had made the roster, so his answer was that he didn't know.

I'm sure George will be really surprised to see me today. But come to think of it, this seems like the first time I'm meeting my good friend in person.

※※※

Like the Grizzlies, the Indiana Pacers had been hovering around eighth place in the East for a long time. As of now, the Pacers' record was 13 wins and 14 losses. They still had a chance to make the playoffs, but if they let their guard down even a little, they would fall out of the top eight.

Everyone thought that a team struggling just to make the playoffs had no fighting power. But in reality, this kind of team was the most willing to fight. If a little effort could earn a playoff spot, who would give up?

Therefore, Pacers head coach Jim O'Brien had asked his players to start preparing early today. The Grizzlies had the same desire, and tonight's game was destined to be no easy affair.

But for the Pacers, the good news was that the Grizzlies had just suffered three consecutive losses, and Rudy Gay had shot below 40% for two straight games. O'Brien believed that in the matchup between Gay and Danny Granger, Granger would come out on top.

As for the interior, Hibbert could use his height advantage to contain Gasol Jr. McRoberts and Hansbrough, two white power forwards, could take turns wrestling with Randolph, which should give him plenty of trouble.

Jim O'Brien's calculations were solid. He thought the game might be intense, but the outcome wouldn't be a surprise.

"Coach." Just then, Paul George, who was warming up, approached Jim O'Brien.

"What is it, George?" O'Brien didn't give George any special treatment just because he was a lottery pick. On the contrary, Jim O'Brien had never really trusted George; he wasn't a coach who liked using rookies.

As the Pacers' key developmental prospect, George's playing time this season hadn't even reached 20 minutes per game, which fully reflected O'Brien's attitude toward him.

"I just wanted to ask, do you think the Grizzlies will send Link out to play?"

"Who? Link?" O'Brien looked at George in surprise, momentarily unable to remember who Link was. Did the Grizzlies even have such a player?

"The one who broke the G League single-game individual scoring record a while back," George added.

"Oh, him." O'Brien gave a dismissive smile. If George hadn't mentioned it, he would have almost forgotten about the guy. "Whether he plays or not, someone like that won't affect the game anyway. Focus on your own preparation, George. Stop thinking about this nonsense."

Jim O'Brien didn't think much of Link at all. If he didn't trust a tenth overall pick rookie, why would he trust a fourth-year undrafted player?

※※※

The conditions for NBA players on the road were indeed very good, but they were also very busy. Having just arrived in Indianapolis and taken only an hour-long nap, Link hadn't even had time to enjoy the comfortable room at the five-star hotel before Lionel Hollins led the players charging toward Conseco Fieldhouse.

Link was restless the whole time. He didn't know when he would get to play today or how long he would be on the court. He was finally going to meet his old friend George, and he couldn't just sit on the bench for 48 minutes. But if he only got garbage-time minutes like Haddadi, that wouldn't be much fun either.

Speaking of Haddadi, he hadn't come with the Grizzlies today because he had been taken off the roster.

Yeah, Link had squeezed him out.

After arriving at the away team's locker room, the players changed their gear while Hollins explained the tactics.

"The Pacers' offensive firepower is very strong. Danny Granger, Darren Collison, and Mike Dunleavy are all excellent scorers. Similarly, the Pacers' defense, especially their interior defense, is no pushover. Roy Hibbert is 2.18 meters tall and averages 2.0 blocks per game! If you're not careful with interior offense, you definitely won't score! So today, I need you to increase the number of outside shots. Actively look for opportunities beyond the three-point line and in the mid-range. Then on offense, block their shooting space."

Link listened intently while changing clothes.

"Link!" As if sensing Link looking at him, Hollins suddenly called out.

"I'm here, Coach."

"I'll have you rotate in today. Don't be nervous, just play like you do in practice. We need your shooting range and defense. Don't let me down."

After Hollins spoke, both Link and Sam Young were very surprised.

Link hadn't expected to enter the regular rotation directly, while Sam Young hadn't anticipated being abandoned by Hollins so quickly.

"I..." Link looked at Hollins' expectant eyes, at Randolph and the others' friendly smiles, and at the number 0 jersey on his own body.

Grizzlies number 0. This was the first time Link had worn an official Grizzlies game jersey. The big "0" on his chest was incredibly conspicuous.

"I'll do my best to complete the mission, Coach." Link raised his head again. He had waited long enough for this day.

※※※

As the Grizzlies players entered the arena one by one, George kept his eyes fixed on the opposite half-court. Finally, at the end of the line, the small forward selected tenth overall by the Pacers saw his college teammate and good friend Link.

"I told you we'd meet in the NBA!" George spread his arms and walked toward Link. Although Link had never actually been teammates with George, he had liked Paul George before transmigrating, so he didn't hesitate to embrace him.

"How have you been, George?"

"Great. Coach Jim O'Brien has given me more playing time. Although... well, I have to admit, I don't really like him."

George glanced at O'Brien. Some coaches are good at developing rookies, while others prefer to stick with familiar lineups. Jim O'Brien undoubtedly belonged to the latter.

"Really? Is he putting you at the three or the two?" Link knew Jim O'Brien. If history hadn't deviated, this guy would be out of a job in just a few more games. And the man who would replace him, Frank Vogel, was the one who truly counted as George's mentor in the NBA.

"The three."

"What a coincidence, I play the three too. That means we'll be matching up in rotation time today." Link licked his lips without a shred of decency. If he could beat Paul George, his standing on the team would be rock solid!

Compared to Grant Hill, rookie-era George was incredibly raw. Beating George wasn't out of the question!

Think about it—an undrafted rookie taking down a tenth overall pick. Link would be impossible to ignore.

"Hey, you're picking on me with your bad ideas." George laughed, still thinking Link was joking around.

Link didn't answer. Instead, he patted George on the shoulder with meaning. This guy definitely hadn't heard a saying common in China: "Familiar faces are the ones who screw you over."