NBA: Warrior godfather.

Guys there is already content on patreon, if anyone wants to become a chunin or jonnin.

patreon.com/Chuga320 (More 50 chapters)

—————————————————————————————————————————————

When Curry received the pass from Azubuike, the shot clock was running out. Battier rushed over, covering Curry's head with his large hands.

Curry had no time to adjust and quickly released a three-pointer before the 24 seconds expired, but Battier interfered, and the ball bounced off the rim.

Curry's previously relaxed expression turned serious after missing the shot, despite hitting two early three-pointers.

In the NCAA, such shots seemed challenging, but for Curry, they were second nature.

With his ultra-fast release, he always managed to get the ball off before opponents could block him. The visual effect was often a risky but successful shot.

Moments ago, Curry had executed just such a play. However, Battier's seemingly slow movements arrived precisely as the ball left Curry's hands.

If Curry hadn't reacted quickly and adjusted his shot arc to avoid Battier's large hand, it might have been a clean block.

Even so, Battier succeeded in his aim. After Curry missed, Hayes secured the rebound.

Though undersized, Hayes had impressively thick legs, allowing him to box out Biedrins and secure the rebound effectively.

As the basketball missed, Battier leaned toward Curry and whispered in his ear:

"Rookie, welcome to the NBA."

Curry simply jogged back to defense without a word.

He glanced at his parents, Maria and Javier, who were watching courtside, and clenched his left hand into a quiet fist.

Maria had taught him not to use foul language.

But she had also told him that if anyone provoked him on the court, he must respond!

"Did you see that? Battier nearly blocked him! That's his real level!" said Barkley proudly.

TNT had assigned its star trio—Kenny Smith, Barkley, and Reggie Miller—to cover this nationally televised game.

The bet between Barkley and Liam González had spread across the United States, making the Warriors' games must-watch TV.

Although it was early, the game's ratings had already exceeded the network's expectations.

TNT decided that all nationally broadcast Warriors games would feature Barkley as the commentator.

This wasn't just for the game's quality but to satisfy fans eager to see Barkley go head-to-head with the Warriors' progress.

"Charles, it was a shot-clock buzzer beater. Missing is normal," Kenny Smith retorted.

"Haha, I just saw him almost get blocked!" Barkley replied playfully.

Many fans watching on TV laughed, enjoying Barkley's antics.

While Barkley rambled, Ariza missed a three-pointer. Biedrins grabbed the rebound and passed it to Curry, initiating another Warriors fast break.

The Rockets' defense was active, but their team lacked elite talent. Except for Varejao, the Warriors' other four players were all athletically superior.

Hayes, Scola, and Varejao were still sprinting back on defense when the other Warriors had already crossed into the Rockets' half.

Curry maintained a shifting rhythm as Ariza tried to cut him off. Observing his teammates' movements, Curry feigned a drive into the paint before suddenly passing the ball behind his back to Azubuike, sprinting into the corner.

Azubuike caught the pass, drawing Battier's defensive switch. But instead of forcing a contested three, Azubuike faked and passed to Butler on the opposite corner. The Rockets' defense was completely out of position, leaving Butler wide open. Without hesitation, he launched a three-pointer.

Swish!

The ball went in—4:9. The Warriors extended their lead to five points.

Liam stood up and clapped for Azubuike.

This was exactly what he had emphasized in practice: "Make the extra pass."

While Liam's Run-and-Gun system was inspired by Mike D'Antoni, it was distinct from the chaotic style of Don Nelson.

Nelson prioritized speed and freedom, believing in minimizing player restrictions to allow raw talent to shine.

Under Nelson, everyone was expected to sprint, shoot, and capitalize on every three-point opportunity. A make was deemed decisive; a miss was chalked up to bad luck.

In essence, Nelson's Run-and-Gun philosophy was defined by "high speed, freedom, and unpredictability."

Not even Nelson could predict who would end up with the ball each possession, let alone the opponents.

Thus, Warriors games under Nelson were full of surprises, often seeing role players unexpectedly drop high-scoring games to the fans' delight.

However, this entertaining style came with flaws. While individuals could thrive, the team often lacked stability. On good nights, they could lead the league; on bad nights, they could be trounced by bottom-ranked teams.

Liam's approach was more team-oriented, borrowing heavily from D'Antoni's tactics.

The Warriors' fast breaks now featured two shooters, Butler and Azubuike, sprinting down the sidelines, while Biedrins filled the center lane. Curry advanced with the ball, orchestrating the attack.

The players' wide spacing forced the opposing defense to spread thin, creating openings and confusion.

Moreover, Liam's philosophy—"Make one more pass"—encouraged players to prioritize finding open teammates over forcing contested shots.

Early in the season, only Curry and Butler were naturally comfortable with this style. The others struggled to adapt, often missing open teammates.

But after enduring Liam's trademark "hairdryer treatment" during practices and weeks of drills, the Warriors' players developed a basic sense of ball movement. They instinctively sought out open teammates during fast breaks.

Even Biedrins, whose primary role was as a workhorse, had developed basic passing skills through repeated training.

The Warriors' Run-and-Gun overwhelmed the Rockets' defense, with their slower players like Hayes and Scola unable to keep up.

Even when the Rockets scored, the Warriors quickly inbounded the ball and pushed for another fast break.

Curry's court vision shone as he consistently found gaps in the Rockets' defense, leading to consecutive scores for the Warriors.

However, Ariza unexpectedly caught fire. Playing the entire first quarter, he hit 5 of 10 shots, including 3 of 6 from three-point range, and made a free throw. He scored 14 points in the quarter, becoming the standout player on the court.

Such was the unpredictable nature of Ariza—a player capable of heroic moments, like his pivotal steals in the 2009 Western Conference Finals, but also capable of catastrophic performances, like his 0-for-9 disaster in Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals.

A wildcard in every sense, no one could predict whether Ariza would be a game-changer or a liability in any given match.

End of this chapter

Note: Hi if you really like NBA novels, you can support me either in this pg with stones, reviews etc, or in patreon since the niche of sports and specially NBA is very small is Webnovel since people prefer to read Naruto, Pokemon, comics etc.