Chapter 367: McCollum's Disappointment

It was the All-Star Weekend, and there were no games for about a week.

The day after Wade Dong returned to Phoenix, Barton and McCollum reported to the team, while Gortat and Frye had already left for Portland.

Looking at the trade between the Suns and the Trail Blazers from the past two years, it seemed to favor the Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers had many young players, and they were currently ranked fifth in the Western Conference. Moreover, their starting lineup's net rating was the third-best in the league.

By giving up Barton and McCollum and acquiring Gortat and Frye, the Trail Blazers gained two immediate contributors, strengthening their team right away.

Some fans couldn't understand the Suns' decision, as it seemed to bolster their opponent's strength.

However, most knowledgeable fans also knew that the Suns had enough time to develop new players, and strengthening the Trail Blazers wasn't a significant concern for the Suns. This season, the Suns had only one real rival: the Miami Heat.

"Brother Dong!"

"Brother Dong!"

When Barton and McCollum met Wade Dong in the arena for the first time, they were extremely nervous.

Although the Trail Blazers were a strong team, they didn't have a big figure like Wade Dong. Especially for McCollum, whose agent was Qingyan Luo, Wade Dong was, in a sense, his boss.

"Welcome to the team," Wade Dong waved and led Barton and McCollum to the practice court. "Let's start with a one-on-one challenge."

"Huh?"

Hearing that Wade Dong wanted to play one-on-one with them, McCollum and Barton became even more nervous.

Durant and Curry were at home and didn't come to the practice, so only Green and Whiteside were on the court.

Green walked over and explained, "It's a team tradition for new players to have a one-on-one challenge with Brother Dong."

"Oh..."

Barton hesitantly asked, "Brother Dong, can the two of us play against you together?"

"No!" Wade Dong glared at Barton.

What was this guy thinking? If they played two against one, he would only earn one talent point. How could he waste talent points like that?

Barton and McCollum had no choice but to agree, "Alright, let's warm up first."

"Huff... puff... huff..."

Barton and McCollum started by running around the court a few times, followed by a 10-minute shooting drill.

Seeing Wade Dong getting a bit impatient, McCollum said, "Brother Dong, we're ready."

"Alright..."

Wade Dong picked up a basketball, "We'll play one ball. You two will take turns defending me. If you can stop me, you win."

Barton whispered, "Do we not need to attack?"

"No," Wade Dong smiled. "Do you think you can score against my defense?"

Wade Dong mainly found it troublesome, as he had already figured out the system's rules. As long as he won the one-on-one challenge, he would earn talent points. The specifics of the challenge were up to Wade Dong, and perhaps the system was also worried about being countered by him.

"Hmm..."

Barton and McCollum were completely lost, not expecting such a one-on-one challenge. They had just spent over ten minutes on shooting drills for nothing.

But Brother Dong was right; even if they were allowed to attack, they wouldn't be able to score against Wade Dong's defense.

"I'll go first!"

Barton, being a second-year rookie, stepped onto the court first, ready to defend Wade Dong.

Wade Dong passed the ball to Barton, who passed it back to him. This process, known as 'washing the ball', was repeated, and when Wade Dong got the ball again, Barton stuck to him in defense. For a player like Wade Dong, Barton felt he couldn't let him drive or shoot, so he had to play tight defense.

Wade Dong held the ball with one hand and took a probing step, then lifted it up. Barton instantly jumped in sync with Wade Dong's rhythm.

"So easy to fool..."

After Barton jumped, Wade Dong let the ball drop, then dribbled past him and slowly drove to the basket for an easy layup.

Barton: (╯﹏╰)

"Your turn!"

Wade Dong passed the ball to McCollum and repeated the process, easily scoring again.

[Talent Point +1...]

[Talent Point +1...]

Barton and McCollum's initial excitement about joining the team faded, and they sat on the sidelines with the ball, feeling dejected. The one-on-one challenge had made them doubt their own abilities.

"You two must practice hard. At your current level, you won't even make it into the Suns' rotation," Wade Dong said indifferently before leaving the court.

When Gentry arrived at the arena with his thermos, he saw the dejected duo and asked Green, "What's wrong with them?"

Green smiled, "They had a one-on-one challenge with Brother Dong."

"Oh..."

Gentry shook his head helplessly, "Brother Dong really needs to change this habit; it hurts the kids' self-esteem."

After saying this, Gentry walked up to Barton and McCollum with his thermos, and the two noticed him, quickly standing up to greet him, "Hello, Coach..."

"Don't be so formal," Gentry patted their shoulders. "Sit down..."

After Barton and McCollum sat down nervously, Gentry sat beside them with his thermos and said, "Let me share a little story with you..."

About half an hour later, Barton and McCollum's faces lit up with smiles, and they felt even more confident than when they had arrived at the arena.

...

The next day, the Suns hosted the Trail Blazers at home.

The current Western Conference standings were: Suns, Lakers, Spurs, Warriors, and Trail Blazers.

Ranked fifth, the Trail Blazers were one game behind the fourth-placed Warriors.

With the addition of Gortat and Frye, the Trail Blazers had strengthened their team and were determined to beat the Suns.

At 6 PM, Gortat and Frye arrived at the US Airways Center with the Trail Blazers.

For a moment, they felt dazed, thinking they were about to play a home game. They hadn't expected their first game after the trade to be against the Suns.

"Brother Dong..."

As soon as Gortat entered the arena, he greeted Wade Dong.

"How do you feel about the new team? Have they been bullying you two?" Wade Dong asked.

"No, the new teammates are very friendly," Gortat replied.

"That's good," Wade Dong nodded. "If they bully you, be sure to tell me, and I'll deal with them for you."

Frye stepped forward and asked, "How will you deal with them, Brother Dong?"

"It's simple. We'll just blow them out tonight," Wade Dong said.

"And we'll blow you two out as well!"

"Hahaha..."

The other teammates joined in the banter, and after a while, the game was about to start.