Chapter 11 - Teaming Up #11

After Alvaro dunked the ball, it bounced a few times on the court and slowly rolled away. Alvaro ran up to Hao, patted him on the back, and said:

Alvaro: "You're not that bad, big guy, so you both can stay on the team. We'll forget about that money-stealing issue. The only thing that matters is that we have enough to participate in the tournament. Now cheer up, we'll sort everything out."

With that, Alvaro went over to join Kobbie, who was already with Samuel and Daniel. On the other side, Hao approached Ace and asked him:

Hao: "So, what do you think? Will you stay on the team after this? No one's forcing you to leave anymore, and you've seen that even someone like you can be useful with the right guidance. What do you say?"

Ace: "I think I'd like to stay if it's okay with everyone, especially after this scrimmage. I've discovered that basketball is actually pretty interesting."

Hao: "Alvaro already told me we're staying on the team, so don't worry. Come on, let's join the others."

Ace: "Alright."

So, Ace and Hao joined the group. When they arrived, Alvaro greeted them and said:

Alvaro: "As per the agreement, these two lost, which means they're staying on the team. I hope no one has a problem with that."

No one said anything, so Alvaro took the silence as a sign of agreement. However, when he looked around, he noticed Vinny was nowhere to be seen. Since the whole issue had started because of him, Alvaro asked Daniel:

Alvaro: "Where did Vinny go? I haven't seen or heard from him since the game started."

Daniel: "He was with us until a little while ago, then he just left without saying anything."

Alvaro: "Alright, I'll call him later. I need to ask him something. But that's not important now. Let's focus on the important stuff while we're all here. We need to decide on our team name and work out the rotation, though that might change often. Still, we should have a starting idea."

Kobbie spoke up: "Leave the rotation to someone else. You're not the most reliable when it comes to strategy. It'd be best if Vinny were here since he's the point guard, but Hao seems to know a lot about tactics too."

Alvaro nodded, conceding that others were better suited to handle the team's strategy since his ego often got in the way of making tactical decisions.

Kobbie: "What do you think, Hao? How would you set the rotation?"

Hao responded: "Well, I don't know the skill sets of Daniel and this younger guy here, since I've never seen them play. I also don't know what positions they play, so I'd need you to tell me that. But I assume you, Kobbie, play as a wing, while Alvaro is a power forward. Am I right?"

Kobbie answered: "Yeah, you're right."

Daniel then answered Hao's question: "I'm about 6'4" and usually play shooting guard, though I can cover point guard if needed. However, I'm not great at playmaking, so I'm better suited for shooting guard. My preferred style is catch-and-shoot, which is the strongest part of my game."

Hao: "Got it. And you?" (turning to Samuel) "And remind me of your name, please."

Samuel answered: "My name's Samuel, I'm around 6'5". I prefer playing as a wing, but unlike Kobbie, I have a totally different approach to the game. I prefer playing as a point forward. The biggest weakness in my game is creating separation from defenders, so I've shifted more towards playmaking."

Hao: "Alright, now I have a better picture of how the starting rotation could look."

Ace interrupted Hao: "Can you hurry up? I'm going to miss the last bus home."

Hao: "Okay, I'll speed it up. For now, Vinny will start as point guard. Even though he's not here, he seems like the best option for that position. Kobbie will be our shooting guard because of his ability to create space in tight areas, while Daniel will come off the bench as a catch-and-shoot player. I'd place Samuel as our small forward, so we have two playmakers on the team. If the defense focuses too much on our point guard, Samuel can still make plays. As for power forward, I'll take that position because of my physicality. If I played center, I'd struggle even more against the bigger guys, which is why I think Alvaro is better suited for center, despite us being nearly the same height. Alvaro's stronger build makes him better for handling opponents in the paint. The main issue with this rotation is our lack of height, which could cause problems. Lastly, Ace will serve as the seventh man. Due to his height and technique, he might struggle to play any specific position, but for now, we'll use him as a last resort if someone gets injured or too tired. His best fit would be as a backup point guard because that's where his size will be less of a disadvantage."

Daniel chimed in: "Wait, the small fry is going to play? I thought we'd get him a wig and a cheerleader outfit to root for us from the sidelines."

Samuel added: "He'd be more useful as a water boy."

Ace fired back at Daniel: "Don't talk too much you're not even in the starting lineup."

Daniel responded: "Just because I'm not a starter doesn't mean I'm bad. Honestly, I'm closer to Kobe Bryant than you are to me."

Ace had no response to that because, in truth, Daniel wasn't wrong.

Kobbie cut in to stop the argument: "Alright, enough. We've already settled this Shrimp is on the team with us, so it doesn't matter whether he's the seventh player or the water boy. He's one of us now. Hao, your rotation seems solid, but we'll discuss it with Vinny when we meet again. Until then, see you around. Alvaro, let's go grab a kebab."

Alvaro called out loudly as they left the court: "Wait, we haven't picked a team name! What about the name?"

Alvaro and Kobbie disappeared into the darkness. A few minutes later, Ace ran off toward the bus stop, and the rest of the crew went their separate ways.