Locking In

The alarm buzzed, cutting through the peaceful silence of Lucas' room. His hand instinctively shot out to smack the snooze button, but he stopped himself. No shortcuts. He forced himself to sit up, blinking away the grogginess of Monday morning.

A new week. A new opportunity.

As he got dressed, his mind was already running through everything ahead—school, practice, training, and getting better. His body was still feeling the soreness from the weekend workouts, but it was a good kind of soreness. The kind that told him he was making progress.

With a deep breath, he pulled up his NBA System.

[NBA SYSTEM DASHBOARD]

Physical Attributes:

Height: 5'2" (157 cm)

Weight: 102 lbs (46 kg)

Strength: 27/100

Agility: 32/100

Stamina: 39/100

Vertical Jump: 25/100

Basketball Attributes:

Ball Handling: 31/100

Passing: 35/100

Defense: 21/100

Steal: 25/100

Block: 15/100

Rebounding: 20/100

Post Defense: 15/100

Perimeter Defense: 25/100

Shooting:

Free Throw: 45/100

Midrange Shot: 33/100

Layup: 41/100

Dunk: 0/100

3-Point Shot: 25/100

Shooting off the Dribble: 30/100

Badges:

Bronze Catch & Shoot

Bronze Clutch Shooter

Nothing new yet. But that was fine.

It was time to make these numbers change.

Lucas jogged downstairs to the smell of coffee and toast. His mom was at the table, scrolling through something on her phone, while his dad, already dressed for work, was pouring coffee into a travel mug.

Maria looked up as Lucas grabbed some toast. "Morning, mijo. How was your sleep?"

Lucas bit into the toast, chewing as he spoke. "Alright. Sore from training, though."

Steven smirked. "That's how you know it's working."

Lucas swallowed. "Yeah, but I don't think pre-algebra cares how sore I am."

Maria laughed. "Well, go suffer through it anyway."

Steven grabbed his keys. "Alright, I'm out. Have a good day, champ."

Lucas nodded. "See you later, Dad."

Maria kissed Steven on the cheek before turning back to Lucas. "You staying after school for practice?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah. First real week of preparation."

Maria smiled. "Then eat well and don't forget to stretch."

Lucas grinned. "Yes, Mom."

By the time Lucas got to first period, the realization hit him: Mondays suck.

Math dragged, science was slow, and English? More essay structure discussions.

At lunch, Lucas met up with Miguel and Jaylen.

Miguel slumped into his seat. "Man, I swear, today is the slowest day in history."

Jaylen nodded. "It's the worst. And we got practice after this?"

Lucas smirked. "That's the only thing making today worth it."

Miguel stretched his arms. "Coach better not make us run suicides again."

Jaylen shook his head. "Oh, we're definitely running suicides."

Lucas chuckled. "Just don't throw up this time."

Miguel shot him a glare. "That happened once."

Jaylen smirked. "Once was enough."

Lucas laughed as Miguel muttered under his breath, stuffing fries into his mouth.

The gym was already buzzing when the team arrived, sneakers squeaking against the polished floor. Coach Harrison stood at the front, holding his clipboard.

"Alright, listen up," he said, his voice cutting through the chatter. "We're not just practicing to get in shape. We're preparing to win."

He tapped the whiteboard, where the Lakeview Academy logo was circled.

"Our first game is against Lakeview. They're the number one seed in our region. You know what that means?"

Miguel muttered, "That we're screwed?"

Coach's eyes snapped to him. "It means they expect to beat you. They think they're better than you."

The gym fell silent.

Coach continued, "Lakeview plays structured, disciplined basketball. They don't make a lot of mistakes, they move the ball well, and they grind you down. If you get lazy on defense, they'll pick you apart. If you play selfish offense, they'll make you pay."

Lucas clenched his fists. They think they're better than us. We have to prove they're wrong.

Coach flipped to another page. "The player we need to watch out for is Cameron Reed. He's their point guard, and he's the real deal. Quick, great handles, and he can shoot. If we don't contain him, he'll control the game."

Lucas felt his heart beat a little faster. That's my matchup.

Coach's eyes scanned the team. "We need to play to our strengths. Jaylen, Evan—you guys own the paint. I don't want Lakeview getting second chances. Miguel—control the tempo. Be aggressive, but play smart. Lucas—you're the floor general. Keep us organized and be ready to knock down shots when they come."

Lucas nodded firmly. This was his moment.

Coach clapped his hands. "Alright, let's get to work."

Tuesday – School & Practice

Another day, another grind.

By the time school ended, Lucas had sat through more boring lessons, another miguel complaining session, and a Jaylen shrugging at everything.

Miguel groaned as they walked to the gym. "Man, I swear, if Coach makes us run again…"

Lucas smirked. "You say that like it's not gonna happen."

Jaylen stretched his arms. "We need it."

Miguel shook his head. "Man, I'm just trying to survive out here."

Lucas chuckled. "Good luck with that."

Practice was intense.

"Alright, listen up!" he barked, his voice carrying across the court. "We're not just out here running drills for fun. We've got Lakeview Academy in two weeks. They're the top seed for a reason, and if we walk in there playing lazy, we're gonna get exposed."

Lucas stood near the center of the huddle, heart pounding with anticipation. This is the real start of the season. The first real test.

Coach tapped his whiteboard, where the name Cameron Reed was circled in red marker. "Their point guard. He's fast, crafty, and can shoot from deep. If we let him dictate the pace, we're done. We need to throw him off his rhythm, force bad shots, and deny him easy looks."

Lucas nodded. That was his matchup. His first real test as the team's lead guard.

Coach pointed at the big men. "Jaylen, Evan—you two control the paint. No easy rebounds. If they wanna score inside, they better be ready to feel you first."

Jaylen smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Oh, they'll feel me."

Evan, the quietest guy on the team, just nodded. He didn't talk much, but he didn't need to—his presence in the paint did the talking.

Miguel leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "So, are we running a zone, or what?"

Coach shot him a look. "You think Lakeview's gonna sit back and let us play a lazy zone?"

Miguel shrugged. "I dunno, man. Zones work."

Coach sighed. "Yes, Miguel, they do. But not against a team like Lakeview. They move the ball too well. A zone only works if the other team lacks shooters or doesn't know how to pick it apart."

Lucas nodded. "So, we're going man-to-man?"

Coach pointed at him. "Exactly. But we're not just playing any man defense. We're running a variation of a 'gap defense.'"

The team looked at him blankly.

Coach sighed, then turned to the board. "Let me explain it in simple terms."

He drew five Xs and five Os, then started marking the positions.

"In normal man-to-man, everyone sticks to their guy tight. But against a team that likes to pass and move a lot? That's a problem. They'll keep running screens until they create an open shot."

He tapped his marker against the whiteboard. "A gap defense means you stay in your man's space, but instead of hugging them tight, you play one step off. That way, if they drive, you have help ready. But if they shoot, you're still close enough to contest."

Jaylen nodded slowly. "So we clog the lanes but don't sag too much?"

"Exactly." Coach pointed at Lucas. "And for you, that means you don't let Cameron Reed get comfortable. He gets past you, we rotate. But if you let him start hitting deep shots? That's a problem."

Lucas clenched his fists. I got this.

Coach clapped his hands. "Enough talking. Scrimmage time."