The Final Week Before the Storm

The week leading up to Friday's season opener against Lakeview Academy was a blur of training, scrimmages, schoolwork, and mental preparation. Every day was another chance to sharpen his game, another chance to push his limits. Lucas knew this was only middle school basketball, but to him, it was more than that.

This was his foundation.

A second chance to do everything right.

And when Friday finally arrived, he felt ready.

Monday's practice was less about conditioning and more about tightening the screws on their team play.

Coach Harrison had them focusing on:

Half-Court Execution – Making sure they ran their offensive sets cleanly without wasting movement.

Defensive Rotations – Fixing communication breakdowns on help defense.

Transition Drills – Making sure they got back on defense fast enough to prevent easy buckets.

Lucas felt sharp, his passing crisp, his footwork clean. He wasn't the most athletic player on the court, but he was starting to see the game a step ahead.

Miguel, as expected, was talking trash all practice.

"Coach," he said after draining a deep three in a scrimmage, "I'm thinking about pulling up from half-court on Friday. Let 'em know early."

Coach stared at him, unimpressed. "Yeah? I'm thinking about benching you for that shot selection."

The team erupted with laughter.

Lucas smirked and jogged past Miguel. "You might wanna get one foot in the paint before you start thinking about logo shots."

Miguel shook his head. "Man, you're no fun."

Lucas loved the energy of the team. They weren't just teammates anymore—they were a unit.

But Lakeview?

Lakeview wasn't going to care about their chemistry.

They were bigger, more disciplined, and experienced.

And they were expected to win.

Lucas clenched his fists. That's exactly why they had to shock them.

Tuesday's practice was different. Instead of just hitting the court, Coach Harrison had them watch film on Lakeview Academy's past games.

Lucas sat in the front row, eyes locked in.

The main takeaways from the film:

Cameron Reed (PG, Lakeview Academy) was the key to their offense.

Quick first step. Dangerous pull-up shooter. Great passer, controls tempo.

Lakeview's Bigs Were a Problem.

They had a 6'1" center who controlled the paint.They crashed the boards hard—second-chance points were a huge part of their game.

They ran a structured motion offense.

Their ball movement was flawless.If you lost focus for even a second, they'd punish you with backdoor cuts and quick ball reversals.

Coach clicked the remote, pausing the video. "We can't let them dictate the pace. If we let them run their sets without pressure, they'll carve us up."

Lucas nodded. It had to start with defense.

His job? Make Cameron Reed uncomfortable.

Press him. Cut off his passing lanes. Force bad shots.

If Lucas could throw him off rhythm, Lakeview's entire offense would suffer.

After school, Lucas hit Harrison Park by himself.

Today's Focus:

Defensive Slides & Lateral Quickness – To stay in front of Cameron.

Shooting off the Dribble – If they played tight defense, he needed to hit tough shots.

Conditioning – If he got tired, he was done.

The work wasn't pretty.

He missed shots.His legs burned from constant movement.The rain started drizzling mid-workout.

But Lucas kept pushing.

Because no one else was watching.

No cameras. No teammates hyping him up. Just him, his ball, and his future.

By the time he finished, he was drenched in sweat, but he felt locked in.

This was what he lived for.

Coach ran a shorter but high-intensity practice, making sure the team was ready for tomorrow.

Lucas could feel the tension in the gym.

It wasn't fear.

It was anticipation.

Miguel was unusually serious, drilling his shots with a locked-in expression.

Jaylen threw down powerful dunks, a look of determination in his eyes.

The entire team knew what was at stake.

This wasn't just a season opener.

It was a statement game.

Coach Harrison gathered them at center court at the end of practice.

"Tomorrow, you're gonna walk into that gym, and everyone is gonna expect you to lose."

He let that sink in.

"They're bigger. They're stronger. They've been winning for years."

A pause.

"And that's exactly why you're gonna shock them."

Lucas felt his heartbeat quicken.

"You've worked too hard to just roll over for them. So go out there and punch them in the mouth first."

The team huddled up, hands stacked together.

Miguel grinned. "We about to ruin some kids' days."

Lucas smirked. Exactly.

Coach Harrison raised his fist. "Lincoln Park on three—one, two, three!"

"LINCOLN PARK!"

Lucas woke up before his alarm.

For the first time in a while, he didn't feel tired.

He felt ready.

The sun hadn't even fully risen yet, but he pulled up his NBA System anyway.

[NBA SYSTEM DASHBOARD]

Physical Attributes:

Height: 5'2" (157 cm)

Weight: 102 lbs (46 kg)

Strength: 27/100

Agility: 32/100

Stamina: 40/100 (+1)

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: 26/100

Shooting off the Dribble: 30/100

Badges:

Bronze Catch & Shoot

Bronze Clutch Shooter

+1 Stamina.

Lucas grinned.

That was perfect.

Tonight? He was gonna need every last drop of energy.

Game day.

Time to make everyone remember his name.

As Lucas stepped downstairs, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and eggs sizzling in the pan filled the air. His dad, Steven, was leaning against the kitchen counter, reading something on his phone with his usual morning coffee in hand. His mom, Maria, was at the stove, flipping eggs onto a plate next to warm tortillas.

Maria turned at the sound of footsteps. "Mijo, you're up early."

Lucas smirked. "You know I don't sleep in on game days."

Steven chuckled, setting his phone down. "That's how you know he's serious."

Lucas grabbed a seat at the table, his stomach already rumbling. His mom set a plate in front of him—scrambled eggs, black beans, avocado, and warm tortillas. The perfect meal to keep him fueled.

"Eat up," Maria said, sitting down with her own plate. "You'll need the energy tonight."

Lucas took a bite and nodded. "For sure. Lakeview isn't gonna take it easy on us."

Steven smirked. "That's an understatement. Those private school kids play like they got scouts watching them already."

Lucas swallowed and grinned. "Good. That means when we beat them, people will notice."

Steven raised an eyebrow. "When? Not if?"

Lucas met his dad's eyes. "We've been grinding all week. We're ready."

Maria smiled. "I like that confidence, mijo."

Lucas took another bite before glancing at his dad. "You're coming tonight, right?"

Steven scoffed. "Of course. I'm leaving work early just to make sure I'm there before tipoff."

Lucas felt a warm sense of pride in his chest. "Good. I need someone to talk trash when I hit a three."

Steven laughed. "Oh, don't worry. I'll be courtside talking crazy."

Maria shook her head, amused. "You two are impossible."

Lucas wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Mom, you coming too?"

Maria hesitated. "I have a few things to take care of at work, but I'm going to try. If not, you know I'm calling your father every five minutes for updates."

Steven chuckled. "She's not lying."

Lucas grinned. "Alright. Just make sure Dad doesn't get kicked out for talking too much."

Maria laughed. "No promises."