A Day to Reset

The morning light filtered through Lucas's blinds, and for the first time in days, he allowed himself to wake up slowly. No alarms. No early training session. No rush.

His body felt less stiff than expected, but there was still a lingering ache in his legs from the past two days. All that work had been paying off.

As he stretched his arms over his head, a familiar notification flashed in his vision.

[NBA SYSTEM UPDATE]

Due to consistent training and body development, attributes have been increased!

Height: 5'2" → 5'3" (160 cm)

Agility: 32/100 → 33/100

Shooting off the Dribble: 30/100 → 31/100

Lucas sat up, cracking his knuckles. A height increase. He knew it wasn't much, but every inch mattered in basketball. He wasn't done growing yet.

And the attributes? Agility and Shooting off the Dribble. That made sense. He had been constantly working on his footwork, sharp cuts, and balance.

It was small progress. But progress was progress.

Lucas grabbed his phone off his nightstand and scrolled through Twitter. He liked to keep up with NBA news, especially since this was 2018—his second time living through it. He had the knowledge of what was coming, but he also needed to pay attention to how things unfolded.

The first thing he saw was a tweet from Adrian Wojnarowski.

Woj: "Rumors heating up that Jimmy Butler is unhappy with the Timberwolves. Possible trade scenarios being discussed."

Lucas smirked. Of course. He remembered this.

Jimmy Butler was about to make a scene in Minnesota. The infamous practice where he took the Timberwolves' third stringers and destroyed the starters? That was coming soon.

Miguel was gonna love this one.

Lucas scrolled further, seeing more preseason hype for the Lakers.

LeBron's first season in L.A. People were already talking about how he'd elevate the young core of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma.

Lucas leaned back. Yeah, they weren't ready for what was coming. The Lakers were about to struggle hard before making the Anthony Davis trade in 2019.

He kept scrolling, seeing highlights from last season—the Warriors were still stacked, Harden had won MVP, and the Suns had just drafted Deandre Ayton first overall.

It was crazy living through this all over again.

Lucas finally got up, heading downstairs to find his mom already in the kitchen. Maria glanced up from the counter, giving him a knowing look.

"You slept in."

Lucas yawned, grabbing a glass of water. "First time in a while."

Maria nodded approvingly. "Good. Your body needs rest, mijo."

He sat down, scrolling through his phone again as he sipped his water. His mom walked over and glanced at the screen.

"Basketball again?" she asked.

Lucas smirked. "You know it."

She shook her head. "You should watch something else for once."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Maria thought for a moment. "I don't know… a movie? A show? Something that doesn't involve a ball."

Lucas chuckled. "I'll think about it."

She gave him a knowing look before heading back to the kitchen.

Lucas opened YouTube and searched for old 2018 NBA highlights.

He clicked on a Luka Dončić Summer League compilation.

Back then, people were still doubting him. Some analysts thought he'd struggle in the NBA, that he wasn't athletic enough. Lucas knew better.

Luka was about to take over the league.

As he watched, his dad walked into the room, stretching his arms.

"You're up late," Steven said, grabbing a cup of coffee.

Lucas shrugged. "Gotta rest sometime."

Steven chuckled. "So what's the plan for today? No training?"

Lucas shook his head. "Nah. Just a chill day. Maybe watch some games, stretch a little."

His dad nodded. "Good. You need balance."

Lucas smirked. "That what you did when you played?"

Steven raised an eyebrow. "Boy, I ain't have the luxury to 'take it easy.' I was grinding every day."

Lucas laughed. "Uh-huh. And where'd that get you?"

Steven pointed at him. "A son who actually might make the NBA. So I'd say it worked out."

Lucas shook his head, chuckling.

His dad took a sip of coffee and sat down. "You watching film?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, Luka's Summer League stuff."

Steven whistled. "That kid is cold."

Lucas grinned. "People don't even know what's coming."

Steven leaned back. "What about you? You watching yourself yet?"

Lucas paused, then shook his head. "Not yet."

His dad nodded slowly. "You should. Best way to improve."

Lucas exhaled. "Yeah… I was thinking about recording some of our games, breaking 'em down."

Steven's lips curled into a smirk. "Smart. That's how you start seeing the details."

Lucas sat back, considering it. He knew the game well, but watching film could take his IQ even higher.

That was something to think about.

The rest of the day was as relaxed as it could be.

Lucas still did his daily stretching routine, making sure his body stayed loose, but other than that?

He actually let himself chill.

He caught up on some NBA podcasts, where analysts debated whether the Celtics were about to dominate the East, now that Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward were back. Lucas smirked—yeah, that wasn't happening.

He watched some old Derrick Rose highlights, thinking about how Chicago still had so much love for him, even after he left.

He even got caught up watching some high school mixtapes, just to see the competition that would be in the NBA a few years from now.

Zion Williamson's dunks were insane.

Ja Morant wasn't really on the radar yet, but Lucas knew that was coming.

It was wild, knowing the future.

Eventually, as the sun started to set, Lucas grabbed his phone and sent a text to Miguel.

Lucas: You resting or nah?

Miguel: Bro, I'm playing 2K. This is rest.

Lucas: You losing?

Miguel: Man shut up.

Lucas laughed, shaking his head.

Monday morning came fast. Lucas woke up before his alarm, his mind already on the upcoming game against Washington Middle. The loss to Hyde Park had left a bad taste in his mouth, and this whole week was about one thing—fixing their mistakes.

After a quick breakfast, he grabbed his bag and headed out, feeling a little taller. Literally. The system had confirmed that he grew an inch, but he could feel it in how his clothes fit, how his feet hit the pavement.

At school, Miguel was already waiting by the lockers, grinning like he knew something.

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"

Miguel smirked. "You see the news?"

Lucas frowned and pulled out his phone.

NBA Insider Report: "Tension brewing in Minnesota. Rumors suggest Jimmy Butler is unhappy with the Timberwolves' direction. No official trade request yet, but sources say he may be looking for a way out."

Lucas smirked. It was starting.

Miguel shook his head. "Man, if Jimmy really wants out, you think the Wolves gonna fold?"

Lucas shrugged. "Depends. They don't wanna lose him for nothing, but you know Jimmy—if he's mad, he's gonna make it everybody's problem."

Miguel laughed. "I just wanna see him cuss out KAT and Wiggins on live TV."

Lucas chuckled. "Give it time."

Jaylen walked up, nodding toward Lucas. "Yo, we running practice right after school?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah. We gotta get our movement down."

Jaylen cracked his knuckles. "Bet. 'Cause I ain't losing again."

The whole team felt it. This week was different.

Practice that afternoon was intense.

Coach Harrison had taken Lucas's feedback seriously. They spent the first hour running drills to improve their press break.

Instead of relying on Lucas to dribble through the pressure, they practiced quick ball movement—one pass, two passes, across half-court before Hyde Park-style defenses could trap them.

Jaylen and Evan were working on better outlet passes, making sure they could throw over defenders instead of forcing bounce passes.

Miguel and Jamal were getting extra reps handling the ball, making sure they were comfortable initiating the offense.

Lucas ran through off-ball actions, setting himself up in spots where he could make quick decisions. If he couldn't break the press himself, he needed to be ready to attack the moment he got the ball.

Coach stopped them mid-drill, watching Lucas relocate. "That's it, Turner. Read the gaps. Make them chase you, don't just stand still."

Lucas nodded, already seeing how it would help.

The next day, they focused on physicality.

Washington Middle wasn't a finesse team. They weren't gonna out-shoot Lincoln Park. They were gonna muck it up—scrap, fight for every rebound, bump cutters, pressure passes.

So practice got physical.

Coach had them running contact drills, where defenders could bump ball-handlers without fouling. Lucas had to adjust to absorbing pressure while keeping control.

Jaylen and Evan were going at each other in the post, battling for positioning, fighting for rebounds. Miguel was learning how to finish through contact instead of looking for foul calls.

Lucas took plenty of hits but didn't complain. This was how you got better.

By the end of practice, everyone was breathing heavy, drenched in sweat.

Coach clapped his hands. "This is what it's gonna take. Washington is gonna come at us hard. We hit them back harder."

The whole team nodded.

Lucas wiped his face with his jersey, looking at Miguel. "You tired yet?"

Miguel scoffed. "Man, never."

Jaylen chuckled. "We'll see about that on game day."

By Wednesday, everything was coming together.

The press break was smoother. The ball was moving quicker. Players weren't hesitating as much.

Lucas could feel the chemistry improving.

During a scrimmage, he caught a pass in transition, faked a three, then threw a no-look dime to Jaylen for a layup.

Miguel drilled back-to-back threes off Lucas's drive-and-kicks.

Jamal got a clean steal by jumping a passing lane, taking it all the way for a dunk.

The team was clicking.

Even Coach had a rare grin on his face by the end of practice. "That's more like it."

Lucas felt it, too. They weren't the same team that lost to Hyde Park.

Thursday. The last full practice before the game.

Lucas could feel the shift in mentality. The team wasn't just running through plays. They were locked in.

Coach had them finish practice with free throws. "End it on makes," he said.

One by one, players stepped to the line.

Lucas went last, swishing both.

Coach nodded. "Good. Get some rest. We handle business tomorrow."

As they packed up, Miguel stretched his arms. "Y'all ready for this?"

Jaylen smirked. "Oh, we ready."