NBA: Warrior godfather.

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July 9, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Late at night in the hotel, Silas frowned as he looked over the player list in his hand, muttering to himself:

"Wesley Matthews, good at three-pointers and defense... Reggie Williams, a versatile small forward with strong drive... Anthony Tolliver, a stretch four... Where did Larry find these guys? They're all undrafted players."

A few days ago, Silas was appointed by Liam as the Warriors' chief assistant coach and now served as the interim head coach for the Warriors in the Las Vegas Summer League. That afternoon, he led the team to the world-renowned gambling city. Several players invited by the Warriors arrived as well, ready to join the team and prepare for the next day's game.

The summer league wasn't a big deal in terms of preparation. It was more about giving rookies, undrafted players, and free agents a chance to showcase their skills. In every summer league, some players stand out and catch the eye of teams, earning a contract and possibly becoming a regular part of the NBA rotation. Others might just remain fringe players, despite posting impressive stats.

For teams, there are only a few avenues to evaluate talent: the draft, the summer league, and preseason camps. The draft is limited by the number of picks, and preseason camps come too late. But the summer league allows teams to evaluate a dozen rookies and free agents across consecutive games, making it crucial for scouting.

That's why Silas was very dissatisfied. He understood why the Warriors didn't include Curry in their summer league roster this year; with his performance in college, he didn't need to prove himself further.

However, Larry Riley had sent a lineup consisting mainly of Butler, Lowry, and CJ Watson. Except for the three undrafted players recruited into the team, the rest were just there to fill numbers.

Although the summer league doesn't prioritize winning or losing, the team had recently changed owners. Liam quickly asked Nelson to step down as head coach, and with such a group of players, what if the game turned ugly and Liam doubted his ability? Silas knew that Liam was dissatisfied with the coaching staff and that personnel changes were likely. His position as chief assistant coach felt unstable.

He set the player report down and shook his head. "They even highlighted each player's characteristics. If they are really that good, how could they be undrafted?"

Silas was skeptical about Larry Riley's bold claims. There were very few game videos of these players. How did Larry know their technical strengths?

He envisioned the Warriors losing to the Rockets in tomorrow's opener, and sighed in frustration. Yet, time was short before the game, and he needed to figure out how to utilize the players' strengths as outlined in the report.

Silas grabbed a pen and paper, and as he read through the player report, he jotted down notes, mumbling:

"Lowry is good at attacking and passing... Matthews, Tolliver, and Williams are all strong shooters. Larry really knows the boss's preferences... Butler's shooting is also solid. It seems we'll have to play run-and-gun..."

…

The next day, 2:40 p.m., COX Arena.

The game between the Warriors and the Rockets was in the fourth quarter. Silas stood on the sidelines, staring at the court with disbelief.

"Tolliver received the pass from Lowry and nailed an open three-pointer! What a shot! That's his fifth three-pointer of the game!" the commentator exclaimed.

Silas slowly looked up. The big screen displayed the score: 74-53. The Warriors led the Rockets by 21 points. With just seven minutes left, they were close to securing the win.

After Anthony Tolliver's three-pointer, the Rockets struggled to mount an attack, thanks to the tough perimeter defense from Butler and Matthews, which made scoring especially difficult.

Butler had only scored six points from open cuts and spot threes, yet he contributed five steals and two blocks defensively, showcasing many successful plays that weren't reflected in the stats. His performance was particularly impressive.

Once again, Butler successfully blocked a Rockets shot and quickly passed the ball to Lowry.

Lowry charged down the court like a cannonball, his short, powerful frame bulldozing through defenders. Rather than attempting a contested shot, he passed to Matthews, who shot from the left side at the 45-degree angle without hesitation, and the three-pointer swished through the net!

As for the Rockets, they seemed disorganized, with players holding the ball and playing solo without any strategy.

Under Silas's directives, Butler, Matthews, Lowry, and Reggie Williams played like four relentless attackers, rotating seamlessly and preventing the Rockets from scoring.

When the Rockets players finally retreated, Lowry had to slow down and transition to a more structured offense. He attempted to penetrate the defense but found multiple Rockets players in his way. So, he passed to Reggie Williams on the weak side.

Receiving the ball, Reggie wasted no time attacking!

The Rockets were fixated on Lowry, leaving them vulnerable. Despite the coach's emphasis on defensive rotation, the gaps were massive, and Reggie capitalized.

He charged into the paint unimpeded, forcing the opponent's center to rush in for help. Reggie rose high and slammed the ball into the basket over the Rockets' center!

Bang!

After landing, Reggie Williams let out a triumphant roar and pounded his chest, releasing years of pent-up frustration with that dunk.

With only six minutes remaining, the score gap widened to 25 points. The Rockets called a timeout and surrendered.

Warriors players rushed forward, surrounding Reggie Williams in celebration. When they returned to the bench, they hugged Silas enthusiastically, the atmosphere filled with joy and camaraderie.

In stark contrast to the Rockets, who were wary of one another, the Warriors thrived under Silas's tactical approach. They felt empowered to play to their strengths, and although Lowry and Watson controlled the ball most of the time, there were no objections.

End of this chapter

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