Chapter 419: New Beginnings, the Ruler

Fan Xi returned home and looked over the complete ESPN new‑season player rankings.

James first, Kevin Durant second, Fan Xi third, Dwight Howard fourth, Derek Rose fifth, Chris Paul sixth, Kevin Love seventh, Dwyane Wade eighth, Russell Westbrook eighth, Deron Williams tenth, Nowitzki eleventh, LaMarcus Aldridge twelfth, Andrew Bynum thirteenth, Blake Griffin fourteenth, Carmelo Anthony fifteenth, Chris Bosh sixteenth, Kobe Bryant seventeenth, Pau Gasol eighteenth, Tony Parker nineteenth, Al Dric twentieth…

This ranking is based on advanced metrics and some composite ratings.

Regarding advanced stats, no player in the world can surpass James; he epitomizes efficiency. Kobe's advanced stats have always been poor; although Fan Xi's ball‑handling efficiency isn't especially high, his other numbers offset those weaknesses, so his advanced stats are also impressive.

Moreover, he won Finals MVP two years in a row and overturned the Dream Team in London; even if ESPN disliked Fan Xi, it could not refuse to place him third.

What pleased Fan Xi was that Leonard also made the list, at 46th, and the player right behind him happened to be another Clippers member, Ricky Rubio; Jimmy Butler was also listed at 86th in the league.

Looking at the player list, it is well‑deserved that the Lakers top the team strength ranking, because they have four superstars in the league's top twenty: Howard fourth, Paul sixth, Kobe seventeenth, and Gasol eighteenth.

And the Lakers' failure last season was widely blamed on injuries and… they hadn't yet gelled their lineup. In fact, many Lakers fans still believe that if the Lakers had eliminated the Clippers in last season's Western Conference Finals, dealing with the Heat would just be a matter of time.

The Heat are often treated that way; two seasons ago, Fan Xi led the Lakers past them, and the Dallas Mavericks lamented that had they not been eliminated by the Lakers, cleaning up the Heat in the Finals would not have been an issue.

The Heat's roster has been bolstered this year; besides adding more interior depth and signing former No. 1 pick Kenyon Martin, they also made a crucial wing addition by landing Ray Allen.

Ray Allen's feud with LaMarcus Aldridge in Boston has become public, and he has decided to spend the final stretch of his career in Miami.

This choice left Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce unable to comprehend it; Garnett even called him a "traitor."

Ray Allen's departure further eroded the Celtics' competitiveness; the former Three Giants are aging, and although they backed up Aldridge, his shooting still can't match Fan Xi's, so he isn't a reliable cornerstone.

Boston is headed into a prolonged decline.

In the East, only two and a half teams can truly contend with Miami.

One is the Chicago Bulls led by the youngest regular‑season MVP ever, Derek Rose; the Bulls gave Miami a lot of trouble in last season's Eastern Conference Finals. This season, even without major signings, their tactics have matured further, and Rose's evolution will surely make them tougher.

The other team is the Indiana Pacers, a hard‑nosed squad forged by Larry Bird; despite lacking superstar talent, a group of warriors—Grant, Qiao Zhi, Hebert, Hill and others—can deliver two solid blows to the Heat.

The other half is the New York Knicks; the Knicks splashed cash to acquire Steve Nash and also signed Dio, a former Suns power‑forward, and added Stoudamire and Carmelo Anthony, making the payroll look impressive on paper.

However, the Knicks seem cursed. Though they boast the league's highest attendance, highest market value, and top revenue ranking.

But they have truly been terrible for many years. Since they dumped Patrick Ewing, the franchise's feng shui has been off; many players come and go, yet it remains a tangled mess with no sense of belonging.

Their team culture is self‑buried.

After all, old Ewing gave his life to the Knicks, earning the "Iron‑Blood New York" moniker, yet he never received a veteran contract and was discarded like trash. With that treatment, how can the culture thrive?

By contrast, the Lakers do the best in the league in this regard. Of course, now it's different; after they shipped Fan Xi out, their reputation has become foul.

The Western Conference landscape has essentially been set.

Both Los Angeles teams sit near the top, while the storied Spurs and Thunder chase each other neck‑and‑neck with the elite tier. The Nuggets and Grizzlies are also formidable, and the Rockets, Warriors, Jazz and Mavericks are all loading up.

The West remains a pack of wolves—double the strength of the East—and the West‑strong, East‑weak pattern has not changed since the Jordan era.

ESPN even predicts that in the West, even 45 wins may not guarantee a playoff spot.

Forty‑five wins, roughly a 55 % win rate, still miss the playoffs, so the bar is clearly high.

In the East, thirty‑something wins can comfortably secure a playoff berth.

Thus, Kobe's oft‑repeated line "Eastern titles aren't that impressive" isn't without merit; according to his theory, three Eastern championships equal one Western championship.

Fan Xi thought this and couldn't help exclaiming, "Jordan is terrifyingly great."

Jordan is the original cause of today's West‑strong, East‑weak imbalance; his domination of the East made stars jump to the West seeking a breakthrough. Yet Jordan still went 6‑0 in the Finals.

That is real domination.

Domination not only rules the present era but also shapes the future.

Fan Xi's current goal is to become a truly dominant star.

After winning an Olympic gold medal, Fan Xi was elevated by Asian and European media to the throne of Eastern basketball, and many outlets gladly call him the contemporary world's number one basketball player.

This forces Fan Xi to set aside James, Kevin Durant, and Rosa, the superstars of his era, and contemplate the possibility of challenging Jordan.

He spent some time studying Jordan.

He realized… this would be an extremely difficult, almost impossible, challenge.

Fan Xi rose to fame early and was very lucky, earning Finals MVP in his rookie season.

But technically, Jordan steam‑rolled Fan Xi in his first season, and did the same in his second.

Because Jordan averaged 28.2 points per game in his first season, a feat achieved in an era when three‑point shooting was rare and the pace was slow.

In his second season, due to injury, many treat Jordan's third season as his second.

That season, Jordan officially began his god‑like run.

He averaged 37.1 points, claimed his first scoring title, and then proceeded to win ten consecutive scoring crowns.

In that slow‑paced era with few possessions, where long‑range three‑point shots were not emphasized, physical contact was intense and fouls were rarely called, and offense was de‑emphasized, such scoring was unattainable for anyone… Even Wilt Chamberlain's higher scoring average pales because it was in a bygone age, hardly comparable to modern basketball.

Beyond his scoring explosion.

Jordan also has two Olympic golds, six Finals appearances with six Finals MVPs, five regular‑season MVPs, ten All‑First Teams, nine All‑Defensive First Teams, one Defensive Player of the Year, and three steals titles.

Jordan in his era could be described as doing as he pleased; he turned giants into supporting characters in the game.

"Jie Ke, you need to get a regular‑season MVP."

"And if you successfully defend your title this season, you'll also achieve a three‑peat. Moreover, you'd be the first in history to win a championship within the first three years of your career with two different teams. If you get Finals MVP, I must congratulate you—even Jordan never was that great."

On the way to the new‑season training camp, Fan Xi received a call from Ku Pu Qie Ke, and the two leisurely discussed the upcoming season.

Inside the camp, Era Warner's cameras were already set up; they spent heavily to secure exclusive tracking rights to the Clippers, making them strategic partners.

From this season onward, fans can get the most comprehensive, timely, and rapid first‑hand news about the Clippers club here.

From the parking lot onward, cameras followed Fan Xi until he entered the locker room, a space that cannot be filmed.

For Era Warner, that was enough; it marked Fan Xi's debut in the 12‑13 season.

Entering the locker room, Fan Xi saw Arenas chatting with newcomer Rashad Lewis. The last time they were together was a "junk‑contract swap."

Lewis has a multi‑million contract, and Arenas does too. The Washington Wizards and the Orlando Magic were both plagued, shuffling the two players with little success.

The Magic bought out Arenas's contract in full.

This season, the Wizards also bought out Lewis's contract. Lewis, being kind‑hearted, was supposed to receive $22 million, but ultimately only got $13 million from the Wizards.

When Fan Xi entered, Arenas was lamenting for Liu Yisi: "…the Wizards have money, you must haggle with them down to the last cent; if you contact me before you sign, I have ten thousand ways to deal with them, I can easily throw their locker room into chaos. They absolutely won't want to create new trouble; they will obediently buy out the whole thing… Of course, I could also let them pay in installments, spreading twenty‑two million dollars over five years, which maximizes our profit and is also a good solution for them."

Arenas talked on and on.

Fan Xi walked in and teased him: "Luckily Kuaisuan didn't discuss a buyout with you."

Arenas hurried over to introduce Liu Yisi, Fan Xi extended his hand and shook Liu Yisi's, then gave him a quick hug. "What I lack most right now is a tall shooter like you; you solve our pressing emergency."

Liu Yisi can play both the three and four positions.

He is tall and his shots are smooth.

He isn't a player living off his youth; although he has already made a lot of money from the Magic's big dupe, his drive is still there for the championship.

Fan Xi's opening gave him ample respect, which made Liu Yisi feel he had come to the right place.

Fan Xi and Liu Yisi chatted briefly, then went to change clothes.

After changing gear, most of the locker room was about full.

The current Kuaisuan roster of twelve players under formal contracts consists of: De An De Lu Qiao Dan, Da Ke Mili Xiqi, De Ke Nowitzki, Huaiti Seda, La Sha De Liu Yisi, Ke Huai Lun Na De, Jimmy Butler, Arenas, Deng Tai Qiong Si, Han Mi Er Dun, Fan Xi, and Li Ji Lu Bi Ao.

Seven veteran players, five new players.

Although the media describe Kuaisuan's strength as declining.

But Fan Xi thinks the lineup is cohesive and younger. Most importantly, this roster has many more role‑player types than last year's.

The newcomers Huaiti Seda and Deng Tai Qiong Si focus on defense, Liu Yisi is a shooter, and Lu Biao is a pure point guard.

Such a lineup is less creative than last season's, but it helps quickly build a solid tactical system.

This greatly benefits Kuaisuan's overall combat continuity; the regular‑season record will visibly improve.

As the regular‑season record rises, Fan Xi's regular‑season MVP becomes highly competitive.

Before heading to the arena to shoot the new‑season group photo, Fan Xi proactively talked with Mili Xiqi.

Mili Xiqi is truly eye‑catching; the guy has a crew cut, but his crown is red—he dyed his hair red and chose number 99.

That hairstyle and that jersey number are somewhat rebellious.

Moreover, when we met him during the off‑season he still had a bit of flab, but now he gives off a lean, muscular impression.

"I heard you've let yourself go?" Fan Xi asked Mili Xiqi: "I saw your video of pole‑dancing at a nightclub; I watched it in London, it's #1 on YouTube."

Mili Xiqi raised his eyebrows, speaking confidently and calmly: "Yes, Jie Ke. I've figured it out; I want to make a complete break with my former self, I want to be more myself. Do you understand what I mean? Right now I'm hanging with you; during the off‑season I read a lot of your news reports, I think you're too cool, you can date five, six, seven, eight Hao lai wu actresses at the same time, you can make the Dream Team roar, you've done what I dreamed of, I feel I should learn something from you, and in fact I already have, which is… fuck it, love whoever, nothing can stop me from doing what I want."

Mili Xiqi pointed to his head: "Only then can I release more inspiration."

Mili Xiqi's image has undergone a complete transformation.

Fan Xi even saw a hint of Luo De Man in him; he realized the guy may have been suppressed for too long and came to Los Angeles to release it.

He doesn't know whether this release is good or bad.

Fan Xi hopes it's good, because Kuaisuan signed a three‑year contract with Mili Xiqi.

"Go for it!"

Fan Xi extended his hand and bumped fists with Mili Xiqi: "I look forward to your inspiration blooming. But you have to rise from the bench."

"That's my specialty," Mili Xiqi said, eyebrows raised. "But I promise I won't be the naive, timid guy on Detroit's bench. My good friend Ding Ding often talks with me on the phone; he told me stories about the Olympics. I like his stories, and I think we can create such a story this year as well."

…