NBA: Warrior godfather.

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During Don Nelson's era with the Warriors, the philosophy was clear: speed, freedom, space. It was a style of play where every player had the authority to attack independently and seize any offensive opportunity. When Liam took over as the head coach, he decided to return to this chaotic formula. However, he also introduced some adjustments to maximize the potential of his roster, aiming for a balance between controlled chaos and structured attack.

The key to solving the Warriors' offensive system was precisely this: allow players to act freely but within a strict discipline. Players would no longer be allowed to take a quick three-pointer when there were plenty of seconds left on the shot clock, a problem that plagued the team last season. Curry, however, was given unlimited rights to shoot from the perimeter. As long as the halftime buzzer hadn't sounded, Curry was allowed to take any shot he deemed fit. If it seemed like a good opportunity before the halftime break, it wouldn't be impossible for him to take it.

In the first quarter, the Warriors fully implemented their variation of the DDM (bombarding + positional warfare) tactic. The offensive authority was distributed, which forced Fred to focus all his defensive attention on Curry.

At that time, the Bulls didn't have the airtight defense that Thibodeau's era had. Noah had just entered the league and was not yet the DPOY-caliber center. His ability to protect the rim still needed development. The Warriors' chaotic style of play caught them off guard, and they managed to build a 5-point lead, 30-25, by the end of the first quarter.

This was also thanks to Rose's overwhelming desire to attack, as he frequently penetrated to the basket and scored 10 points in just one quarter. Without his performance, the Bulls would have been further behind.

In the following quarters, the Warriors kept up their fast-paced style, and Fred's coaching was mediocre. He was only a transitional option for the Bulls, a temporary fix after a game. His approach seemed to boil down to: "defend well, don't let your opponent get to the rim!"

Azubuike, Butler, Lowry, Reggie Williams, and Watson played with intensity, attacking the basket desperately, hoping every possession would end in an attack at the rim.

While they struggled to pass, cut, or find teammates, being allowed to attack the basket without thinking was exactly what they wanted. The effect was obvious. Noah picked up 5 fouls before the end of the third quarter, and he dared not get into foul trouble again.

Liam took advantage of the Bulls' defensive weaknesses by crowding the paint and defending the zone, which suddenly stifled the Bulls' offense.

Outside of Luol Deng and John Sammons, no other player on the Bulls had a three-point percentage above 30%. John Sammons had an off night from deep, further limiting the Bulls' spacing.

Butler, tasked with guarding Rose, stood in the free-throw line, allowing Rose to take an open three-pointer. But Rose, despite the space, was hesitant. Not to mention his poor shooting mechanics, it was painful to watch.

The current Rose wasn't the same player who later became proficient from beyond the arc. He was the young Rose who wanted to send the ball flying toward the basket, trying to score without slowing down.

Faced with Butler's oppressive defense, Rose attempted two more three-pointers, both of which were ridiculously off-target. He resorted to attacking the basket, but the Warriors collapsed defensively, limiting his driving lanes. Every time the Warriors let up, the Bulls took advantage, but the Warriors responded with quick transition plays, grabbing key rebounds.

From then on, the score slowly but surely widened. By the 5-minute mark of the fourth quarter, the Warriors had a commanding 90-73 lead, up by 17 points. Noah committed his sixth foul, and Fred was forced to pull him from the game, bringing in all the substitutes as the game entered garbage time.

Liam didn't add insult to injury despite Fred's mocking comments before the game. Instead, he took the opportunity during a dead ball to replace his starters, and the game became a mere formality.

Liam gave Danny Green a chance to practice and instructed his players to pass him the ball more. However, Danny Green didn't get much playing time and seemed a bit nervous during his appearance, only scoring 3 points and grabbing 2 rebounds.

Liam didn't hold it against him, instead continuing to encourage him. The Warriors were stacked with talent in the first and second units, and Danny Green, as the third option, found it difficult to get playing time. He was still following the training plan set by the coaching staff, using Butler as an example and practicing hard on his shooting and defense.

Liam was in no rush to fast-track him. He planned to develop him slowly into a 3-and-D reserve player for the Warriors' bench, giving him some time in garbage time to practice, hoping to contribute to the team in the future.

In the end, when Danny Green missed a three-pointer late in the game, the match ended. The Warriors defeated the Bulls 98-84, ending their four-game losing streak and marking the beginning of a two-game winning streak that stabilized their position in sixth place in the Western Conference.

Curry still showed no signs of recovery, scoring only 15 points, with 5 assists and 3 rebounds. He made just 3 of 8 three-pointers.

Fortunately, five Warriors players scored in double digits. Azubuike found his rhythm and played effortlessly, scoring 22 points, while Butler contributed 14 points.

Biedrins, relying on fast breaks, posted a steady double-double of 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He wasn't the type of player to surprise anyone, but he was reassuring. He worked hard on both ends, doing all the little things, like boxing out, blocking shots, grabbing rebounds, and protecting the rim. His mobility allowed him to defend well against smaller attackers.

Despite earning a $9 million salary, the second-highest on the team, Biedrins was worth it. He consistently posted double-doubles and averaged 2.1 blocks per game, ranking among the top 10 in the league.

When Liam saw Biedrins play, he thought of Capela from his previous life. Biedrins had great athletic ability and defensive skills but was a bit too thin and struggled with defending against bulkier centers.

After taking over the Warriors, Liam partnered with Brand Payne to formulate a new training plan for Biedrins. They shifted his focus away from blindly gaining weight and worked on his footwork in the low post, helping him develop more explosive power and mobility to become a pure blue-collar center.

Although this meant Biedrins struggled more against big centers in the post and lost most of his ability to score independently, he excelled at eating up space, changing defenses, and protecting the rim. Overall, the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks.

After all, this was an era where traditional centers were gradually fading away. It wasn't an era where every team needed to stack up on bulky centers to compete with players like Shaquille O'Neal.

In this game, Biedrins showcased his strengths perfectly. While Rose hit a tough two-handed layup early on, Biedrins limited Rose's effectiveness in the later stages of the game, becoming a solid interior barrier for the Warriors.

As for the Bulls, Rose took 25 shots for 24 points, but his efficiency was poor. However, the Warriors didn't concentrate on stopping him. It was actually impressive that he managed to score that many points, given the defensive pressure. But if he wanted to get his revenge, he would have to wait until the next meeting between the two teams.

Meanwhile, Luol Deng posted 18 points and 7 rebounds, and from both an offensive and defensive perspective, he was the Bulls' best player. But it was all for naught.

After the game, in a luxury box, the Bulls' owner Jerry Reinsdorf and newly appointed general manager Gar Forman were watching the game.

When the dust settled and the final score was clear, Reinsdorf glanced around and noticed the frustrated and reluctant expressions on the local fans. He turned his attention to Fred, who looked dejected on the bench, and said calmly:

"Gall, no. I don't think Coach Fred is the right fit for us. The Bulls need a stronger head coach."

Having experienced the glorious six-championship dynasty of the Bulls and countless fans shouting after Jordan's retirement, Reinsdorf didn't care about winning or losing a single game.

But he knew Fred wasn't the person who could lead the Bulls back to the top. If the Bulls wanted to rebuild their glory, they needed a more capable head coach.

He glanced at Liam, who was arms crossed, a smile on his face, with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

In his view, Liam was a great candidate. He was excellent at developing young players, had superb tactical knowledge, was adaptable on the fly, and had high commercial value. Unfortunately, he was the owner of the Warriors and could never coach another team.

Gar Forman smiled warmly and said:

"I understand, but we'll have to wait until the end of the season. After all, the team is showing some positive momentum and needs a solid start."

Reinsdorf nodded, speaking softly:

"I'm patient and have great faith in his professional abilities. Just go ahead and do it. I expect that in three years, the Bulls will be back in the Eastern Conference Finals."

Gar Forman said seriously:

"As you wish!"

Fred, of course, had no idea that his time with the Bulls would only last one season. After the game, he told the reporters that the reason the Bulls lost wasn't due to tactics but because Liam had used a "cunning" way to win. He was sure he would bounce back in the next game.

As everyone knows, this further lowered his evaluation in Gar Forman's eyes, and he even began searching for a new head coach, no longer offering Fred any further chances.

In a post-game interview, Liam declared:

"As you can see, we've found a way to win. The four-game losing streak was just an accident. The Warriors are back on the right track!"

…

After the game against the Bulls, the Warriors continued their Eastern Conference road trip, facing off against the Pistons and the 76ers.

The Pistons were no longer the same team that won the championship four years ago by defeating the Lakers. Billups had gone to Denver to help Anthony, and Rasheed Wallace rushed to Boston to join the Celtics. The Pistons' former rivals, the Celtics, were still struggling, and Ben Wallace was aging, no longer the same player who won four consecutive DPOYs.

The Pistons had gone from being champions to a powerhouse that reached the Eastern Conference Finals in consecutive years, to quickly falling to the edge of playoff contention. Last season, they only made it to the first round. Currently ranked 8th in the Eastern Conference, even reaching the playoffs was in jeopardy.

Joe Dumars, former Pistons champion and current president, had a special fondness for Rodney Stuckey, who was selected 15th overall in the 2007 draft.

Even with stars like Prince, Iverson, and Hamilton on the team, he continued to train Stuckey heavily, positioning him as the team's core. Dumars was convinced that Stuckey would become the destined star who would lead the Pistons back to the Finals.

But Rodney Stuckey was a ball-dominant guard who liked to work alone. He was good at everything, but not great at anything. His ceiling was, at best, that of a solid sixth man, which was somewhat disappointing.

This season, his average field goal attempts per game were almost the same as Hamilton's, reaching 15.2, but he only made 6.2 shots per game, with a poor field goal percentage of 40.5% and a disastrous three-point shooting percentage of 22.8%, which was simply hard to watch.

Still, Joe Dumars remained confident in Stuckey, convinced he would become a superstar in the future, and stubbornly kept him as the Pistons' starting point guard.

No one knew where this obsessive confidence in Rodney Stuckey came from. The Pistons fans even gave him the nickname "Prince Kid" to show their "respect for the team's prince."

In this game, Liam played with courage and struck a melodious steel symphony in the Palace of Auburn Hills. He made 21 shots and hit 16 of them, leading the Warriors to a comfortable win.

By halftime, the Pistons' head coach, John Custer, had a blue face. His eyes on Stuckey became more and more uncomfortable, as if he wanted to run onto the court and chew him out.

But under the leadership of King Joe Dumars, he, a temporary coach with no future, dared not make any mistakes. He could only watch as Stuckey continued to struggle, leading the Pistons to failure.

After the game, Liam was interviewed. The reporter asked him who the best player of the game for the Warriors was. He almost said Rodney Stuckey's name…

With Liam's total help, the Warriors easily defeated the Pistons. Curry showed signs of recovery, hitting 3 of 9 three-pointers, finally getting his percentage back above 30%. He posted a double-double of 16 points and 11 assists.

After defeating the Pistons, the Warriors headed to Philadelphia to face the 76ers, where Liam met an "old acquaintance."

At this moment, the 76ers were not yet the terrible team they would be in a few years but were regulars in the playoffs.

The "little AI" Iguodala was the team's core. He had averaged 18.8 points, 5.3 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game the previous season, showing a versatile performance. He was also known as the "little LeBron" of the East. The 76ers made the playoffs in consecutive years. After the game, Iguodala signed a six-year, $80 million contract with the team. His future was bright, and he was on the verge of becoming an All-Star.

But only Liam knew that Iguodala's peak would not come in Philadelphia but in Golden State. He would go on to win FMVP as the sixth man for the opposing team in today's matchup. This was the story for all involved, including Iguodala himself. No one could have imagined it.

The times had changed, and with Liam's arrival, the Warriors had undergone tremendous changes. Iguodala's future was now destined to be different from his previous life in Philadelphia. He might never have the chance to win the FMVP trophy again.

In this game, Iguodala scored 23 points, 5 assists, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals. He showcased his unmatched cutting skills, playing hard on both offense and defense.

Additionally, Thaddeus Young scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Jrue Holiday added 15 points and 4 assists, and the return of Iverson did what he could, hitting 7 of 10 shots to score 20 points while moving. His efforts helped the 76ers defeat the Warriors.

For Liam, the only consolation was that Curry's condition had improved. He hit 5 of 11 three-pointers, and his shooting rhythm returned to a normal pace. He scored 24 points and dished out 6 assists, but the rest of the team was completely shut down. The 76ers won the game thanks to strong defensive restrictions, and the Warriors' three-game winning streak came to an end.

After this game, the Warriors finally finished their road trip and returned to Oakland.

Their next opponent would be the top-ranked Spurs.

End of this chapter

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