Chapter 44: Double Payback.
Before the game began, Coach Brown, accompanied by two assistant coaches, entered the locker room to announce the starting lineup for the season opener.
Mo Williams, Parker, James, Varejão, and O'Neal.
After announcing the starters and giving a brief motivational speech, Brown left the locker room with his staff.
As soon as Brown left, Varejão stood up with a teasing look toward Han Sen. O'Neal's recent remarks, combined with changes during practice over the past few days, made Varejão think he was about to lose his starting spot.
But luckily for him, this was still James' team. As long as he stayed close to James, what couldn't he have?
O'Neal frowned.
"Come outside for a minute." At that moment, Malone returned and called Han Sen out of the locker room.
"The team thinks you're still young and lack experience, so they're planning to have you start from the bench. Keep your head in the game," Malone was here to help him manage his emotions.
After all, based on his preseason performance, he deserved to start.
Han Sen nodded but showed no strong reaction.
"If you have something on your mind, just say it. Don't hold it in," Malone said, concerned by his unusual calmness.
"Nothing to say," he replied with a smile.
"Nothing?" Malone didn't believe him.
"Really, nothing."
Seeing this, Malone didn't press the issue and told him to get ready.
Given their relationship, Han Sen had no reason to hide his true feelings.
Though Malone still couldn't quite figure out what was going on in his mind.
Soon, Pierce came to gather the players for warmups.
When they entered the arena, Han Sen was momentarily stunned by the scene. The Quicken Loans Arena, with its 20,000-seat capacity, was packed to the brim, with even some young fans standing in the aisles.
Many fans had their faces painted with the Cavaliers' logo, radiating enthusiasm.
It was a completely different atmosphere from the pre-season games.
Though Cleveland was a small city, the Cavaliers had been a powerhouse in the East for years, boasting a huge fan base.
With more than half an hour before the game, including warmups and the opening ceremony, Han Sen decided to sit on the sidelines after hitting a few three-pointers.
His shooting felt good tonight, so he wanted to save some for the game.
At that moment, Cunningham sat down next to him and whispered:
"Why aren't they letting you start?"
"I'm fine with it."
"You're fine with it?" Cunningham turned around, puzzled by Han Sen's calm demeanor.
"I prefer having the ball in my hands more," he said as he glanced at the court.
Following his gaze, Cunningham saw James warming up on the far end of the court.
He immediately understood.
When James was on the court, the ball was always in his hands. Whether Han Sen got any touches depended on James' mood.
But coming off the bench would make things much easier for him.
Although he was labeled a 3-and-D player, it was clear from the pre-season that he was quite different from a typical 3-and-D guy like Parker.
As the warmups wrapped up, the pre-game ceremony began, with the away team introduced first. The Magic's starting five were quickly revealed:
Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Matt Barnes, Rashard Lewis, and Dwight Howard.
The Magic had been swept by the Lakers in last year's Finals, so management made targeted improvements, trading away starting small forward Hedo Turkoglu for Vince Carter, a better isolation scorer.
They also signed Barnes to replace the departing starting shooting guard, Courtney Lee, who was part of the Carter trade.
Once the Magic's lineup was announced, the arena lights dimmed, leaving only the light strips between the first and second floors glowing.
Then, the background music kicked in, and the LED screen began playing the opening video.
When the music hit its peak, the screen went dark, and four corners of the arena shot out bursts of flame.
"It's time for Cleveland to rise up! Let's welcome the Cavaliers' starting lineup!" the DJ's booming voice echoed through the arena.
Every NBA team's pregame ceremony has its own style, and Han Sen had to admit, this DJ was on point.
Not only had the DJ completely fired up the crowd, but even he felt a surge of excitement.
The starters each got their own little entrance routine, with O'Neal's being particularly unique—he "tackled" Parker as he entered.
But the loudest cheers were reserved for the final entrance: LeBron James.
His intro was just as special.
"From St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, Ohio's chosen one, number 23, LeBron James!"
Hearing the deafening cheers, Han Sen couldn't help but show a hint of envy.
He had his reasons for accepting his bench role, but deep down, who wouldn't want to be a starter in the NBA?
The game soon tipped off, and he watched the action unfold from the sidelines.
One benefit of being a bench player was the ability to observe the opponent in real-time, something that film sessions couldn't quite replicate.
And being a trainer, he could analyze the details even more closely.
After half a quarter, the Cavaliers trailed 11-16.
It was clear the Magic's offense had declined compared to last season.
This was partly due to the Cavaliers acquiring O'Neal, who effectively limited Howard, and also because they traded away Turkoglu.
Turkoglu had been the true play maker of the Magic's offense.
Organizing an offense isn't just about assists— it's about orchestrating the entire flow of the team's offense.
So, even if Carter matched Turkoglu's assist numbers, the overall impact was night and day.
But while the Magic had taken a step back, the Cavaliers' offensive issues were even more glaring.
With Brown sticking to the same starting lineup, the problems from the pre-season carried over into the regular season.
As Han Sen had said earlier, unless the starting lineup changed, they could only hope James' outside shooting was red-hot, which rarely happened.
The camera cut to Brown, and a murmur went through the crowd.
O'Neal's public statements had reached the fans, and most of them agreed with his assessment.
But Brown's stubbornness had now put the team in a tough spot.
Unable to withstand the pressure, Brown finally turned and called Cunningham to check in.
As Varejão headed to the bench, a few fans booed.
His stat line? 3 shots, 0 makes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover, 1 foul.
After Han Sen's earlier provocation, Varejão had taken his open shots tonight, but the problem was, he couldn't make them.
Having avoided shooting for the first five years of his career, there was no way he could suddenly develop a jump shot in just two weeks.
As Varejão sat down on the bench, Han Sen smiled and said, "Grass is just a plant."
The rest of the team was confused, but Varejão was livid.
It was a civilized way for Han to double down on Varejão's earlier locker room taunt.
This was why Han Sen had told Malone he had nothing to say.
From a personal standpoint, it was unfortunate not to start.
But in the grand scheme of things, it was actually a blessing. It allowed the fans to see just how flawed the Cavaliers' lineup really was.
Soon, it wouldn't just be O'Neal demanding Brown change the starters— it would be the fans.
And not even LeBron, the so-called 'King of Cleveland', could stand in the way of the overwhelming will of the people.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone