"But if you need it, I'm willing to practice with you, no teaching involved,"
"You're too kind, Saru."
"No, I'm not good enough." Marciulionis's spirits seemed to instantly sink.
Roger patted his shoulder, not knowing how to console a player who had lost confidence after a serious injury.
Roger would not say something hollow like "I understand this feeling, you need to cheer up."
Because he truly didn't understand that feeling.
Now, the entire league was waiting for the defending champion's opening game.
Everyone was curious how Roger would lead the team forward without Shaq.
Last season, most media already suggested: had it not been for having to share touches with Shaq, Roger would have been the scoring champion.
Whether it was facing Jordan's 50 points, facing Penny's 40 points in the half, or the consecutive three games of over 40 points in the finals, it all seemed to support this view.
Now, the media were eagerly expecting Roger to fully unleash his firepower.