Champion Creed-Chapter 963 - 315: Keep working hard but stay patient (Request for monthly tickets!)

years later, three great mysteries will emerge in the NBA: When exactly did Kawhi Leonard have surgery again? When will Ben Simmons actually return? How much influence does Roger really have with the Warriors?

Roger’s influence had already been apparent; why did the Warriors unexpectedly choose Amar’e Stoudemire with the third pick? Because after Roger verbally agreed to join the Warriors, he told Mikhail Prokhorov the draft plan, and that plan was to acquire Stoudemire.

Now, Roger continues to exercise his influence, but trading away Gilbert Arenas has stirred some controversy, as it seems like a trade of potential talent for immediate value.

"Old Cat" averaged 21.7 points per game with the Rockets last season, showcasing decent efficiency. But everyone knows that’s because the entire Rockets team basically had only him and Steve Francis taking turns throwing the ball.

The Rockets took 80 shots as a team last season, and the two of them accounted for 36 of those attempts, almost half.

The stats accumulated on a tanking team don’t carry much weight.

It is commonly believed that Cattino Mobley’s ceiling isn’t as high as Arenas’. Arenas’ astonishing performance after starting last season was witnessed by everyone. He not only scores but can organize and pass. Also, he’s only 20 years old.

And Mobley’s ceiling seems fixed, being a borderline All-Star player.

Is this an excellent trade? Is Roger being too hasty?

Everyone harbors such doubts.

However, Roger’s mouthpieces won’t allow their king to fall into controversy.

Soon, some media outlets started reporting on Arenas’ past "glorious deeds," considering him an uncontrollable ticking time bomb, and such a bomb has no place on a championship-contending team.

Furthermore, analysts provided another reason for giving up Arenas—if Gilbert truly shines next season, other teams could offer lucrative contracts that the Warriors wouldn’t be able to match under current regulations. Given this, why let Gilbert go for nothing instead of trading him for some other assets?

Roger’s mouthpieces helped quell the controversy over this trade.

Never underestimate the power of a man’s mouthpieces; sometimes, they can solve many problems without physical intervention.

But this isn’t about forcibly justifying; Roger genuinely believes this is a good trade.

Old Cat, although a mess, is relatively principled. On the original timeline, he could either run rampant with Steve Francis as Houston’s double guns, or willingly step back out of the spotlight after Yao Ming’s arrival.

This 1998 second-round pick understands well that he is no superstar, so he knows his "role" clearly.

Moreover, because Old Cat grew up on the streets, he’s quite loyal, making him easy to get along with if approached the right way.

Roger believes that in this new championship Warriors team, there couldn’t be a better sixth man choice than Old Cat.

Unlike the inconsistent JR Smith, who sometimes plays like Michael Jordan and other times like DeAndre Jordan, Old Cat is relatively stable. He may not have explosive performances, but he rarely hits rock bottom.

Additionally, Mobley has decent one-on-one defense ability, contributing defensively against non-superstar guards.

For the team, it’s undoubtedly a great addition.

Jason Collier is just a balancing token for the trade, to be overlooked.

What makes this trade truly valuable is that the Warriors unexpectedly acquired Tayshaun Prince.

Because the Pistons already had Artest, Tayshaun Prince was mistakenly drafted by the Rockets in this year’s draft, only to now end up with the Warriors. He’s a player who can make an impact in a very short growth period, capable of making a difference by his sophomore year.

Besides, he’s the type of player Roger loves—defensive, smart, and doesn’t dominate the ball.

Trading a player whose style clashed with Roger and who could potentially disrupt the team for these assets is certainly not a loss.

As for Dampier? There’s really nothing to be concerned about; does anyone truly think he’s the Western Conference’s second-best center?

His defense is good, but only limited to solid interior defense, while his help defense is terribly awful.

These aren’t the years when centers dominate the post in the league; now, there are really only Yao Ming and Shaq as low post-oriented centers. Against them, playing Dampier is still useless. Thus, in the era allowing zone defense, a center who can only defend the post has limited value.

So, Dampier’s departure isn’t worth lamenting.

Roger believes this trade is quite reasonable, but Arenas finds it incredible.

Really? Does the media truly believe that trading a super talent like me for a Mobley is reasonable?

After moving to Houston, Arenas continued barking like a mad dog, refusing to keep quiet.

"Undoubtedly, Steve and I will form the league’s strongest backcourt duo next season. I think no team in the league would want to face us, including the Golden State Warriors! Doesn’t Roger know who Gilbert is? Next season, he’ll remember me well!"

Arenas felt like he had stumbled upon Roger’s script, as if being traded by his home team due to the arrival of a superstar, just like in the summer of 1994.

People always say, don’t they? The young man who slays the dragon eventually becomes the dragon.

Roger still ignored the Great General, simply adding another reason to look forward to next season.