Date: June 16, 2021
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Time: 3:48 A.M.
Kyle couldn't sleep.
He sat in his hotel suite's dim kitchen, hunched over an iPad glowing with scouting clips. His crutches leaned beside him like forgotten swords. An untouched protein shake sat sweating on the counter.
He rewound a Suns possession for the fifth time.
Play: CP3 high pick-and-roll. Celtics switch late. Booker lifts weakside. Ayton dives.
Result: Corner three for Cam Johnson.
Kyle tapped pause.
"Too slow," he murmured. "They're biting on Booker like he's Prime Kobe."
He scribbled notes furiously. His handwriting was a mess, but the ideas were clear: pre-switch coverage, help rotations one second sooner, deny the lift man, blitz CP3 earlier in the clock.
His phone buzzed.
Text from Coach Udoka (3:49 A.M.):
"You up?"
Kyle smirked.
Reply:
"Already 20 clips in. I got some wrinkles you'll want to see."
