The system binding was complete, and the assistant coach's contract was signed. Lin Yu suddenly realized he had nothing left to do.
The Washington Bullets were away on the road and would return on Monday. Not only were the players absent, but head coach Jim Lynam and the entire coaching staff were also gone.
"Sunday at 8 PM triggers the weekly random passive aura. Wonder what I'll get this time."
"While the team's still away, I should really figure out my next steps."
Lying on his basement bed, Lin Yu settled his mind and pondered silently.
After binding the system, Lin Yu had already obtained two priceless items from the starter pack.
He had already used "As Close as Brothers" on the veteran power forward, Onseld, gaining the status of a legitimate member of the team.
Of course, that wasn't the only benefit. With the team's general manager's solid friendship secured, Lin Yu's future actions within the Bullets would be much smoother.
The other item was the passive aura "Peak," which allowed one rookie player on the court to skip developmental stages and reach peak performance instantly.
The moment he acquired this item, a name immediately sprang to mind.
Ben Wallace!
The Bullets' sole rookie player!
As is widely known, the 1996 draft class was a golden generation overflowing with talent, yet the Bullets had no presence whatsoever in that draft because they had traded away their picks long before the event.
After the draft concluded, Old Grinder likely felt it was unacceptable for the team to have no fresh blood. So, he went digging in the bargain bin post-draft and signed the undrafted Ben Wallace.
His reason for choosing Ben was actually quite simple.
Ben Wallace was the spitting image of his younger self—both were extremely short centers. Anselm's actual height was just 196 cm, and Ben wasn't much taller, hovering around 2 meters.
Both possessed massive frames, bulging with muscle, so incredibly beefy they looked less like basketball players and more like heavyweight boxing champions.
The old Bone Crusher probably never dreamed that his casual pick would land him a future Hall of Famer.
Four-time Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY), two-time Rebounding Champion, six-time All-Defensive Team selection, five-time All-NBA Team selection—the absolute pinnacle of blue-collar centers.
Ben was the Bullets' sole rookie draft pick, meaning Lin Yu had no choice but to have his passive aura affect Ben.
Ben is merely a fringe player on the Bullets' roster. So far this season, he's only appeared in twenty games, averaging around five minutes of playing time per game—a situation somewhat reminiscent of Sun Yue's early days after being drafted by the Lakers.
"It's like I unearthed a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber interior anchor for the team—and he's on a minimum salary. The value for money is off the charts!"
"That alone gives me enough clout to walk all over the team."
"Wait, the aura effect seems tied to favorability. It's still uncertain whether Ben can jump straight into his prime."
Lin Yu frowned. This damn system offered no detailed explanation, leaving him to figure things out step by step....
Time flew by, and it was Sunday evening at seven.
In hopes of drawing a more powerful passive aura, Lin Yu even showered, changed clothes, and donned red boxers for good luck.
"Ding!"
The quartz clock on the wall chimed sharply—exactly 8 PM.
"Weekly Random Aura Draw in progress. Please wait thirty seconds, Host!"
The shrill system notification sounded, and Lin Yu pricked up his ears to listen intently.
"Passive Aura ①: 'Power Shot Aura'. Effect: Increases the three-point shooting attribute of allied players on the court by 5 points."
"Passive Aura ②: 'Unbreakable Resolve'. Effect: Increases the strength attribute of allied center players by 10 points."
Passive Aura ③: Focus Aura Effect: Enhances players' concentration on the court, aiding in predicting rebound locations, timing steals and blocks, and boosting Rebound, Steal, and Block attributes by 5 points.
Player attributes are divided into basic and advanced stats. Strength, speed, and vertical leap constitute the player's fundamental attributes, determining their athletic prowess on the court. Advanced attributes encompass mid-range shooting, three-point shooting, free throws, low-post offense, rebounding, steals, and more. Higher attribute values translate to superior on-court performance in those areas.
Lin Yu stared in disbelief. Only now did he realize just how potent the system he'd obtained truly was!
The weekly random aura skills proved far more practical than Lin Yu had anticipated. Take the second passive aura, for instance—it actually boosted a center's Strength by 10 points.
Strength is the very foundation of a center. Without it, they can't hold their ground in the paint. And what kind of center can't even stand their ground in the paint?
A center with 90 Strength, boosted to the maximum 100 by the Unyielding Aura, could lock down the paint with absolute precision.
The third aura was equally formidable. Sometimes, the difference between victory and defeat in elite matchups hinged on the tiniest edge. An extra 3 points in Defense and Rebounding could turn the tide—players who were previously unstoppable might suddenly be contained, and rebounds that seemed out of reach could be secured.
The first aura, however, is an absolute nuclear weapon in the small-ball era. In a time where everyone can shoot threes, everyone benefits from a +5 three-point stat boost. Three-point shooting percentages skyrocket visibly, making winning games a breeze.
Unfortunately, we're not in the small-ball era right now. The randomly obtained Power Strike aura seems rather useless, especially when it comes to the Bullets team.
The Bullets' current core players are Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Rod Strickland, George Muresan, and Carl Porter-Chaney.
This is the Bullets' starting five for the season. Among them, only Webber possesses three-point shooting ability. Surprisingly, neither point guard Strickland nor shooting guard Chaney can shoot threes.
In today's small-ball era, this is utterly unimaginable—a backcourt duo where neither guard can hit threes.
Even as a forward, Webber doesn't attempt many three-pointers.
It's safe to say the Bullets possess the league's weakest three-point shooting, arguably without equal. Not only do they attempt few threes, but their shooting percentage is painfully low. Players' overall three-point attributes are abysmal—what good are those extra five points in the stat line?
Going from 60 to 65 points still leaves them looking like amateurs.
So this Power Strike aura is truly useless—neither here nor there.
Fortunately, the second and third auras are incredibly powerful. Lin Yu even felt like these passive auras were tailor-made for Ben Wallace.
Big Ben is a powerhouse by nature—the NBA's officially recorded bench press champion, capable of lifting 200kg with effort to spare. At his peak, his strength stat would easily surpass 95 points, if not maxed out at 100.
With the Resilience aura boosting him, Lin Yu couldn't even imagine the spectacle of Big Ben battling opponents for position under the basket.
Beyond his formidable strength, rebounding and blocking shots are also Ben Wallace's signature skills. Though he only claimed two Rebounding Titles and one Blocking Title—falling short of Dennis Rodman's rebounding prowess and the three-time Blocking Champion Dikembe Mutombo's shot-blocking dominance—Wallace's ratings in these two categories still hover around 93 points.
With the 3-point boost from the Focus Aura, once his stats surpass 95 points, Ben Wallace's rebounding and blocking will undoubtedly reach historic levels. While he may not be the greatest of all time, a top-ten ranking is assured.
If Ben could leverage the aura to dominate the paint at his peak, he'd become a monstrous force in the low post over the next week.
"Ah, too bad it's short-lived—only lasts a week. New random auras drop next Sunday at 8 PM."
"But brevity isn't all bad. Maybe next time I'll get an even more powerful aura."
Lin Yu mused with relish.
Tomorrow was Monday—the day the Washington Bullets returned home after their road trip. Lin Yu went to bed early, resting up to greet his first official day as a coach....
At eight o'clock sharp, Lin Yu arrived at the club building.
Passing the general manager's office, he heard Old Grinder's booming voice echoing through the hallways.
"Four straight losses!"
"You bastards handed me a four-game losing streak!"
"Was the lineup I gave you any good? Weber, Howard, and the Motorcycle—aren't they all top-tier stars in the league?!"
"And this is the fucking result you give me? I'm the laughingstock of the entire league!"
The Old Bone Crusher was beyond furious, his voice cracking from the sheer intensity of his rage.
He'd built the Washington Bullets roster with Herculean effort. In the '93 offseason, he dismantled half the team to trade for Webber from the Warriors. Then in the '96 offseason—right after last season ended—he traded Rasheed Wallace to the Trail Blazers for Speedy Strickland.
On paper, the Bullets were unquestionably the Eastern Conference's elite. A team boasting three former All-Stars suffering a four-game losing streak—no wonder the Old Bone Crusher was this furious.