Chapter 31: Stepping Up.
In the Summer League, each team plays four regular games, and based on wins and point differentials, the top eight teams advance to the playoffs while the rest are eliminated. The Cavaliers ended with a 2-2 record and secured the eighth seed due to their low point differential.
Their next match, two days later, was against the first-seed team, their old rivals, the Grizzlies.
The packed schedule took a toll on the players physically, so Coach Malone gave the team a day off.
Han Sen and Cunningham decided to visit a nearby bar.
Although Cunningham was a bit undersized for a big man, his shooting range and his pick-and-roll plays with Han Sen were very effective.
Having played four years of college ball before entering the drafte, he had a mature personality, and the two got along well.
"Coach Malone is so strict," Cunningham complained.
Despite his excellent Summer League performance, averaging 18 points per game, he struggled with fouls, averaging 5.5 per game. But the Summer League allows 10 fouls for a reason: to help rookies adjust to the intensity of NBA play.
Not everyone could adapt as smoothly as Han Sen.
Every time Cunningham fouled, Malone would shout at him from the sidelines.
"He's really big on defense," Han Sen observed. Like Coach Brown, Malone had a defensive coaching mindset.