Min Congda received a call from Mike Malone, during which he briefly asked Malone a few questions.
For example, his willingness to work, his views on the team's tactics, and his expectations and thoughts about coming to work with the Clippers, etc.
Mike Malone's answer was rather vague, because he himself was not sure whether he wanted to work for the Clippers.
Min Congda was quite satisfied with his vague attitude. What he feared most was ambitious guys.
Of course, a person's ambition cannot be easily judged through a few sentences.
Didn't a "careerist" like Cole rely on "catering" to Min Congda to get into the Clippers' bad team?
Therefore, Min Congda still has to arrange an interview for Mike Malone to determine whether he is a suitable candidate for the Clippers.
According to Min Congda's opinion, it would be best for this person to be as good as not coming, and not have any positive impact on the team.
To satisfy Tyronn Lue, the two of them can work together to support the team and be defeated season after season.
In the past, Min Congda always wanted to bring in some disruptive and negative people to disrupt the team's tactics and atmosphere.
But as he gradually accumulated experience in the NBA, Min Congda discovered that the NBA coaching circle is a very closed circle with poor mobility and everyone is an acquaintance.
It is quite difficult for you to find an outsider or a ghost to stir up the trouble. The system will not allow him to just find an old sweeper as a coach, otherwise he would have done so long ago.
Therefore, now he only pursues reactive work as work. If you come, come and I will give you food to eat. Don't mess around with me.
Just like Lao Jin, Lao Jin knew that he had no talent in command and tactics, so he just settled down to assist and do some daily chores.
It's best to raise your hands and say something ambiguous during a meeting, just like those office grunts who are waiting to die.
But looking at the entire league, there are not many coaches who are waiting to die like this, because the competition in the coaching industry is indeed extremely fierce and cruel.
Talents like Lao Jin and Lucas are partly due to the Clippers' poor recruiting skills in the past, and partly because they have been supported by Min Congda in recent years.
Min Congda thought to himself, let me see if this Mike Malone is worth raising.
The interview was scheduled after Christmas.
The Clippers' record has been ups and downs during this period. In the Christmas game, they faced the Lakers at home at Staples Center.
It was another traditional Los Angeles derby drama. This time the Clippers lived up to the fans' expectations and defeated the Lakers on the road.
Although they lost some games in December, they still maintained their first position in the Western Conference, with a three-game gap between them and the second-ranked Thunder.
Still very stable.
However, the process of defeating the Lakers was not so smooth. The game was quite fierce, and the two sides fought until the last moment.
The reason why the Clippers won was not because the players hit key shots at critical moments, but because the Lakers made mistakes in the final stage.
Kobe missed two forced shots and Chris Paul made no mistakes before the game, allowing the Clippers to successfully win the game.
As long as Kobe takes two shots and scores one, or Paul makes no mistakes, the Clippers are likely to answer the question.
To put it bluntly, the Clippers won, but the victory was not pretty.
Steve Kerr's departure does have a big impact on the Clippers.
Min Congda saw it and was happy in his heart. He thought that if this trend continued, the Clippers' condition would only get worse.
By the time the playoffs come, they may no longer be a match for the Lakers.
Min Congda couldn't help but think of Yang Ruosi, who came to the Clippers to be a Chinese teacher in the media department.
After this little unlucky guy came to the Clippers, the Clippers' golden body was immediately broken.
Following the unstable record, there were some injuries within the team, and there was a downward trend.
It seems that metaphysics is indeed useful!
As for Mike Malone's interview, Min Congda arranged it until after Christmas.
He will take this interview very seriously and ensure that Malone will not have a positive impact on the team.
At that time, it can also add an expense to the team and block Tyronn Lue's mouth.
This guy has complained a lot recently. He always feels that he lacks assistants around him and his role as coach is not smooth.
Isn’t that nonsense? Were you a head coach before? Cole is feeding you.
On December 27, two days after the festival, it started to rain lightly in Los Angeles in the winter.
Min Congda arranged the interview at the training center. He wanted to have a more comprehensive inspection of Mike Malone.
Before Mike Malone came over, Min Congda also learned about his background information.
Not surprisingly, he is also a second-generation coach. My father has been working in the NBA for more than 20 years and has always been an assistant coach.
He has a good reputation in the league. According to James, he is very diligent when working on the team. He started as a video analyst and often stayed up all night to edit videos and make reports.
He has a very good personal relationship with the players and is good at encouraging them and getting along well with them.
These are all points deductions for Min Congda, but seeing is believing, and he still needs to meet to verify.
But what Min Congda didn't know was that Mike Malone also made preparations before attending the interview.
He found Steve Kerr and asked about some internal information about the Clippers, as well as Min Congda's personality, preferences, etc.
Kerr is a smart guy and he told Mike Malone a few key points:
First, don't act very diligent. Mr. Smart doesn't like people who are too introverted.
Second, don’t show too much obsession with victory, and be more relaxed.
Third, be as honest as possible and don’t be soft on the treatment you deserve. Mr. Smart likes to give more money.
It must be admitted that Cole is very observant and summed up some of Min Congda's characteristics very well.
But Mike Malone is even more surprised. He has been working in the NBA for more than ten years, and he has never heard of such a general manager.
It's understandable that you don't like involution. Mike Malone used to involute too much when he was with the Cavaliers.
Mike Brown had to remind him to go home early, otherwise what would other colleagues do if you work like this?
But don't be obsessed with winning. Is this still an NBA coach?
In a cruel place like the NBA, only paranoia can survive.
Is there still hope for more money? What's happening here.
It’s good if the general manager doesn’t lower the price, and he also likes to pay more.
Malone kept these words in mind. After discussing with his family and friends, he thought the Clippers would be a good place to go.
Most importantly, he wanted to learn and see something, and he wanted this job.
The specific time for the meeting was arranged at noon on the 27th. Min Congda entertained Mike Malone in the canteen of the training center.
Ma Long wore a carefully prepared woolen suit today, shaved his beard, and fixed his hair style to give himself a good image.
But he ignored one problem, that is, the weather in Los Angeles in December is far less cold than in Cleveland.
On the contrary, the temperature was quite high today, so he wore a straight suit to eat in the restaurant. He felt a little hot and was sweating profusely.
At noon, Min Congda treated Ma Long to another Chinese meal. The hot Sichuan food made Ma Long even more hot.
Ma Long didn't understand. I came for an interview, but why did he invite me to dinner?
Min Congda took the initiative to explain, "In China, eating is the best way to meet. I don't know if today's food is to your liking. If not, I will ask the chef to make it for you."
The cafeteria of the Clippers training center is almost being turned into a state-owned guest house by Min Congda. You can find whatever you want to eat here.
Ma Long declined politely and adjusted his collar at the same time. It was so hot, but he was embarrassed to take it off.
Min Congda chatted with Ma Long all the time, and at first it was just about everyday things.
The topic gradually shifted to basketball, and Malone responded with a high spirit.
"What do you think of the current situation of the Clippers? You know, the team has had some minor problems recently, and our momentum in the league is not as sharp. What is the reason?"
The Clippers are the focus of the league, and of course Mike Malone is always paying attention.
Based on his observations, he believes that the number one reason why the Clippers are hindered is actually the impact of injuries.
Several of the Clippers' main players have had some injury problems recently.
This is inevitable in a long regular season.
The second reason is that other teams began to study and snipe the Clippers.
The Clippers' offense is indeed sharp, full of imagination and groundbreaking.
But any tactic will be studied and targeted, especially the tactical system of the championship team.
When Mike Malone was with the Cavaliers, he was already desperately thinking of ways to deal with the Clippers.
Moreover, the Cavaliers' victory over the Clippers on December 1st set a good example for other teams.
Of course, Mike Malone would not have imagined that the person who came up with this trick was sitting across from him.
The first two reasons are relatively objective reasons, and the third reason is the Clippers' own problem.
Mike Malone believes the Clippers lack a strong enough defense.
Last season they won the championship with their groundbreaking offense and resilient defense.
To be honest, the Clippers' championship felt a bit like stealing the chicken from an upset, taking advantage of it when they were not prepared, and finally turned the tables.
If they want to remain competitive enough for a long period of time, deal with injuries in a long regular season, and deal with emerging new opponents, then they must have a very solid and tough defensive system.
In a basketball game, defense will not deceive you, defense will give you a solid base.
Mike Malone has already thought about these things completely in his mind.
But when he wanted to explain it in detail, the second principle that Cole told him flashed in his mind:
Don't be too obsessed with victory, be more relaxed.
"That's right, Feng Qingyun Dan, what are you analyzing? Analysis, this is a test for me."
With this thought in his mind, Mike Malone put away all these thoughts and said: "Victory and defeat are common matters in military affairs. Temporary losses are normal. There is no need to analyze the temporary defeat too persistently."
Having said this, Mike Malone still felt quite uneasy.
What the hell kind of answer is this? Isn’t it deceiving people?
Unexpectedly, there was a hint of brilliance in Min Congda's eyes.
This kind of deceptive statement is very suitable for Min Congda.
Min Congda thought to himself: "This Mike Malone has the potential to be a liar!"
He gave Ma Long a big thumbs up in his mind. From being a little hesitant before, he slowly began to like this guy.
While Mike Malone felt Min Congda's satisfied gaze, he felt more and more hot, and beads of sweat flowed down his neck.
After finishing the meal, Mike Malone felt that his back was soaked, which made him very uncomfortable, but he was too embarrassed to take off his jacket.
Afterwards, the two went to the training venue together to visit the Clippers players' training.
Min Congda hopes that Mike Malone will participate in and comment on the Clippers' training and conduct further inspections of him.
"Oh Mike, why are you so sweaty on your head? Do you feel hot? Just take off your coat if you feel hot. You're welcome."
"It's okay, it's okay... Well, it's really hot. The weather in Los Angeles is really warm in December."
"The training center is closed and it is already quite hot. Moreover, the air circulation machine in the arena is broken today and there is no ventilation. Everyone is extremely hot."
It turned out that Mike Malone was no longer reserved and took off his jacket. The shirt inside was soaked with sweat, and the clothes on his back and chest were stuck to his flesh, making Malone a little embarrassed.
Min Congda smiled and said: "You and Rachel are very similar. You sweat profusely easily, which means you are in good health."
Ma Long smiled awkwardly. He felt that he was in a bad state today.
And I just ate Sichuan food, which was spicy and made my stomach feel a little uncomfortable.
The superposition of multiple debuffs caused Malone's thinking to be slow.
Min Congda asked him some questions, and Ma Long was very interested.
The answers were all so vague and ambiguous that Malone didn't even know what he was talking about.
This interview was a disaster in Mike Malone's interview career.
When he interviewed as a video editor for the Knicks and as an assistant coach for the Cavaliers, he performed quite well.
Mike Malone thought to himself: "Forget it, let's find a job with another team. Unfortunately, I can't find out many of the Clippers' secrets."
At this time, Min Congda suddenly asked: "By the way, Mike, do you have any requirements for your salary level?"
Ma Long was stunned, thinking how could he talk about salary so well?
"Well…"
Malone thought about what Cole said again, Smart likes to give more money.
Ma Long thought to himself, this is not Cole cheating on me, right? Which general manager likes to offer high wages?
However, he was not very hopeful. Malone was heartbroken and said: "I hope to get the same salary as the head coach, because other teams have invited me to be the head coach."
What Malone said is true, but normally, if you want to get the same salary as the head coach, then you can be the head coach. Why are you here interviewing an assistant coach?
From an interview perspective, this salary requirement is 0 points. The team will not give an assistant coach the same salary as the head coach.
As a result, Min Congda nodded slightly, patted Ma Long on the shoulder, and said: "Your request is not very reasonable. However, for a talent like you, I am willing to pay this price to let you stay. So, come to work tomorrow, you I will arrange for people to handle your accommodation, transportation and other issues. Mike, remember, enjoy your basketball life with the Clippers."
(End of chapter)
