The gym felt different today.
Not louder. Not brighter. Just… watchful.
Zoran could feel the shift in attention the moment he walked onto the practice court. It wasn't open praise or stares. But the ball boys passed him one quicker. The coaches stopped him mid-drill, not to correct, but to clarify what he'd seen.
Word had traveled fast.
Someone from the analytics team had sent a clip—Zoran reading a defensive rotation two steps ahead and redirecting a simple pass that turned into a dunk. Small play. But clean.
Now people were watching.
Jason Kidd stood near the scorer's table, arms crossed, nodding occasionally. Sean Sweeney sat behind the sideline baseline with a notepad. Darrell Armstrong ran the scrimmages again, but this time, Zoran's group started first.
No speech. No warm-up warning.
Just a ball tossed at half-court.
"Vukic. Run it."
First play: Horns set. Double screen at the elbows. Zoran brought it left, paused, saw the second defender try to hedge late.
He didn't force it.
Quick inside bounce to Davis, cutting below the elbow.
Layup.
No highlight. Just timing.
The system pulsed softly in the background:
[Read Accuracy: High][Pass Decision Speed: 1.3 seconds][Player Efficiency: Rising]
Zoran backpedaled to his spot. Eyes locked on spacing. His job wasn't to carry. It was to connect.
Second possession.
The defender sagged. A little lazy. Eyes more on the paint than on him.
Zoran called for a lift. Saw the rotation stall. Took two dribbles left, rose quickly at the elbow.
Mid-range jumper. Net.
Then reset. No celebration. Just the next play.
Coach Armstrong paused the scrimmage two minutes later.
"You're reading coverage before the screen comes."
"Yes."
"You studied film last night?"
"I always do."
Coach grunted, like he didn't want to give away a compliment.
That night, back in his hotel room, Zoran plugged in his tablet. He replayed the scrimmage on loop. Every rotation. Every missed read. Every moment the team's rhythm broke, he marked it down.
The system responded.
[System Insight Available]"Controlled Flow" Active – Advanced spacing mapping unlockedRecommendation: Integrate corner lift triggers when low man shows late.
Zoran tapped the screen and drew new diagrams. Adjusted angles. Mental reps.
No music. No distractions.
This was work.
The next day, another scrimmage. This time, media was allowed in for the second half. Local beat writers. Radio guys. A few scouts from other teams. Zoran didn't look at them. But he felt the lens.
First play back, he tested the system.
High pick-and-roll. Davis on the roll, but the tag came from the top instead of the baseline. Unexpected.
Zoran didn't panic.
He stopped mid-drive, reverse pivoted, found the corner shooter wide open after the rotation pulled.
Three points.
He jogged back, checked the system.
[Defensive Scheme Identified: 2.5 seconds][Read Rating: 89/100][System Tip: Continue using probe dribble to trigger secondary shifts.]
Zoran didn't need flash.
He needed time. Angles. Precision.
And now, he had something that sharpened his already obsessive instincts into something nearly automatic.
During the break, Dinwiddie leaned over.
"You don't talk much."
"I'm here to play."
Dinwiddie smirked. "You read the floor like an old vet. That's rare."
Zoran didn't respond.
He didn't play for reactions.
The final possession of the day, Coach Kidd called a full-court set with Zoran at point.
They were up two. Thirty seconds on the clock.
It was a simulation—but it wasn't a joke.
Zoran let the clock burn five seconds. Dribbled up under control. Called a brush screen, then immediately triggered a ghost curl to drag the defense.
Everyone moved on instinct.
Except him.
He moved on knowledge.
Split step. Crossover. Defense bit right.
Drive.
Help came late.
He dumped it off—weak side cut from Martin.
Layup.
Siren.
Scrimmage over.
No big reaction.
But when Zoran walked to the sideline, Kidd met him at the edge.
"That's how you run a team."
Zoran nodded once. "That's the goal."
[SYSTEM UPDATE]Scrimmage Grade: 9.1 / 10Consistency Achieved – 3 Consecutive Sessions Above BaselineNew Trait Unlocked: "Quick Study"→ Reduces readjustment time with new teammates.→ Expands predictive capability based on limited reps.→ Enhances short-term memory of team sets.
Zoran didn't even smile when he saw the update.
He just opened a new tab on his tablet.
Started preparing for tomorrow.