The locker room didn't explode after the win.
No yelling, no back-slapping, no playlist switch.
Just tape being peeled, ice bags strapped down, shoes untied in quiet.
Zoran sat in the corner. Same seat as last time. His head down, his routine unchanged. He didn't look around. He didn't try to belong. That wasn't his place—yet.
But this time, nobody ignored him either.
Dinwiddie looked over. Just a glance. A nod.
Acknowledgment.
No words were spoken.
Didn't need to be.
Jason Kidd walked in, box score in hand. Eyes scanning.
He didn't call names.
Just said, "We played cleaner in the fourth."
Then, before leaving: "Vukic—good job."
That was it.
But for Zoran, it was louder than applause.
[SYSTEM SYNC COMPLETE – Game Data Logged]
Minutes Played: 17:02
Net Rating: +13 On/Off
Turnovers: 0
Read Accuracy: 91%
Condition Met: Game Flow Authority Benchmark 1/4
Progression Triggered: Locker Room Trust (Low → Developing)
Zoran didn't smile.
He turned off the system screen like it was routine.
Because it was.
They flew out the next morning.
New Orleans.
The Pelicans weren't a team you ran through. They were a team you had to unspool like a tangled thread. Every pass invited pressure. Every cut came with a switch.
Brandon Ingram rotated like a forward but thought like a guard. Herb Jones baited spacing mistakes. Dyson Daniels was long enough to contest threes and quick enough to trap closeouts.
It wasn't speed that beat them.
It was precision.
On the plane, Zoran watched their last three games back-to-back.
He didn't watch for highlights.
He watched for rhythm.
How their defensive shell shifted when the strong-side corner cut. Where Jones liked to reach. When Ingram overhelped.
He marked it all down in his notebook.
→ Ingram bites on second-side skips if the strong-side spacing is stretched early.
→ Jones shades toward the paint on slot entries—blind corner opportunity opens.
This was his prep.
Not more shots. Not more dunks.
Just patterns.
[SYSTEM: Passive Study Mode Activated]
Opponent Sync: New Orleans Pelicans
Tactical Map Updated: Defensive Shell, Coverage Preferences, Closeout Speeds
Suggested Sequences: Short Cut Drag / Double Stack Pin-In Slip
He absorbed it in silence.
No ego. No weightlifting selfie. No story post captioned "Locked In."
Just film, data, and sleep.
When the team landed, it was nearly midnight.
Rain again.
Always rain.
The team scattered—some to rooms, some to late-night food.
Zoran headed up alone.
Didn't talk to anyone. Didn't need to.
His job hadn't changed.
In his room, he laid out tape and notes.
He visualized his minutes.
Not plays—possessions. Situations.
Score: tied at 88. Daniels hounding ball. Ingram lurking weak side. What's the pressure point?
Corner skip → pump fake → short roll flash from Kai → high-low to Martin.
He mapped it out.
Then ran it again in his head. Until the play wasn't an idea—it was instinct.
[SYSTEM NOTE: Focus Retention Increased]
Mental Fatigue Detected: Recommend rest window – 6 hours minimum
Bonus Tracking: Sustained Clean Rotation (No Turnovers, +Net Rating x2)
He closed the notebook.
Sleep could wait.
He needed one more rep.
The next morning, breakfast was quiet.
Zoran sat across from Max Christie. No words. But Christie slid him the playbook open to a zone-break set.
Zoran glanced down.
Then pointed at a backside trigger that had been mistimed in the last game.
Christie blinked.
Nodded once.
Zoran went back to eating.
That's how it started.
Not with celebration.
But with connection.
One detail at a time.