The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 137 - 111 I Really Want to Rock with Him

Chapter 137: Chapter 111 I Really Want to Rock with Him

Indeed, after the change of formation, Hamilton immediately felt his running tactics were seen through; several fake moves and collaborations with his teammates, and Reggie Miller was quick to react.

In a matter of seconds, Reggie Miller clung to him like a stubborn plaster.

He simply couldn’t shake him off.

Turning his head, he met Reggie Miller’s half-smiling, half-serious expression, as if to say,

"Little brother, keep going!

Let me see how much the other ’me’ in the world resembles me."

Billups had been waiting for a while but still couldn’t find Hamilton breaking free for an open shot; he knew Hamilton was in trouble.

Going for a solo play...

Looking at Su Wan in front of him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted "Rasheed Wallace" positioned high.

Without hesitation, he passed the ball to Rasheed Wallace.

Compared to a forced breakthrough against Su Wan, passing the ball this round was more reasonable.

But facing Shaquille O’Neal, Wallace was under no small pressure.

The genius of the Pacers’ new formation lay in the fact that the Pistons’ two offensive strong points, along with a tactical point guard, could now be contained through man-to-man defense, eliminating the need for additional help defense. This meant that Ben Wallace and Prince couldn’t "steal" opportunities.

Especially since Prince, who had a decent shooting percentage from the outside, showed no desire to receive the ball standing motionless next to Stephen Jackson.

His level as a shooter was definitely below Stephen Jackson.

A direct shot would hardly be successful.

The Pistons’ offense stagnated; with a clang, Foster firmly blocked Ben Wallace behind him while Shaquille O’Neal snatched the rebound. The Pacers quickly transitioned into a counterattack, with Stephen Jackson and Reggie Miller rushing to the three-point line on both sides, stretching the well-timed defensive formation of the Pistons into a "single line formation". Su Wan, holding the ball, targeted the weaker side of Billups and executed a "behind the ball" breakthrough.

Taking advantage of the Pistons’ unsettled formation, they scored on a fast break.

This was an attack beyond Larry Brown’s comprehension.

According to his established knowledge of the basketball court:

When the defense retreats in time, shouldn’t the offensive side slow down and reorganize?

Why were the Pacers still pushing their fast break?

Modern basketball philosophy was a massive shock to this stubborn old man nearing his seventies.

And this was just the beginning; successive waves of shocks followed, as the entire Pacers team embraced the concept of "space", decisively taking shots whenever they saw their opponent unsteady and an offensive opportunity present.

The Pistons’ defensive system, or rather Larry Brown’s coaching philosophy, excels at blocking centers under the basket, reducing the opponent’s destructive power inside.

In the 2004 finals, Shaquille O’Neal only took an average of 14.6 shots per game, and Tim Duncan also had the worst shooting accuracy under the basket during the finals in 2005.

This showcases the strength of Larry Brown’s lineup.

However, in a non-positional battle, the flaws in this lineup would be magnified:

Billups and Hamilton had limited resistance to impact. When the formation stretched, and Ben Wallace couldn’t cover both ends, their continuous engagement with breakthrough players was insufficient.

Take Su Wan, for instance. If there was an opportunity for a fast counterattack, with Stephen Jackson and Reggie Miller positioning themselves on the three-point lines on both sides in advance, then Su Wan, after getting past the first line of defense, could easily score a layup.

"Best defensive player?"

"Why can’t I see your help defense?"

Su Wan scored another attack on the basket, yelling at Ben Wallace during the retreat.

Big Ben...

Had nothing to fxxking say!

During Su Wan’s breakthrough, the Pacers’ tactics included Shaquille O’Neal also cutting empty, moving forward together.

If he went to help against Su Wan, the open Shaquille O’Neal would tear up the basket.

At this moment, Ben Wallace’s height disadvantage compared to traditional forwards was increasingly evident.

With 6 minutes 34 seconds left in the third quarter, using this strategy, the Pacers stabilized the lead at 12 points.

The booing at Auburn Palace was noticeably quieter than at the start.

Larry Brown frowned, but just as the Pacers were about to deliver the killing blow, they voluntarily made a substitution, bringing on Tinsley and taking Reggie Miller off.

Hmm?

Not just Larry Brown was stunned, but all the commentators as well.

But when they saw the close-up of a panting Reggie Miller, they understood—Reggie Miller was tired.

Chuck Barkley couldn’t help but remark, "He actually gets tired!"

Everyone knew Reggie Miller of the ’90s as the "everlasting killer."

It could only be said that their era of the ’90s had indeed passed.

"Everyone, your focus is all on that damn newcomer now, let’s first limit his breakthrough!" Larry Brown’s voice suddenly rose; he knew exactly what Reggie Miller’s departure meant:

Our chance, is here!

Now it was Rick Carlisle’s turn to furrow his brow deeply.

Reggie Miller’s stamina was a risk in the Pacers’ strategy; Carlisle was very aware of Hamilton’s ability to wear down opponents. No matter how he adjusted Reggie Miller’s playtime, there would always be a significant "vacuum period" during which he couldn’t play. Otherwise, Reggie Miller wouldn’t last till the final moments.

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