The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 272 - 166: Is this still Su Wan? Is this still Su Wan?

Chapter 272: Chapter 166: Is this still Su Wan? Is this still Su Wan?

He waved his hand, and the Pacers players quickly dispersed across the court.

Three months of coordination had resulted in a silent understanding, especially in response to Su Wan’s showy gestures; no thinking was needed, as their bodies reacted automatically.

They had been directed countless times.

However, Artest and Calderon didn’t lead Bobby Simmons and TJ Ford away from their defensive positions.

Hmm...

If these two could play a restraining role, the Pacers wouldn’t need him to force a one-on-one.

Su Wan’s dribbling ability had now reached 90 points.

Various moves like "Crossover" and "behind the back dribble" came naturally to him, coupled with his strong control over his body, which made his dribbling style elusive and unpredictable.

That’s why opponents rarely attempted to disrupt Su Wan’s dribbling by going for a steal.

Attempting a steal and losing balance could instead provide Su Wan an opportunity for a breakthrough.

Michael Red was certainly one of those cautious ones; he maintained a distance from Su Wan, watching his feet intently and moving laterally the moment Su Wan shifted.

It could only be said that Michael Red had been the boss for too long and had indeed forgotten how to defend effectively.

After noticing his defensive habits, Su Wan intentionally lifted his foot, deceiving him to shake his center of gravity and then explosively breaking free.

But the moment Reid was shaken off behind him, the other four Bucks players immediately converged, making Bill Walton in the ESPN studio exclaim, "Wow, such uniform contraction! Clearly, the Bucks are better prepared for this game than we thought!"

However, although all four had tightened their defense, Bobby Simmons and TJ Ford, limited by their physical conditions, didn’t form effective first-line defense. TJ was too short and too slender.

Bobby Simmons’ mobility was far below the small forward standard.

He was actually more suited to play as a power forward, but he lacked the physique for it.

The Bucks’ inside game was also problematic.

Jamal’s negligent attitude in movement became a very fatal issue; Bogut had moved up top, yet Jamal still lingered within the Reasonable Collision Zone.

This showed that their goals were different.

Bogut tried to draw an offensive foul on Su Wan, whereas Jamal intended to create a physical contest under the basket.

With a gap on the right side, Bogut could only helplessly step aside as Su Wan, just like before, darted past him. If he committed another foul, that would count as two fouls.

It was only three minutes into the first quarter; letting Su Wan outplay him like this was a massive embarrassment.

Although he wasn’t easily ashamed, at his young age, it was still a tad mortifying.

"Beep!"

He didn’t commit a foul, but Jamal inside did.

Terry Stotts watched Su Wan step up to the free throw line, shaking his head helplessly. He really didn’t know what to do with this darned team; he had already executed the strategy he had planned, even rehearsed it in yesterday’s scrimmage.

But the final result was disappointing.

Luckily, today the Bucks’ perimeter shooters were in good form. Bobby Simmons hit another three-point shot, and Carlisle couldn’t hold back anymore. He called Artest over and shouted, "Ron, do you think you’ve already clinched the Best Defensive Player Award? If he scores another three-pointer, I’m sending this game tape to the officials to let them see how this ’hottest contender’ for the Best Defensive Player Award defends!"

He yelled right into Artest’s ear with spittle flying, but Artest didn’t dare to wipe it off.

Barkley saw this and laughed, "Rick’s authority in the Pacers has really elevated a lot!"

From the outside, one of the main reasons for the "Auburn Palace incident" seemed to be Rick Carlisle’s lack of leadership, as no one listened to him.

Kenny Smith said, "Su Wan has made him a Gregg Popovich."

Barkley laughed, "But I haven’t heard Rick tell Su Wan that stats are useless and the team comes first, not even once."

Kenny Smith rarely made a sharp comment, "In that case, he wouldn’t be Popovich!"

Although Rick Carlisle was obstinate, he understood the situation and wasn’t completely stubborn.

The ball still ended up in Su Wan’s hands, but at that moment, the Bucks directly went for a double-team, forcing Su Wan, who had just secured the ball, to pass it out again.

"Looks like the Bucks’ head coach really fears Su Wan!"

"From the double-team just now, it’s clear the Bucks’ head coach has specifically studied Su Wan’s ball-handling! Heh, but the on-court execution by the Bucks players is just too poor."

The double-team’s reaction was quick, yet the result was as you see, which surprised Barkley.

But then again, how else would they be ranked eighth in the Eastern Conference?

Terry clearly realized that the more people involved in help defense, the more prone they are to errors. Instead of letting Su Wan continue ball-handling,...

"We all know Su is exceptionally skilled in ball-handling, but off-ball..."

Barkley was speaking when Su Wan moved behind Calderon, received the ball, shuffled a large step to the right elbow area, and directly shot, with TJ Ford and Reid rushing to double-team him, only to watch Su Wan complete the jump shot.

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