The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 285 - 172 Cleveland Fans Can Turn Off the TV Now_2

Chapter 285: Chapter 172 Cleveland Fans Can Turn Off the TV Now_2

A rather curious phenomenon:

LeBron’s fans and LeBron’s "haters" see a different side of LeBron both on and off the court.

His fans believe that LeBron’s skills are superb, whether it’s his ability to change direction during a breakthrough or his footwork. His fundamentals are actually quite solid, and if he seems stiff it’s just because his muscles are too defined, which impacts his coordination. That’s something that can’t be helped.

They even think LeBron has a reliable jump shot.

On the contrary, the "haters" think LeBron’s breakthroughs rely on an indefinable number of steps, and that his shooting is almost nonexistent. As for fundamentals, it’s not that he doesn’t have them, it’s just that they’re not visible.

If you really get down to it, before LeBron’s muscles became so stiff, he did have an intermittent jump shot. But because he wasn’t confident in himself, he often hesitated to take shots, which affected his entire career.

In critical moments, he preferred to drive the ball inside, either passing it off after a breakthrough or waiting for the referee’s whistle.

In short, his shot selection did not include mid-range shots at all.

Only when the situation looked favorable would he confidently take and often make mid-range shots.

This has led to a major discrepancy in how the two camps view LeBron’s shooting ability.

Of course, in Su Wan’s eyes, a weapon that can’t be relied on in key moments might as well be nonexistent.

Others aren’t intimidated by your shooting when you’re on a hot streak. They look at your shooting percentage in crucial moments and your shot selection.

Like tonight, Su Wan knew that LeBron definitely wanted to put on a good performance, so... he would keep amplifying LeBron’s less proficient shot selections, creating pressure for him.

As expected, LeBron’s choices never disappointed him.

If the approach to offense wasn’t solid, he’d rather pass the ball to a teammate.

That’s right, "Chosen One," just keep playing like that!

Subsequently, right in front of Rushios Harris, Su Wan confidently nailed a mid-range jumper to score the Pacers’ opening basket. — Harris was an old guard at the two, hastily signed by Danny Ferry, who entered the league in ’93, a famous "journeyman" who survived in various teams with his roughly 36% three-point shooting, and there wasn’t much else to expect from him.

Standing in front of Su Wan, the only thing he was good for was to serve as a "tripod" for Su Wan to shoot more accurately.

In the Cavaliers’ second round, LeBron was again stalled in front of the free throw line; he could only fall back beyond the three-point line to look for another opportunity to break through. Mike Brown saw his hesitation, shouting encouragement by his side constantly:

"Drive in, drive in, LeBron, drive in!"

LeBron really wanted to yell back at him:

Shut up!

Don’t I know I need to push inside?

But...

"Snap!"

Gathering his strength, LeBron charged inside. Su Wan impeded him at the free throw line, slowing down his thrust such that although he pushed past Su, Shaq and Foster had already positioned themselves early, and his forced layup was swatted away by Shaq’s hand.

Once again, the ball was in Su Wan’s hands. He dribbled forward a couple of steps only to see that Artest had already positioned himself under the opposite basket.

What, you too...

He instantly passed the ball to Artest.

"Bam!"

The "Beast’s" slam dunk made the Conseco Arena roar like thunder and lightning.

Bill Walton slightly shook his head and remarked, "The Pacers’ defensive limitations are just too much for a team like the Cavaliers that revolves around a single ball-handler!"

LeBron James, when facing other teams, can still manage to complete layups while being marked.

But when facing the Pacers, he has never shown that kind of impact.

What can you do, though?

Even with "Big Z" fending off Artest for him, the Cavaliers still faced Su Wan, Little O’Neal, and Foster’s "Iron Bucket Formation"; it was really hard for him to achieve a breakthrough.

Moreover, "Big Z" wasn’t able to fend off Artest for him every time, like in the following play, Artest, having learnt from the last two confrontations, preemptively pressured LeBron as "Big Z" moved toward him.

As a result, LeBron found himself drifting further from the three-point line.

"LeBron’s means of shaking off the defender with the ball seem to be fewer than we thought!"

This wasn’t apparent during the regular season, but on the playoff stage where the competition was fiercer, this issue was greatly magnified. In just three plays, Barkley had noticed it.

Kenny Smith said, "Actually, many people overlook something, LeBron heavily relies on starting his drive after a pick-and-roll. He doesn’t have many individual skills for ball-handling dribbles. It’s just that we often pay more attention to his physical talents."

LeBron could only pass the ball out, then circle back behind the ball handler to receive it again, and taking advantage of the natural screen, directly drove in.

This choice for a drive was very decisive.

Artest didn’t react in time, but now LeBron was near the baseline, with too few paths available for a breakthrough; Su Wan was directly in front of him, and LeBron collided with him, sending him flying, while the referee blew the whistle:

"Foul on number 23 of the Cavaliers for an offensive charge!"

Su Wan lay on the ground, revealing a pained smile.

This hit truly fucking hurt!

But considering the outcome, it was worth taking the hit. Little O’Neal and Artest hurried over to help him up.

Amid cheers, he began to look for LeBron.

Good grief, it’s chaos, it’s chaos!

LeBron was spread out, gesticulating widely, fervently arguing with the referee, and this desperate look irresistibly reminded one of that creature atop the Empire State Building.

The big screen at the venue also displayed the anxious LeBron, eliciting a wave of boos.

At this point, LeBron seemed to notice the big screen and stopped arguing with the referee.

To tell the truth, it’s only LeBron who could "discuss" this long with the referee without getting a T.

Moreover, LeBron was just heavily "slashed" by Su Wan, and his reputation took a major hit. If it had been the usual LeBron, or if Su Wan’s reputation value was a bit lower, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Could it have directly been turned into his "blocking foul"?

Hmm...

The accuser becomes the defendant; this wouldn’t be the first time something like this had happened.

During the Pacers’ offensive play, Mike Brown started to double-team Su Wan.

Seeing that the Cavaliers also began to double-team him, Su Wan immediately called for the ball, drawing an even firmer double-team, then quickly passed the ball out and moved to the top of the arc. After receiving the ball once more, his three-point shot landed with precision.

"This is nearly a signature strategy for the Pacers now! All the teams are gradually realizing they need to double-team Su Wan."

"But they still incredulously let Su Wan break free into a wide-open space to catch and shoot."

"I’ve seen this many times already, of course, I can understand..."

"Now all teams lack targeted video analysis of Su Wan’s movements after breaking out of a double-team! This is precisely when he uses his novel methods to threaten. Every player has such a period, and Su Wan cleverly makes it always happen during the playoffs!"

Bill Walton provided a professional analysis of the reasons why Su Wan could always promptly respond with a catch-and-shoot after facing a double-team.

Meanwhile, Barkley, seeing a 7-0 starting score, couldn’t help saying, "The Cleveland fans can turn off their TVs now; it could save you from a terrible night. If you choose to keep watching, I’m not sure you’ll be able to sleep tonight!"

Barkley’s words always carried a "poison milk" quality.

But this time, his prediction came true. The Cavaliers were completely powerless in the following plays, with the point gap continuously widening—10 points, 20 points, 30 points. In the end, the first game in the playoff series between the Cavaliers and the Pacers concluded, and LeBron lost his first playoff game by nearly 40 points.

His stats were 4 out of 15 field goals, 6 out of 10 free throws, totalling only 14 points for the game, in addition to 7 defensive rebounds, 1 offensive rebound, 5 assists, and 6 turnovers.

On the other side, Su Wan went 11 for 21 in shooting, 2 for 4 in three-point shots, and 5 for 5 in free throws, adding up to 29 points, 4 defensive rebounds, 2 offensive rebounds, 3 assists, and only 2 turnovers.

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