The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 413 - 202: Kobe, stop talking trash to Su Wan!_4

Chapter 413: Chapter 202: Kobe, stop talking trash to Su Wan!_4

And there’s a pattern:

Before subbing out Yao, they’d let him aggressively attack with the ball to force the opponent to tighten their defense. Then they’d switch him out and move the offense back to the perimeter.

If the opponent didn’t adjust in time, Kobe would exploit the gap and launch a fierce attack.

If the opponent was quick to counter, Odom would keep driving from the baseline, finding opportunities just the same.

This was one of the Lakers’ frequent plays of the season.

What Rick Carlisle needed to do was to speed up Yao’s on-court energy consumption during this attack phase, trying to sub him out sooner.

Moreover, the "Small Lineup" could better block the space on the court, whether it was Kobe or Odom holding the ball in isolation, the Pacers could form layers of defense.

Why did the "isolation tactics" become less common after more than a decade?

Because the mobility of the lineup increased, and so did the flexibility in double-teaming.

Especially for "traditional centers" looking to overpower opponents in the paint, there simply weren’t many opportunities, as it was too easy to target them.

Sure enough, Yao Ming quickly felt his energy consumption speed up.

In fact, from the beginning of this game, Su Wan had intentionally sped up the pace of passing, forcing Yao to run hard on defense, giving him no time to catch his breath.

Phil Jackson seemed to have "zoned out" again and didn’t notice this; instead, he was pleased that the Lakers had stopped the Pacers’ fast breaks. He was very satisfied with the Lakers’ enthusiasm today.

By the time he finally realized that Yao’s energy was depleting faster than usual, it was already time to sub him out.

Kwame Brown was the one to replace Yao.

Although the "Watered-down No.1 Pick" was a complete bust, he had managed to secure his place on the Lakers with a solid base and become Yao’s primary backup.

Usually, his role was to set screens for Kobe and look for "Second Attack" opportunities during pick-and-roll offense. However, because of his "Butter Hands," while his body and mind could keep up, his hands...

just couldn’t.

Also, because he often failed to catch the ball, there was a moment in a game where he said to Kobe: "Don’t pass me the ball anymore, Kobe!"

His offense might not shine, but his defense under the basket and rim protection were quite good. freēNovelFire.com

But with Yao off the court, it was as if the Lakers had reverted to last season’s style, and Kobe would become the "Lone Wolf" during this time.

Barkley sighed as he watched the Lakers’ game plan become more predictable: "Getting Yao last summer was a qualitative improvement for the team, but compared to the Pacers’ buildup over the last three years, the depth of the Lakers roster still seems too thin!"

As a result of the tactical simplification, Kobe found it increasingly difficult to play.

The mobility of the "Small Lineup" was fully demonstrated at this moment, often leaving Kobe to face not one, not two, but four players’ traps.

And when shots were missed, the Lakers were not even able to set up "Assist Boards."

For one thing, Kobe was often forced to shoot near the basket, which made it easy for the Pacers’ interior defense to turn around and join the rebounding contest; secondly, Kwame Brown with his "Butter Hands" and Odom’s limited ability to hustle under the basket meant they couldn’t compete in rebounding against the Pacers, whose frontcourt had both height and forward-like agility.

And when the Pacers grabbed the rebounds and countered, the Lakers’ entire formation would crumble in fear of the Pacers’ three-point shots.

During this time, the Pacers’ "Small Lineup" did the opposite of what was expected, as if knowing that the Lakers would attempt to block their three-pointers, they concentrated their power on continuously driving to the basket.

Kwame Brown’s help defense and post defense were not bad, but there was a prerequisite...

That was the team had to be in "Position War" mode.

Rushing back to defend, he wouldn’t know who had the ball, his eyes frantically tracing the Pacers’ passing routes. Under such circumstances, he just couldn’t provide high-quality rim protection.

The Lakers’ basket was continuously breached.

In just three minutes, the six-point lead the Lakers held before Yao went off turned into a three-point deficit.

Phil Jackson called a timeout at this moment but didn’t dare to put Yao back in.

At this point, the Pacers’ "Small Lineup," whether in momentum or impact, was at its peak. Putting Yao back in now would mean only one thing, draining him along with the rest.

All he could do was trust Kobe...

And it really paid off, with Kobe scoring two consecutive three-pointers, saving the Lakers from a widening gap, preventing the Pacers from leading by double digits before the end of the first quarter.

At the end of the first quarter, the Pacers led with a score of 29 to 23, a six-point advantage.

As soon as the second quarter began, Phil Jackson decisively brought back both Yao and Kobe.

Well...

Other than having Kobe endure more, he really had no other choice.

If the Lakers wanted to keep the score close in the second quarter, they had to close the gap right from the start.

The Pacers’ "Small Lineup" had been running for over six minutes, with Su Wan and others also playing the full first quarter for 12 minutes; they would definitely need rest at the start of the second. The Lakers had the absolute upper hand.

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