The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 493 - 218: Is This Something Great?_4

Chapter 493: Chapter 218: Is This Something Great?_4

Randolph had surrendered, but at the beginning of the game, Su Wan singled him out for a scolding.

Randolph had no response.

Although he had entered the league back in 2001, as Su Wan mentioned, throughout his career, he had only participated in the playoffs twice, his best reaching only to the seventh game of the first round before being eliminated.

Tonight was his first touch of the semifinal floor.

However, Rick Carlisle had an inspiration from the first round of the playoffs, as long as Randolph could demonstrate a strong offense inside, the opposing team would naturally tighten their defense. By then, whether facing Billups, Hamilton, or Prince, Su Wan could easily handle 1v1.

So...

Although it was his first time in the second round of the playoffs, Zach Randolph felt considerable pressure.

The good news is that on the opening play, Randolph successfully scored under the basket.

Although Ben Wallace had left, the Pistons quickly replaced him with Antonio McDyess, but as the old saying goes, "you get what you pay for." McDyess couldn’t measure up to Ben Wallace, he couldn’t emulate the tacit understanding with Rashid Wallace, nor did he have excellent individual or help defending skills.

This meant Zach Randolph consistently held the ball under the basket, forcing the Pistons to use a double-team technique...

Randolph’s passing skills later on were quite impressive, with an average of 2 to 3 assists per game, many of which came from being double-teamed.

But his ability to evolve his game still lacked in many areas, including passing.

Whether with the Blazers or the New York Knicks, his options after receiving the ball never included passing, sticking mainly to a "Lone Wolf" mode with eyes only for the basket.

Regarding this, since his transfer to the Pacers two months ago, Rick Carlisle had been coaching him, though the effects hadn’t emerged so quickly. He had many bad habits to unlearn.

By the time the playoffs were about to start, he still hadn’t developed the passing skills to handle frequent double-teams. freēNovelFire.com

Rick Carlisle had no choice but to design "tactical positioning," arranging for players to assist him when he really couldn’t see his teammates.

This way, direct offensive opportunities were definitely out of the question.

But the goal of drawing double-teams and forcing the opponents to collapse their defenses was still achieved!

Su Wan played comfortably and calmly on the perimeter,

especially when he wasn’t on the same side as Prince, often a "jump shot" would leave the Pistons helpless.

The Pistons’ interior defense couldn’t assist in time if Randolph was stationed under the basket.

In that case...

Su Wan would instantly find Zach Randolph below, assisting him to complete a "turn and hook shot."

Barkley finally noticed, "Looks like Su Wan’s field of view has improved compared to before?"

Kenny Smith nodded, "It’s normal, this is already his fourth season, with so many games each year and his rate of improvement... WOW, what a pass by Su Wan, good shot!"

Initially, Kenny Smith wasn’t overly surprised since many veterans in the league didn’t have great passing skills early on but improved over many games.

Because basketball systems are so few, and each team’s emphasis on player movement differs, the landing spots are roughly the same. After playing enough games, you know where to find your teammates.

This is also why veterans rarely make mistakes...

But right as he spoke, Su Wan, moving, suddenly executed a "no-look pass," beautifully handing the ball to Anthony Parker on the wing, assisting him to score a "three-pointer."

Such a pass couldn’t just be attributed to experience alone.

It required a sufficient imagination of space.

Actually...

Delivering such assists, thanks to the improved field of view, Su Wan managed to catch a glimpse of Anthony Parker’s jersey flashing in the corner of his eye.

Players with good vision are like "sharpshooters," who can detect the slightest pixel change of their enemies and make the shot.

Similarly, a player with vision can catch a fleeting glimpse of a teammate’s open position and act instantly.

Of course, Su Wan’s capability wasn’t quite miraculous yet.

However, it reached a level where he could have an inspiration, occasionally executing a stunning "no-look pass" that dumbfounded TNT.

The Pistons’ coaching staff were left scratching their heads.

Already struggling to defend against Su Wan, who typically wasn’t regarded for exceptional vision or passing, left open his off-side teammates for double-teams; but now, he unexpectedly could find open teammates on the opposite side, delivering timely passes.

In essence, Su Wan completely made a leap in his skills, now possessing all the traits of becoming a "historic caliber swingman."

With Zach Randolph drawing double-teams inside, Su Wan became even more unrestrained; by the third quarter, he had already scored 21 points and made 5 assists.

Don’t think that’s too little.

While the "Pistons Four Tigers" defense wasn’t as formidable as the "Pistons Five Tigers," it was still one of the league’s strong defensive teams.

Moreover, Su Wan hadn’t yet entered "The zone"; he was solely relying on his own skills...

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