The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 526 - 225 Bloodline Basketball_2

Chapter 526: Chapter 225 Bloodline Basketball_2

Additionally, the sophomore Afflalo also brought a pleasant surprise to Rick Carlisle, as his defense and three-point shot enhanced the Pacers’ wing play. If it weren’t for his rather low profile status, Rick Carlisle might even consider moving him up to the small forward position.

Su Wan knew that in the future, Afflalo would become a core player for the Magic during their tanking years, peaking at an average of 18.2 points per game—a shooter with more ability than fame from mid to long range.

Over his entire career, his three-point shooting percentage was above 38%, and his field goal percentage was also over 45%.

His ceiling should be that of a top-tier "3&D player."

But the kid was lucky, picked by the tanking Magic Team, eventually becoming one of their offensive cores. His leadership did not disappoint the Magic, as during those years they continuously secured high draft picks. Afflalo himself racked up satisfying stats and secured a pleasing contract.

Given his talent and draft position, the original trajectory of his career was set to be quite successful.

Not every NBA player’s success is measured by whether they have a championship ring.

Some players...

Securing a big contract represents their success more than winning a championship ring.

For now, Afflalo was still developing as a "3&D" player on the defensive end.

The upcoming season’s starting lineup for the Pacers included Billups as the point guard, Su Wan as the two, Shaquille O’Neal at small forward, Zach Randolph as the power forward, and Shaquille O’Neal at center.

This wasn’t a typical lineup, nor was it the best that the Pacers could offer.

But it was the optimal solution for the locker room atmosphere.

You could tell from Shaquille O’Neal’s increasing number of smiles.

Even though Rick Carlisle had told him he would only play him for 6 minutes in the first quarter before subbing him out under the guise of "protecting your health," in reality, it was because this bulky lineup couldn’t leverage the Pacers’ biggest advantage this season:

Shooting ability!

When Shaquille O’Neal was off the court, whether it was Little O’Neal, Zach Randolph, or Millsap, any one of these players had impressive shooting ability.

The entire lineup had a bit of an ’11 Mavericks vibe.

Especially when putting Little Gasol on the court to protect the boards, it was even more reminiscent!

Even though at this time Little Gasol definitely wasn’t as good as the "Boxing King" at his peak, similarly, that Mavericks team didn’t have the overall athleticism that this Pacers team did.

Some get weaker, some get stronger, yet the outstanding "multiple shooting spots" concept was very similar.

Rick Carlisle seemed to have had a cross-dimensional conversation with his future self, naturally using Su Wan as if he were Nowitzki.

During the first three quarters of the game, the rest of the Pacers were in charge, then during the critical moments, or the last quarter, it was Su Wan who would stand out to seal the game.

Su Wan was more impressive than the 2011 Nowitzki in one aspect:

His physical fitness was far superior to that of Nowitzki in ’11.

Since some of the offensive burden had been lifted from him, he could also be the leading defensive player from the perimeter.

This was also something Rick Carlisle hoped he would do.

With Little O’Neal injured and Little Gasol still a rookie, the team lacked a defensive core... Now it seemed only Su Wan might fit the bill!

Now do you see why Rick Carlisle doesn’t get along well with "Superstars"?

In his eyes, there are only "team problems" and "problem solvers."

If he thinks you’re suited to do something, he’ll hope you do it, never considering the rights that come with being a "Superstar," the most common being:

Sacrificing defense for offense...

Yet Su Wan wasn’t like those "Super Stars"; he agreed readily.

This surprised Shaquille O’Neal immensely.

During the Pacers’ first media day of the new season, before the media even spoke, O’Neal blurted out, "LeBron will never be able to match Su Wan, never! Remember, I’m saying never!"

The reporters were stunned.

Wait... freёweɓnovel_com

We didn’t even bring up LeBron James!

How did he suddenly get dragged into this?

But Shaquille O’Neal continued, "Cleveland might not have fully realized what kind of treasure they missed out on for LeBron, believe me, no one will have any complaints about Su Wan! He’s the best team leader you could ever imagine!"

The media exchanged puzzled glances.

While they knew that Shaquille O’Neal praising a teammate was standard practice, and now coming to the Pacers for a championship meant he had to praise Su Wan even more, they understood.

However...

This level of praise was beyond their expectations.

Were they on something or had they had a drink?

Billups, standing beside him, heard all this quite clearly.

Though his expression didn’t change, the look in his eyes when he faced the reporters became eager. Recognizing this, a reporter familiar with Billups immediately asked the question he wanted to hear: "Chauncey, how does it feel to train with Su Wan?"

Billups’s gratitude was palpable, as if he had been rehearsing his response, and he began to fire answers nonstop, like corn kernels being flung from a sheller: "He really is an incredible player, which is clear as his teammate. After becoming his teammate, the awareness is even sharper, I think I probably know why he was able to build a Dynasty so quickly!"