The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 532 - 226: How Can One Sweep the World Without Stirring One’s Own Home (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Brothers)_3

Chapter 532: Chapter 226: How Can One Sweep the World Without Stirring One’s Own Home (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Brothers)_3

If the opposition shifts their defensive focus outward, that’s when Zach Randolph or Shaquille O’Neal substitute in will constantly apply pressure under the rim to ensure that the defense doesn’t dare to extend.

This often presents an opportunity to launch a "Scoring Wave."

By the third quarter, it’s almost a concentration of the first half, just that the pace switches a little quicker.

If the score hasn’t been pulled apart by the end of the fourth quarter, then Rick Carlisle will have Su Wan step up to finish off the fourth quarter.

This is the period when Su Wan will take a significant number of shots.

Hence, when the first month of the new season ended, a nickname that should have been his a long time ago was added above Su Wan’s head:

"King of Fourth Quarter"!

In the past, Su Wan always left a profound impression on the media for "single-handedly saving the day" in the fourth quarter of games.

And this season, after adjusting his playing style, this characteristic was even more vividly displayed.

In the first month, Su Wan averaged 25.4 points per game, 13.8 of which came from the fourth quarter.

That is to say, for this season’s statistics, if he didn’t score 14 points in the final quarter, it wouldn’t meet his average, which could also be described as a slump!

Such "fourth-quarter scoring ability" made Shaquille O’Neal feel a sense of familiarity.

It was so similar to Kobe back in the day.

No, to be exact, if one had to say, the current Su Wan had surpassed the Kobe of the past!

Besides the title "King of Fourth Quarter," many media personalities also thought that Su Wan fully deserved to be considered for the "Best Defensive Player Award" this season.

If averaging 2.2 steals and 1.4 blocks per game didn’t visually represent Su Wan’s defensive capabilities, then let’s talk about a terrifying statistic: in November, the average field goal percentage of all opponents faced by Su Wan was only 35.6%, nearly 6% lower than their season average of 40.3%!

This number was ranked first among all perimeter players.

This wasn’t any "first" concocted by selective statistics but a genuine top ranking.

This year, the most defensively efficient player among perimeter players was Su Wan!

With such performance on both offense and defense, combined with the Pacers’ 12-3 record, Su Wan was successfully named the "Player of the Month" for the first month of the new season.

Many media outlets believed that Su Wan was nearing his third regular-season MVP trophy.

Of course, the reason he was considered for the MVP wasn’t solely based on his on-court performance.

It included his behavior in other aspects.

Like his ability to stabilize the locker room.

Before the season started, the media thought the Pacers’ locker room was full of "time bombs" that might go off at any moment and "destroy" the season.

But instead of signs of those "bombs" exploding, we saw many players changing, take Shaquille O’Neal and Zach Randolph, for example.

The former began to actively screen and cut on the court, a level of enthusiasm he hadn’t shown in his 16-year career; just this change alone is enough to astonish people. Then there’s Zach Randolph, whose change was also very evident. The team’s results show it: in the three games the team lost, there were two games where he didn’t make the 18+10 stats. And in the games where he did achieve those stats, the Pacers won.

Perhaps the sample size is still small.

Not enough to prove a point.

But...

How long has it been since he last caused any trouble off the court?

When Zach Randolph first transferred to Indiana, journalists caught him hanging out in nightclubs. But now, off the court, he is incredibly low-key and seldom goes to nightclubs, let alone causing trouble.

Completely focused on the court, in two words:

Matured!

"Hey, you didn’t have any fallout with Tina, did you?"

"No, no, what did she tell you, Su?"

"I was just asking; don’t get nervous, Zach. Haven’t you read the papers? They’re all praising you, saying how mature you’ve become!"

"That’s thanks to you, Su, for setting me up with a girlfriend. You were right; a home isn’t disorderly without some sass. It definitely needs someone sassy!" Now Zach Randolph heads straight home after practice, living a very disciplined life.

"Looks like you’re well on your way to salvaging your career! Congrats, Zach!" Su Wan slapped the newspaper that praised Randolph’s newfound maturity onto Randolph’s thigh.

Randolph, delighted, quickly opened it and read through it carefully again.

In the past, he always felt that the media did nothing but stir up provocations and fan-player antagonisms.

But now, he loved reading newspapers!

Some rejoice while others worry.

Since last season, after arriving in Indiana, Zach Randolph has undergone a transformation, starting from playing earnestly under the threat posed by Su Wan, to now achieving the first phase of growth, countering some of the skepticism.

But as for young O’Neal, up to now in the new season, he’s averaging 14.5 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block per game, and his field goal percentage is 45.7%.

Whether it’s his stats or his shooting percentage, they’ve all taken a big hit compared to his peak last season.

And this year, with his salary being 1 million more than Su Wan’s, not only is there widespread doubt from the outside world, but some Indiana media have started questioning him too.

Luckily, the Pacers’ good record gave him a "protective talisman," and some media still speak for him, arguing that he sacrificed his own stats for the team’s tactics, and his slight decline in numbers is understandable.