Dave Odom's current approach with Duncan is simple and raw: let Duncan post up, utilize his jumping ability, footwork, and positioning to overpower opponents!
He Ximeng predicts that the University of Kentucky will have prepared several defensive strategies for Duncan, as he is Wake Forest's most threatening player.
Most likely, they will double-team Duncan from beginning to end, at least a two-player trap, because Kentucky has an abundance of available big men.
By double-teaming, they will limit Duncan's space and thus his effectiveness, or force Duncan into endless isolation plays, preventing him from forming effective coordination with his teammates.
This reminds He Ximeng of the "Jordan Rules"…
He Ximeng wants Duncan to change Dave Odom's conventional style, make Duncan move around the court, and avoid being locked down by opponents.
"Is playing like this reliable?"
"If the situation is in our favor, we wouldn't need to play like this! But if it's not, and we don't change, we can only lose… What do you say, play or not play?"
"Play!" Duncan said without hesitation, firmly.
"But don't you need to communicate with Coach Dave Odom beforehand?"
He Ximeng thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Forget it, Mr. Odom has reminded me several times, implicitly and explicitly, not to mess with his tactics… I'll give him a heads-up at the last minute and see if he has the courage to change. If not, then we'll have to make the decision ourselves…"
"How do they say it in China in this situation?"
"'When a general is out in the field, he may disregard the emperor's orders!'"
…
On March 23, 1996, the finals of the four regions of the NCAA Tournament, which are also the Elite Eight games, are being held simultaneously in four arenas!
The game between Wake Forest University and the University of Kentucky is still being held at the Timberwolves' home court, the Target Center arena.
Before the game, Dave Odom gave a pep talk in the locker room with all his might! Many American head coaches have this skill. He Ximeng, following the local customs, has also become quite adept at giving pep talks. Previously, He Ximeng used to stand at the front, in Dave Odom's usual spot, to pump up the players. Now, with the positions swapped, standing among the players and watching Dave Odom spray saliva towards him makes He Ximeng feel very awkward.
Especially when the pep talk ends and all the players are pumped up and roaring, He Ximeng can only feign excitement, which makes him look even more awkward.
This game is crucial for Wake Forest University! Once they defeat the University of Kentucky, the subsequent games might become smooth sailing… Therefore, Coach Dave Odom's pep talk was significantly more intense than usual…
Just as He Ximeng could barely stand listening and was turning to cover his ears, his peripheral vision caught sight of another pair of big eyes within the team that also seemed impatient.
Undoubtedly, it was Mr. Fundamentals, number 21!
"This guy is really precocious!" He Ximeng couldn't help but think. Considering that Duncan in college was already immune to his head coach's pep talks, it's no wonder that when he entered the professional league, his feigned excitement was purely a way to mess with the coach…
He Ximeng suddenly remembered that when he was an assistant coach for the Spurs, he seemed to have given players many pep talks.
At that time, he didn't understand why Duncan's eyes would gleam so brightly… Looking back now, it was clearly a look of amusement, as if to say, "Let's see how long you can keep this up…"
While He Ximeng was marveling at Duncan's maturity, Duncan was likely feeling the same way.
"This kid is truly a prodigy! Even Mr. Odom's passionate speeches can't move this kid…"
After the motivational speech, amidst the rousing music, the Wake Forest University players filed onto the court. He Ximeng and Duncan, known as the "Fundamentals Brothers," made their appearance last.
On the Kentucky University side, Anthony Walker was the second to last to enter, with point guard Tony Delk being the final one.
Although he played point guard, Tony Delk's scoring ability was actually stronger than his playmaking. He was more of a combo guard.
From the regional qualifiers to the tournament, He Ximeng has encountered many excellent NCAA point guards, but these point guards generally share one characteristic: strong offensive ability outweighs playmaking ability!
Because Americans admire individual heroism, any guard with strong basketball skills will prioritize scoring as their primary skill. For playmaking, even if they have talent, they are unwilling to hone it. Therefore, point guards like Stockton, Kidd, and Nash are becoming increasingly rare.
So far, He Ximeng hasn't encountered a point guard of that caliber.
Any team's core point guard is basically also the team's leading scorer!
Tony Delk falls into this category!
Standing at 1.88 meters and weighing 86 kilograms, Tony Delk is a stocky, short point guard with strong penetration. He Ximeng is at a disadvantage when guarding him one-on-one.
Without a doubt, this game will be the toughest game Wake Forest has played so far this year.
He Ximeng and Duncan are fully mentally prepared for this.
As the game began, Duncan, with a mindset of fighting for every ball, tipped the ball to He Ximeng, beating Mark Pope.
He Ximeng advanced steadily against Tony Delk.
Tony Delk bared his white teeth and began his taunting: "Hey, kid with the yellow skin, I hear everyone calls you Mr. Fundamentals. How about it, you interested in a one-on-one with me?"
He Ximeng smiled slightly and retorted, "Why don't you try stealing the ball from me first?"
Tony Delk, who was already stronger offensively than defensively, was only trying to provoke He Ximeng into losing his composure. If he really wanted to steal the ball from He Ximeng, Tony Delk might not be able to succeed. He had also watched Wake Forest University's previous games and knew that He Ximeng's point guard skills were solid. Any point guard who rushed in and underestimated He Ximeng had already been sent home, ending their March Madness run…
Tony Delk, as the starting point guard for the prestigious University of Kentucky, at least had a decent basketball IQ.
In this exchange, neither side gained an advantage in the verbal sparring.
As He Ximeng brought the ball past half-court, he deliberately showed a few weaknesses, but Tony Delk held back, not making a rash move.
It seems that Kentucky's head coach had likely emphasized this detail…