Zhang Yide looked astonished, "When did Simon's basketball skills improve to this extent?"
Cui Tianci replied to Grandpa San with a look of "disdain," "Simon reached this level at least a month ago... it's just that you never noticed..."
Zhang Yide felt embarrassed. If He Ximeng's true skill could be maintained at the level of that last shot, then Zhang Yide would really start to reflect on whether he had underestimated He Ximeng's potential and talent in the past.
"Captain, keep it up, you're the strongest!"
In contrast, on the Zhejiang Zhuji Middle School's bench, although everyone gasped along with the audience, their expressions were of joy, not surprise. This was because they had witnessed many miracles over the past month. They knew that He Ximeng's basketball level had soared, and that He Ximeng's "coaching" skills were on par with Head Coach Zhang Yide, perhaps even slightly better. They even realized that He Ximeng seemed to be more professional than TV commentators in terms of tactical analysis and explanation.
In short, in just one month, He Ximeng had completely conquered his teammates. Of course, Zhang Zhenpeng was an exception. His mind was always occupied with how to defeat He Ximeng.
The moment He Ximeng scored, Sun Anhui, as an opponent, was also greatly surprised!
Because no one at Hui Pu Middle School could perform that move He Ximeng just made. Even the strongest Zheng Wu couldn't execute such a graceful move while airborne.
However, Zhejiang's strongest is Zhejiang's strongest. After a brief moment of shock, Zheng Wu was the first to react, calling for everyone to focus and play as they normally would.
"It's just one basket, it doesn't affect the overall situation!"
With that, Zheng Wu personally ran to the baseline to inbound the ball to Sun Anhui.
"Fast break!"
Sun Anhui reacted, employing Hui Pu Middle School's signature move: chasing the opponent's back and executing a fast break!
This move was a tactic the old coach had developed in the national team to deal with strong foreign teams. When lacking in height and strength, this sharp fast break allowed the then "Dragon Head" old coach to lead the young Chinese men's basketball team to defeat the powerful Soviet Union team.
Yes, the era when the old coach rose to fame was when the Soviet Union still existed, and Chairman Mao was still alive.
This tactic might be a bit dated, but it was still very effective.
When He Ximeng first saw Hui Pu Middle School's style of play, he had a fleeting impression of the "run and gun" tactics of the peak Phoenix Suns.
There wasn't a perfect solution to counter this offensive tactic; it required quick defensive transitions and the ability to contain Hui Pu Middle School's ball handlers.
After nearly a month of He Ximeng's training, Zhuji Middle School's defensive transition speed had improved significantly compared to before. However, against Hui Pu Middle School, they still appeared somewhat rushed. Sun Anhui pushed the ball very fast, and He Ximeng had to step up to slow him down.
Sun Anhui didn't underestimate the situation this time, passing to Zheng Wu, who was open on the wing. Zheng Wu's ball-handling skills were no weaker than Sun Anhui's. He continued to drive without slowing down, seemingly aiming to penetrate all the way to Zhuji Middle School's basket. On Zhuji's side, Yan Hui, Feng Chen, and Wang Xian all collapsed inward, attempting to double-team Zheng Wu together.
This defensive strategy was Hui Pu Middle School's plan to deal with He Ximeng! On Zhuji Middle School's side, He Ximeng was essentially using their own tactic against them, turning their strategy on its head.
Zheng Wu showed no fear, driving into the three-man trap with the ball. Just as everyone expected him to end the offense with a difficult shot like He Ximeng, Zheng Wu chose to pass!
Yes, at the last moment, Zheng Wu did not choose to shoot himself but passed to Wu Hou in the right corner.
This was the difference between Zheng Wu and Liu Yudong!
Liu Yudong would have unhesitatingly shot the ball himself in this situation. But Zheng Wu, if his teammate had a better opportunity, especially a good one, would prioritize passing.
It wasn't that Zheng Wu played softly; rather, the basketball philosophy emphasized by Hui Pu Middle School was precisely this: efficiency! It must be efficient!
More importantly, his teammates could live up to Zheng Wu's trust!
Wu Hou received the pass and smoothly sank a corner three-pointer, giving Hui Pu Middle School a 3-2 lead.
Zhuji Middle School's second offensive possession did not involve a fast break like Hui Pu Middle School's.
Zhuji's fast breaks mainly came from defensive rebounds leading to fast counter-attacks. For a simple inbound from the baseline, He Ximeng did not demand his teammates to push the fast break. Firstly, the success rate was lower, and secondly, it consumed more energy, making it harder to sustain.
Hui Pu Middle School could play so fluidly because they had always played this way. Rookie players, since their first year of high school, had been running fast breaks with their upperclassmen, accumulating a far greater physical reserve than their peers on other teams.
Although Zhuji Middle School had conducted intensive training organized by He Ximeng and their stamina had improved, facing Hui Pu Middle School, He Ximeng, to avoid shooting himself in the foot, opted for a steady advance and a half-court offense when there was no counter-attack opportunity.
However, in reality, playing a half-court offense against Hui Pu Middle School was not easy.
Because of their strong physical reserves, their defense, as He Ximeng hoped Zhuji Middle School could achieve, was very tenacious! They could contract and expand freely, rotate and cover, and shift to defend, all at a level considered first-class in China's high school league!
Tenacious defense + sharp fast breaks!
These were the two cornerstones that allowed Hui Pu Middle School to consistently achieve good results on the national championship stage!
He Ximeng did not even attempt to pass the ball on the perimeter, instead calling for Yan Hui's high pick-and-roll. This was He Ximeng's favorite tactic and the one with the highest offensive success rate.
Yan Hui screened Sun Anhui's pursuit, and Yu Leping switched to defend He Ximeng. He Ximeng drove right, faked Yu Leping off balance, and then executed a sharp stop and turn, driving to the middle.
Yu Leping reacted quickly, retreating and turning, preparing to block He Ximeng at the basket.
However, He Ximeng had no intention of attacking the basket this time. After Yu Leping backed off, he immediately pulled up for a jump shot.
A step inside the free-throw line, He Ximeng was in a no-man's-land!
Yu Leping in front couldn't block him, Sun Anhui behind couldn't reach him, and Hu Yinqiu, shifting from the left, couldn't get there in time.
With a seemingly effortless move, He Ximeng lightly sank a short-range pull-up jumper!