The boss, having been out of the game for a few years, was showing a growing tendency to become a chatterbox. He felt an urge to offer pointers to every young player he saw... This wasn't good...
He Xi Meng, watching from the sidelines, saw it but didn't know how to remind or dissuade the boss.
"Play your game properly and don't talk too much. Or, be a proper owner and yell at whomever you please. Trying to be both a player and an owner will easily lead to trouble..."
The boss, unaware of his own inappropriateness, happily dribbled the ball up court. To demonstrate his intention to transition from a pure scorer to an all-around guard, the boss had Payton spread to the corner and called for a screen from his old partner, Pippen. Then, using changes in rhythm, he tore apart He Xi Meng's team's defensive formations.
One had to admit, the boss's game-reading ability remained top-tier. While controlling the ball and directing teammates' movements, Ewing found an opening in the paint. The boss immediately made a no-look pass, delivering the ball precisely. Ewing caught it and made a reverse layup, easily scoring two points.
"Beautiful!" James Worthy exclaimed from the sidelines, clapping loudly and praising the boss.
The boss knew, of course, that coming back at the age of 38, his peak-era playstyle wouldn't cut it. So, he had to become all-around! Not only did he need to maintain offensive threat, but he also planned to maximize his potential in playmaking to make it easier to lead the team to victory...
This was precisely the biggest reason the boss invited He Xi Meng!
Kidd's playmaking was strong, but his offense was a bit lackluster, lacking scoring explosiveness.
He Xi Meng was originally similar to Kidd, but this season's playoffs had shown the entire league a different, top-tier point guard. The boss naturally noticed!
Since He Xi Meng could balance playmaking with the performance of a super scorer, why couldn't the boss achieve the status of a super playmaker while maintaining his super scorer capabilities?
Old but not timid! The boss believed that if this junior, He Xi Meng, could do it, he, the league's greatest player, surely could!
If one didn't consider age, the boss's idea had no flaws. In terms of talent and mentality, the boss was the ceiling of the basketball world.
But once age was factored in, even the ceiling of the basketball world couldn't withstand the erosion of time! The boss's transformation was destined to fall short of his desired outcome...
It was He Xi Meng's team's turn to offense. From the sidelines, He Xi Meng loudly instructed his players: "First, draw Ewing out, then drive!"
Uh, this was essentially revealing their tactics!
It all depended on whether Ewing followed.
Ewing chose not to follow but called for a switch with Payton. Payton, being smaller, intended to steal the ball when Brad Miller started his move. However, Brad Miller had trained with the Spurs for two seasons, and He Xi Meng had used this tactic against him numerous times in practice! Brad Miller was now accustomed to point guards using this move against him. So, he calmly used two pump fakes to make Payton hesitate before making his move, then leisurely started his shot...
However, while Payton didn't get a steal, he achieved his goal of disruption. Brad Miller's second three-point attempt missed.
At this moment, Ewing stood at the edge of the paint looking at Carter. The basket was guarded only by Rasheed Wallace and Oakley.
Oakley tried to box out Rasheed Wallace, creating an opportunity for the collapsing Pippen to grab the rebound. However, against this young man with the bushy hair, he proved to be more troublesome than Oakley imagined.
Rasheed Wallace forcefully drove to the basket. Amidst the dual contest between Oakley and Pippen, he powerfully grabbed the ball, took a second jump, and dunked it with both hands right over Oakley's head!
After the forceful dunk, Rasheed Wallace suppressed his excitement, not roaring, but thumping his chest to show his exhilaration.
"Are all these young guys this fierce now?" Oakley asked Pippen, turning his head.
Pippen and Rasheed Wallace were currently playing for the Trail Blazers, teammates.
Pippen rubbed his nose: "This isn't even the most troublesome thing about Rasheed!"
"What, he can be even more fierce?"
"It's not exactly about being fierce... you'll see for yourself later..." Pippen didn't reveal all of Rasheed Wallace's characteristics.
Then, when Worthy's team scored again with a mid-range jumper from Pippen after some coordinated plays, He Xi Meng's team retaliated with a three-pointer from the top of the arc by Rasheed Wallace!
"Damn it! Another big man who can shoot threes?" Oakley's eyeballs bulged instantly. "What's happening to the world, is everyone practicing three-pointers?"
In the traditional basketball world, burly players like Rasheed Wallace and Brad Miller would never attempt shots from beyond the three-point line. Their territory was as close to the basket as possible. But the world changes, and basketball changes with it. After seeing big men like Brad Miller and Lewis increase their three-point shooting percentage, Rasheed Wallace also began to adapt!
During the five seasons from 1995 to 2000, Rasheed Wallace averaged less than 0.5 three-point attempts per game!
But starting from the just-concluded 2000-2001 season, Rasheed Wallace's average three-point attempts per game dramatically increased to 2! This was a signal. It indicated that Rasheed Wallace was gradually increasing the proportion of three-point shots in his offense. As Rasheed Wallace's teammate, Pippen knew best. In the past season, Rasheed Wallace had been continuously training his three-point shot, attempting to become a new era, all-around big man who could dominate inside and out!
After scoring three times each, Worthy's team had three two-point field goals for 6 points; He Xi Meng's team had two three-pointers and one two-pointer for 8 points!
Times had changed, and scoring efficiency began to shift.
Worthy's team realized that He Xi Meng's team was trying to focus their offense on the perimeter and beat them with shooting. They decisively changed their strategy, expanding their defense to disrupt shots.
He Xi Meng immediately signaled to Carter and Stackhouse that they could increase their drives to the basket for scores. As for Artest, He Xi Meng still instructed him to focus on defense, leaving the offense to others.
"Specialization is key! Ron, you are a talented defender, the best puzzle piece for a championship team... Don't envy the scorers and abandon your greatest strength... Anyone can score! But defense, especially top-tier defense, requires unparalleled talent, superhuman physical conditioning, and an iron will chosen from a million."