But the current Shawn Kemp is no longer the "Reign Man" of the past.
The current Kemp has seen his weight skyrocket due to alcohol, drugs, and indulgence. He is no longer the transcendent force who treated dunks as layups. Kemp is now so fat that he can barely touch the rim! It's not a transition from aerial play to ground play, but a fall from the sky to the ground, barely able to jump.
The current Kemp's biggest role on the court is to act as an inside meat shield, preventing opposing big men from entering the paint.
If it were an ordinary big man who couldn't shoot without being close to the basket, Kemp's layers of fat might have had some deterrent effect. But to face Yao Ming, Kemp is truly out of luck!
Because Yao Ming's core strength is not yet strong, He Xi Meng does not recommend him to gain weight. Instead, he advises him to use his height, footwork, and touch to play as a shooting center! Once his core strength gradually improves, then he can consider increasing his dominance in the paint.
In other words, the current Yao Ming completely counters the current Kemp!
Kemp has a body of a shield with nowhere to use it. Yao Ming does not engage him in the paint. Instead, he receives the ball directly at the edge of the paint. If Kemp doesn't come out, Yao Ming shoots directly. If Kemp comes out, Yao Ming uses his footwork to get past Kemp. It's a no-win situation for Kemp!
He Xi Meng will naturally not miss this opportunity and concentrates the ball, feeding Yao Ming!
Duncan had just finished a battle with Rasheed Wallace and needed a break.
Ginobili was being heavily guarded by Bonzi Wells, facing immense pressure on the defensive end!
The two strongest offensive threats for the Trail Blazers were Rasheed Wallace and Bonzi Wells.
Now, Rasheed Wallace has been substituted out by the coach to cool down due to emotional issues. The primary offensive focus on the court naturally falls to Bonzi Wells.
Bonzi Wells, having just become the team's core scorer, is full of spirit and morale. Rasheed Wallace's exit is, for him, an opportunity to legitimately monopolize the ball and shoot infinitely.
Thus, Bonzi Wells used his weight advantage to repeatedly drive against Ginobili, forcing the "Demon Blade" to stagger before turning and shooting!
This move, while lacking much technical finesse, was very effective at overpowering Ginobili, making the "Demon Blade" quite angry!
Fortunately, on the Spurs' offensive end, He Xi Meng was controlling the ball and continuously assisting Yao Ming in scoring from the edge of the paint. Otherwise, Ginobili would have inevitably engaged in a back-and-forth duel with Bonzi Wells...
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 25-24, with the Spurs leading the Trail Blazers by 1 point.
The best performing players in the first quarter were Duncan and Yao Ming for the Spurs! Duncan had 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block. Yao Ming had 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks!
The best performing players for the Trail Blazers were Bonzi Wells and Rasheed Wallace! Bonzi Wells had 11 points and 1 assist, while Rasheed Wallace had 10 points and 2 rebounds!
In the second quarter, the Spurs switched to their rotation lineup.
Yao Ming continued to play, assisting Malik Rose, Danny Ferry, Stephen Jackson, and Parker!
On the Trail Blazers' side, Rasheed Wallace, having cooled down, returned to the court, assisting Randolph, Erick Barkley, Bonte Jack, and Amar'e Stoudemire.
This Barkley is not that Barkley. This Barkley is just a small guard who has played two seasons.
But this Randolph is that Randolph!
He is Zach Randolph, who will later be known as "Black Bear." However, this season is Randolph's first in the league. With a crowded frontcourt in Portland, Randolph doesn't have much space to play or many possessions. Most of the time, he's just a helper to Rasheed Wallace, Dale Davis, and Kemp.
The offensive and defensive cores during the rotation period are Yao Ming and Parker for the Spurs, and Rasheed Wallace and Amar'e Stoudemire for the Trail Blazers.
Amar'e Stoudemire, who didn't play much in the first quarter, was very active during the rotation period, pounding on rookie Parker!
Parker, who was not a strong defender to begin with, was overwhelmed by the aggressive Stoudemire and became flustered.
Popovich was very unhappy with Parker's defensive performance, and thus, Arenas got his chance!
After coming onto the court, Arenas used his strong physique to repeatedly collide with Stoudemire, greatly infuriating him. Stoudemire endured his trash talk!
Unexpectedly, Arenas was not only big-hearted but also a master of trash talk!
Facing Stoudemire's taunts, he showed no respect for his elders and charged forward, spitting as he did so!
They were entangled on the court, exchanging trash talk, making the game very heated.
The coaches of both teams worried that this could spiral out of control.
However, Popovich was not overly concerned because Arenas was originally only the team's third point guard. Even if he were ejected due to the conflict, there were still the first point guard He Xi Meng and the second point guard Parker to fill in, so the lineup would essentially be unaffected.
But this was not the case for the Trail Blazers! Amar'e Stoudemire was their primary point guard. If he were ejected, the Trail Blazers' lineup would be significantly weakened...
Finally, the Trail Blazers' head coach Cheeks, unable to withstand the pressure, proactively pulled Stoudemire out and replaced him with backup point guard Rick Brunson.
Following this, Popovich also substituted out Arenas.
Arenas returned to the bench with his chest puffed out, like a victorious "Great General"...
To be fair, Arenas performed well in this exchange. At the very least, he thoroughly annoyed Stoudemire.
He Xi Meng re-entered the game. Facing the unknown guard Rick Brunson, he immediately hit two pull-up three-pointers, widening the Spurs' lead and forcing the Trail Blazers to call a timeout.
After the timeout, Coach Cheeks sent Bonzi Wells back to guard He Xi Meng.
He Xi Meng knew Bonzi Wells was physically explosive and avoided direct confrontation. Instead, he called Yao Ming to the high post for a pick-and-roll, and then used his teammates' off-ball screens to run around the paint before returning to the three-point line for a catch-and-shoot three-pointer!
This strategy perfectly avoided physical contact with Bonzi Wells, while indirectly developing Yao Ming's playmaking ability!
Yao Ming's passing ability had not yet been a focus of Popovich's development. However, passing ability is primarily related to basketball IQ. Those with high IQ will not have poor passing skills, even without deliberate training...