The logo man, a player of a wild style like Van Exel, traded him for Tyronn Lue, a player with a more steady game. This was naturally a consideration for the Lakers' offensive firepower to reach a higher level in the new season. In the new season, the Lakers no longer really need scoring threats like Van Exel, who could be a hot-and-cold player, but rather steady role players, puzzle pieces, to fill the positions outside of the core players.
This is because with Kobe and He Xi Meng having grown, the Lakers already possessed four core players: O'Neal, Kobe, Eddie Jones, and He Xi Meng! They were certainly not lacking in firepower.
However, Tyronn Lue was still young and it was unknown if he would be effective. So, the logo man also brought in Fisher from the Magic, who wasn't getting much playing time… Fisher, after a roundabout journey, had come to Los Angeles again.
Fisher, upon his arrival, had an innocent look on his face. He patted his chest and showed his goodwill to He Xi Meng, promising that he would play well as a backup point guard and would absolutely not "covet" He Xi Meng's starting position…
He Xi Meng never considered the flamboyant Van Exel a threat, but this seemingly honest young man, Fisher, had to be guarded against.
Besides Fisher, another new addition to the Lakers was an old acquaintance of He Xi Meng and Kobe: Tyrese Knight!
Back then, Tyrese Knight, along with He Xi Meng and Kobe, were the rookie newcomers who outsmarted the veteran Lakers led by Scott…
But last season, Tyrese Knight was traded to Boston by the Lakers as a key piece in the Fox deal.
Unexpectedly, after just one season, Tyrese Knight had returned to the Lakers. The Celtics felt Knight had no development potential, but the Lakers disagreed.
During the pre-game entrance ceremony, the Rockets' final player to enter was the veteran Hakeem Olajuwon. The newly signed big boss, Pippen, was arranged to be the first to enter and receive the fans' cheers.
For the Lakers, the final player to enter was the Big Shark O'Neal! O'Neal's dominant status was unshakable. Eddie Jones could still enter second to last, but honestly, his position was no longer stable.
He Xi Meng and Kobe's entrance order had also changed slightly. He Xi Meng was still the first to enter, but Kobe was placed third to last.
This small change immediately caught the attention of sensitive sports reporters.
"Who is the third-in-command on the Lakers?"
"In the pecking order of the Lakers' twin stars, who is higher?"
"Is it He Xi Meng or Kobe?"
…
In comparison, within the Lakers, no one cared about who the third-in-command was. Everyone was more concerned about who the future second-in-command would be…
After the introductions, the game was about to begin.
O'Neal stepped onto the center circle, beat Olajuwon, and won the tip-off. He Xi Meng took the ball and advanced it past half-court, initially intending to pass directly to O'Neal inside. However, Olajuwon was aggressively battling for position in the paint, and O'Neal couldn't establish his position immediately. He Xi Meng then called for a high pick-and-roll from Bryant, creating a mismatch to drive against Barkley…
Eddie Jones, using a screen from Kobe, shook off Pippen and found an open look on the wing. While driving, He Xi Meng saw Eddie Jones's opportunity and didn't hesitate to pass him the ball. Eddie Jones caught it and shot, but unfortunately, the ball bounced off the rim.
Kobe was very active, grabbing the offensive rebound immediately and driving into the paint. But Barkley was like a wall, firmly blocking Kobe's path. Kobe couldn't break through. He originally wanted to attempt a fadeaway jumper, but seeing an opportunity with O'Neal near the basket, he changed his shot into a pass…
O'Neal caught the ball, turned, and scored with a little floater!
The Lakers' first point of the new season came from a connection between Kobe and O'Neal.
Kobe's playmaking ability was actually not bad. Among shooting guards, Kobe's idol has always been Michael Jordan, and Jordan's passing and ball-handling skills were always top-notch. Therefore, Kobe also developed excellent passing and ball-handling awareness. So, in the early stages of the OK combination, it wasn't uncommon for Kobe to deliver beautiful assists to O'Neal.
It was the Rockets' turn to attack. After Malone pushed the ball past half-court, he passed it to Pippen. After Pippen's arrival in Houston, Malone's status became very awkward. For well-known reasons, Pippen played the role of a point forward in the former Bulls dynasty. Pippen's fame was too great, and Malone was powerless to resist, so he could only become a ball-handling tool.
Pippen held the ball on the perimeter, directing the new teammates' movements. Olajuwon got an opportunity to receive the ball at the edge of the paint, and Pippen passed it to him. Compared to last season, Olajuwon was a year older this season, and his footwork was even slower. Facing the hard defense of a larger O'Neal, Olajuwon wisely chose to give up on physical confrontation and instead used his agile footwork to try and get past O'Neal.
However, O'Neal, despite his added weight, wasn't slow in his footwork. He wasn't completely beaten by Olajuwon and almost blocked Olajuwon's layup. Fortunately, at the last moment, Olajuwon used his extensive experience to change the angle, avoided O'Neal's block, and successfully drew an offensive foul on O'Neal.
Amidst the roar of the Lakers fans, Olajuwon made one of two free throws, giving the Rockets their first point.
On the Lakers' second possession, they again looked for O'Neal. This time, He Xi Meng used a teammate's screen to successfully drive into the paint. Olajuwon was forced to choose between defending He Xi Meng and O'Neal. Since the ball was in He Xi Meng's hands, Olajuwon chose to pressure He Xi Meng. As a result, He Xi Meng faked a pull-up and then, with a layup motion, passed the ball underhanded to O'Neal behind Olajuwon. O'Neal easily rose up and dunked the ball with both hands!
This could be considered the Lakers' most common scoring tactic right now!
He Xi Meng uses screens as the starting point, with three subsequent options. The first option is naturally to drive all the way and score with a layup. The second option is to pass to O'Neal in the paint after driving in. The third option is to find an open teammate on the perimeter during the drive and pass for a three-pointer or a shot from near the three-point line.
On the Lakers' first possession of the game, He Xi Meng chose option three.
On the Lakers' second possession of the game, He Xi Meng chose option two.
In short, whenever his teammates had an opportunity, He Xi Meng always prioritized passing. This was also a major reason why He Xi Meng was well-liked on the Lakers.
O'Neal's two consecutive baskets at the start seemed to have also stimulated Olajuwon's scoring desire.
Turning around, Olajuwon moved to the high post, signaled for the ball, and faced up against O'Neal for a mid-range pull-up jumper.
It must be said, the current Olajuwon seemed to still possess his old prowess. While his turnaround layup near the basket missed, this mid-range jumper was steadily made.