"No, no, no!" O'Neal shook his big head like a rattle, "I definitely know how good you are, very, very good! I just don't quite understand, why don't you unleash your full potential during the regular season when the defense is weaker and it's suitable for an explosion, but instead choose the playoff stage? You know, once the playoffs begin, every team will give 100% effort on defense..."
"For what else? Of course, to relieve the pressure on you in the paint!" He Xi Meng replied to O'Neal very seriously.
But O'Neal clearly remained skeptical.
The first reason He Xi Meng chose to explode in the playoffs was that the condensed schedule and injury-prone shortened season was finally over!
He Xi Meng no longer needed to play it safe. After playing it safe for a whole season, his fame had been declining, and even the shoe sales for the Simon Dynasty had not been as good as before. Although He Xi Meng didn't rely on shoe sales to make a living, shoe sales were an indicator, the most direct indicator of He Xi Meng's popularity fluctuations. The NBA league was a very realistic and cruel place; you could play it safe to a certain extent, but not too much. Once you played it too safe, you might mistakenly be seen as lacking in skill.
During the regular season, it was mainly about performance. As long as the team could qualify for the playoffs and secure some home-court advantage, playing it safe was harmless.
But the playoffs were different! The playoffs were truly a stage for a clash of titans.
Some individuals who appeared formidable in the regular season would reveal their true colors in the playoffs, suffering devastating defeats.
And some genuinely powerful individuals, no matter how mediocre their regular season performance, would become unstoppable once the playoffs began... He Xi Meng was merely imitating someone's rhythm...
The second reason was that the Lakers this season had been very turbulent, not suitable for excessive displays of skill.
This season, the Lakers had experienced the rivalry between Eddie Jones and Kobe, Rodman's disruptive antics, Eddie Jones' departure, the arrival of Glenn Rice, and many other changes... He Xi Meng, to distance himself from this turmoil and protect himself, had acted low-key, which was a method of last resort.
By the time the playoffs arrived, the earlier turmoil had subsided, and the Lakers had generally stabilized. He Xi Meng no longer had a reason to continue playing it safe.
O'Neal's position as the undisputed leader remained unshaken, and Kobe's position as the second in command was cemented. He Xi Meng had no official title, but most Lakers fans and media believed He Xi Meng's status was on par with Kobe's. It was just that Kobe was in the spotlight, while He Xi Meng operated in the shadows. Or, it was like the Left and Right Protectors. If Kobe was the Yang Left Emissary, who was out in the open, then He Xi Meng was the Fan Right Emissary, who appeared and disappeared like a ghost. He Xi Meng's figure couldn't be seen during frontal assaults, but when the Lakers needed a decisive blow, He Xi Meng always appeared at the critical moment, delivering crucial assists.
As for the newcomer Glenn Rice this season, he was nominally the third in command, but his actual team status was certainly not as high as He Xi Meng's, roughly ranking fourth.
With the team stabilized, He Xi Meng no longer needed to hide his skills; it was time to make his move.
The third reason, and the most important one, was that He Xi Meng's explosive performance was truly for O'Neal's own good!
What He Xi Meng said about helping O'Neal alleviate the pressure in the paint was true, not just to amuse the team's big brother.
The Lakers this season originally possessed a very solid interior presence. But after some operations by the logo man, they had successively traded away Elden Campbell and John Salley, leaving the bench quite hollow.
During the playoffs, most teams would increase their defensive pressure, especially in the paint. Consequently, O'Neal's space to operate in the paint would inevitably be less spacious than in the regular season. Both offensive and defensive pressure would significantly increase.
The reason the Timberwolves dared to field a lighter lineup with Garnett at center was to utilize the agility of Garnett and Joe Smith to continuously double-team O'Neal. This was the so-called "Wolf Pack tactic"! To allow the behemoth O'Neal to be surrounded by a pack of wolves.
And the Lakers' bench lacked a strong interior player who could substitute for O'Neal. Nate was limited in skill; he could play in the regular season, but he was somewhat insufficient for the playoffs.
If Nate couldn't hold his own, and J.R. Reed and Luke Walton were used as centers, it would also be unsatisfactory. He Xi Meng didn't need to think; Head Coach Harris would undoubtedly extend O'Neal's playing time indefinitely. In the best-case scenario, O'Neal's stamina would be severely depleted, and as the playoffs progressed, O'Neal's powerful interior offense would be greatly diminished. In the worst-case scenario, the risk of injury would significantly increase!
To avoid the worst-case scenario, He Xi Meng had to step up and help O'Neal share the pressure!
In other words, to clean up the logo man's mess, He Xi Meng had to "feed himself to the tiger," stepping forward to help O'Neal bear the defensive pressure. The greater the threat He Xi Meng displayed on the perimeter, the less pressure O'Neal would face in the paint.
This was He Xi Meng's decision!
With He Xi Meng, an infinitely attacking perimeter cannon, providing support, if the Timberwolves dared to shrink their defense and the wolves began to tear at O'Neal, He Xi Meng would dare to shoot from the perimeter, forcing it against Brand's defense!
In this game, the Lakers relied on this simple tactic, centered around O'Neal and He Xi Meng, to play the Timberwolves to a point where they were overwhelmed both inside and out, ultimately collapsing completely.
And as He Xi Meng exploded, Kobe and Glenn Rice simultaneously became spot-up shooters and elite perimeter defenders, unable to intervene.
This game also caused the Los Angeles media to exclaim in unison: "The merciful Simon has departed with the regular season, and the brutal Simon has returned with the arrival of the playoffs..."
The media was right; the brutal Simon had indeed returned!
In the second game of the first round, the Timberwolves attempted to change their defensive strategy. Brandon Brand aggressively guarded He Xi Meng, prioritizing preventing drives and allowing jump shots, intentionally letting He Xi Meng penetrate to the paint, and then having Garnett and Joe Smith provide help defense!
He Xi Meng hadn't used drives to score for a long time, so much so that Timberwolves Head Coach Flip Saunders had forgotten that He Xi Meng possessed this skill!
Therefore, in this game, He Xi Meng capitalized on the Timberwolves' defensive weakness, abandoning the unstoppable three-pointers from the previous game and charging towards the basket with all his might! Then, he drove and passed!
In this game, He Xi Meng played more aggressively with drives than in any game this season!
As a result, He Xi Meng's scoring dropped to 21 points, but his assists reached a terrifying 20!
Because after He Xi Meng drove, whether he drew help defense from Garnett or Joe Smith, he could easily find open teammates for shots.
As for O'Neal in the paint, it went without saying that he basically dunked whenever he had an opportunity. Kobe and Glenn Rice on the perimeter also lived up to He Xi Meng's passes today, their shooting touch being exceptionally stable; as long as He Xi Meng passed them an open look, they would sink the ball into the basket!
Thus, He Xi Meng achieved a terrifying double-double of 21 points and 20 assists in this game!
Invincible from three-point range, and also invincible with drives and assists! With this performance, He Xi Meng truly threw the Timberwolves into disarray...