He Xi Meng's decision to lower his personal usage rate was primarily driven by the need to balance scoring opportunities among the team's primary scorers.
Kobe Bryant needed to be guaranteed around 16 shots per game, right?
Pau Gasol required about 12 shots, didn't he?
For Durant to evolve into the "Durantula," he at least needed 10 shots guaranteed, wouldn't you agree?
Hill had been successfully recruited, so he deserved at least 10 shots, correct?
Marc Gasol, though currently focused on defensive development, still needed around 6 shots, surely?
...
Every position on the team was ravenous, clamoring for shot opportunities. If He Xi Meng didn't yield, did you expect Kobe to?
Regardless, He Xi Meng wasn't the type of player who relied solely on individual scoring to win games.
And if He Xi Meng were to step up and carry the scoring load, it would generally only be when the entire team was performing poorly and pushed to the brink by opponents. Otherwise, He Xi Meng's personal goal was to fluctuate between 18 and 22 points per game, never aiming for more! Winning was the key; why waste energy unnecessarily?
In the first game of the Kobe-led SuperSonics, Kobe's shooting touch wasn't great. He missed 10 of his 18 attempts, making 8 shots, and hit 1 of 4 three-pointers. His total made field goals were the same as He Xi Meng's, who only took 12 shots.
However, with 7 made free throws out of 8 attempts, Kobe still managed to score a team-high 24 points.
By the end of the third quarter, the SuperSonics had a comfortable 15-point lead over the Kings!
He Xi Meng immediately reminded Old Curry to give the younger players more opportunities to gain experience in the fourth quarter and have the veterans rest.
Old Curry was completely obedient to He Xi Meng. Kobe, He Xi Meng, and Pau Gasol all sat on the sidelines to watch the game.
"Damn! How is Kevin so fierce!"
Bored, Kobe couldn't help but complain to He Xi Meng while watching Durant's performance.
This was Durant's rookie debut. He had played somewhat conservatively in the first three quarters, making 4 of 6 shots, including 2 of 3 three-pointers, for a total of 10 points.
After He Xi Meng and Kobe, the two big stars, sat out, Durant, holding the SuperSonics' offensive reins, scored another 10 points in just 3 minutes, making all 4 of his shots, including 2 of 2 three-pointers. This instantly boosted his shooting percentage to 80% (10-of-8) and his three-point accuracy to 80% (4-of-5). His personal stats were 20 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 1 block!
This scoring efficiency directly surpassed Kobe's and was close to He Xi Meng's!
In response to Kobe's exclamation, He Xi Meng chuckled and said, "The Kings' overall defense is weak, and their bench plays without any structure. If you were out there, you could score 10 points in three minutes too!"
"I could, I could! But this is Kevin's first game, after all? Thinking back to my rookie season, my shooting touch certainly wasn't this steady..."
He Xi Meng was well aware of Durant's talent.
Even as a rookie, Durant might not have been particularly outstanding in a starting lineup. But if he were to play against other teams' bench units... wouldn't that be like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, effortlessly devouring them?
After all, a young tiger is still a tiger! Read 138 online.
After the decisive victory over the Kings in their opening game, Old Curry's anxious heart finally found some relief. It seemed being a head coach wasn't that difficult after all...
Kobe was slightly displeased because he hadn't played to his full satisfaction. His 18 shots were gone in the blink of an eye. With the Lakers, he had unlimited shots; a game where he didn't attempt 20 was considered a loss for Kobe...
In the most explosive 2005-2006 season, Kobe averaged 27.2 shots per game! Taking 30 shots in a game was as easy as playing house.
Of course, that was also because the Lakers lacked depth, requiring Kobe to take the shots, as there was no one else more suitable.
But with the current SuperSonics boasting an abundance of talent, Kobe certainly couldn't act that way.
He Xi Meng had repeatedly emphasized this point before teaming up with him, preparing Kobe mentally.
The SuperSonics' second game was against the Miami Heat.
The Heat this season were on the verge of rebuilding.
To say they lacked strength would be inaccurate, as their starting lineup included players like Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal, Jason Williams, Udonis Haslem, and Ricky Davis.
To say they were exceptionally strong would also be an exaggeration, as Wade was injured and not fully recovered, yet Riley dared to start him, having him find his rhythm off the bench first.
O'Neal was also injured and in poor form. In this game, he was effectively neutralized outside the paint by the rookie Marc Gasol.
"Haha, excellent, Marc! Keep holding him there. Don't let Shaq get into the paint; he won't be able to score!"
From the SuperSonics' bench, Dikembe Mutombo's voice was louder than Head Coach Old Curry's.
After Mutombo reported to the SuperSonics that summer, He Xi Meng had asked Old Curry to assign Mutombo as a part-time assistant coach, specifically responsible for teaching Marc Gasol interior defense techniques!
And indeed, Mutombo's professionalism was highly commendable!
Upon receiving his new role, Mutombo accepted without complaint. He spent the entire summer happily accompanying Marc Gasol, truly treating him as a junior to be mentored!
This made Old Curry feel a bit sheepish, thinking Mutombo should receive additional compensation. After all, he had signed for a minimum player salary but was clearly performing assistant coaching duties as well...
Under the combined guidance of Mutombo and his older brother Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol's progress was rapid.
In his second NBA career game, facing the former league's top center, O'Neal, Marc Gasol played remarkably well, defensively shutting down O'Neal and making his game extremely uncomfortable.
With Dwyane Wade having just returned from injury, the Heat had hoped to challenge the SuperSonics with O'Neal's presence. However, O'Neal was being stifled by a rookie this year, and with Pau Gasol's assistance, O'Neal was completely contained by the SuperSonics, much to Riley's disappointment on the sidelines...
As expected, the Heat couldn't even make it to the fourth quarter before the SuperSonics established a substantial lead, rendering the outcome of the game a foregone conclusion.
The primary contributors to the SuperSonics' victory today were the Gasol brothers in the frontcourt!
They stifled O'Neal on defense, and on offense, Pau Gasol used his footwork and jump shots to help the SuperSonics score.
He Xi Meng continued his low-usage strategy, finishing with 18 points and 15 assists today.
Kobe was still unaccustomed to playing with He Xi Meng's "slacking" style and chose to go head-to-head with the Heat alongside the Gasol brothers, allowing the SuperSonics to quickly establish a lead.
The SuperSonics' bench unit did not gain a significant advantage today because Riley, in an effort to help Wade regain his rhythm, deliberately avoided the SuperSonics' starting lineup and opted for staggered rotations.
Before the game, Riley had repeatedly cautioned Wade not to exert himself, yet Wade, facing Durant, almost lost control of his intensity.