He Xi Meng, after bringing the ball past half court, still didn't pass to Pierce, but resolutely looked for Yao Ming in the paint. Yao Ming post-uped against Mark Jackson. The Philadelphia 76ers did not double-team. Yao Ming pushed forward two steps and then turned for a short hook shot. The ball went in again!
The Yao Ming of today is not the Yao Ming of three years ago!
Although his weight gain was not significant, through accumulation day after day, month after month, Yao Ming's core strength had greatly improved!
The current Yao Ming possesses height, footwork, agility, and strength, making him another dominant center in the league after O'Neal!
When he was with Duncan, Yao Ming's all-around ability was not as apparent.
This was because Duncan himself was too formidable and too dazzling, overshadowing Yao Ming's light.
But after leaving Duncan, Yao Ming's true dominance began to show!
And this season would be Yao Ming's first season of establishing his fame and dominance!
He Xi Meng had long planned to support Da Yao and build him into the league's number one center!
No one could stop He Xi Meng's plan! Not even Pierce.
On the 76ers' second possession, Iverson used the same tactic, continuing to seek a screen from Iguodala!
But He Xi Meng went over the screen defensively, immediately blocking Iverson's driving lane, forcing Iverson to shoot from three-point range! Iverson's three-point shot was not as stable as his mid-range game, and the ball bounced off the rim.
Yao Ming secured the rebound and turned to pass.
Pierce, while driving, waved his hand at Yao Ming, wanting the ball for a fast break.
Yao Ming hesitated for a moment before obediently handing the ball to He Xi Meng, who was closest!
"In the starting lineup, a 7'5" super center and two old men who are about to retire, and you want to run a fast break? Are you crazy!"
He Xi Meng immediately signaled the team to slow down, play at a deliberate pace, and take it steady!
Pierce ran for nothing on the offensive end. By the time He Xi Meng brought the ball past half court, the 76ers had already all gotten back on defense.
In a half-court set, He Xi Meng still didn't play with Pierce!
On this play, He Xi Meng feigned looking for Yao Ming again, drawing a double-team from the 76ers, and then with a behind-the-back pass, he found Malone at the edge of the paint!
Malone's footwork was quite slow now, but his shooting touch was still there!
Seizing the opportunity created by He Xi Meng, Malone couldn't pass it up. He immediately pulled up for a pull-up jumper and smoothly made the two points!
After three possessions, Pierce hadn't even touched the ball, but the Celtics were leading the 76ers 6-2!
He Xi Meng himself hadn't scored, so Pierce couldn't really blame him for this stretch!
"Passing the ball to the most suitable teammate, is that wrong?"
He Xi Meng was certainly not wrong to do this! At least, Pierce on the court, despite his grimacing face, couldn't fault him.
But Rivers off the court could!
Because He Xi Meng did not follow the coach's tactical instructions!
For an ordinary player, this would be a cardinal sin. The head coach could always use it as an excuse, especially when the game was not going well.
However, for He Xi Meng, how many times in the past few seasons had he deviated from the coaching staff's playbook and directed the game himself on the court?
Compared to the delayed commands from the sidelines, He Xi Meng's adjustments on the court were the most advantageous choices made in response to the changing situation!
Although it couldn't be guaranteed that every adjustment would be 100% effective, at least eight out of ten times, it would lead to an improvement.
If Rivers was waiting for a disadvantageous situation to find fault with He Xi Meng, he was destined to be disappointed!
In the first quarter, He Xi Meng maintained firm control of the ball and, without relying on Pierce's strength, successfully led the 76ers by 7 points!
Yao Ming became the most eye-catching player for the Celtics in the first quarter, scoring 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks!
He Xi Meng scored zero points in the first quarter but dished out 5 assists.
Rivers's face was ashen, but he had no words.
At the end of the first quarter, Rivers substituted He Xi Meng out early but kept Pierce on the court. Pierce finally got his hands on the ball, making two shots for 4 points.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Rivers continued to keep He Xi Meng on the bench and sent Pierce out to go head-to-head with Iverson!
Assisting Pierce was Payton, Tony Allen, Josh Smith, and Perkins.
Another lineup combining veterans and younger players.
If you say it was wrong, it wasn't entirely wrong. Rivers's decision was very conservative.
But if you look at it from the perspective of an entire season, Rivers's choice was too cautious!
With defensive stalwarts like Ariza and scoring specialists like Kevin Martin sitting on the bench, not giving them playing time to gain experience, how would they be utilized in the playoffs?
Of course, He Xi Meng estimated that Rivers's expectation for the team this season might only be to make it to the playoffs!
After all, last season the Celtics were 36-46. If it weren't for the fact that the Eastern Conference teams were all performing poorly, the Celtics' record wouldn't have secured them the 8th seed in the East.
This season, as long as the Celtics' record exceeded 36 wins, Rivers would have considered his mission accomplished and secured his coaching position...
In the original timeline, Rivers did exactly this and indeed remained the Celtics' head coach.
But now, a playoff ticket to the Eastern Conference was far from satisfying the appetite of "Mr. Jordan," nor could it satisfy He Xi Meng's appetite!
Mr. Jordan and He Xi Meng shared the same goal: the championship!
Not a championship spoken of casually, but a genuine belief that the team should and could contend for this season's championship!
With this defense-oriented, older lineup, Pierce couldn't carry the team even if he wanted to! He could only focus all the ball possession on himself.
The Philadelphia 76ers also recognized Pierce's predicament. They focused all their defensive efforts on him, while on offense, Iverson repeatedly attacked Payton!
The current Payton was not the Payton of old. He might still be adequate against a second-tier point guard, but against a top-tier point guard like Iverson, he was bound to struggle.
Therefore, Rivers's intention to have Pierce accumulate stats during his rotation time backfired!
Pierce didn't manage to rack up stats or establish his authority, and the Celtics' first-quarter lead was completely squandered!
Logically, in such a situation, Rivers should have immediately made a decisive move, bringing in the full starting lineup to stop the bleeding and turn the tide.
However, Rivers's action would have made Pierce's previous stint leading the team look very embarrassing.
So, Rivers held back!
Riskinng the team falling further behind, he only made two substitutions!
The first substitution was replacing Payton with He Xi Meng.
The second substitution was replacing Pierce with Ariza.
Rivers wanted He Xi Meng to also experience some embarrassment, thus alleviating Pierce's previous embarrassment...