What is the most feared thing between people?
It's not the absolute gap in strength, but the relative gap in strength.
It's embarrassing for one person to be disgraced, but if two people are disgraced together, then the act of being disgraced will seem like nothing.
In the East, comparing misery is common.
There are no most disgraced teams, only more disgraced teams.
Rivers spent five seasons with the Magic, and he was quite experienced in the art of being bad.
But what caught Rivers off guard was that He Xi Meng wasn't just a point guard!
Facing the small challenge Rivers presented, He Xi Meng didn't take it seriously at all!
"Ariza, Tony Allen, Josh Smith, Perkins... a solid defensive lineup! This is a great opportunity for a fast break!"
The 76ers, seeing He Xi Meng on the court, thought he would attack like Pierce and were prepared to double-team him.
To their surprise, He Xi Meng wasn't in a hurry to score himself. Although he hadn't scored a single point yet.
In the few seconds he had been on the court with four young players, He Xi Meng quickly assigned tasks to his teammates.
"Trevor, you'll come up and set a screen for me! After screening for Iverson, retreat to this spot and lie in wait!"
"Josh, move to this position and set a secondary screen for me! I'll change direction and go this way, creating enough space for you! After the pick-and-roll with me, don't hesitate, turn and drive to the basket!"
"Tony, you'll wait at the top of the arc! If our offense fails and Iverson brings the ball up for a fast break, you need to stop him at this spot immediately to buy us time to get back on defense!"
"Kendrick, just stay in the paint and secure the rebounds!"
"Does anyone have any questions?"
"No!"
"Alright! Each man to his post, and listen to my commands!"
In just a few sentences, He Xi Meng clearly laid out the tactics, letting everyone understand their role and what they needed to do with this lineup.
Tony Allen inbounded the ball from the sideline, He Xi Meng controlled it at the top of the arc, Ariza set a high pick, and He Xi Meng drove in!
The 76ers thought He Xi Meng would go straight for the basket and rushed to double-team him!
Unexpectedly, He Xi Meng changed direction and called for another screen from Josh Smith!
The 76ers players, worried about He Xi Meng pulling up for a jumper, desperately tugged and pulled, trying to get around Josh Smith...
He Xi Meng threw up an off-balance, no-look floater, while Josh Smith, completely unguarded, drove to the right side of the basket, leaped high, caught the ball with both hands, and slammed it down to shatter the rim!
The home crowd of Celtics fans, who had been silenced and disheartened by the 76ers' play, erupted in cheers.
He Xi Meng and Josh Smith's alley-oop connection immediately drew thunderous applause!
"I told you, scoring isn't that difficult."
"You're f***ing-"
Ariza was in an excellent position, almost completely open.
But before actually receiving the pass from He Xi Meng, Ariza, like the 76ers players, believed He Xi Meng wouldn't pass the ball.
To everyone's surprise, He Xi Meng passed the ball to Ariza!
Although Ariza was surprised, he quickly regained his composure, adjusted, and calmly took the shot, hitting the three-pointer!
He Xi Meng naturally wouldn't waste Ariza's talent, who would become a top 3-and-D player on the wing in the future, and let him experience his own strength early...