Champion, please stay!

Chapter 221, Section 219: Taking the Initiative!

After the opening ceremony, Yi Shui, along with his talented or honorable teammates such as Curry, David Lee, and Ben Wallace, went to greet the opposing team's prodigies.

When Yi Shui was a fan in his "past life," he didn't really like Durant's "if you can't beat him, join him" mentality. But as a player, after getting to know Durant, things were completely different.

He discovered that Durant was much simpler than other players; he just wanted to play well, win games, get honors, make a lot of money, and sleep with beautiful women—he was a normal person.

Looking back, Durant joined a team he couldn't beat, admitting that he felt he wouldn't be a match for the Warriors even if he joined another team, and that he wanted to take a shortcut.

He even said things like, "I know I'll never have a statue in my life" and "I'll never be put in the discussion of the greatest of all time like Kobe or LeBron."

It's fair to say that the 'most difficult road' was indeed a complex one. If the Tsunami duo hadn't won the championship in their first year together, it would have been even more ridiculous than the 04F4 and 13F4.

After saying hello and returning, the task has arrived!
"Kevin Durant has made rapid progress and truly joined the ranks of scoring champion candidates, and is often compared to you... Mission: Mirror Enemy triggered."

Objective 1: In the regular season, you must score higher than Durant in both of your matchups against him.

Objective 2: After Durant's isolation play, you need to respond, and your success rate in scoring and assisting in that response must be higher than the opponent's.

Bonus: A quick guide to Durant-style crossover dribble.

The mission objective is quite conventional: to see who is better than Durant.

But this reward... Durant himself isn't exactly good at crossover dribbling right now, is he?

He can control the ball with both hands, but he can't control it well with either hand. His error rate is extremely high, and he makes more mistakes than he makes attempts.

Generally, it involves taking a step to the side, utilizing a lateral movement range of more than 1.5 meters to create space for a breakthrough.

Learn Durant's breakthrough techniques first and become a Durant template? That's a possibility!

Yi Shui shut down the system and looked at the large screen.

The data posted is the score leaderboard.

He scored 45 points against the Heat the day before yesterday, bringing his average points per game back to 34.5, barely making him the leader by a wide margin, 2.4 points higher than Wade, who averages 32.1 points per game in second place.

In the four games before the Heat, he scored over 30 points in three of them, but his average score still dropped from 35 to 34.18. It's too difficult to maintain this average score!

Third place: Carmelo Anthony, averaging 30.7 points per game.

With third-year player Conley taking charge of the offense this season, Wade's scoring has become more consistent than last season. In nearly a third of the season, he has only scored 40+ points once and had only scored less than 25 points twice, which is incredibly consistent.

Anthony also had Billups to assist him, but his scoring still slipped from an average of 32+ points per game at the start of the season.

Yi Shui was also puzzled when he saw that Anthony's average points per game had been surpassed by Wade.

He watched the fourth quarter of three Nuggets games this season – against the Cavaliers, Hornets, and Lakers – and scored 35+ points in each. He even scored 44 points against the Hornets. However, after a while, he noticed that Anthony's average points per game were declining.
He looked at Anthony's detailed season stats and found that the guy wasn't very aggressive in scoring against weaker teams.

Perhaps it's because the opponent doesn't have any star players worth fighting against, so they lack the motivation to score?

The 03 cohort allowed Yi Shui to witness the diversity of players.

第四名就是杜兰特了，场均22投10.1中，以45.9%命中率场均拿到30.5分，外加8板3助攻1.5抢断1盖帽，三分命中率36%，罚球命中率90%。

With its weight increasing to 105 kilograms and its strength increasing, the backpack has become a top scorer!

This happened earlier than Yi Shui remembered. He recalled that Durant and James were battling for the scoring title until the very end of the season before Durant finally broke the 30+ mark and defeated James.

Perhaps because Harden was missing and Griffin, whom they drafted, was unavailable, Durant had to take more shots? His shooting percentage was also lower than I expected.

James' performance was also different from what Yi Shui remembered; his average points per game dropped to 28.8, and he fell out of contention for the scoring title early on.

Yi Shui estimates that Shu Bao will have no problem surpassing Dong Ge, but to surpass Wade, it depends on whether Da Jiabang will adjust his playing style later. Currently, it seems that Da Jiabang is still eyeing him and has the idea of ​​competing for the scoring title.

Teams are watching your record, the Cavaliers are chasing you relentlessly, and the scoring leaderboard is being watched too... What kind of second-year student has it so tough!

The data displayed on the large screen has been switched to a comparison of data from two teams.

Westbrook, in his second year, has had a standout performance, averaging 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 8 assists per game, a performance similar to Curry's.

In the early stages of the season, Curry averaged 15 points in 9 games, and after a winning streak of 7 games, he averaged 18 points.

When the team needs Curry to take the shot, the improvement is obvious... After his last two 30+ point games, Curry is averaging 17.5 points, along with 3.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists.

Besides the two young stars, the Thunder's most outstanding player is Thabo Sefolosha, who is the third-best defensive shooting guard this season after Kobe and Wade.

During the offseason, the Thunder acquired Sefolosha from the Bulls in exchange for just two second-round picks, a trade dubbed "comparable to stealing Gasol." While the Grizzlies at least received a belated reward of Marc Gasol after trading Gasol, the Thunder essentially got something for nothing.

It's not that the Bulls couldn't see Sefolosha's talent, but last season, Sefolosha was after Ben Gordon and Eric Gordon in the playing order and didn't get any playing time. In the offseason, although the Bulls lost Ben Gordon, they signed John Samuels and had no choice but to give up.

The Thunder have a record of 15 wins and 11 losses in 26 games, and their strength has improved to the level of 45+ wins.

In the Eastern Conference, they would currently rank fourth, ahead of the Hawks, Heat, and Celtics, making them a true 'Eastern 50-win level' team.

But in the Western Conference, they are tied for ninth place with the Rockets...

When interviewed, Yi Shui was asked if he felt his upbringing was better than Durant's and Rose's, and whether he benefited from the era of the weak Eastern Conference. He replied, "Of course. Michael Jordan had already emptied the East. When I came here, there weren't many strong teams. Not only the regular season, but the playoffs were also easier than for my peers playing in the West. I've always been a bit luckier than others..."

...

The match is about to begin, and the starting lineups of both teams have entered the field, sparking a frenzy among the fans.

New York fans have been eagerly anticipating this game!
Yi Shui vs. Durant! This is a key and highly anticipated matchup scheduled by the league before the Christmas Day game!

The New York media used the term "arch-rivals" to describe the upcoming match.

Every legendary superstar has a symbolic rival.

Kobe, and there are Iverson, McGrady, Carter, and Ray Allen.

James, with Wade and Anthony.

Yi Shui, currently recognized by New York fans as a contemporary rival, is none other than Durant!

With almost the same height and wingspan, they both create mismatches against each other. Yi Shui entered the NBA and immediately made the All-NBA First Team, while Durant is now a recognized super scorer and is also very close to making the All-NBA First Team, and is a year younger.

Even New York fans agree that Durant will be Yi Shui's biggest potential rival in the future race for the scoring title.

Star players have a great influence on their fans. Yi Shui always praises his opponents worthy of praise, and his fans are also generous with their praise for their opponents.

The Thunder fielded a starting lineup of Westbrook, Sefolosha, Durant, Jeff Green, and Krstic.

For the Knicks, D'Antoni made adjustments to the starting lineup, with Curry, Hughes, Yi Shui, David Lee, and Ben Wallace starting.

Yi Shui walked to the center circle, waved to Durant, and then smiled at Krstic.

Krstic, who had just arrived at the center circle, was a little surprised. The opposing Embiid wanted to play with his boss, yet he was still concerned about his feelings? He looked at Durant.

Backpack: I've never played center!
Durant was reluctant, but the fans at the scene were already chanting "Kevin" when they saw this, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to the center circle.

However, Durant wasn't under much pressure. Yishui had the best jump ball winning percentage this season, and had only lost once so far. He even made headlines because his winning streak in jump balls was broken, so it wasn't shameful for him to lose.

The referee must be shocked! Two small forwards jump for the ball!

But both of these small forwards seem to be taller than Kostic, especially Durant, who looks like he's deliberately hunching his shoulders, but he still looks as tall as Yi Shui!

At 8 p.m., the referee blew the whistle to start the game and tossed the ball into the air.

Durant jumped with all his might, but Yi Shui, with more experience, had better timing and body control, and moved his racket backward first.

The Knicks take the lead!

After landing, Yi Shui tried to run down the court quickly, but Durant stuck close to him, preventing him from easily overpowering his opponent like he did last season.

Seeing the opponent retreating in an orderly and very fast manner, Yi Shui did not continue to exert force, as rushing over would not have much effect.

Even if Griffin is unavailable, the Thunder's starting lineup is probably the most athletic in the league.

Hughes's judgment was the same. After receiving the ball, he quickly pushed it a few steps, then slowed down, passed it to Curry across half-court, and ran towards the sideline to create space.

Fans didn't care whether the fast break went in at the start; when they saw Durant sticking close to Yi Shui, they started chanting "BIG".

Responding to the fans' calls, Yi Shui moved to the right 45-degree angle, leaned against Durant, raised his hand, and the ball was already passed to him.

Durant took a half step back, a hint of envy rising in his heart—the two had such good chemistry, was it because they entered the NBA together?
A fleeting thought crossed Durant's mind, but he quickly refocused on defense.

Yi Shui straightened his posture and raised his hand to feint a shot.

Durant simply raised his hand, his waist and legs tensed but he didn't exert any force.

With just this one detail, Yi Shui could feel Durant's progress!
'Tower Sniper' doesn't work against Durant... so just drive!

Yi Shui made a large horizontal movement, then suddenly changed direction and advanced.

Durant's lateral movement is no less than Yi Shui's, and his defensive judgment is accurate, allowing him to step up in time. However, Yi Shui still managed to seize the opportunity and block his position with his left leg as he stepped back.

Yi Shui made a powerful drive, and Durant, realizing he couldn't stop him, quickly stepped back to cover Yi Shui's shooting space.

Jeff Green on the wing and Krstic under the basket both started to move.

Yi Shui noticed his opponent's movements as he moved quickly, stopped abruptly at the free-throw line to grab the ball, and raised his hand. Durant quickly braked and lunged forward... Yi Shui stopped his movement and then rose again!

Durant's eyes widened as he tried to retract his blocking motion, but he had already jumped up and couldn't stop! He crashed into Yi Shui, who was bending his knees and exerting force!

The referee whistle sounded!

Yi Shui's movements didn't stop; he jumped during the confrontation and launched a mid-range shot...

When 'Braking Genius' is triggered, a sudden stop and jump shot during a confrontation will grant +2 to explosiveness and +2 to spring speed.

Durant is still too light, and he also has a movement to actively reduce his strength. The Yi Shui skill is triggered, and the bonus and resistance are offset, making his shooting power very stable and accurate!
When the referee signaled that the basket was valid and a penalty would be awarded, Durant simply put his hands on his hips. He was furious, but he didn't shrug or complain. He had indeed committed a foul, and Yi Shui's shot was a fluid shooting motion.

He was angry at his own defense just now. Knowing he couldn't stop, he should have decisively charged in and disrupted the opponent's shot, which might have even affected the opponent's free throw rhythm.

Last season, when Yi Shui couldn't stop him from running and shooting, that's what they did.

Still lack of experience! But Yi Shui entered the NBA a year later than him... Does playing two more years of college have such a big impact?

But when he was a freshman, no one in college could beat him in one-on-one matches. His school lacked talent, so he couldn't go any further in the NCAA. He and his mother Wanda felt that he couldn't get any training in amateur games, so they went to the NBA.

Moreover, he heard that Yi Shui almost gave up basketball after his freshman year because he found college competitions boring, and wasted a year of his sophomore year...

Yi Shui walked to the free-throw line amidst cheers, and when he received the ball, the crowd chanted "MVP."

After the first MVP chants in the final seconds of the game against the Suns, he received MVP chants again when he stepped to the free-throw line in the next game against the Kings. After a week of away games, the chants continued... He still felt incredibly excited.

However, compared to the first time, he can now control his emotions, take a deep breath, concentrate, and make the extra penalty with ease!

After the fans erupted in cheers, they began chanting "Kevin."

Although he knew that the New York fans were only making a fuss because they thought he was no match for Yi Shui, Durant still felt very excited to hear the fans chanting his name in the basketball mecca.

Calling his name at least makes one feel that he is worthy of being Yi Shui's opponent.

When the Celtics come here to play, the fans chant for Garnett, not Pierce.

Durant ran up the court and called for the ball as he approached the three-point line... Westbrook, who was still quite a distance from the three-point line, did not pass the ball to him immediately.

When Durant reached the three-point line, Westbrook grabbed the ball to pass, but Yi Shui had already physically battled and surrounded Durant!
Seeing this, Hughes immediately pressed forward, pressing and pulling out his gun.

If Jeff Green hadn't stepped up to receive the pass, Westbrook would either have had to force a shot against Hughes, who was significantly taller than him, or he would have made a turnover.

Durant aggressively sought position, while Yi Shui frantically positioned himself in front of him. The two constantly shifted their positions, battling from the right side of the top arc to the left elbow area, until Durant took two steps to the left elbow area and Jeff Green made a timely pass, allowing Durant to receive the ball.

This series of confrontations took a toll on Durant, but the fans in the arena were incredibly excited by the crazy physical battles between the two "big spiders" who swung their elbows and thrust their hips, and their cheers grew even louder.

Durant was also excited. After receiving the ball, he turned around and immediately went for a shot! Yi Shui's interference was spot-on, and Durant forced a fadeaway... but it was too short!
(End of this chapter)