The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 10 The Purpose of Belittling

It's the Catbirds' turn to attack.

Scoring leader Mark Davis had the ball on the right wing, faked a shot and drove, first driving past Philipp Doron, then changing direction to drive past power forward Bill Younger.

When Tang Bei saw Mark Davis with Tubir Younger, he immediately went over to him.

Mark Davis had just beaten Bill Younger and was about to break into the penalty area from the right midfield position when he unexpectedly ran headfirst into a giant.

"Oh!"

He felt like he had hit a wall; not only did he lose the ball, but the reaction force also knocked him over, causing him to fall directly to the ground.

Tang Bei, who hadn't moved an inch, deftly caught the ball with one hand from the floor, while the referee signaled a change of attack and defense, pointing towards Hai's team's attacking third.

Commentator Jalen Jerros said, "Don's help defense was very quick, he got into position first and forced Mark Davis into a turnover."

Pavel Hanks said, "If he falls backward, Mark Davis will get an offensive charging foul."

As the two commentators were explaining, Hai led the team to advance to the frontcourt, and Tang Bei ran towards the basket again.

On the sidelines, Flip Sanders made a choking gesture with both hands while shouting, "Shrink the defense!"

Except for the point guard position, the Cats and Birds' other perimeter players immediately collapsed towards the paint, leaving some open spaces for the Seafarers' shooting guard and small forward positions.

Point guard Tom Morris, who had the ball, immediately passed it to shooting guard Philip Doron.

At this moment, Seaweed shooting guard Jaren Jackson Jr., who was collapsing his defense, quickly returned to defend Doron, and Philip Doron forced a three-pointer.

By the time he made the shot, the other Cats and Birds defenders had already retreated to the paint.

"Bang!"

It was too short; the basketball bounced off the rim.

Tang Bei was positioned on the left front side of the basket, and the rebound bounced off the right front side of the basket, landing a bit far away.

A group of people were in the restricted area, and he, the tallest and strongest, seemed to be stuck in the mud, unable to move an inch, watching helplessly as the rebound was snatched away by the opposing small forward.

Commentator Pavel Hanks immediately said, "One of Tang's weaknesses is his lack of game experience and his inability to anticipate rebounds."

So by the time the rebound landed, he was already half a beat too late; he could only grab the rebound closest to him.

The Cats and Birds attack.

Point guard David Rivers used a pick-and-roll to drive into the paint from the left elbow area and made a floater towards Tang Bei.

But clearly, he underestimated Tang Bei's defensive height.

"You idiot, get out of here!"

Tang Bei cursed inwardly, took a step, jumped, and slapped the ball away.

"At least 80 centimeters, that's a really high jump!" commentator Pavel Hanks exclaimed.

"It seems his physical test data is accurate; his running height really can reach 100 centimeters," commentator Jalen Jerros said.

The sea kelp team got the ball, and the cats and birds continued to collapse their defense, giving the perimeter players in the other two positions, apart from the ball handler, some open looks.

Point guard Tom Morris is suffering from decision paralysis, unsure whether to pass to a teammate with a small open shot or to pass the ball inside.

Logically, he should pass the ball to a teammate who has a small open space, because if he passes it into the basket, Tang Bei will definitely be double-teamed by several people.

He made a mistake in handling the ball, so it's his responsibility.

But just then, Tang Bei, who had entered the paint, shouted loudly, "Ball!"

Upon hearing Tang Bei ask for the ball, Tom Morris's indecisiveness was instantly cured, and he quickly lobbed the basketball in.

As the basketball flew towards the basket, the Catbirds quickly retreated to defend the paint. Under the basket, the beast-like Tang Bei leaped into the air with incredible speed, his ascent exceeding that of several defenders whose weight was far less than his.

"boom!"

"Di!"

The loud thud of the rim hitting the basket rang out simultaneously with the referee's whistle.

Tang Bei was hanging on the undulating basketball hoop. At his feet were two people lying on the ground, the Catbirds' main center and power forward, both of whom he had knocked over.

"How do we defend against this monster?"

"They're too strong! The gap in the paint is too big; we can't win."

The Catbirds players all stared at Tang Bei, their eyes filled with shock, and their morale inevitably began to decline.

Brian Lahiri and Derek Gervin, who were on the floor, struggled to their feet, both panting and trembling with fear.

Commentator Pavel Hanks shook his head and said, "Another alley-oop dunk. Rashili and Gervin were overpowered by Tang Beiqiang under the basket. The double-teaming tactic failed, and they were even scored on with a 2+1. Rashili committed a foul."

“They’re not even in the same league. They’re being crushed by Tang’s talent,” sighed another commentator, Jalen Jerros.

Tang Bei prepared to take the free throw, but Philip Sanders called a timeout.

"Gentlemen, don't be discouraged. They do have an advantage under the basket, but we have an advantage in other positions. Next, we'll strengthen our outside offense and keep the score close."

"Remember, we still have a chance because a person's physical strength is limited. He can't stay under the basket the whole game, not even an ironman can."

"Remember, this is our home court. Any action that could be called or not called will be called in our favor, so don't be afraid to foul. His free throws are terrible, we'll send him to the free throw line."

"Also, lock down the ball handler and don't let him easily pass the ball to the basket. Make sure that Chinese guy can't receive the ball."

He clearly outlined the next strategy, which reassured the players and stabilized their morale.

"His basic skills are indeed lacking, but his talent is truly amazing!"

"Talented centers are rare and deserve a lottery pick."

Steve Paterson and Bernie Bickerstaff were talking.

Eric Fleischer then said, "Gentlemen, I believe that even if Tang Bei enters the NBA, with his talent, he will have his own dominance under the basket."

Steve Patterson shook his head and said, "This is only Tang's fifth game. Compared to other players, his stamina hasn't been depleted during the long regular season, so these games don't prove anything."

If he played the regular season like other players, he wouldn't have this much energy to attack the basket now.

Moreover, his opponents were too weak; they were all players who couldn't make it to the NBA or had been eliminated from the NBA. I'm not exaggerating when I say that any backup center from an NBA team could easily dominate them in the CBA.

Bernie Bickerstaff nodded in agreement and said, "Besides physical fitness, playing style is also a very big issue."

Because of a lack of fundamental skills and technique, his offensive repertoire is very limited, relying solely on scoring near the basket. If he were to enter the NBA, he would be easily contained and defended.

Steve Patterson said, "That's right, the intensity of the NBA is far greater than that of the CBA. 82 regular season games, much stronger competition. How long can he maintain this style of play?"
I predict his stamina will collapse after ten to fifteen regular season games, or even less than ten.

Bernie Bickerstaff said, "The NBA has a more advanced and complex tactical system, and his opponents have better skills and talent, which can further limit his performance."

Eric Fleischer smiled thoughtfully and did not argue.

For 19-year-old Tang Bei, his future is what these general managers need to consider, so talent is the most important thing.

The fact that both general managers simultaneously belittled Tang Bei likely had only one purpose: to mislead the other party's perception of Tang Bei.

This kind of tactic is common, and even the two sides know each other's intentions. But if it's said too often, especially when facing several outstanding new talents, it can indeed have a disruptive effect, causing the opponent to make the wrong choice.

(End of this chapter)