Basketball miracles

Chapter 180 [Disoriented and bewildered, yet seemingly awe-inspiring]

Xiao Tu's one-on-one fight against Rukawa Kaede was essentially a solo performance.

He possesses basketball talent in every aspect of his body, though to varying degrees. The power forward has top-tier physical attributes, the small forward has a soft shooting touch, and the point guard has speed and excellent ball handling skills.

The original owner of this world was already skilled at ball handling, and after receiving several basketball technique tutorials, Xiao Tu's practice of breaking through defenses became twice as effective. He almost never made a mistake while dribbling, and his ball handling skills were amazing.

He knew this was probably also related to his talent for "fancy moves." The characteristic of this talent was that he could better control his body during exercise, making his movements fluid and effortless.

The rules of bullfighting remain the same: whoever scores ten balls first wins.

A few minutes later, Rukawa was drenched in sweat from the beating and sat down on the ground, leaning to one side. He had been faked out by Xiao Tu's behind-the-back dribble, jump step, and low layup, forcing him to change his center of gravity and causing him to lose his balance while trying to defend.

That move was too clever. Xiao Tu used it twice, and Rukawa Kaede was completely overpowered before he could even figure out what was going on.

Xiao Tu quickly dribbles the ball once in front of him with one hand, then pulls the ball from the outside from behind his back to his other hand, and then turns it from behind his back to the hand that was dribbling the ball to complete the catch. This catch-up action and the jump step occur at the same time, and then he makes a layup.

The audience watched with rapt attention, with female fans screaming enthusiastically. Rukawa, on the other hand, had a less than pleasant experience, feeling utterly defeated and questioning his very existence.

What kind of technology is that?
Does he not use any footwork when he plays like that?!
Xiao Tu's move was truly impeccable; from the audience's perspective, his footwork was remarkably clean.

When Xiao Tu faced up to attack, he seamlessly connected between his legs, behind his back, and turned, and Rukawa Kaede couldn't defend against him even once. Twice, Rukawa managed to get to the low post, but still couldn't block Xiao Tu's turnaround fadeaway jump shot.

The bullfight ended quickly, with the score at 10-2.

Xiao Tu made 10 of 11 shots, missing only one mid-range shot; most of his shots were easy layups after dribbling past opponents.

When players are playing 1v1, they only use face-up drives and back-to-the-basket moves; there are no other tricks.

Rukawa Kaede mostly faces the basket when making moves, making it impossible for him to break through. He was intercepted and blocked several times. He's not as fast as Xiao Tu, nor is he strong enough to break through Xiao Tu's tight defense. His jump shots were heavily contested; he made two, but the accuracy was too low.

In the manga, Rukawa Kaede was brutally beaten by Sawakita Eiji during his match against Sannoh Industrial, and then he laughed. Facing a formidable opponent, he was relentlessly hitting bricks. But he was incredibly excited, perhaps because it was a challenge?
Xiao Tu kept observing Rukawa Kaede's expression, trying to see if he would reveal a mysterious smile after being tortured.

No, Rukawa Kaede had a look of utter despair, like Loki after being hit by the Hulk, except he wasn't lying on the ground.

If he were standing on the rooftop, people below would definitely start trying to persuade him to stop.

"Don't jump! Think of your parents! Think of your family..."

Ayako walked over to Rukawa and patted him on the shoulder, comforting him, "You're still young. Don't feel ashamed to lose to Xiao. Captain Akagi isn't much better than you."

Akagi Takenori blushed and shouted exaggeratedly, "Hey, you're being nosy again."

Xiao Tu smiled and said, "Cai Zi is right, your physical fitness and skills are both excellent."

He genuinely thought Rukawa was pretty amazing; he made two shots. A 15-year-old Japanese high school student scoring against NBA-level opponents is something to be proud of.

Xiao Tu's defensive ability is far inferior to that of the 80s. If a power forward were to go one-on-one with Rukawa Kaede, it would definitely be a "fuck your basketball dream" crushing defeat.

Rukawa Kaede was dejected and longed to study in the United States to pursue his basketball dream. He had played for a terrible team in middle school, often facing double teams and strong attacks, which honed his scoring ability. He thought he could do well in America too.

As a result, he was no match for the American exchange student in a one-on-one match today and was completely outmatched.

"Are all American high school students as strong as you?" Rukawa asked in a low voice.

"Of course not, don't be upset, come over and listen to my tactics." Xiao Tu patted Rukawa on the back: "I welcome you to challenge me to a one-on-one match anytime, I like to practice with people. You are an important part of Shohoku's offensive system in the new season, I have high hopes for you."

"Can I do this?"

"Yes, I heard about you from Ayako even though you didn't report for duty. And you must understand one thing first: basketball is not a one-on-one game; teamwork is the key."

Xiao Tu went to the sidelines, picked up the tactics board, clapped his hands, and Akagi Takenori, Mitsui Hisashi, Kogure, and others came over to listen to the tactics. Sakuragi Hanamichi didn't need to participate; he went to the other half of the court to practice shooting under the basket. Explaining tactics to him now would be like casting pearls before swine.

"I've already talked to you about the Hawks' offense before. Today, let's practice the basic routines. Once you master these three routines, I think you can score easily against high school defenses."

Akagi used to lead the team in practice, focusing entirely on the basics, but in matches, it was all one-on-one.

Xiao Tu directly provided them with advanced equipment, drawing running route diagrams, using circles with numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 to represent players, and arrows to indicate running directions—simple and easy to understand.

This system revolves around shooting guards cutting to the basket using high screens, while also incorporating offensive options such as wing isolation plays and post-up attacks. Hubie Brown is the creator of this system.

Xiao Tu understood Xiangbei's lineup and felt that this style of play was very suitable.

First, there's the point guard's one-on-one play. When the point guard feels confident he can break through the defender, he can choose to dribble from the wing towards the basket. Xiao Tu is the core of the perimeter offense; his one-on-one drives are difficult to defend. He draws help defense or double teams before passing the ball.

The task of cutting into the high post is handled by Rukawa Kaede, who is Shohoku's top scorer in the manga.

When Rukawa cuts to the basket using a high screen from Kakuta or Akagi, Xiao Tu can choose to pass the ball to Rukawa, who can then catch and shoot, or force his way to the basket against a larger and slower defender. If the primary defender is hampered by the high screen or left behind by Rukawa, he can easily score a layup.

If the opponent defends well and Xiao Tu can't pass the ball to Rukawa Kaede who's cutting to the basket, he can pass it to a teammate at the high post. Kakuta Satoru receives the ball and shoots, or faces the basket for a one-on-one attack. While the power forward receives the ball at the high post, center Akagi can push deep into the paint to prepare to receive a high-to-low pass from the power forward.

At this point, Akagi doesn't need to make complicated movements; he can maximize his physical advantages and shoot from close range after receiving the ball and turning around.

Xiao Tu didn't believe that all Japanese high school students were so good that they could keep Akagi out of the penalty area.

With this formation, Rukawa is essentially the shooting guard, and Mitsui is the small forward. Mitsui's role is relatively simple: run to receive the ball, shoot a three-pointer, or position himself in the corner to create space and wait for an opportunity.

After explaining the tactics, Xiao Tu said, "Mitsui, considering your two knee injuries, I won't assign you the task of attacking the basket. It's safer for you to catch the ball and shoot."

Mitsui Hisashi said with a wry smile, "I understand, I wear knee pads every day. In this tactic, there's no one to cover for you."

"I don't need screens; I rely on my individual skills to drive, score, and shoot. If you guys can score, I'll take fewer shots."

Akagi Takenori trembled with excitement. Xiao Tu was so strong, yet he didn't just keep dribbling and shooting endlessly; he remained the core of the inside game. Moreover, Xiao Tu's tactical thinking was so clear; it sounded incredibly impressive.

Akagi thought back to Coach Anzai's usual instructions, and realized he didn't seem like a coach at all. Anzai had never taught any tactics, nor had he ever used a tactics board.

The group immediately began practicing their tactical runs, and the results were remarkable. Even Kakuta demonstrated his tactical effectiveness. He had been playing basketball for several years, so his fundamentals were quite good; he knew how to screen and could also lob the ball to Akagi.

Rukawa Kaede excels at both cuts to the basket and jump shots, as well as driving to the rim; his physical attributes are among the best in Japan. He can easily dominate second-year shooting guard Tetsushi Shiozaki, and it's even easier with screens from his teammates.

Kogure, playing as a makeshift power forward, must immediately switch defense, otherwise Rukawa will easily score a layup. Inside, Akagi Takenori can easily receive the ball and one-on-one against Mitsui Hisashi, who is playing as a makeshift center, using his height and strength advantage to turn and shoot.

Xiao Tu hadn't practiced his dribbling skills much, waiting for his teammates to make runs and deliver accurate passes.

All three tactics are very simple. The defenders don't need to be too serious; the main thing is to be familiar with the teamwork.

Today was the first time they practiced together, and Rukawa was greatly impressed, feeling that Xiao Tu was incredibly skilled.

After practicing for a while, Xiao Tu said, "That's the basic routine. All you need to do now is keep practicing. Sakuragi Hanamichi can also join in because he's tall and strong. If he's playing inside defense, Akagi will be better at practicing his back-to-the-basket moves. Akagi, you can teach him positioning and rebounding when you have time. That way, he won't look so amateurish."

Akagi nodded. "I'll keep an eye on him."

Rukawa asked, "Is high school basketball in the US all this professional? Do coaches teach you these things?"

Xiao Tu shook his head and laughed, "No, American high school coaches are all rather amateurish and not worth mentioning. The players also play very individually, relying on their individual abilities to play haphazardly, with little teamwork. Only the NCAA and NBA emphasize tactical teamwork, which happens to be what I know more about."

Rukawa Kaede swallowed hard, feeling both confused and impressed.

(End of this chapter)