Basketball miracles

Chapter 191 [We're even, society is dead]

Ryota Miyagi was very magnanimous. "Then let's leave it at that... You were in the hospital before too, so we're even."

Xiao Tu noticed that Gong Cheng visibly relaxed, with a hint of relief and joy in his eyes.

In the conflict between Miyagi Ryota and Mitsui Hisashi, he was clearly the weaker party; he was just grateful to be spared further beatings. Now that Mitsui Hisashi has taken the initiative to reconcile, how could he possibly object?
Ryota Miyagi doesn't have his own circle of friends in his daily life, so when he meets Hisashi Mitsui and Tokuo Horita after being discharged from the hospital in the manga, he takes the initiative to make peace with them.

How could he fight against a group of delinquents when he was all alone? If he hadn't struck Mitsui Hisashi first, this wouldn't have been a delinquent brawl, but rather school bullying.

A group of older students ganged up on a 168cm tall first-year student, and the school teachers, Coach Anzai, and the basketball team members like Takenori Akagi did nothing...

This is something I can't even think about in detail; Miyagi Ryota is truly pitiful.

Ryota Miyagi is a very withdrawn person, much like Kaede Rukawa, and he is not well-liked on the team.

Sakuragi Hanamichi is closest to Miyagi Ryota; the two sympathize with each other because they both struggle to win over girls. Miyagi Ryota's relationships with Kogure Kiminobu and Akagi Takenori are merely passable, not quite friendships.

Sakuragi is known as a "problem child," but he actually has the best interpersonal relationships. In life, he has the Sakuragi Army by his side, and everyone in the team gets along well with him; even Rukawa talks to him the most.

Players from other teams, such as Sendoh, Maki, Kiyota, and Kawata, all held Sakuragi in high regard and were willing to get to know him. Coaches Anzai, Taoka, and Takato also praised Sakuragi, knowing he was destined for greatness.

Now, Xiao Tu also really likes Sakuragi.

He felt that Sakuragi only encountered some difficulties at the beginning, and that was only because the author gave him a reverse cheat code, suppressing his strength. Throughout the entire manga, Sakuragi never used any of those kinds of plays, such as cutting to the basket to receive the ball and attacking the rim, or scoring on second-chance opportunities.

This is actually how geniuses are treated in reality: they constantly encounter benefactors on their path to success, and are almost always surrounded by praise.

Few people dislike geniuses unless that person has a terrible personality and a repulsive, mocking face.

During LeBron James's trip to China, his bodyguard yelled at fans, "Get out of here, you bastards!" The fans still chased after James. That's what it means to be wild...that's the treatment of a genius.

Ryota Miyagi asked incredulously, "Mitsui-senpai, how did you end up on the basketball team?"

Mitsui Hisashi sighed, "It's a long story, and it involves him. You should get to know him first..."

Mitsui Hisashi introduced Xiao Tu to Miyagi Ryota, and the two shook hands.

After Xiao Tu revealed that he would be playing point guard, Miyagi Ryota was initially surprised, but then his competitive spirit was aroused.

He was too lazy to listen to Mitsui Hisashi's story and focused his attention on Xiao Tu. "How about a one-on-one? I want to know how amazing American exchange students are."

"Sure, I'm getting a little tired of always playing one-on-one against Rukawa and Akagi," Xiao Tu said with a smile. He's always happy to stomp on weaker opponents.

He also enjoyed playing one-on-one with his teammates during the Lakers era in the 80s, which definitely helped him hone his skills.

In crucial moments of a game, it's difficult to execute tactics effectively, so star players going one-on-one is a tactic used by all teams. This is known as "superstar play," where the outcome is decided by the individual ability of a superstar.

Those who are responsible for passing the ball in crucial moments or spreading out on the perimeter to receive and shoot will not receive high salaries.

Ryota Miyagi immediately sensed something was wrong and swallowed hard. "Aren't you a point guard? You can go one-on-one with the boss?"

"Don't worry, I won't bully you physically. I really enjoy comparing skills with people." Xiao Tu set a limit for himself. Otherwise, how could the 168cm tall Miyagi defend against his back attacks every time?

Indeed, no one in the manga ever attacks Miyagi from behind; it seems there aren't many people in Japan who can do that.

"Don't underestimate me, I don't need you to let me win." Miyagi Ryota was a little annoyed. Since joining the team, he has always dared to challenge people taller than him one-on-one, except for Akagi.

The problem is that last year's Shohoku team roster was terrible; only Akagi had real talent. Miyagi, the future captain, was the best of the worst.

Xiao Tu was still willing to save face for others, and said with a smile, "There's no need to give way or not. We're teammates, just playing for fun. Don't worry about winning or losing."

The two began a one-on-one duel, while the others watched from the sidelines. The perimeter players were watching intently, hoping to learn even a weaker version of a move.

Xiao Tu only talks about saving face for others; he forgets it once the fight starts.

Plans are subject to change, and he suddenly changed his mind, feeling it was embarrassing to let the childish Miyagi score. A few minutes later, Miyagi Ryota knelt down, just like someone who had been rejected after confessing their feelings to a girl. Only this time, there were no members of Sakuragi's gang blowing horns and throwing confetti.

10-0, Xiao Tu won with absolute ease. While the other players had lower shooting percentages, they could still make a few shots, but Miyagi couldn't break through, so there was nothing he could do.

Miyagi is a guard who excels at dribbling and relies on speed and agility. Xiao Tu is not only taller than him, but also more agile, so he won't be beaten.

Gongcheng was too short; his attempts to force a layup after failing to shake off the defense were repeatedly blocked. To avoid being blocked, he had to shoot from outside the paint, but under Xiao Tu's interference, he missed several shots.

To deal with someone who doesn't have a basket, just defend against drives, not shots. Miyagi lacked confidence to shoot when he was far from the hoop, while Xiao Tu stood far away watching him outmaneuver thin air.

In the manga, Miyagi never scored in double digits, only once with an open mid-range shot; all the other times he scored were layups.

Xiao Tu, despite being able to shoot, still chose to face the basket and dribble past Gong Cheng, who was half a head shorter than him, displaying a variety of dribbling techniques. Even if he didn't completely shake off Gong Cheng, it didn't matter; as long as he gained speed, he could force a layup or shot over Gong Cheng with almost no interference.

Miyagi has good jumping ability and can block guards who are 10cm taller than him, but he can't block Xiao Tu, who has even better jumping ability. He can't jump under physical contact; he can only jump without any contact.

The worst part is that Miyagi will never get a whistle again after kneeling like this on the basketball court.

Ayako walked over and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

It would have been better if she hadn't asked; once she did, things went wrong.

Miyagi shuddered, and tears welled up in her eyes.

He felt humiliated in front of the goddess and knew he couldn't be a starter anymore; they weren't even in the same league.

Akagi Takenori had arrived and stepped forward, saying, "Miyagi, get up! Lots of fans are watching. What kind of behavior is this? Instead of crying here, you should think about how to improve."

"Fans?" Miyagi then realized that countless spectators had gathered on the sidelines, and the stadium was almost full. He quickly got up from the ground.

The basketball club is completely different now. Before, nobody watched the players practice. Now, there's a group of women on the sidelines. Miyagi Ryota realizes his club is dead.

He had just returned to the team and couldn't just walk away because of something like this, so he had no choice but to stay.

Let's warm up together first, and then play practice matches to practice tactics.

After Xiao Tu arrived, he suggested that Shohoku play practice matches every day to train through games. Now, whether they are starters or substitutes, they all know how to position themselves and how to cooperate with their teammates during games.

Gongcheng was caught off guard by the tactics and was dumbfounded once again. This time, he wasn't matched up against Xiao Tu, but he still struggled during the game.

Recently, the Shohoku team has stopped practicing man-to-man defense and switched to zone defense. How can someone with a poor shot break through a zone defense? If Miyagi drives with the ball, he just plunges into the crowd. The opponents defend his drive but not his shot, and he lacks confidence in scoring with a mid-range shot.

Not only Miyagi, but Akagi also struggled against the zone defense. As soon as he received the ball in the low post, Sakuragi and Rukawa immediately double-teamed him, forcing him to pass the ball out.

Akagi's shooting percentage is low when facing double teams and strong drives; it's an old problem.

Xiao Tu believes the best way to get players to willingly practice shooting is to help them identify their weaknesses. Without a consistent mid-range shot, Akagi and Miyagi's tactical contributions are minimal.

At this point, the roles of Mitsui Hisashi and Kogure become particularly important. If one side uses a collapsing zone defense to limit Xiao Tu's breakthrough, he can draw double teams and pass the ball to the perimeter, where both players can receive the ball and shoot.

They all saw the benefits of playing this way, and completely abandoned mid-range jump shots, opting instead to shoot three-pointers or layups on fast breaks.

Xiao Tu felt that Mitsui Hisashi's strength was no less than Jin Soichiro's, but Shohoku didn't have a super point guard like Maki Shinichi who could attract double teams with his breakthroughs and then pass the ball. Even so, Mitsui Hisashi made 8 of 10 three-pointers against Sannoh Kogyo, including a 3+1 play; the author gave him a cheat code.

Furthermore, Mitsui Hisashi isn't limited to taking open shots; when he's in form, opponents can't defend him, and many of his shots are powerful, head-on attempts that go in. In the Shohoku vs. Shoyo match, it was Mitsui Hisashi's outburst that led to the team's dramatic comeback.

In good times, look to Akagi; in bad times, look to Rukawa and Sakuragi; in desperate situations, look to Mitsui.

Now, Xiao Tu can connect these people together.

If Mitsui Hisashi performs well in the national tournament, he might be able to get into university without taking the entrance exam.

(End of this chapter)