Basketball miracles

Chapter 6 [Comparison is the thief of joy; comparing goods will only lead to them being thrown away]

In the home team's locker room, Xiao Tu bluntly asked Pat Riley, "Coach, can you get Irwin to pass me a few balls to the perimeter in the second half? I haven't been shooting jumpers, so they must think I can't shoot and won't guard me closely in the second half."

Riley was not offended by Xiao Tu's behavior and immediately called Magic Johnson over to arrange tactics.

Players who are confident in making the shot can discuss tactics with the coach, but most people don't dare to ask.

For example, James Worthy, the number one pick in the 82 draft, had a high scoring efficiency during his two seasons with the Lakers, but he never asked for the ball, resulting in average statistics.

Xiao Tu thought this was just a fool who wasted his talent, and he was grateful for his selflessness, otherwise it would have been much more difficult for him to rise to the top.

Johnson laughed and said, "Don't just think about jump shots in half-court sets. When there's a fast break opportunity, go all out to attack."

"I definitely won't miss any opportunity to perform." Xiao Tu wished he could dunk ten times in one game and pull down the rim.

With the team leading by a large margin, the two most showy players started discussing how to put on a performance.

Johnson is very interested in assist numbers, and he's happy to pass the ball more often if Xiao Tu makes his shots. He believes that if Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reduced his isolation plays, his assist average could increase by more than three, reaching 15+.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was the main offensive force in the first half, can rest now. Riley will let the veterans manage their energy reasonably; there's no need for them to stay on the court all the time just to put up stats.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had already won an unprecedented six regular season MVP awards by 1980, so he didn't need to prove himself statistically. What the team needed most was for him to stay healthy and perform well when he was on the court.

Riley adjusted the lineup, moving Xiao Tu to center in the third quarter and veteran Bob McAdu, who stands at 206cm, to power forward. This arrangement still made the Lakers' offense very strong, with amazing mobility.

Last season, Rambis was a starting power forward in the playoffs, averaging only 6.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. In his contract year, he became a fringe player, and the huge drop in performance left him feeling suffocated and listless on the sidelines.

Xiao Tu is too strong; Lambis doesn't dare to show him any disrespect. If the two have a conflict, Lambis will definitely be in deep trouble.

If the Lakers had to choose between the two, they would definitely choose to keep Xiao Tu. Xiao Tu seems to have unlimited potential, while 26-year-old Rambis has absolutely no potential.

The two players use similar styles when playing basketball; Worthy is known as "Cobra" in the future, while Rambis is a bespectacled man.

Despite his declining physical abilities, McAdu can still attack with the ball and is adept at mid-range shooting. Last season in the playoffs, he averaged 22.4 minutes per game, scoring 14 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks, playing all 20 games.

The Lakers' perimeter players are Magic Johnson, Michael Cooper, and Worthy.

库珀是防守专家，虚报身高196CM，实际201CM的外线万金油。上赛季他常规赛场均出战29.1分钟，砍下9分3.2篮板5.9助攻1.4抢断。

He has excellent physical attributes and a high basketball IQ. He mainly scores with jump shots, and his shooting percentage is quite good.

The opening game loss was a blow to morale, so the Trail Blazers certainly wouldn't give up easily. Coach Ramsey fielded the same starting lineup as at the start of the game, with Sam Bowie playing center again, matching up against Xiao Tu.

After resting, Xiao Tu felt full of energy. He looked at Bao Wei with shining eyes and a smile on his face.

I'm perfectly matched up against this guy; with his speed, there's no way I can defend a pick-and-roll effectively.

He was good at the NCAA probably because he used his physical advantages to bully younger students. Now, with his playing style, he's destined to get beaten up by me and Magic Johnson.

The Trail Blazers attacked first, with Thompson turning and shooting a floater on the left side after a one-on-one against McAdu, finally scoring a basket from the field. 57-38.

When Ramsey was setting up the tactics, he specifically emphasized that the attack should bypass Xiao Tu's side. Xiao Tu was not in a hurry on the defensive end; he wasn't very interested in blocking shots and preferred to grab rebounds.

The Lakers were on offense, and Xiao Tu pulled out to the three-point line to screen for Johnson, blocking Valentine.

This combination of the two has worked every time. Johnson has the speed of a guard and the explosiveness of a power forward. Inside players have to switch on defense immediately, and once he gets going, they can't stop him.

Ramsey knew that to win, he had to limit Magic Johnson's performance. He instructed the interior players to immediately switch and block Johnson's driving lanes, and Valentine double-teamed him after going around the screen.

After drawing a double team on the right side at a 50-degree angle, Johnson saw Xiao Tu open beyond the three-point line, turned halfway, and passed the ball to him with both hands.

Xiao Tu received the ball and, without hesitation, immediately pulled up for a three-pointer. The ball arced beautifully and swished through the net! 60-38. Bao Wei, two meters away from Xiao Tu, didn't even consider reaching out. He turned his head and saw the ball go in, his face showing disbelief. His opponent making a three-pointer was, in his eyes, an unbelievable feat.

Xiao Tu was as excited as if he had just completed a dunk, clenching his fist in celebration.

A whole year of hard work has finally paid off today.

Haha, as expected, players in the 80s didn't defend three-pointers at all. My shot was as easy as if I were in training.

It's a pity Riley wouldn't allow me to take more shots, otherwise I would definitely have taken more than five shots in a game.

Xiao Tu believes that dunking alone cannot make him a dominant force in the NBA. Even the most spectacular dunk only scores two points, and scoring those points is extremely difficult. He firmly believes that improving his three-point shooting percentage is the key to success, because teams in the 8s and 90s did not defend three-pointers very well.

In fact, coaches generally consider shooting three-pointers to be unorthodox and do not allow players to attempt shots from the outside. Currently in the NBA, aside from tall perimeter players who are not good at driving to the basket, nobody shoots three-pointers.

Xiao Tu usually practiced three-pointers from the middle and right corner, achieving a success rate of around 60%. While he couldn't compare to the future superstar three-point shooters, he was the most reliable outside shooter in the 1980s.

Riley led the applause for Xiao Tu from the sidelines. As long as the shooting percentage was guaranteed, he didn't mind Xiao Tu trying one or two outside shots.

Last season, Lakers guard Michael Cooper averaged 1.5 three-point attempts and made 0.5, for a shooting percentage of only 31.4%, which Riley said was acceptable.

Cooper made 38 three-pointers in a single season, ranking second in the league, while Jazz guard Darnell Griffiths made 91, ranking first.

Stockton yelled, "Three-pointer! Shaw caught the ball and hit it from beyond the arc. He's not just a dunker!"

Heinson exclaimed, "His shooting form is also very beautiful. He jumps really high. Even if someone is defending him, it's impossible to block his jump shot."

Stockton laughed, "Shaw's debut performance was comparable to Hakeem Olajuwon's, and completely outshone Bowie. Bowie looked like just an ordinary blue-collar player, yet he beat Michael Jordan to become the second overall pick."

Comparing people with others will lead to death, and comparing goods with goods will lead to throwing away.

Bowie is now being compared not only to Jordan, but also to the 23rd pick in the same draft class. Clearly, he can't compare to either.

The Trail Blazers were on offense, and Bowie pulled out to screen for his teammates, but it wasn't very effective. Xiao Tu's lateral quickness was very fast, and his active switching on defense blocked Valentine's driving lanes.

His ability to defend pick-and-rolls far surpasses that of veteran Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, regardless of experience, it's all about physicality. A 218cm player simply can't defend against a fast guard; no matter how accurate his vision is, his footwork simply can't keep up.

Valentine's attempt to break through failed, and Johnson caught up.

Valentine found an opening and passed the ball to Bowie at the high post. Bowie's shooting percentage was too low today, and he didn't dare to shoot immediately even with a mid-range shot opportunity. He hesitated for a moment, and Xiao Tu pounced on him.

Bowie feinted with the ball, but didn't dare to dribble and attempt a drive, holding the ball high and waiting for a teammate on the perimeter to receive it. Big men facing the basket with the ball are easily intercepted, and Bowie didn't have that ability.

After passing the ball, Bowie tried to cut to the basket to receive it again, a performance that can only be described as "shameful".

Xiao Tu twisted his body to one side, making it impossible for him to run in a straight line. No matter where he ran, Xiao Tu followed closely, forcefully pushing him away, completely controlling him.

Knowing he couldn't win the push, Bao Wei leaned to the side and shouted "Ah!" while gesturing to the referee that Xiao Tu had committed an elbowing foul. The referee, with his whistle in his mouth, didn't blow it, but looked at Bao Wei with disdain in his eyes.

In off-ball physical contact, it's perfectly normal for players to make some minor moves. Pushing someone is mild; usually, it's more about using an elbow to block or position yourself.

Does this guy think he's in the NCAA? If players can't even handle this level of physicality, what are they doing in the NBA?

Xiao Tu understands these things because he's seen a lot. The future short power forward of the Jinzhou Wushu Team will be capable of more than just small tricks; eye-gouging, chokeholds, stomping, and even chasing the balls are all possible.

In the 80s, the NBA's officiating standards were relatively lenient, and players who played too cleanly were often bullied. On his very first day in this new world, Xiao Tu decided to adapt to local customs.

(End of this chapter)