Basketball Terminal

Chapter 106 Prodigy
The saying "use it or lose it" applies here; Li Wei's abilities have been continuously enhanced through practice. Before entering the NBA, his improvement was limited, but after entering the NBA and playing high-intensity games, his ability usage and understanding improved very rapidly. When he first started playing, his Observation Haki could only be activated through his eyes; now he can perceive things from all angles in 360 degrees.

Although he can still only predict the game visually, his all-around perception gives him an extraordinary, almost godlike perspective on the distribution of teammates and opponents on the court. Li Wei's development and application of this technology is still in its early stages. The first problem is how to distinguish teammates and opponents on the court, since he only perceives shadows. Fortunately, shadows have outlines, and NBA players are naturally dark-skinned, making it less likely for him to make mistakes in remembering his teammates' outlines.

For example, Bruce Brown is short and lean, often driving into the paint; he has broad, straight shoulders. DeAndre Jordan is the easiest to spot—tall, strong, and with dreadlocks. James Harden is also easy to identify—a bit chubby with a belly. Kyrie Irving and Tobias Harris have very distinctive features. Jeff Green and Landry Shamet are less recognizable and easily confused with opponents. Of course, if you spot a big black crab, you definitely know who it is and shouldn't pass to him.

Li Wei was diligently clocking in and out of get off work every day, gradually entering a comfort zone. Then, Nash, that guy, set very high standards for him, forcing him to develop new skills rather than allowing him to grow. No wonder Nash, this rough-around-the-edges new coach, was a perfect fit for Li Wei; had he been replaced by a more experienced coach with his own system, he would have been used like a blue-collar worker.

Nash, however, insisted that Levi could still achieve great things and that it was a waste to keep him as a blue-collar worker. He had always looked forward to developing his organizational skills.

Nash was a genius, and while everyone, including D'Antoni, Udoka, and the management, praised Levi's defense, and Nash himself acknowledged and relied heavily on Levi's defense, he was still dissatisfied with Levi's performance. He believed that Levi had a lot of potential and that he should be able to implement it in a very short time.

Other players would have been devastated, thinking the NBA was a joke, that anyone could play point guard or play offense. Forcing someone into a difficult situation can backfire. But Li Wei is capable and stubborn; he didn't care, he just went for it.

After successfully assisting Bruce Brown, Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the backcourt to defend. It was still a 3-2 zone defense. In a mismatch defense, Kyrie Irving held off PJ Washington's ball-handling offense, preventing him from making a close-range shot. It has to be said that Brooklyn's players are all eccentric geniuses; the center is the primary ball-handler, the point guard provides defensive support, and their style is unpredictable and unpredictable.

Harris missed a three-pointer, and the Hornets launched a counterattack. Hayward lobbed a pass to Biyombo, but it was intercepted by Levi. The pass was too obvious and Levi easily anticipated it. On the second fast break, Harris quickly launched another three-pointer and made it!

The Hornets lacked a clear dominant player, and they struggled at the start, unable to find a good way to break down the Nets' 3-2 zone defense. Biyombo's hook shot missed, and Levi grabbed the rebound. Irving gestured for him to dribble the ball across half-court himself. Levi had no choice but to dribble it himself. His dribbling skills were fine; he just lacked experience in ball protection.

He can handle low-intensity leagues, but the situation is different in the high-intensity NBA. Domestic point guards, for example, are quite formidable in the CBA and against some weaker opponents, capable of ball handling, passing, and scoring.

When facing strong European and American teams, these young defenders degenerate into ball protectors. Apart from passing the ball across half the field, they have no energy or ability to deal with the defense while thinking, observing, and organizing the attack. Just not losing the ball is considered a successful task.

When the opponent intensifies the attack again, Li Wei, for the sake of prudence, once again turns his back to the defender, observing the situation with the back of his head. This is Li Wei's unique advantage; turning his back to protect the ball does not affect his observation and organization at all, but it does require a higher level of passing skill.

"That's Brown, not a good chance... That's DeAndre Jordan, damn it, at least move a little... That should be Harris, where's Irving? Irving!" Li Wei "observed" Irving use a fake move to shake off the defense and cut inside the three-point line. Li Wei immediately turned and delivered a low-handed bounce pass to Irving. Irving caught the ball, turned, and launched a mid-range jumper—it went in! Li Wei's second assist!
That pass was brilliant; this kind of low-handed bounce pass is rarely seen in the NBA these days, it's one of Magic Johnson's signature moves. The fans were all surprised, wondering if Li Wei had really channeled his inner Magic Johnson. But Li Wei thought, "I'm sticking my butt out, my back to the basket, how else am I supposed to pass?"
Although his play was slightly stiff and hesitant, Levi's two passes disrupted the Hornets' defensive setup. Their defensive focus had been on Irving, preventing him from scoring one-on-one and disrupting their formation with his passes. Levi's two assists forced the Hornets players to consider whether they should pay more attention to defending him. This was something they hadn't anticipated before the game.

Before the game, Hornets head coach James Breg instructed Levi to prevent him from grabbing offensive rebounds, watch out for his cuts and easy baskets, and avoid one-on-one situations with him on offense. Unexpectedly, this guy has a knack for playmaking, and in such an old-fashioned way, he uses a high-post back-to-the-basket style to facilitate. How the hell is this supposed to be dealt with? It seems like there's no counter-strategy in the playbook; this style of play has been lost for a long time.

Not to mention James Breg, even Steve Nash had no idea where Levi had learned this move from; it wasn't what he envisioned. Well, it works, even if it's a bit strange—Levi is strange enough as it is. Then, Gordon Hayward missed a mid-range jumper, and the Hornets' opening offense was completely disorganized, consisting mostly of isolation plays.

Since suffering a devastating injury with the Celtics, Gordon Hayward's performance has plummeted. He went from a consistently high-scoring All-Star small forward (averaging 20 points per game) to a more average forward, plagued by injuries. He can only be a leader on mid-to-lower-tier teams like the Hornets, and championship aspirations have vanished. He's relegated to being a decent all-rounder in the regular season.

It's fair to say that Larry Bird single-handedly used up all the luck of American white forwards. After him, every white forward who achieved some success and was dubbed "the next Bird" suffered a tumultuous fate. From Van Horn to Adam Morrison, and then to Gordon Hayward, none of them reached even a third of Bird's achievements, and all were ruined by injuries.

Li Wei grabbed another rebound, and this time, without Irving's prompting, he dribbled the ball across half-court himself. He adopted Harden's style, strolling leisurely, sticking his backside out when defenders came close, and passing when double-teamed—after all, he had 360-degree vision. Li Wei gradually gained confidence, becoming less cautious and trying more varied tactics in half-court sets.

He dribbled with his back to Biyombo, pushing his way in to the left at a 45-degree angle. Actually, Levi didn't pose a threat with his back to the basket, but the Hornets' defense inexplicably shifted towards him, perhaps misled by Levi's consecutive passes and his recent excellent performance. A wide-open shot appeared in the right corner, and Bruce Brown ran to that position.

Seeing an opportunity, Li Wei turned and delivered a powerful one-handed pass, sending the ball hurtling towards the right corner! A wide-angle pass! But as soon as Li Wei made the pass, he sensed something was wrong. He was too hasty, and the dark figure he was facing didn't seem right; it didn't look like Bruce Brown!

"Crack~"

Nash caught the ball steadily. Wearing a mask, he and Levi exchanged a deep, knowing glances across half the court—they were on the same side. The ball still had spin; the power and accuracy were excellent. Levi's Observation Haki, after all, relied on seeing shadows, and his application and judgment weren't quite mature enough. He recognized Nash's shadow and passed the ball to him. Unfortunately, Nash, being the coach, made a mistake!
Nash tossed the ball to the referee, possession returned to the Hornets. His blood pressure was slightly high, but considering Levi only cost 50, what more could he ask for? Two assists and one turnover—his assist-to-turnover ratio was already on par with Harden in his prime. That pass was also very Harden-esque; it could be incredibly absurd. The Nets' bench was laughing hysterically; Harden and Durant were doubled over with laughter. Levi's comedic talent was on par with anyone in a mental hospital.

(End of this chapter)