Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

On the court, Shohoku was not thrown off balance by Rukawa's layup and Sakuragi's dunk. Instead, they deployed a 15-pick-and-roll offense system with Fujima and Hanagata working together inside and outside.

Their offense remained unhurried, like an oiled machine, with every part turning in its proper place, slowly engaging in positional warfare with Shohoku.

Kenji Fujima held the ball at the top of the key, and Toru Hanagata pulled out from the inside to set a screen. The two played so well together that it was as if one person had split in two to play.

Pick and roll, short cuts, passing, shooting – every step was tightly controlled. Shohoku's defense felt like punching cotton, unable to exert any force.

On the defensive end, Shohoku's zone defense continued to be effective. Fujima stood at the top of the arc, directing his teammates, switching between 1-3-1 and 2-3 zone defenses at any time.

Just as the Shohoku players were getting used to a formation, Fujima changed his hand gestures, and the formation immediately changed, plunging Shohoku's offense into a quagmire once again.

Mitsui Hisashi was tightly marked by Hasegawa Kazushi, and despite several off-ball runs, he couldn't shake him off. He even managed two contested shots after receiving the ball, but they were both disrupted and missed.

Hasegawa's hand was always out in front of his line of sight, and he rarely had a chance to connect with the ball.

Every time Rukawa Kaede and Miyagi Ryota cut into the paint, Shohoku's double-team would surge in like a tidal wave, with two or even three pairs of arms waving in front of them. Forget about scoring, they couldn't even pass the ball.

Akagi and Sakuragi in the paint weren't in much better shape. Hanagata was guarding Akagi, while Takano and Nagano were lurking nearby, ready to double-team him the moment the ball went inside.

Akagi had difficulty turning around, and Sakuragi couldn't even make a move to ask for the ball. It wasn't that he wasn't strong enough; it was that Shohoku's defense was too dense. Their zone defense was like a net, getting tighter and tighter.

Shohoku once again took control of the game's pace.

Fujima's every pass was like a knife, precisely piercing the gaps in Shohoku's defense.

With each short cut to the basket, Hanagata faced Miyagi's defense, using his height to attack low, and his shots were all calm and unhurried, allowing the point difference to slowly but steadily widen.

The Shohoku players started to get impatient. Miyagi dribbled the ball across half-court.

Mitsui's off-ball runs involved several more back-and-forth movements than before, to the point of wasting energy.

Rukawa started trying to force shots in one-on-two or even one-on-three situations, his stubbornness of "I'll do it myself" came out, but his shooting percentage was not high under double-team defense.

The numbers on the scoreboard jumped relentlessly.

In the stands, Coach Taoka lowered his voice, but the professionalism in his tone was unmistakable as he began to analyze Shoyo's offensive tactics for the Ryonan players around him.

"The core of Shohoku's offense is two people, Fujima and Hanagata."

Fujima is a top-tier point guard who possesses the ability to penetrate, shoot threes, and organize the offense; there's no one else like him in Kanagawa.

Shinichi Maki is strong enough, but he can't shoot three-pointers, and he rarely shoots two-pointers either. The same goes for Miyagi.

Among centers, Hanagata is a center who can shoot, facilitate, and handle the ball in the high post. If you give him a step, he'll shoot at you; if you stick close, he'll get past you.

Especially after setting a screen for Fujima, he can cut short to the free-throw line and shoot over Miyagi's defense, or he can pass the ball to organize the offense.

Furthermore, when Akagi switches onto Fujima to defend, he's pulled out of the paint, allowing Hanagata to cut inside and finish the play.

"The two players' 15-pick-and-roll plus short-cut offensive system makes Miyagi a magnified vulnerability for Shohoku's current defense."

Yan Yi's notebook turned to a new page, the pen tip hovering on the paper without falling.

He understood the word "vulnerability," but he wanted to know why.

"After the pick-and-roll, Akagi faced a dilemma: follow the pick or not."

Without following up, Fujima took an open shot; his three-point shooting percentage ranks among the top five in the prefecture.

Following him out, Hanagata received the ball with a short cut and faced Miyagi. With a 20-centimeter height difference and a difference in wingspan, Hanagata simply raised his hand and shot; Miyagi couldn't even contest it.

Yan Yi's mouth was open, and the pen tip finally landed on the paper as he quickly took notes.

"Then... what if someone else provides backup defense, or switches to defend against the flower pattern?" Yan Yi raised his head and suggested a solution.

He had barely finished speaking when Fujima and Hanagata executed another pick-and-roll on the court. This time, Akagi followed and switched to defend Fujima.

We can't ignore him; Fujima's three-pointers are worth more than Hanagata's mid-range shots, so letting him shoot threes would be even more dangerous.

Hanagata cuts down to the free-throw line to receive the ball, and this time Sakuragi comes to the rescue from the weak side a step ahead.

Hanagata didn't force a shot; the ball bounced off his hands, bounced off the ground, and was accurately passed to Takano Shoichi, who was left wide open by Sakuragi. When Takano received the ball, the area under the basket was empty. He easily took two long strides to the basket, jumped, and scored a layup.

Taoka turned to look at Hikoichi, whose mouth was still open and whose pen was resting on the paper.

"That's it. If the other Shohoku players come to help defend, the open Shoyo players can easily attack the open basket by receiving the pass from Hanagata."

Hanagata's playmaking ability is amplified in this lineup. He's not the kind of center who can only finish plays; he can see open spaces and pass the ball accurately.

Yan Yi's mind raced, but the more he thought about it, the less he felt he could find a solution. His lips moved slightly, his voice barely audible, like a mosquito's buzz: "Then... is there no way for Shohoku to solve this?"

Taoka frowned, his gaze fixed on the court. Fujima once again had the ball at the top of the arc, and Hanagata once again pulled out from the inside.

Taoka didn't answer Hikoichi's question because he hadn't thought of a solution either. Shohoku wasn't Ryonan. If it were Ryonan, having Sendoh play point guard would solve the problem; Sendoh's height would at least be enough to defend against Hanagata's short-range shots.

Looking at Shohoku's bench, if it were Coach Anzai, how would he break this lineup?

On the other side of the stands, in the Hainan team's seats, Coach Gao Touli crossed his arms, his eyes narrowed into slits, his gaze passing through the lights and crowd on the field, landing on Xiangyang's formation.

His expression remained calm, but his scalp was tingling.

Shohoku's lineup system not only counters Shohoku, but also hard-counters the current Hainan.

Gao Tou mentally simulated the Hainan vs. Xiangyang match.

Hainan's perimeter defense relies on A-Shen and Maki Shinichi, while their interior defense depends on Takasago and Muto. A-Shen is a top-tier shooter, but can his defensive footwork keep up with Fujima's drives?

Maki Shinichi is strong at breaking through and organizing, but his long-range shooting is not good. If Shohoku uses Hasegawa, who is tall and has a long reach, to interfere with his passing lanes and uses zone defense to block his breakthrough space, can he still play with his usual efficiency?

The more Gao Tou thought about it, the more his head ached.

He thought for a long time and came to a conclusion that made him uncomfortable. There was no solution. It was a natural counter. With Xiangyang's five big men standing in the paint, Hainan's offensive system was largely neutralized.

Furthermore, the pick-and-roll offensive system of Hanagata and Fujima is difficult for Hainan to defend. Maki might be able to barely stop Hanagata's short-cut layups, but he can't stop the playmaking. With Fujima's agility, it wouldn't be too difficult for him to shake off Takasago.

Unless unconventional methods are used to remove either Fujima or Hanagata from the court, Hainan's offense will suffer the same fate as Shohoku's, crashing and burning against Shoyo's zone defense and pick-and-roll offense.

Gao Tou's mouth moved slightly, the sound was not loud, but A Shen and Qing Tian next to him heard it.

"If Shohoku doesn't find a way to counter this, Shoyo will win this game."

The point difference on the court was like a tap that had been turned on, gushing outwards. From fifteen points to eighteen points, from eighteen points to twenty points.

Coach Taoka looked at Shohoku's bench again.

Coach Anzai sat in his chair, his arms clasped in front of his round belly, his expression as calm as still water. He didn't call a timeout, didn't make any substitutions, and didn't even stand up.

Taoka's brows furrowed even more.

"Still not calling a timeout? Or... Coach Anzai hasn't thought of a solution either?"