in2ebook Chapter 27 The Ability to Lead a Team
Chapter 27 The Ability to Lead a Team
Three points, in!
Instantly, applause erupted throughout the venue.
Green's way of running back after scoring without even checking the result shows too much confidence.
But strangely, the Suns' bench fell silent.
They had a clear view of their positions just now. The ball was originally going out of bounds, but Booker touched it, which allowed Green to receive the ball.
This is so similar to Green's dunk before; it seems that both were assisted by Booker's own goal.
This has happened twice already. Are they both just coincidences?
Monty held out his hand and asked for a pause.
The Rockets scored 5 straight points, which was a bad sign, and he had to do something.
On the Rockets' side, Green bumped chests with Wang Xiucheng, then sat on the bench with a smile on his face. That was a really enjoyable game!
Wang Xiucheng took the towel and water and took a deep breath.
He was also frightened!
"Anticipatory passing" is far more powerful than it seems; it can even anticipate the opponent's movements and then give the passing instruction.
When Wang Xiucheng has the ball, if there is a situation where he can intervene with an "anticipated pass", a green line will appear in front of him.
If you pass the ball along its trajectory before the green line turns red, the basketball will be successfully passed to an open teammate.
This is only at the expert level. If it were upgraded to the master level, Wang Xiucheng couldn't imagine how incredible the anticipation and passing would be.
Wang Xiucheng felt that he couldn't use this ability too often, otherwise it would be hard to explain why it always happened so coincidentally.
The timeout ended quickly, and neither side made any adjustments. Both head coaches had complete faith in their players.
The Suns were on offense, and Paul was still in control of the ball. This time, he lobbed the ball into the paint to Ayton.
However, Ayton failed to hold onto the ball, and Tate easily stole it.
Tate, after receiving the ball, dribbled while observing the positions of the players on the court.
Upon reaching the frontcourt, he handed the ball to Green, and then Tate blocked Paul next to Wang Xiucheng.
Wang Xiucheng received the ball from Green instantly and slowed down, seemingly also observing the situation on the court.
Apart from Wang Xiucheng guarding Paul, everyone else started running, looking for opportunities.
With a full 10 seconds left and the shot clock about to expire, Wang Xiucheng suddenly accelerated past Paul, entered the three-point line, and jumped up to shoot.
Ayton rushed over and jumped high to block the shot.
Paul, standing behind, subconsciously narrowed his eyes.
If it were him, he would pass the ball to Shen Jing under the basket at that moment.
Wang Xiucheng made the same choice as he had expected; with a flick of his wrist, the basketball flew into Shen Jing's hands.
Shen Jing easily jumped up and slammed the ball down, scoring two points.
Paul looked at Wang Xiucheng's back. He was a bit taller than him, but not strong. Apart from his good looks, Paul could hardly see any other merits in Wang Xiucheng.
But sometimes, you only truly understand what kind of person your opponent is after you've fought them.
A good defender must be able to create open spaces for his teammates.
Wang Xiucheng has just demonstrated his ability in this area.
He certainly has the potential to become a top point guard.
But it's only a "possibility," because in Paul's view, Wang Xiucheng doesn't yet have the ability to shoot three-pointers.
Fortunately, Wang Xiucheng is young enough to have enough time to make up for it.
But you need to meet a mentor to succeed.
Is Silas the talent scout?
Paul wasn't sure; he didn't know this "rookie" coach.
His concern for Wang Xiucheng stemmed solely from his past experience playing for the Rockets, even though the memories weren't pleasant.
The game continued, and the Suns, guided by Paul, gradually regained control.
Booker scored 7 points in a row with drives and shots, while Bridges and Ayton also contributed points, allowing the Suns to extend their lead to 10 points at one point.
With Wang Xiucheng orchestrating the offense, the Rockets' scoring was not inferior to that of the Suns, who had many star players.
However, their defense was completely disorganized and they were unable to effectively contain a key player like Booker.
At the end of the first quarter, after a back-and-forth offensive battle, the Suns led the Rockets 36-30, a six-point advantage.
The main strategy for both sides is to see whoever is on the defensive is the one who loses.
The Suns seemed to have a decent lead, but if you break down the game, the score after Wang Xiucheng came on was 18-20.
The Rockets are still leading by two points.
Paul had 4 assists in the first quarter, and Wang Xiucheng also had 4 assists.
Penguin Live Room.
Yang Yi is analyzing Wang Xiucheng's ability to provide assists.
"It's clear that Wang Xiucheng's basketball IQ is on par with Paul's. He organizes the team very well. We can fully expect that we will soon have our own Paul... no, our own Magic Johnson."
The term "Magician" was used for the first time by a basketball commentator, but no one found it laughable or presumptuous.
Upon hearing this title, Ma Jian excitedly took over the conversation, saying, "I think that's not just football IQ, it's leadership."
"Wang Xiucheng's control of the game's rhythm, his utilization of space, and his understanding of his teammates' habits are leading the team to improve their overall football intelligence."
Ma Jian's evaluation was undeniably high, but neither the host Wang Meng nor Yang Yi felt that his words were excessive.
That's exactly right. Green, who seemed to just charge around mindlessly in the previous few games, looked like a completely different person today, with frighteningly high efficiency.
Despite being criticized by Rockets fans for exaggerating his height and having an excessively long neck, Shen Jing has consistently made offensive contributions, proving himself to be no less capable than the 18 number one draft pick, Dunborg.
The change was simply replacing Porter Jr. with Wang Xiucheng.
The second quarter began quickly, and Wang Xiucheng was still on the court.
The content of the game was somewhat different from the first quarter.
Under Wang Xiucheng's orchestration, the Rockets' offense remained sharp.
The Suns seemed to be in a scoring drought, especially after Paul Booker went to the bench, their scoring was like constipation.
The Rockets had the same roster and the same defensive intensity, but the Suns just couldn't score.
This really worried Sylas.
Are you playing me?
Do you really think I'm afraid to win?
Two minutes later, when the Rockets were up 57-40, Silas finally made a change.
With a wave of his hand, Silas replaced Wang Xiucheng, and Little Potter returned to the field.
The competition is finally back on track.
At the end of the second quarter, the Suns trailed the Rockets 55-61, by only 6 points.
Yes, it's "only lagging behind".
Throughout the second quarter, the Rockets outscored their opponents 31-20, a score that left fans in disbelief.
If Silas hadn't made timely adjustments, the score would have been unwatchable.
Intermission.
The Penguin Live room fell silent for a moment.
Wang Meng and Yang Yi didn't know how to start the conversation.
Silas clearly doesn't want to win.
But your acting was way too much.
Looking at the computer in front of him, Ma Jian spoke first: "Wang Xiucheng played for 14 minutes and 41 seconds, scoring 4 points and 7 assists."
“However,” Ma Jian changed the subject, “the plus or minus value is +25.”
When this data was presented, even Ma Jian himself was startled, and even doubted whether the statistics from the front line were wrong.
This means that the Rockets beat their opponents by 25 points when Wang Xiucheng was on the court.
Silas, you've ruined China!
Ma Jian couldn't help but think of the most frequently appearing phrase in the bullet comments.
At first he thought it was a bit of an exaggeration, but now it seems that it really is true.
If Wang Xiucheng weren't with the Rockets, he would have been groomed as a core player long ago.
In the Rockets' locker room, everyone noticed something was wrong.
But no one said anything, and some even thought it was normal.
The Rockets' goal this season is to continue tanking; this is the owner's absolute order, and Silas certainly wouldn't dare to disobey.
They dared not do it again. From the moment Harden left, the Rockets had become Fertitta's team.
So even if someone felt indignant on Wang Xiu's behalf, they wouldn't dare to speak out, at least not openly.
Wang Xiucheng, on the other hand, didn't care at all; he was eating the fruit the team had prepared to replenish his energy.
For Wang Xiucheng, the team's performance is not important, nor is his playing time.
As long as you demonstrate your abilities, that's enough.
If other teams offer him a big contract at the end of this season, he will definitely leave without hesitation.
"Alright, the second half is about to begin, everyone, let's do our best!" Silas was the first to raise his fist.
Everyone placed their fists on top of it and shouted "Go for it!" together.
Everyone knows that the meaning of "cheer up" is to act more realistically so that the league office doesn't find out.