Chapter 1 Van Gundy Can't See the Future

Van Gundy couldn't see the barrages of comments that would appear twenty years later, so naturally, he didn't replace Ward.

In the first quarter, after seven minutes of play, he did pull "Grandma" Johnson off the court first.

Seeing this, Su Feng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

*Phew*, Johnson's big butt, getting arched by that really hurt.

Van Gundy replaced him with Starks, planning to use Houston to match up against Su Feng.

With Starks on the court, the Knicks had much more space, and Ewing scored continuously inside.

It's worth mentioning that Ewing's chest-thumping after each basket seemed to be expressing his painful experience in the first quarter.

In the first quarter, the 76ers, playing away, led the Knicks by 6 points with a score of 28-22.

Davis praised the players' performance during the break, because the Knicks were recognized as a "strong" team during this period.

In Davis's view, this 76ers team could not only win against weaklings, but also against strong teams like the Knicks.

Su Feng didn't shatter Davis's beautiful fantasy.

As an obedient and sensible player, Su Feng knew that Davis, this tool man, needed confidence right now.

In the second quarter, Van Gundy used Johnson to lead the team. "Grandma" was unstoppable, scoring 8 consecutive points for the Knicks.

At this time, Van Gundy's expression was much more relaxed.

In Su Feng's previous life, Van Gundy liked to put pressure on players when he got nervous. The Knicks players were always on edge when playing, and they often underperformed.

Speaking of which, Stakhouse, who had received many hints from Su Feng before, didn't even need Su Feng to remind him this time. He stood up consciously and had a deep eye contact with Davis!

Davis nodded and approved Stakhouse's request to play.

However, Stakhouse performed poorly tonight, making only 2 of 6 shots. By the time Su Feng and Iverson were ready to return to the court, the 76ers had already been overtaken by the Knicks.

38 to 40.

On the court, Van Gundy continued his magical operations.

Because he took "Grandma" off again.

Johnson, who led the bench to overtake the score in the second quarter, was stunned when he was substituted and quickly pointed to himself.

Van Gundy nodded straightforwardly.

Larry Johnson's heart was breaking.

At this moment, he really wanted to tell Van Gundy, I've sweated for the Knicks, I've contributed to the Knicks!

Van Gundy believed that Johnson couldn't keep up with Su Feng, so Houston's defensive effect would be better.

Honestly, there was nothing wrong with this theory.

It's just...

In Su Feng's view, Jeff, you should replace Oakley!

But the stubborn Van Gundy firmly believed that replacing Oakley would definitely affect the team's defensive intensity, so he wouldn't replace him even if he was beaten to death.

In this way, Witherspoon couldn't be happier.

Because in fact, Witherspoon's defense wasn't good.

The reason why he looked so good on the defensive end today was entirely because Oakley didn't have much output on the offensive end.

When it came to comparing elbow strength, Witherspoon was good at that.

On the court, the 76ers launched another small run. Iverson attacked, and when Iverson was tired, he gave Su Feng a one-on-one opportunity on the wing.

Facing Houston, Su Feng didn't compete with him in running, because this guy was also a tireless runner.

Tonight, Iverson was feeling good, so Su Feng's main responsibility was to use his "artillery-style" mid-range shots to share the pressure for Iverson.

In the second half of the second quarter, Witherspoon also gained confidence, scoring twice in the Knicks' interior.

Van Gundy still couldn't figure out why the Knicks' iron-blooded defense didn't work against the 76ers.

In fact, the reason was very simple, because the 76ers made a lot of three-pointers tonight, and the Knicks players would naturally lean out involuntarily when defending.

Big Ben didn't have offensive ability, but Ewing couldn't stand in the paint all the time, because the NBA wasn't FIBA.

If Van Gundy had the ability to adapt on the spot, he wouldn't be far from being a legendary coach.

In the second quarter, when the 76ers launched a run, Van Gundy hurriedly called a timeout, and then kept reminding the players:

"We are a team that is going to compete for the championship!", "We can't fall here!", "Think about it, how will the media criticize us if we lose to the 76ers?"......

After Van Gundy kept giving them pressure, the Knicks players were like a pressure cooker at the moment, and they might explode at any time.

And the 76ers were getting more and more relaxed, especially in the last moment of the second quarter, when the 76ers played the last attack, Iverson used his signature crossover.

Ward fell in response, and the fans at the scene chanted Iverson's nickname "Answer", hitting the Knicks players in the face hard.

At the end of the first half, the 76ers regained the lead with a score of 58-50.

During the intermission, the Knicks fans at the scene were mostly discussing the 'Golden Double Guns'.

Handsome and fun to watch, the arrogant and prejudiced New Yorkers had obviously forgotten their own "star lineup" and cast envious eyes on the 76ers' camp.

In the third quarter, with the team in a critical situation, Van Gundy placed all his hopes on Ewing.

It's a pity that Ewing, no matter how great he was, was still human.

Big Ben adopted the same defensive model as Su Feng, which was to wear people down.

Although he was miserably used as a background board in the first quarter, Ewing did perform okay, but it was only the third quarter, and Ewing had already taken 20 shots...

Wasn't this trying to tire Ewing to death?

The more Ewing played, the lower his efficiency became, and the less confident he became, while Van Gundy kept putting pressure on Ewing:

"You are our trump card!", "Think about the failures you've experienced in the past, turn grief into strength!", "As long as you play more decisively, we will definitely win tonight"...

Ewing, burdened with the idol baggage, completely collapsed.

Because he was facing a Ben Wallace who had been injected with a confidence buff by Su Feng.

"Relax, Ben, you are facing a super center, look, I was also beaten by Michael." Whenever there was a chance, Su Feng would go to relieve Ben Wallace's pressure.

Seriously, shouldn't the 76ers consider giving themselves an extra salary?

Who knows how much Su Feng has paid behind the scenes!

But Su Feng's efforts were worth it.

Because the 76ers didn't give the Knicks a chance to turn the game around.

For teams like the Knicks, once they fell behind, it was difficult to catch up relying on Van Gundy's offensive tactics.

In Su Feng's previous life, the reason why the Yao-McGrady era under Van Gundy always made people feel suffocated was that it was difficult to turn the game around in a tailwind, and there was still a possibility of being turned over in a headwind.

109 to 95. At the moment the game ended, Van Gundy looked at the scoreboard and felt depressed.

Because he could understand losing, but the team losing 109 points was absurd in his opinion.

Iverson once again proved his status as the top pick in this game, making 13 of 20 shots, including 5 of 9 three-pointers, and 6 of 8 free throws, scoring 37 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals.

Su Feng made 7 of 13 shots, including 3 of 5 three-pointers, with no free throws, scoring 17 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, and 2 steals.

Big Ben proved his value on the defensive end. Although he didn't score, he had 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.

After the game, NBC selected Su Feng's dunk over Ewing into the top five plays in advance and played it repeatedly.

Affected by the national live broadcast, Su Feng became a little popular again.

And then...

This dunk pierced the heart of a certain youth who was burying his head in hard training!

Ah, damn it!

He actually dunked over Ewing!

There was no way, even if Kobe turned off his phone and didn't read the news, he couldn't avoid knowing about it.

Because in the Lakers team, O'Neal had been teasing Ewing about it, saying that Ewing was too useless and was actually dunked on by a rookie.

This kind of dunk, honestly, would be made into a GIF and sent out even twenty years later.

Blame Ewing for being too active in defense.

If he had taken a step back at that time, he would have been criticized for his poor defense at most.

But, who asked him to be so conscious of being a background board?

……

After defeating the Knicks, the 76ers actually achieved a three-game winning streak that was unbelievable to Philadelphia fans!

It had to be said that the Knicks really had a tradition of sending warmth.

Especially Su Feng's dunk over Ewing, which became a topic of conversation for Philadelphia fans.

"The Golden Double Guns must have been sent by God to save us!"

It must be like this!

And as the behind-the-scenes hero who accidentally chose the "Golden Double Guns", Pat Krause finally finalized the trade involving Witherspoon after a long argument with the Pistons' management.

The Pistons' management agreed to exchange Theo Ratliff and Kenny Smith for Witherspoon.

Su Feng learned of this news after returning to Philadelphia.

At that time, Witherspoon was stunned when he learned that he, who had been performing extremely well recently, had been traded by the team...

"My Westbrook, is this really to form an iron-blooded team to protect Iverson?"

Seeing this trade, Su Feng couldn't help but think of another trade in his previous life for the 76ers.

Because in the 97/98 season, the 76ers sent out Stakhouse in exchange for Ratliff and Aaron McKie.

Witherspoon's status was certainly not comparable to Stakhouse's, because no matter how much he padded his stats, he was not the No. 3 pick in '95, Jordan's junior.

So this time, the Pistons only agreed to give Kenny Smith, who was about to retire and become a commentator, to the 76ers as an attachment.

However, as Su Feng, who possessed the vision of time travel, he knew that the 76ers had definitely made a profit this time.

Theo Ratliff.

Younger fans may be unfamiliar with this name, but for Su Feng, this "Human Iverson Encyclopedia," he was very familiar with Ratliff.

Three-time NBA block champion, twice selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, an interior player who would enter the All-Star game in the future with his defense.

In Su Feng's previous life, the 76ers used him to trade for Mutombo after cultivating Ratliff for a few years, and then made it to the Finals in one fell swoop.

The reason why Ratliff was not valued in the Pistons was that Doug Collins preferred to use Thorpe in the same position.

In the 97/98 season, Ratliff, who averaged only 6.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in the Pistons, saw his stats soar to 11.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks after coming to the 76ers.

Moreover, unlike Big Ben, who lacked offensive ability, Ratliff's mid-range shot, although not excellent, was somewhat accurate.

With him and Iverson pick-and-rolling, Iverson's threat on the offensive end would be greater in the future.

At that time, Big Ben only needed to be responsible for screening for himself on the wing, and go for offensive rebounds when attacking.

Pat Krause was truly a god!

Because he stumbled and pieced together a good team for the 76ers, could you believe it?

Who said Krause didn't understand basketball?

This guy was simply a "basketball expert"!

……

Not long after the 76ers completed the trade, Witherspoon left unhappily with his luggage.

And he also said that classic line for Stakhouse: "There's nothing wrong with going to Detroit, because there, there's no ball-hogging point guard!"

Among the public, there were not a few who were pessimistic about this trade by the 76ers, after all, not everyone had the vision of time travel.

Judging from the data, Witherspoon was a solid quasi-All-Star power forward, and Ratliff?

"If Pat Krause doesn't understand basketball, please stop messing around!" Even the local media in Philadelphia expressed their dissatisfaction with the team's management.

After all, the 76ers had a good start to the new season. In the eyes of most people, why mess with it?

Krause, who realized later that the public opinion was not good after returning to Philadelphia, panicked a little and hurriedly found Davis to discuss.

Fortunately, Davis's answer gave Krause confidence.

"Trust me, we don't need Clarence right now, Theo's arrival will strengthen our interior defense."

Krause nodded and asked, "But many people are starting to worry about our offense."

Davis, who had been getting more and more ideas lately, smiled. "Don't worry, we have a killer on our bench."

Killer?

Krause was a little confused.

Where did we get a bench killer on our team?

……

On the 13th, the 76ers lost to the Raptors on a back-to-back, ending their three-game winning streak.

Ratliff and Smith wouldn't arrive until tomorrow, and Witherspoon had already left the team. With the team missing a main player, plus a back-to-back trip to Toronto, the 76ers failed to beat the Raptors in this game.

However, in this game, the 76ers formed a small grudge with the Raptors...

Perhaps because Iverson, the No. 1 pick, had been too flashy lately, Camby looked at Iverson disdainfully after blocking Iverson during the game against the 76ers.

At that time, it was fortunate that Su Feng pulled Iverson and Ben Wallace away in time, saving Camby's life.

Oh my god!

Camby-san, who couldn't you have provoked, you actually dared to provoke Philadelphia "183"?

Didn't you know that in the NBA, the "183s" have never had good tempers?

"Su, the next time we play the Raptors, I will definitely destroy them." After the game, Iverson said angrily.

At this moment, Su Feng supported his forehead with one hand...

Alright, the Raptors chose a good target. In the previous life, it was Kobe who slayed the dragon. I wonder how many points Iverson will score when he slays the dragon in this life?

……

On the 14th, the 76ers rested in the morning and trained in the afternoon.

Ratliff walked into the 76ers training gym with a training bag, looking dazed.

However, Kenny Smith was very seasoned and greeted the 76ers players as soon as he entered the door.

"Hey, Su, I've seen that dunk you had over Ewing, it was so cool!"

Smith smiled as he patted Su Feng on the shoulder, then turned to look at Iverson and said, "Allen, your touch has been great in the last few games, you are really the pride of us little guys!"

However, Kenny Smith's flattery was destined to fall flat this time, because Iverson was in a bad mood after losing to the Raptors yesterday.

Su Feng knew that Kenny Smith's achievements in the commentary business in the future would not be worse than in the basketball field, so in order to avoid having one less Su hater in the future, Su Feng chatted happily with Smith.

And Su Feng's words and deeds also surprised Smith.

Because this really didn't seem like an 18-year-old!

In a trance, Smith felt that he was chatting with Hakeem Olajuwon, with Drexler...

No, I'm afraid even 'The Dream' and 'The Glide' couldn't match the EQ of this kid in front of him.

Smith, who had a wealth of experience, felt that Su Feng would definitely achieve great things in the future. He decided to hold on to Su Feng's elbow before retiring and spend the twilight years of his career in peace.

And Ratliff, who was still dazed, quickly integrated into the team under the leadership of Big Ben.

The communication between these two black, tough guys was simply crude and straightforward.

Big Ben looked at Ratliff and said, "Hey, I heard you're good at blocking shots, wanna practice?"

Ratliff put down his sports bag and replied, "Practice it is!"

So, the two of them became good friends after working out for an hour.

Ratliff felt that Ben Wallace's strength was a monster, while Big Ben thought that the person in front of him had a divine sense of anticipation.

Su Feng couldn't stand it anymore.

He thought to himself, what do you two call one-on-one?

With Big Ben's negative-point offense, if Ratliff couldn't anticipate it, then he should pack his bags and go home.

Su Feng glanced at Stakhouse, who was standing aside watching the show. "Jerry, it's been a long time since we had a one-on-one, let's play a round!"

"......"

Stakhouse looked sad and indignant.

Although Witherspoon, the big bookie, was gone, as long as someone was willing to bet, anyone could be the bookie.

Smith felt that the team atmosphere of the 76ers was poisonous.

Why were they all dragging their teammates to death?

Fortunately, he was already old and feeble, and no one should be interested in him...

"Hey, you've won two championships, let's play a game of one-on-one, give me some pointers."

Because he felt that he had just been ridiculed by Smith, Iverson walked towards Smith with a basketball in his arms on the other half of the court.

Smith: "......"

Okay, it seems this was a way for the 76ers to welcome new teammates?

Ten minutes later, Smith was defeated by Iverson.

He was no longer the him of two years ago, how could he be Iverson's opponent?

Pat Krause chose Smith as a bonus because, in Krause's view, Smith had the aura of a championship player and could help this young 76ers team in the locker room.

On the other side, Su Feng and Stakhouse were engaged in close hand-to-hand combat.

Su Feng knew that after this trade, it was about time for Stakhouse to go to the bench.

Therefore, when he was one-on-one with Stakhouse, Su Feng kept hinting at this guy.

And just as the 76ers were happily welcoming their new teammates, in Los Angeles...

In the city rivalry with the Clippers, the Lakers easily won.

Kobe got 10 minutes of playing time, making 2 of 5 shots, and 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 6 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist.

Looking at the schedule, at the upcoming game with the 76ers, Kobe felt extremely uncomfortable...

The thought of Su Feng ridiculing himself, this water dispenser manager, as a starter, was unacceptable to Kobe.

"Su, you wait! I will definitely... definitely become a Lakers starter before playing against you!"

That day, after the Lakers training, Kobe also issued a one-on-one request to Eddie Jones.

At this time, Jones, who knew nothing about Kobe, didn't think much about it and accepted Kobe's one-on-one request with a smile...

……

ps: Finally solved! Third update, fifteen thousand words! See you tomorrow afternoon, handsome readers! Also, there are too many rewards, can I open a separate chapter to thank you all after the update tomorrow? Otherwise, there are not enough words...