Chapter 149 The Raptors' Core

On the 8th, the Air Canada Centre was packed.

Although basketball wasn't the most beloved sport in Canada, the Raptors' rise this season had ignited a basketball craze throughout the country.

For the first time in their history, the Raptors had made the playoffs, and now they were the hope of all Canadians.

In the stands, Raptors owner Chad watched the game with his elaborately dressed female companion.

From being the worst team in the league last season to the best this season...

On the court, as star players like Su Feng, Jordan, and Carter were introduced, the entire arena erupted in deafening cheers.

Unable to express their excitement, Canadian fans decided to support their team in the most fervent way possible.

Far away in New York, Stern, watching the game through text updates, took a small sip of coffee, feeling "underwhelmed" upon hearing the viewership ratings reported by his subordinates.

Back in Toronto, after the teams finished warming up, the big screen displayed the starting lineups for tonight's game.

Knicks: Thomas, Johnson, Houston, Sprewell, Ward.

Raptors: Big Ben, Jordan, Su Feng, Carter, Nash.

Just as Su Feng had hinted to Davis before the game, with Ewing sidelined, Van Gundy, in a stroke of inspiration, indeed fielded a small lineup against the Raptors.

In Su Feng's previous life, although Ewing's injury occurred slightly later, the Knicks' key to their improbable eighth-seed success lay in the outstanding performances of Johnson, Houston, Sprewell, and others.

Again, it was a case of:

Basketball isn't a sport where simply overpowering your opponent guarantees victory.

The Knicks, full of fighting spirit, were a team worth respecting in Su Feng's eyes.

At center court, Big Ben and Thomas jumped to start the game.

Thomas, at 206cm, was an athletic and excellent blue-collar player, and his wingspan allowed him to reach the ball first.

The Knicks launched the first attack, with Ward dribbling past half-court and passing to Sprewell.

The Raptors assigned Su Feng to guard Sprewell tonight.

On TNT, Smith commented, "Su is truly the backbone of the Raptors.

On offense, he always faces the opponent's best perimeter defender, and then he has to guard the opponent's strongest offensive perimeter player."

His broadcast partner, Derek, chimed in, "And that's not all, Kenny.

Because of the Raptors' switch-everything defensive strategy, Su often has to retreat to the paint to support Ben and Michael."

See? This is what professional commentary is all about.

Thanks to Smith and Derek's insightful analysis, Su Feng's brilliance was amplified.

Before the game, Su Feng had used the system to check Sprewell's stats.

Aside from marveling at how the NBA was a league of supermen, what else could Su Feng say?

Sprewell had the physique of a superstar.

On the court, Sprewell singled out Su Feng on the wing, and Su Feng decisively retreated.

In basketball, the offense has the initiative, so the defense can't achieve complete lockdown.

Su Feng knew that Sprewell, nicknamed "Mad Dog," was an inconsistent player. If he didn't go crazy, his threat would be greatly reduced.

As for pressuring him?

Wake up.

True experts always vary their defensive intensity.

Su Feng wouldn't stick to Sprewell like glue.

That would only make it easier for Sprewell to find space to drive.

Clang!

See? Under Su Feng's one-on-one defense, Sprewell's shot clanked off the rim.

In the paint, Big Ben had put away his usual lightheartedness from the regular season.

Facing Thomas's attempt to grab the rebound, Big Ben extended his iron elbows and snatched the ball into his arms.

The Raptors went on the attack.

Van Gundy's small lineup allowed the Knicks to keep up with the Raptors' transition offense.

So, unable to launch a fast break, Nash patted his head, signaling Su Feng to come set a pick.

Although Ward went around Su Feng, Su Feng received Nash's pass and launched his trademark unreasonable three-pointer.

Davis's tactics allowed for this kind of free-flowing play.

Unlike Carter, the third option, these opportunities were already "open looks" for Su Feng.

With a better offensive environment this season, Su Feng could easily reach 40% three-point accuracy if he controlled his shot selection.

But that would greatly diminish Su Feng's threat and disrupt the team's offensive rhythm.

In Su Feng's previous life, Stephen Curry was a good example.

If Curry had been more reasonable, he could have joined the "50-40-90 club" for many consecutive years, but he wouldn't have drawn so much defensive attention.

However, while Su Feng shot quickly, the ball hit the rim and was grabbed by Johnson.

The Knicks countered.

Van Gundy, having copied Davis's homework, also allowed the Knicks to seize transition opportunities.

However, Sprewell was stopped by Su Feng once again.

Sprewell rarely encountered a player who was both faster and stronger than him, and for a moment, the "Mad Dog" didn't know what to do with Su Feng.

Helpless, Sprewell passed the ball back to Ward.

Houston, meanwhile, used Johnson's screen to slip from the baseline to the wing.

This was a classic NBA wing screen play.

Before Ewing's injury, the Knicks rarely ran this play, but after Ewing was sidelined, Van Gundy realized that Houston could provide a great return if given more plays.

Carter's defensive ability wasn't as good as Su Feng's, and Houston hit a mid-range shot one step inside the three-point line.

2-0.

The Knicks, taking the initiative, were a completely different team from the one swept 2-0 by the Raptors in the regular season.

On TNT, Smith said, "Vince needs to learn more about defense from Su and Michael, because you can't just have offense to be a superstar."

Perhaps Carter heard Smith's comments.

With Su and Jordan drawing attention, Carter had an open look from the corner.

See? This was the chain reaction from Su Feng's decisive first shot.

Because Su Feng and Jordan were the type of players who would shoot if you gave them a one-on-one opportunity, Carter's offensive environment this season was extremely comfortable.

Swish!

2-3.

Carter's three-pointer instantly ignited the atmosphere at the Air Canada Centre.

It was the Raptors' first basket in NBA playoff history.

After the basket, Carter glanced at Houston with an arrogant expression.

The Knicks attacked.

Seemingly provoked by Carter, Houston continued to run along the baseline.

Just as Carter caught up to Houston, Houston suddenly stopped and executed a brilliant cut.

Without exaggeration, Su Feng wouldn't have been fooled.

Having used his movement to outwit Jordan countless times in the past, Su Feng knew exactly what shooters were thinking when they moved.

However, the young Carter had to pay for his arrogance.

Swish!

Houston hit another mid-range shot.

4-3.

Honestly, although he had copied Davis's homework, Van Gundy was still toxic in Su Feng's eyes.

Because these mid-range shots inside the three-point line...

Were "too efficient."

On the court, the Knicks scored on consecutive possessions, while Su Feng and Jordan were closely guarded on offense.

Houston was tasked with sticking to Su Feng, while Sprewell was ready to help Houston.

On the other side, "Grandmama" was battling Jordan's elbows with his big butt.

The Knicks were using a "fake zone defense" tonight, but it had many holes compared to the past.

Ewing might have been ugly, but to say that his absence didn't affect the Knicks' defensive system would be a lie.

Nash read the Knicks' defensive intentions and drove past Ward.

In Su Feng's previous life, Nash excelled at this left-handed drive.

A left-handed drive without even a dribble fake.

Nash, nicknamed "The Wind," had excellent ball-handling skills. He sped into the Knicks' paint and scored with a low layup.

4-5.

No one expected Carter and Nash, rather than Su Feng and Jordan, to step up at the start of the game.

But that's what Su Feng and Davis wanted for the Raptors.

Having leveled up during the lockout season, the current Raptors had clearly improved since the start of the regular season.

With role players relieving the pressure on the two stars, Su Feng and Jordan could focus on developing in the jungle...

Ah, no, they could focus on the defensive end.

Despite being 36 years old, Jordan, who had gained weight, was holding his own against "Grandmama."

Many fans thought the Raptors were an offensive team.

But in reality, good defense was the foundation of their offense.

In the playoffs, Su and Jordan, one inside and one outside, would be a nightmare for many teams.

Sprewell attacked again, but after barely squeezing past Su Feng, he was blocked by Jordan.

Before Wade broke Jordan's record, Michael Jordan was known as the best shot-blocking guard in the NBA.

The Knicks inbounded the ball, and "Grandmama's" hook shot missed the basket as time ran out.

Big Ben grabbed the rebound again, and the Knicks couldn't stop the Raptors' counterattack.

Su Feng, racing towards the Knicks' zone, received Nash's pass and threw down a one-handed dunk.

4-7.

The fans at the Air Canada Centre, seeing the team's star dunk the first dunk in the team's playoff history, made airplane gestures and cheered like airplane engines.

On the Knicks' bench, Van Gundy had finally found the answer to the question that had plagued him for years.

Whether it was the 76ers or the Raptors...

What truly troubled Van Gundy wasn't the tactics.

It was Su Feng.

In Van Gundy's eyes, Davis's tactics were nonsensical, but leading the Knicks against the Raptors last season wasn't so difficult.

Recently, Van Gundy had been increasingly alarmed as he studied Su Feng.

After deeply analyzing Su Feng's stats and performances, he reached a shocking conclusion.

Although Su Feng's dominance wasn't as obvious as Shaq's, his impact on the court was terrifying.

On offense, even though Carter's overall shooting percentage was three points higher, Su Feng's contested shots, without exaggeration, wouldn't have the same accuracy if given to Carter.

Defense affects an offensive player's feel, so Su Feng had never played a game where he could fully focus on offense.

In a way, Su Feng and Jordan were the same type of player.

Even if Su Feng hadn't reached Jordan's heights, what would happen in a few years?

Also, Van Gundy thought Su Feng's future might be even brighter than Jordan's.

Some casual fans might criticize Su Feng's three-point percentage of less than 40% this season, but for this era...

Given that Su Feng's unreasonable, almost random three-point attempts accounted for most of his shots, his accuracy was still above 38%. How terrifying was that?

Even in the future, 38% three-point accuracy wouldn't be low.

Reality wasn't a video game, nor was it someone's fantasy.

Even counting the future, how many players in NBA history could shoot so many wild threes with such accuracy?

Su Feng had read many basketball novels in his previous life where the protagonist easily joined the 50-40-90 club, especially a novel called Lin Yi where the protagonist stayed in the club throughout his career.

But in reality, how easy was it to stay in the 50-40-90 club as a superstar?

Wake up, this was the NBA!

The defense-oriented NBA of the 90s.

On the court, just as Van Gundy was feeling Su Feng's terror, his thoughts came true.

Reality and manga were different. Even if Van Gundy was bald, his "invincibility" was limited.

Slap!

Sprewell, impatient and unable to completely beat Su Feng, tried to force his way inside, and then...

That was the end of it.

Su Feng stole the ball from Sprewell, and the Raptors quickly launched a counterattack.

Swish!

Su Feng scored on a fast-break three.

5-10.

Jordan, knowing how much effort Su Feng put into his three-point shooting, couldn't help but marvel.

Like Su Feng, he used a two-motion shooting form and knew its flaws.

Hard work was the key to Su Feng's excellent touch before unlocking the higher levels of the Sharpshooter badge.

That was one reason why Su Feng had gradually won Jordan over.

Even Michael Jordan couldn't say he trained as hard as Su Feng.

In both his past and present lives, no two-motion shooter in the NBA dared to guarantee their three-point accuracy.

Even Kawhi Leonard, who put a lot of effort into three-point training, could only be consistent at times.

If the realistic shot-making system helped Su Feng overcome these natural limitations, how many people could work as hard as Su Feng?

You have to actively fight for opportunities.

Of course, those born into privilege were another matter.

At the Air Canada Centre, seeing the Raptors' hot start, Van Gundy called a timeout.

Since Ewing's injury, Van Gundy's brain had been working clearly.

After the timeout, Van Gundy stopped Sprewell's attacks and focused on Johnson and Houston.

Van Gundy knew that attacking Su Feng's defense this season was suicide.

Before the game, Van Gundy might have imagined Sprewell blowing past Su Feng.

But against Su Feng, who was cautious and prepared to play five games against the Knicks, Sprewell had no chance.

However...

Although Van Gundy's strategy was targeted.

Against the equally cautious Jordan, "Grandmama" couldn't do anything to the aging Jordan.

The naturally strong Jordan was a one-man fortress.

Jordan, who was willing to make various deals to win his sixth championship, wouldn't underestimate any playoff opponent.

Especially with the memory of the 76ers' eighth-seed upset still haunting him.

On the Raptors' bench, Davis looked at the Su Feng and Jordan duo and said,

"Never underestimate the opponent, and always give 100% in every game.

Experienced and steady, always step up in critical moments.

Reckless but brave, always daring to fight.

Excellent court vision, physically weak, but can organize the offense effectively.

Not afraid of hardship, always reliable on defense and rebounding.

Plus a group of excellent reserves...

That's the Toronto Raptors."

Looking at his players, Davis felt like the chosen one...

...

ps: The poor author has reduced another 200 yuan (the state is still recovering, 5000 words are back!)

ps2: Continue on the 18th! If I can't get back in shape, I'll reduce the money, nothing to say!