Su Xi shouted out two positions in Chinese. Wang Zhizhi was a player with a high basketball IQ.
He moved over in advance and arrived just as Tracy McGrady drove in, spreading his arms to obstruct him.
Tracy McGrady stopped short for a jump shot... Wade charged over and swatted the ball out of bounds with a loud SLAP!
Arican Airlines Center Arena erupted.
Wade was ecstatic. The dia always claid Tracy McGrady’s shot was unblockable.
"I did it, Jack! I did it, Jack!" Wade shouted excitedly toward Su Xi.
Su Xi gave him a thumbs-up.
Had it been any other superstar, they might have just laughed off Su Xi’s gesture.
But this was Tracy McGrady, the sensitive Tracy.
He was the type who couldn’t tolerate the slightest offense, and he saw Su Xi’s gesture as a deliberate provocation.
’Is this kid trying to provoke on purpose? Does he really think he can steal my All-Star starting spot this way? How laughable!’
Tracy McGrady caught the ball and imdiately shot from beyond the three-point line... CLANK!
A brick.
Wang Zhizhi grabbed the rebound, took a couple of dribbles, and passed it to Wade.
Stan Van Gundy stood on the sideline, nodding to himself.
He was very satisfied with Wang Zhizhi’s performance since he had entered the ga.
Just then, Wade brought the ball up the court.
Just as Wang Zhizhi was about to run toward the paint, Su Xi shouted from the sideline, "Pick and roll! Pick and roll!"
He instinctively glanced at Stan Van Gundy but decided to follow Su Xi’s advice. He moved quickly to the top of the arc, where Wade used his screen to drive, but he was imdiately double-tead by Gooden and Tyronn Lue.
Wade quickly passed it back to Wang Zhizhi, who took a shot from beyond the arc... SWISH!
It went in.
A beautiful shot!
So smooth!
Su Xi gave another thumbs-up.
The crowd at the Arican Airlines Center Arena cheered as well.
Stan Van Gundy turned around, feeling much more relaxed now. He couldn’t help but chat with Su Xi. "Jack, this countryman of yours is pretty good."
"Yes. If you run a fast-paced offense, you can totally use him as a wing threat at the three-spot," Su Xi said. "He’s a real mismatch weapon."
Su Xi’s words gave Stan Van Gundy a completely different idea.
’He’s right,’ he thought. ’There’s no rule that says a guy who’s 213 centiters barefoot has to play center.’
This one sentence from Su Xi changed Wang Zhizhi’s career.
That’s how it is with many things in life. A single, offhand comnt can trigger a massive chain reaction, like a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon Rainforest, never imagining that it could cause a tornado in Texas two weeks later.
Su Xi sat back down, careful not to upstage the coach.
However, Wang Zhizhi and Wade had found their chemistry.
They executed another beautiful trap on the wing, forcing Tyronn Lue into a bad pass. Eddie Jones ca up with the steal and crossed half-court for the final possession of the first quarter, but he missed the shot.
Wang Zhizhi played for a while longer in the second quarter, though he wasn’t as flashy as he had been in the first. However, Stan Van Gundy showed more patience this ti. He didn’t imdiately send him to the bench for a single defensive error caused by poor positioning. This allowed Wang to build his confidence, and he made up for his mistakes on the offensive end.
By the third quarter, the lead had grown significantly.
Stan Van Gundy even designed two special plays for Wang Zhizhi. One was a success: after setting a screen at the elbow, Wang Zhizhi made a curl cut along the baseline, catching a pass from Lamar Odom for a dunk. The other one failed: also after a screen at the elbow, he caught the ball and drove straight into the paint, only to get swatted by Howard.
Wang Zhizhi’s physical strength, stamina, and defense were all weaknesses.
But his footwork in the post and his offensive arsenal were very diverse. In fact, as long as he got into position, his help defense was also decent; after all, he was tall with a long wingspan, and he wasn’t a bad athlete.
And so, in the third quarter, he managed to block Tracy McGrady. McGrady had charged aggressively to the rim, contorting his body in mid-air to evade Lamar Odom. Just as he was about to throw down a powerful dunk, Wang Zhizhi ca from the side and swatted the ball away... SLAP!
The ball went flying.
Su Xi jumped up and cheered.
The Heat fans were also extrely excited.
Even Pat Riley stood up and applauded.
Clearly, Wang Zhizhi’s performance in this ga had impressed everyone.
Everyone was starting to have expectations for him.
In the NBA, if you want to make it, the first thing you have to do is make managent, the coaching staff, and the fans have expectations for you. This expectation brings with it tolerance and patience. And in the NBA, tolerance and patience are crucial for players who are eager to secure their spot.
Everyone who makes it to the NBA has talent. But why do so many languish without success? Because the NBA is a business, and it’s very pragmatic. If you have one bad possession, you could get sent to the bench. The margin for error is extrely low.
But if you’re a promising rookie, or soone with high expectations, making a few mistakes is fine, and even being inefficient is acceptable.
Wang Zhizhi finished the ga with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal.
Those 15 points included a three-pointer, a back-door cut, a hook shot under the basket, a mid-range jumper, and an off-balance floater.
"That’s the best I’ve ever felt playing in a ga."
After leaving the court, Wang Zhizhi couldn’t help but say to Su Xi, "Your pointers were so crucial. It feels like sothing just clicked for ."
Su Xi smiled. "It had nothing to do with . You’re talented enough. The only thing you’re lacking is confidence. I think you should focus on your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses. You could probably even lose a little more weight; just focus on strengthening your base."
Su Xi gave his advice sincerely.
He had originally co to the ga to watch Wade, but unexpectedly, he had ford a deep connection with Wang Zhizhi.
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