69novels Chapter 46 features a relaxed and carefree atmosphere.
Chapter 46 features a relaxed and carefree atmosphere.
"Wang, you'll play point guard this game, and I'll move to shooting guard."
"Are you kidding me, Byron?"
"Of course not, man. I know you're great at dribbling, so I hope you can develop quickly. The Bay Area needs a team that can bring victory. Canadian teams are terrible. You take charge of one game, and I'll assist you."
Before the game against the Raptors, Byron told Wang Kai that he would be in charge of the ball-handling.
Byron made no mention of the fact that General Manager Mullin had spoken to him, still concerned about his own reputation and unwilling to admit his poor performance in the previous game in front of his younger teammate.
This makes Byron seem very magnanimous, showing that he values the team's victory highly and is willing to help the team's young players grow.
As for the opinion of acting head coach Tom Jackson, Byron believed that the other party certainly had no objections.
This was roughly the situation the Warriors had been in for the past few years: the team lacked a clear tactical and offensive/defensive system, the coach was basically a figurehead, and the team's decisions were made by the star players and the team leader. This is why the Warriors were in a state of chaos.
Chris Mullin was determined to change the team's situation after taking office, but he was not a very assertive person. He preferred to discuss and coordinate with others on everything, which was the main reason why he was not renewed by the Warriors after 2009.
In the locker room, Baron Davis, as the team leader, announced to everyone that Wang Kai would be in charge of the game. No one objected. Everyone knew that the regular season had only been going on for less than a month, and the Warriors had already received two sponsorships from the East. Moreover, Wang Kai's performance was obvious to all and far superior to that of the average rookie.
After letting Carter go, the Raptors entered a complete rebuilding phase. They tried to rebuild the team around Bosh, but the team's record has not improved.
Before their game against the Warriors, the Raptors had a record of 1 win and 12 losses, putting them straight for the number one draft pick.
Despite some ups and downs, the Warriors still have an 8-6 record, keeping them firmly in seventh place in the Western Conference.
The game officially began, and Bosh won the jump ball by using his faster spring speed and better wingspan. After Maurice Peterson got possession of the ball, he immediately drove to the basket and scored two points.
The Warriors were unprepared and did not expect the Raptors to launch a fast break right from the start, after all, they are now a team centered around their inside game.
Murphy served from the baseline and passed the ball to Wang Kai, who easily dribbled it to the frontcourt.
The Warriors' decision to have Wang Kai take the lead from the start also caught the Raptors off guard. They had studied the Warriors' style of play for this game, and their main defensive strategy was to disrupt Wang Kai's off-ball movement rhythm. But now that Wang Kai had the ball, all their preparations were in vain.
When Wang Kai arrived at the frontcourt, he encountered the defense of Maurice Peterson. This player, who was selected by the Raptors in the first round with the 21st pick in 2000, is not an unknown. He is now the Raptors' main scoring point and defensive specialist on the perimeter.
Wang Kai continued dribbling the ball. His dribbling speed wasn't fast, but it was very steady, giving Peterson a feeling of wanting to steal the ball but not daring to.
For the Warriors, Baron Davis sat in the corner and didn't move. He couldn't maintain the off-ball movement that Wang Kai does all over the court.
After observing the situation on the field, Wang Kai suddenly accelerated and moved to his right.
Peterson immediately moved to the side to block the position, but Wang Kai then controlled the ball with his right hand and made a crossover dribble to break through to the left.
Peterson was indeed the Raptors' defensive ace. He didn't easily give up his center of gravity, but immediately moved laterally, intending to force Wang Kai to move towards the Raptors' key defensive area.
However, Wang Kai was faster. He dribbled with his left hand and moved to the back again, while his right hand followed up with a ball-handling motion.
This convincing feint completely fooled Peterson. Before the game, the Raptors were wary of Wang Kai's shooting ability, as his three-point shooting numbers and percentage are among the best in the entire league.
Peterson immediately jumped to try and disrupt Wang Kai's shot. He didn't even think about blocking the shot, since Wang Kai was taller and had a longer wingspan than him.
Instead of jumping to shoot, Wang Kai dribbled with his right hand again, stepped back to the three-point line, and easily took a shot.
The basketball swished precisely into the basket; Wang Kai got off to a good start, demonstrating excellent shooting consistency.
The fans at the stadium cheered for Wang Kai's goal, and Wang Kai's parents, who were sitting in the front row, also happily applauded and cheered for their son.
This was the first time the elderly couple had watched their son play at the Warriors' home arena.
The Warriors' owner originally invited Wang Kai's parents to watch the game from a VIP box, but Wang Kai's father wanted to watch the game up close. As a former basketball player, he wanted to observe his son's performance closely.
The Raptors were on offense, and Bosh received the ball inside and tried to attack Murphy in the low post, but failed.
Bosh is now comparable to Garnett in terms of mobility, but his skills are still rough. He hasn't mastered the low-post techniques well, and his offense seems a bit rushed when facing tall interior defenders.
After grabbing the rebound, Wang Kai did not accelerate the counterattack, but instead slowed down the pace and advanced to the frontcourt.
Facing Peterson's defense, Wang Kai used the same move as his previous goal: simple yet fast dribbling, changes in rhythm, realistic fakes, and then a step-back jump shot.
Peterson fell for it again. He was tricked into jumping by Wang Kai's fake ball-handling move, and then watched as Wang Kai made another three-pointer.
"Kid, once you're on the court, you need to score first and create your threat so the opponent will take you seriously. Once you draw their defensive attention, you'll have more space at the point guard position."
Before the competition, Lao Ke would remind Wang Kai and pass on his past experience.
However, Kobe Bryant did not expect the Warriors to let Wang Kai take the lead in the game so quickly.
Kobe Bryant always felt that the Warriors would only let Wang Kai take the lead in the game after Baron Davis left.
Wang Kai received even louder cheers from the fans who made two spectacular three-pointers in a row; they loved seeing such a performance.
The Raptors then executed a brilliant inside-outside play, with Bosh assisting Peterson for an alley-oop dunk for two points.
On Wang Kai's third attack, Peterson chose to move closer to Wang Kai, but Wang Kai accelerated past him.
Peterson was still wary after the two previous three-pointers, so he had to move closer to defend Wang Kai, but Wang Kai easily broke through him with a simple acceleration.
Wang Kai's penetration into the paint disrupted the Raptors' defensive positioning, forcing Bosh to come over and help defend.
Wang Kai didn't even look up before passing the ball to the corner. Baron Davis caught the ball and attempted a three-pointer, but missed.
At the start of the game, Byron's hands weren't warmed up yet. He's the kind of player who needs to dribble the ball a bit, run some plays, and then break through for a couple of points before he can find his rhythm.
However, Murphy grabbed the rebound and scored two points on the second-chance opportunity.
The current Raptors team is incredibly bad, and it's not just the players who are bad; more importantly, the management is a bunch of idiots who don't understand basketball at all.
They wanted to rebuild the team around Bosh, but in 2004 they selected Arroyo, a 2.11-meter tall and somewhat overweight center, with the eighth pick in the first round.
The two big men seem to have height and strength, but they can't even protect the rebounds.
Looking at the Raptors' roster, it's full of scraps that other teams don't want, and they're also carrying Jalen Rose's $15 million contract. It's safe to say that this Raptors team will continue to decline for many years to come.
The Warriors took an 8-2 lead early in the game.
The Raptors then relied on Jalen Rose's mid-range jumper to stabilize the situation, but their defense was repeatedly broken by the Warriors.
Wang Kai played a crucial role, frequently disrupting the Raptors' defensive positioning with his breakthroughs and assisting Jason Williams and Dunleavy in hitting three-pointers.
This Warriors team is gradually showing their potential as a "three-point shooting team". Veteran Foyle has become a pseudo-starter and was substituted by Dunleavy after playing for less than four minutes.
With about seven and a half minutes left in the first quarter, Wang Kai used Murphy's screen to drive into the paint again. Bosh was in position to help defend, but Wang Kai made a big crossover to get out of position. Facing the slow and clumsy Arroyo, Wang Kai jumped up and slammed the ball in.
The referee blew the whistle, and Arroyo committed another foul, his third foul in the first quarter.
The Raptors were now down by 9 points to the Warriors. Wang Kai made the free throw, extending the Warriors' lead to double digits.
The Raptors had to make an adjustment, replacing Arroyo with Villanueva, a rookie from the same draft class as Wang Kai.
Villanueva was selected by the Raptors with the seventh overall pick in the first round. He is 2.11 meters tall and weighs 100 kilograms, and is another player similar to Bosh.
After Foyle left the court, the Warriors gradually increased their pace. They didn't want to slowly grind down the Raptors at home; they wanted to make sure their opponents were eliminated as soon as possible.
Wang Kai was substituted later, and Byron controlled the ball to finish the first quarter.
"Good job, kid. Keep playing like this, play to your strengths, and we'll find another opportunity to rack up points later."
Kobe looked at the familiar faces on the Raptors and felt a pang of emotion. After all, his legend was forged with the Raptors. If the Raptors hadn't let him score 81 points, he wouldn't have gained the recognition of fans all over the world.
Wang Kai scored 11 points, 5 assists, and 2 rebounds in the first quarter, delivering an outstanding performance. The Raptors' defense was virtually nonexistent for him, posing no challenge whatsoever.
Wang Kai, sitting on the bench, compared his experience with the Spurs' game and felt that the Raptors' performance was surprisingly poor.
"What you need to do now is to pad your stats against these bad teams, maintain your popularity, and learn from the strong teams. Don't think it's boring just because the opponents aren't strong. Remember, the only thing that will make fans and media remember you is your stats. These people don't really understand basketball; they need your outward performance to prove themselves. Got it?"
Coach Ke sensed the relaxation Wang Kai subconsciously exuded on the bench, so he immediately reminded Wang Kai not to miss this great opportunity to pad his stats.
Happy Lantern Festival everyone! Only one update today, I drank too much during dinner.