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Chapter 447 - 203. Even a genius has no way out now.

Chapter 447: 203. Even a genius has no way out now.

Kidd hit a three-point shot, and the Nets led 3 to 0.

On the switch from defense to offense, the Bobcats attacked.

Okafor received the ball in the low post, pushed against Jason Collins, turned left facing the baseline, and scored with a hook shot!

That was a signature Buddha-like back play from Duncan’s second peak!

Before the 2000 playoffs, Duncan suffered a major injury. After his return, his explosiveness declined, and he reduced the frequency of his previous flying style of play. Like O’Neal, he cut down on sheer power moves and started to focus on skill in the low post.

That period coincidentally was when Okafor was moving from a high school senior to a college junior, laying the foundation of his skills and naturally, Duncan was his role model.

Though there was a gap in the power of similar one-on-one moves, Duncan’s career average shooting percentage in the paint was 71.3%, and even in the 04-05 season when he was heavily troubled by plantar fasciitis, he still scored 67.4%. Okafor, though highly praised for ’significant improvement’ this season and even called ’Duncan’s successor,’ just barely reached a 67% shooting rate from beneath the basket.

But in terms of the movement, the timing of the power turn, and the subtle feel of the hook shot, Okafor very much captured the essence of Duncan’s second peak.

It was the Nets’ turn to attack again, and Kidd continued the pick and roll with Carter.

Gerald Wallace didn’t move up to pressure, and Kidd didn’t hesitate to take another three-point shot... and scored again!

All members of the Bobcats: Defending a pick and roll without sticking close and just throwing a three-pointer? Is this Kidd or a waxed Nash? And it went in too?

On the switch from offense to defense, Okafor continued in the low post, got double-teamed by Mikki Moore, passing the ball...

Richard Jefferson coordinated with Mikki Moore, shrinking in advance, and moved in front of Millsap as Okafor passed the ball, but Okafor’s pass was very high and far!

Gerald Wallace caught the ball by the left sideline and took a three-point shot... The play was well-executed, but unfortunately missed.

Luckily, Gerald Wallace immediately got back on defense after the shot, and Okafor also retreated quickly, leaving only Millsap to push for the rebound.

Kidd collected the ball to protect the defensive rebound. Millsap’s surge remained fruitless, but he and his teammates successfully completed the transition back to defense.

The opponent had made excellent preparations for the fast break, and Kidd was mentally ready for this, as the other side had already shown their tactical response ten days ago when they clashed.

Kidd advanced to the frontcourt and continued the pick and roll with Carter.

This time Gerald Wallace didn’t dare leave Kidd unguarded and stood on the three-point line after the switch.

Without Gerald Wallace cutting off the passing lane, after setting the screen, Carter cut straight to the basket. Kidd lobbed the ball... Felton was too late to block after the switch, and Okafor was also a beat too slow to cover the basket.

Carter caught the ball close to the basket, jumped up, and slammed down a two-point dunk!

Okafor called a timeout!

Kidd was on a roll, with an early tally of 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and looked set to seize the initiative right from the start, only to be cooled by Okafor’s timeout.

Kidd: "You little Duncan play like Duncan, which is fine, but calling a timeout whenever there’s a hiccup too? You poker-faced players are way too cautious!"

No wonder Kidd reacted so strongly; Okafor’s timeout call was indeed well-timed, even better than Bickerstaff’s.

The impact of the opponent calling a timeout largely depends on who makes the call.

For instance, with the Spurs:

If someone like Duncan calls a timeout, it gives the team the impression—we need to steady ourselves, no need to panic, just a small issue.

If someone like Parker calls a timeout, it feels like—we’re in big trouble, I’m panicking, what do we do?

If it’s Popovich calling a timeout, the players know—the head coach is out of options again.

If it’s Ginobili calling a timeout... the teammates think: I’m panicking, is he going to cut through the opponents or cut us down?

The impact of Okafor calling the timeout was similar to that of Duncan.

As they walked back to the bench, Gerald Wallace spoke with Millsap about tightening up and blocking on the wings.

When it came to tactics and adaptability, Gerald wasn’t strong, but he excelled in execution. Give him a task from the coach or tactical core, and he might not guarantee success, but he’d sure as hell give it his all.

Previously, he didn’t often initiate communication with his teammates on how to play; he preferred to motivate them with his actions. But after losing his younger brother, he began to take the initiative in that regard.

Felton, Zhang Yang, and Okafor also huddled on the way back to the bench.

Felton: "Strengthen defense?"

Okafor looked at Zhang Yang: "Defense?"

Zhang Yang recalled the material and videos of Kidd he had studied over the past couple of days.

Kidd’s style of play tonight came as a surprise to him but wasn’t completely without clues.

In the 03-04 playoffs’ second round, the Nets had a significant advantage over the eventual champion Pistons for the first five games, leading 3 to 2. If not for Kidd’s abysmal three-point performance in that series, averaging 0.7 out of 4.9 attempts, the Nets might have settled the score within five games.

Then in Game 6, with one minute left and trailing by two points, Kidd was left unguarded again, and he didn’t even dare to shoot.

In the Game 7 decider, Kidd had perhaps the worst playoff game of his career, shooting 0 out of 8, with 0 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. After leading 3 to 2, the Nets were eventually overturned by the Pistons.

So, during the summer of 2004, Kidd was determined to improve, dedicating himself to practicing three-pointers. By the 04-05 season, he shot into the league’s top 15 three-point shooters, with a 36% success rate, averaging two three-pointers a game... and then met O’Neal in the playoffs, the biggest obstacle for the Nets.

In the four playoff games against the Miami Heat, Kidd tried to break the game open with three-pointers, shooting 36.8% and averaging 2.8 three-pointers per game, of course ending in failure as the Nets were swept.

Although that attempt failed, when Kidd once again faced a situation where his team’s front line was at a disadvantage and his starters were outmatched by the opponent’s bench, he still chose to rely on three-pointers to open the game... It wasn’t tough to analyze because the current 34-year-old Kidd could only choose this tactic if he wanted to take charge of the offense, as he could no longer drive to the basket like he had done four or five years earlier.