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Chapter 684 - 289. Wouldn’t you avoid being killed if you just honestly gave up?_2

Chapter 684: 289. Wouldn’t you avoid being killed if you just honestly gave up?_2

"We also have our tasks to handle. We need to improve our roster rotation..."

Beside him, Randy Brown heard this and thought Hill was greatly influenced by Duncan... It’s normal, after all, Bickerstaff was a legendary coach who swept the Best Manager, Best Coach, and Championship in his final year.

...

After the break between quarters, the second quarter started, and Zhang Yang and Roy both re-entered the game, leading their teams in a fierce showdown.

Their performances on the court looked quite different.

Zhang Yang was outstanding, playing in a free and unrestrained style.

The opponents knew he was going to shoot, knew his arrow was already aimed at the target, but they could not stop him from drawing his bow. He always found a way to release the ball.

And even if he missed several shots in a row, it didn’t affect him; his next shot was even more focused and decisive, putting the defender under constant pressure.

Roy, on the other hand, was like a heavy sword, seemingly indifferent, lacking in aura and flair, but after watching for a few more exchanges, one could see how incredibly stable he was.

He did not have outstanding physical attributes, his arms were short, his shooting point was low, and his speed was just adequate, but he cleverly avoided many offensive weaknesses and maximized his strengths. He always utilized his strong static strength and core strength to keep pace with Zhang Yang’s rhythm, managing to take shots or pass in crowded spaces, and even if the Trail Blazers successfully formed a trio to encircle him, he could effectively break free.

The difference in their playing styles also reflected in the performances they led their teams to.

Zhang Yang, in the offense, had a rather straightforward role: either go solo or move to the right position to either shoot or pass, simply making selections based on the situation at hand—a standard perimeter finisher in the offensive puzzle.

He highly trusted Felton, Millsap, Mike Miller, Hill, Rondo, and others to handle the organization of the attack. His teammates did not disappoint his expectations; their tactical execution and harmony were very high.

It was mainly about the aura; he was highly confident in himself and his teammates.

As an opponent, Roy felt that Zhang Yang was enjoying the game.

Roy, however, had to take control, initiate attacks, coordinate team movements, and assist shots...

When both were powering their teams in a shootout, Zhang Yang’s advantage was quite clear.

But Roy played very patiently, just like his personal offense, waiting for the opponent’s momentum to slow before leading a counterattack. His individual style and team offense both emphasized rhythm differences.

The score alternated as they competed. At most, in the middle of the third quarter, Zhang Yang scored 8 points in a row, creating an 8-2 run by himself, pulling the lead to 11 points. However, by the middle of the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers successfully regained the lead. The Trail Blazers were able to get back a one-point lead thanks to Felton’s fake drive and step-back three-pointer.

With 6 minutes and 47 seconds left in the final quarter, the Trail Blazers led the Trail Blazers by one point, 107 to 106, going into an official timeout.

...

After several months, facing Roy in his sophomore season, Zhang Yang personally experienced the severity of the "Yellow Mamba."

Statistically, Roy was inferior to Carter, Pierce, Ray Allen, but having faced all four this season, Zhang Yang felt Roy was stronger than those three.

Purely in terms of skills, shooting, Roy might not be as good as those three, but playing a game isn’t just about technique; it involves a strong combination of factors.

Each of those three had their flaws: Carter had great personal skills but lacked leadership and clarity on the court; Pierce was tough and had leadership qualities but lacked the ability to lead as the core; Ray Allen... a counterintuitive point, Ray Allen was the most comprehensive among the three, capable of being the team’s core and a pure scorer, and more willing to sacrifice on-court performance, but his flaw was his personality, which, even on the bench, was visibly in a different world from the rest of the team.

These flaws were almost nonexistent in Roy.

These three might have a hard time making the All-Star this year, but if Roy maintains his current performance and team results, he will definitely be selected.

Years later, when new fans questioned why Roy, with an average of 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists in the 08-09 season, was selected for the second team, when there were many other stars with better statistics that season, no media or fans at the time of Roy’s selection saw any issue.

Statistics didn’t fully reflect Roy’s role on the court. Simply put, he was like... the "Tim Duncan" of the backcourt? Of course, not as strong.

As Zhang Yang thought of this, he suddenly had a puzzling thought—why, when thinking of a player’s excellence, did he always end up thinking of that stoic face?

Durant was like this, Roy was like this...

After three quarters, Carlisle finally brought Zhang Yang, Felton, and Okafor back on, along with Hill and Perkins.

Substituting this lineup meant that the Trail Blazers switched back to a star-focused play style.

On the Trail Blazers’ side, McMillan also re-substituted the starting lineup of Blake, Roy, Webster, Aldridge, and Pulzbila.

From the midpoint of the third quarter when Zhang Yang consecutively went solo, scoring 8 points in three exchanges, the offense from both teams increased the proportion of star solo plays to enhance the success rate of attacks. By the last official timeout, both team’s coaches didn’t hesitate, directly substituting the lineup best suited for solo offensive attacks.

After the official timeout, the Trail Blazers made their move on the offense.