Bab 18: No Martial Ethics
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Ben Slaton and Pete Campbell exchanged a look of excitement.
They were eager to see how this baby-faced guy would perform with the substitutes.
Soon, the team was divided into two groups. Except for a few who were sitting on the sidelines, the rest took their positions on the court.
The starting lineup remained unchanged from last season: point guard Ben Slaton, power forward Pete Campbell, small forward Mike Green, shooting guard A.J. Graves, and center Drew Streicher.
Last season, Coach Lickliter almost led this starting lineup to the NCAA tournament, but they were narrowly defeated by their arch-rival Indiana State University in the semifinals.
The bench team was considerably weaker. Aside from Curry, small forward Julian Bacco, and shooting guard Willy Weasley, the rest of the players were not NCAA-level talent.
There was a minor twist before the scrimmage began. Traditionally, the head coach would guide the starters, and the chief assistant coach would take the bench team, but Liam volunteered to coach the substitutes. Stevens was a bit surprised but didn't object, and they swapped roles.
Liam gathered the substitute team in their red training jerseys, looked around, and asked, "Do you think you're destined to lose?"
Everyone exchanged glances in silence.
Julian Bacco thought to himself, "What kind of question is that from the coach? I don't get it. We can't win; otherwise, how would they still be the starters?"
Liam continued with a smile, "Don't forget, your teammate is Stephen, the team's starting point guard! Follow my tactics, and we'll win."
"Coach, they've played together for a long time, and we haven't played with Stephen yet. Can we really come up with a tactic?" Julian Bacco scratched his head, perplexed.
They had never practiced with Curry before, so no matter how ingenious the coach's tactics were, they wouldn't be able to execute them properly.
"My tactics are very simple. You'll definitely be able to follow them." Liam said confidently, "Listen carefully..."
At the other end of the court, the starters in yellow practice uniforms gathered around Stevens.
"...Play with the tactics you're familiar with. Ben will control the ball and run pick-and-rolls with Drew and Pete as needed. If the defense is tight, pass the ball to Mike for a one-on-one, and A.J. will move without the ball. Got it?" Stevens gave his instructions succinctly.
There was no need for excessive explanations since these were the same tactics they practiced daily.
A moment later, both sides took their positions, and the scrimmage began.
Pete Campbell huddled the group and whispered, "Guys, let's give the ball to Ben and let him take down that baby-faced guy first."
"But Coach Stevens didn't say to do that..." Mike Green hesitated.
"Mike, Ben lost his starting spot. Let him take out his anger on that baby-faced guy," Pete Campbell said, irritated.
"Alright." Mike Green shrugged.
Beep!Brandon Miller blew the whistle, signaling the start of the scrimmage.
Elliott, the reserve team's center and a freshman, had no chance against Drew in the jump ball. Drew won easily and passed the ball to Ben Slaton.
Ben Slaton dribbled past half-court, and the other players spread out, leaving the top of the arc open for him and Curry.
Stevens' eyes widened, ready to shout instructions, but he reconsidered and kept silent.
"It's just a scrimmage; no big deal," he thought. "This is a good chance to see how Curry handles defense."
Ben Slaton had been watching Stevens' reaction. Seeing that he didn't intervene, he knew he was allowed to do as he pleased. With determination, he decided to take on Curry one-on-one.
Curry assumed a textbook defensive stance, ready for the challenge.
Ben Slaton made no special moves; he just lowered his center of gravity, switched the ball between his legs to his right hand, leaned into Curry with his left shoulder, and pushed past him.
Despite his best efforts, Curry couldn't block him. Ben Slaton, who was 5 kilograms heavier and more explosive, simply overpowered Curry and made a layup after the contact.
As they moved back on defense, Slaton shot a sideways glance at Curry. He didn't say anything, but his eyes were filled with disdain.
On the sidelines, Liam crossed his arms and shouted, "Stephen, do what I told you!"
Curry took the ball from Julian Bacco and nodded calmly.
He had been in situations like this too many times before. In almost every game, he was singled out as the weak link, and he was used to being targeted.
Curry dribbled across half-court, with Ben Slaton in front of him, eyes filled with provocation. "Come at me, baby face!" he taunted.
Curry ignored him and waved his hand. Elliott came up to set a screen at the top of the arc. Drew, wary of Curry's shooting accuracy, followed him out but stayed near the free-throw line.
Ben Slaton got caught on the screen, and Curry stepped right, launching a three-pointer from half a meter beyond the three-point line!
Drew, who was ready with his arms wide at the free-throw line, froze. He was still two meters away from Curry and could only watch as Curry released his shot without any interference.
Ben Slaton, still stuck on the screen, turned and ran to the basket, hoping for a rebound.
"This kid's shooting from way out. If this one goes in, I'll stand on my hands..."
Swish!
The ball arced perfectly through the air, spinning rapidly, and dropped straight into the net.
Ben Slaton stared at the ball, swallowing the second half of his thought.
"Alright, you got lucky this time," he muttered internally.
Curry showed no excitement after the shot. He calmly high-fived Elliott and got back on defense quickly.
Ben Slaton dribbled back down the court, and the team spread out again.
"Curry's shooting is good, but his defense is weak," Liam had told them. "Stay back, make him shoot."
As Slaton charged in again, Curry remembered Liam's words and took a step back, giving Slaton space.
The message was clear: "I just hit a three; what about you?"
Fueled by adrenaline, Slaton took the bait and shot a three-pointer.
Bang!
The ball clanked off the rim and flew into Curry's hands. He pushed the pace, racing down the right side. Slaton tried to catch up, but Curry, now half a body ahead, shielded him skillfully and, after shaking off his defender, laid the ball in easily.
Slaton slapped the ball hard in frustration and tossed it to Mike Green on the inbound.
"This kid's got some experience," Stevens chuckled, rubbing his chin.
Back on offense, Mike Green hit a mid-range jumper, and it was back to the reserves' turn.
Curry, still orchestrating from the top, ran a pick-and-roll with Elliott. This time, Drew switched to him right away at the three-point line.
Curry motioned for Elliott to cut inside, pulling Ben Slaton with him. The rest of the reserves spread out, leaving Curry isolated with Drew.
Curry bent low, dribbling slowly. Drew raised his left hand high, anticipating another long three.
Suddenly, Curry made a sharp crossover, causing Drew to stumble slightly. He feigned a shot, drawing Drew into the air, and then quickly pulled the ball back, sidestepping him with ease.
It was a beautiful move.
Curry drove into the paint, forcing Pete Campbell to slide over to help. With a quick no-look pass behind his back, he dished the ball to Chris Boll, a benchwarmer and perennial water boy for the Bulldogs.
Boll, completely open, jumped and delivered a powerful two-handed dunk, showcasing his raw athleticism.
Liam clapped enthusiastically from the sidelines. "Well done, Stephen!" he shouted.
Ben Slaton's expression soured. He had hoped to teach the "baby-faced" Curry a lesson, but it seemed he was the one being outplayed.
Remember, Slaton had three years of NCAA experience under his belt, while Curry was just a high school graduate.
After several more possessions, Curry settled in, confidently moving up and down the court. Liam watched from the sidelines, feeling like something was missing.
He suddenly turned to Terry Johnson and asked, "What do you think about making them wear braces during training?"
End of this chapter
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