บท 18: Chapter 17: This fat guy can pass the ball
Halfway through the third quarter, the score was still deadlocked. The Kings trailed by four points at 67:71. Crawford's nearly unstoppable one-on-one play had left LaVine exhausted, even though it was clear he was putting forth maximum effort to defend him. However, the experience gap was too wide, allowing the Clippers to maintain their lead. Facing LaVine, who was dribbling, Crawford rarely summoned the energy to defend. The recent dunk still made this veteran feel a bit embarrassed, and he was eager to regain his pride on this play. But things didn't go as planned. LaVine feigned a move, and when he sensed that the opportunity wasn't favorable, he quickly passed the ball. This infuriated Crawford, who had come from streetball; in that environment, such a move would be seen as a sign of surrender.
In the paint, Jokic received the ball, hesitated at the edge of the key, and surveyed Griffin with a shake of his head. Griffin, somewhat bewildered, regarded this unusual player. Although both he and Jokic stood 6 feet 10 inches tall, Griffin's muscular build made him seem smaller in comparison to Jokic's bulk. Jokic faked a move to back down, and when Griffin closed the distance, he pivoted and took a shot. Griffin was momentarily shocked by Jokic's surprising agility for someone of his size; he jumped instinctively to block the shot but realized too late that the basketball he had anticipated was nowhere to be seen. After shaking off Griffin, Jokic quickly turned again and, with an unguarded basket before him, executed a simple layup that rolled into the net effortlessly.
Griffin's face flushed with embarrassment. He had just been dunked on by LaVine, and now he was being toyed with by Jokic's footwork under the basket. Though generally good-natured, the series of humiliations was starting to ignite Griffin's anger. In the next possession, Griffin, fueled by frustration, charged straight into the paint for a one-on-one confrontation. However, Jokic, leveraging his considerable bulk, managed to defend against Griffin's attack.
On the bench, Paul could no longer sit still as he watched the Kings persist in their paint play. "Are the Kings crazy? Do they still want to play in the paint? Are they not planning for the fourth quarter?" What shocked Paul even more was the skillful footwork this young fat guy displayed under the basket. If given time to develop, Jokic was likely to become a formidable opponent in the future.
This highlighted the differences in training systems. Inside players trained in the U.S. often focus on physicality and rely on their innate talent to dominate. Typically, they stand in place, waiting for guards to feed them the ball, relying on brute strength to win. Consequently, American big men are often powerful but somewhat unrefined. In contrast, European players tend to develop a more comprehensive skill set, emphasizing team play and versatility. Many European big men excel in offense, defense, rebounding, and high-post coordination, mastering a wider range of skills.
Some may wonder, then, if European players are superior, why does the U.S. dominate global basketball? The answer is simple: talent. Often, no matter how hard one works, talent can overshadow effort, and American players, while rough around the edges, still possess physical advantages that European players find challenging to overcome. This disparity contributes to the struggles of domestic basketball; while China has plenty of talent and hardworking players, a slight edge in natural ability can overshadow years of dedication.
Back to the game: Griffin attempted to take on Jokic again, realizing that this European big man was unlike any he had faced before—he had comparable physical talent. Understanding this, Griffin promptly passed the ball back to Crawford on the perimeter. Upon receiving the ball, Crawford performed a flashy back dribble to shake off Casspi, then charged into the paint and launched the ball high. Jokic felt a shadow loom above him as Griffin soared for an alley-oop, slamming the ball into the basket, exacting revenge for his earlier embarrassment.
However, before Griffin could savor his moment, Jokic was already calling for the ball under the basket again. Still coming? Griffin's eyes widened. Did Jokic really think he was an easy target? Just as the Clippers were about to collapse defensively, Jokic flicked his wrist beneath the basket, sending the ball flying out to the perimeter in a peculiar arc.
Gay, who caught the pass, hesitated momentarily before launching a three-pointer that brushed against Barnes' fingertips as he rushed to contest the shot.
"Swish!"
Gay's shot landed cleanly, tying the score at 71:71. Griffin, filled with frustration, couldn't believe it. How was he supposed to defend against this? Jokic was like a kaleidoscope; it was impossible to predict what weapon he would deploy next.
Seeing the tide turn, Rivers called a timeout and subbed out all his main players. Not wanting to back down, Malone followed suit and replaced his starters without hesitation. However, after a brief moment of contemplation, he decided to keep Jokic on the court, forming a new twin-tower lineup alongside Cousins.
"Hold the tempo! We must not let him counterattack! CJ and Ben, as soon as we finish shooting, run back immediately!" Malone drew a tactic on the tactical board and explained it to the players.
"Got it, coach, don't worry. We'll let you and Jake take the winning streak back to the boss to ask for bonuses!" Cousins said in a muffled voice.
"Stinky boy, I'll be grateful if you don't cause me any trouble." Malone smiled and punched Cousins's strong arm. "Hurry up and play the game. We still have a lot to do!"
Back on the court, although the Kings faced various challenges, they hardly shot any three-pointers. Jake Allen couldn't rush up and tell them that he had a buff and that they should quickly adopt a three-point strategy. He could only sit on the sidelines and worry. These young players really didn't recognize the opportunities they had, wasting precious chances to open the game. But soon, Jake Allen's brow relaxed. The Kings started playing outside tactics again, but it wasn't the traditional inside-and-four-out approach; it was something much stranger. Jordan stood near the free-throw line, perplexed, looking at Jokic stationed beyond the three-point line. What's going on? I'm a center, and you want me to defend out here?
Just as Jordan hesitated, CJ spotted the right moment and passed the ball directly to Jokic. Jokic caught the basketball and launched a three-pointer. The ball arced beautifully through the air and swished cleanly into the basket. Paul watched Jokic, his expression growing increasingly serious. He rushed to Griffin and whispered, "You will defend Jokic from now on. Move quickly; you must limit him."
Griffin nodded seriously. "I know, don't worry." But soon, Griffin's confidence took a hit. This big man was just too challenging to handle. Whenever he defended closely, Jokic would break through and attract double-teams before passing to his teammates. If Griffin backed off, Jokic would simply go to work himself. Griffin felt a long-lost sense of frustration being outsmarted by another player's intelligence.
The entire fourth quarter almost turned into Jokic's personal showcase. Breakthroughs, shooting, passing—he executed it all seamlessly. Even the seasoned Paul found himself struggling to keep up with Jokic. The audience sat in stunned silence, their mouths agape, wanting to voice something but unable to articulate their thoughts. This scene reminded many of the unbeatable Nowitzki during his peak in Dallas. Of course, Jokic still had a long way to go to reach the level of the "Big German." Even his most celebrated footwork paled in comparison to Nowitzki's. But this was only Jokic's rookie season; since arriving in the U.S., he had only played in three games. The consensus among viewers was clear: a bright future lay ahead for this young talent.
Meanwhile, someone was grinding his teeth at the TV screen. Connelly, the general manager of the Nuggets, watched Jokic's fierce performance and slapped his head in frustration. Both LaVine and Jokic exhibited immense talent and impact in this game, and they could have been his! The draft picks the Kings used to select both players were all exchanged from his hands. LaVine, the No. 11 pick, and Jokic, the No. 33 pick, were both acquired with chips traded from him.
Thinking back, Jake Allen had only used a first-round pick plus Thornton and an Evans nearing retirement to acquire two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and Mozgov. What a massive profit! To make matters worse for Connelly, Feng Lai, the player he selected, had proven disappointing. He couldn't measure up to Randle's potential or Nurkic's skill set. In retrospect, Connelly felt like a complete scapegoat.
On the court, the Clippers gradually crumbled under the Kings' machine-like offensive system. With the original alley-oop style losing rhythm and exhaustion setting in from defense, the outcome became evident. With two minutes left in the game, the Kings had taken a commanding 7-point lead at 100:93. While statistics showed that the Clippers could still mount a comeback, the game's rhythm was firmly in the Kings' control.
Reluctantly, the Clippers raised the white flag, conceding defeat. Paul stood on the court, hands on his hips, observing the exuberant young Kings. A wave of powerlessness washed over him: Am I really getting old? These young players were relentless. In the end, the Kings secured victory with a five-point margin, winning 116:111. Cousins scored an impressive double-double of 28 points and 23 rebounds, while Jokic, coming off the bench, notched a near triple-double with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 15 assists. The entire league was taken aback. The Kings, who had merely existed last season, had now defeated three strong playoff teams in just one season. Even more shocking was the fact that, until now, no one had realized that the Kings had undergone a complete transformation. Retaining the core of Cousins and Gay, the explosive performances of their three rookies took everyone by surprise. Was this really still the rookie graveyard we remembered?
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