Chương 61: Wang Chong: I Only Know a Few Moves, but They're Enough to Beat You
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James couldn't sit still on the bench any longer.
Let's set aside the outcome of the game for now. If Wang Chong outperformed him in the stats department, wouldn't his status as the No. 1 overall draft pick become a joke?
How could it be that the top pick in the NBA couldn't even surpass the guy picked 13th in the first round?
Even Kobe and Iverson only started to be compared over the last two years. Though Kobe has bested Iverson in the All-NBA Team selections for two straight years—bumping him from the first team to the second team—it's still hard to definitively say who was better at this time.
But there was no doubt about who was better during their rookie seasons.
In his first season, Iverson averaged 23.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game. In contrast, Kobe was just a bench player at the time, averaging only 7.6 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.
Nobody compared the two back then.
James didn't want to be mentioned in the same breath as players like Wang Chong in his rookie season.
Watching Wang Chong score again and again, he couldn't hold back any longer.
"Coach, put me in," James said to his head coach, volunteering eagerly. "I'm the only one who can stop that guy!"
The Cavaliers' head coach, Paul Silas, was a middling NBA coach, but he was still at the NBA level.
He knew well that the outcome was already decided. It was nearly impossible for the Cavaliers to make a comeback in the remaining game time. Besides, this was a preseason game, and winning or losing didn't really matter.
Silas understood James's thoughts, though.
While being the No. 1 draft pick in the NBA comes with various accolades, it also comes with pressure unlike any other player, especially for someone like James, who was hyped to the moon before entering the NBA. He couldn't tolerate any player from the same draft class performing better than him—especially not a player drafted outside the top five, or even ten.
But...even if you go in, can you really stop Wang Chong?
The scene of their scoring duel in the first quarter was still fresh in his mind. Both players were going full throttle on offense and could do nothing to stop the other.
While Silas wanted to advise James not to act on impulse, he knew James wouldn't listen.
With a sigh, Silas nodded. "I'll put you in at the next dead ball."
Meanwhile, the game continued on the court.
When Wang Chong had the ball and faced his defender, he didn't bother with any complicated moves. He just made a simple hesitation step and then immediately pulled up for a jumper. Even if the fake hesitation step didn't deceive his opponent, the height of his shot still allowed him to shoot steadily.
By this point in the game, Wang Chong had taken more than ten shots.
He had the highest-level badge, a gold-level "Hot Zone Hunter," and its buff effect kept accumulating with every shot.
The effect of this badge was that the number of shots would provide an additional shooting bonus, and the effect would continue to stack regardless of whether the shots were made or missed.
Wang Chong wasn't sure what the upper limit of the buff effect was, but at this stage, it definitely gave him a solid boost.
Because of that, he was more confident in his shooting than before.
"Swish!"
The basketball swished through the net, and Wang Chong reached his 20th point of the game, tying James's score.
The Cavaliers attacked, and Big Z drove inside, drawing a defensive foul on the Lakers' backup center and heading to the free-throw line.
James breathed a sigh of relief off the court, almost unable to wait to get back in the game.
"Don't get too cocky! Once I'm on the court, you won't have a chance to keep showing off like this!"
James was full of confidence and whispered to Wang Chong, "You only know two or three moves. It's nothing special."
While on the bench earlier, he had carefully thought about how to defend Wang Chong.
He didn't have a good plan to counter Wang Chong's off-ball play, but if Wang Chong attacked with the ball, James thought he could still stop him.
So, as soon as he stepped onto the court, he began to taunt Wang Chong, trying to provoke him into a one-on-one showdown.
As long as they faced each other head-on in a one-on-one matchup, James was confident he could lower Wang Chong's shooting percentage.
If Wang Chong were really a young man under 20, full of vigor and impulsiveness, he might have fallen for James's provocation.
But unfortunately, he wasn't.
As a time traveler from the future, someone who had weathered the endless bombardment of the information age and internet flame wars, if Wang Chong couldn't see through such low-level taunts, or if he became angry and lost his composure over a few words, he would've lost sleep long ago over all the Yin-Yang comments hurled his way online.
After Big Z made one of his two free throws, it was the Lakers' turn to attack.
James, who had been waiting for Wang Chong to challenge him with the ball, realized that his opponent wasn't taking the bait at all.
Wang Chong positioned himself beyond the three-point line in the right corner and, after his teammates got set, began to move quickly without the ball.
"Same old trick!" James muttered to himself.
He silently followed Wang Chong across most of the court, only to be blocked by a Lakers player off the ball again.
Despite his call for help defense earlier, the Cavaliers' awareness of helping on defense was...lacking.
Wang Chong received a pass from his teammate and, within the range of the "Hot Zone Hunter" effect, took another shot. James was late on the rotation and could only watch Wang Chong drain another basket.
22 points!
"So? These few moves are enough to beat you."
Wang Chong glanced at James indifferently and jogged back on defense.
"Damn it..." James was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
Wang Chong's play was too frustrating. Defending against pick-and-rolls isn't a one-man job. It was easy for him to capitalize on gaps created when other Cavaliers players failed to rotate in time.
James angrily dribbled the ball across half-court but was slightly stunned to see Wang Chong standing right in front of him for the first time. This was also the first time Wang Chong had taken the initiative to defend him.
Alright then! If I can't stop you on defense, I'll beat you straight up on offense!
James could barely wait to accelerate with the ball, intending to blow past Wang Chong with a single step.
With his explosive power and excellent speed, James's first step was quick. Though his speed wasn't on par with most guards, it was certainly top-notch for a forward.
Of course, Wang Chong couldn't keep up with James's drive speed, but it didn't matter. He didn't need to keep up because he knew that James's offense only had one option: driving with the ball. Beyond the speed of the drive, the biggest threat from James's penetration was his strength.
Using his strength to bulldoze his way for layups and overpower defenders in the paint was James's signature move. The power and impact of the muscle collisions were so striking that people often overlooked his footwork.
(End of this chapter)
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