Champion, please stay!

Chapter 86, Section 84: A Qualitative Change Brought About by One Player
It's generally acknowledged that Yao Ming is better than Dwight Howard.

It's mainly another pairing.

LeBron James led his team to the NBA Finals in the final year of his rookie contract.
In the first year of his big contract, he won the scoring title, was selected to the All-NBA First Team for the second time in his career, and even ranked sixth in the forward position on the All-Defensive Team.

They battled the eventual champion Celtics to seven games in the series, outlasting the runner-up.

This summer, calls for a 23 vs. 24 split have already begun to circulate.

All the data shows that James is already a superstar who can compete with Kobe for the championship.

And the Yi River...

Domestic fans yearn for and are willing to believe that Yi Shui will definitely become a superstar like Yao Ming and a pillar of the national team.

Yi Shui secured a 100 million yuan endorsement contract, proving that foreigners also have confidence in the company.

But after all, he's just a rookie fresh out of college, and domestic fans have already boldly speculated that he's better than Yao Ming when he first went to the United States.

Compared to James... even if Yi Shui is favored, fans still feel there is a huge gap and it will take time to catch up.

The media compared the two based on their endorsement contracts, but did not directly compare their abilities.

But surprisingly, Yi Shui and Yao Ming completely dominated James and Howard at the start!
It wasn't just having the upper hand; it was a true suppression! A suppression that even someone who's never watched a basketball game could see!

James naturally heard the excited cheers from the fans in the stadium.

Not only that, he also heard his teammates on the sidelines cheering, shouting, "BIG, block LeBron, GOGOGO!"

James was furious and took the initiative to inbound the ball.

After Kobe passed the ball to James, he and Kidd exchanged a glance, then shrugged and smiled together.

Let the 'leader' charge!

At the end of last month, CCTV Sports Channel did two interviews, one with Yi Shui and the other with James.

The Yi Shui program was so official it was beyond words.

In an interview, James stated that he is the leader of this Dream Team because he has two previous experience leading a team.

James advanced to the frontcourt and saw Yi Shui, who was a large step away from the top of the arc. Although he was angry, he remained calm, waved, and asked Howard for a screen, trying to pull Yao Ming out.

Since his opponents were all NBA players, Yao Ming didn't immediately think things through and took a couple of steps... Seeing Yi Jianlian swing back, Yao Ming immediately retreated back to stand under the basket.

Howard came to the left side of the Yi River to set a screen for James.

Putting aside the fact that Howard simply stood up without making any contact, James saw that Yao Ming didn't even come out.

Oh right, no three-second rule!

With two players who can't shoot from long range setting a screen, it's no wonder the big center won't be able to come out!
But at least Yi Shui was blocked... James started his run and broke through from the right!

But James overestimated the quality of Howard's screen. After confirming James's driving route, Yi Shui turned around and used Howard as a target, circling around to the right sideline of the three-second zone and hitting him right in the face!

James once again drove into the basket from the right side of the three-second zone, close to the baseline, guided by Yi Shui.

Howard, having completed the pick-and-roll, also rolled down the court from the middle, and the right side of the basket was packed with players!

James took two steps but couldn't shake off Yao Ming's cover. With Yi Shui watching Howard's side, James jumped another step, moved to the left side of the basket, landed on both feet, and launched another floater...

Yi Shui lunged forward with all his might, but still couldn't block the shot. He could only watch the ball fall into the basket, but!

Before James even released the ball, the referee had already blown the whistle repeatedly, calling it a traveling violation!

A three-step layup is allowed if you take two steps, then jump one more step, or shoot after landing on the third step. As long as the movements are fluid, it is not considered traveling, which is already legal in the NBA.

This concept doesn't apply to international competitions!
In the past, James had complained, but he received a technical foul. This time, instead of complaining to the referee, he complained to Howard while retreating on defense: "You screen him! Don't let him come around and block my drive! That's a screen!"

But Howard wasn't Varejao, and immediately retorted, "Then don't call me. Do I need a screen to deal with a rookie?"

James, his face flushed but not very noticeable, focused his energy on physically restricting Yi Shui's ability to receive the ball.

Compared to the previous two World Championships, James' defense has indeed improved a lot, and he is making better use of his body on the defensive end.

However, the confrontation has not yet reached the point of 'absolute advantage', and there are still quite a few loopholes.

Yi Shui faked a move to cut inside, then circled back, and successfully received the ball just one step outside the three-point line.

James turned around and quickly pressed forward to defend the shot. Yi Shui, who was in rhythm, made a rhythm difference, changed direction, brushed past James, and broke into the paint!
Yi Shui drove straight to the basket, jumped over Howard, and attempted a reverse layup... but missed! However! Yao Ming followed up with a dunk for two points!
Yi Shui and Yao Ming high-fived each other as they retreated from defense.

Yao Ming's timing in pulling out of the three-second zone and re-entering the court was excellent, which allowed Yi Shui to confidently choose to 'make a one-on-two play that's impressive and impressive, or make a profit by scoring 2 points and grabbing a rebound if he doesn't.'

When it was Team USA's turn to attack, when Anthony inbounded the ball, Kidd ran straight to the frontcourt, so he could only pass to James.

James seemed less inclined to receive the serve this time, but since he already had the ball, wouldn't it be embarrassing to pass it out?
Once he got to the frontcourt, he realized he had been yelling at the center like he was dealing with a club, and now he was being held up.

After his pick-and-roll failed in the last possession, he was thinking of finding his perimeter teammates for the next offensive possession. His teammates at positions 1, 2, and 4 were all reliable pick-and-roll options. However, Howard's outburst made him reluctant to ask for a pick-and-roll.

He now recalls the feeling of playing against the Rockets, facing Greece in the 06 World Championship semifinals... and doesn't want to rush back.

Seeing Yi Shui pull away with a large step of defense, James gathered the ball and jumped, taking a gamble on a three-pointer! He had a 30% shooting percentage last season, what if he made it?
The shot was decisive, the force was decisive, and the ball was in a very straight direction.

But it hit the angle between the rim and the neck of the basket!

That's incredibly powerful! Absolutely outrageous!
The ball bounced straight back towards the top arc, and Yi Shui, who was just outside the free throw line, reached out and grabbed it. He then turned around and launched a counterattack!
James' shot was fast, the ball bounced back quickly, and Yi Shui's start was equally fast. James tried to block it after landing, but he couldn't stop it and was propelled up by Yi Shui!
However, James was not left behind and kept chasing Yi Shui's side, the two of them rushing all the way to the opposite basket.

Their teammates stopped after chasing them for a short distance and watched the two 'race'.

The fans at the scene cheered loudly for Yishui.

Yi Shui rushed to close range but couldn't shake off James. Undeterred, he jumped and slammed the ball toward the basket!
Decisive, resolute, without the slightest hesitation—it's time to deduct!
James jumped immediately after Yi Shui and blocked the shot!
In that instant, everyone stared wide-eyed at the two people's hands.

Was it Yi Shui getting blocked? Or was it James getting dunked on on a fast break?

As Yi Shui slammed the ball into the basket, James slapped Yi Shui's arm, and the referee at the center line, who was struggling to retreat, blew his whistle and made a foul gesture, the answer was clear.

Yi Shui grabbed the rebound and dunked on the fast break, drawing a foul from James!
The fans in the stadium cheered wildly, and Team USA called a timeout!
...

0-9! And the other team has an extra penalty!
Coach K was losing face at this start.

This Dream Team VIII is significantly different from the previous two Dream Teams VI and VII. Coach K no longer insists on playing zone defense.

Larry Brown tried it once in 04, and Coach K tried it himself in 06. It was confirmed that after so many years of the NBA adding the defensive three-second rule, these players no longer had the foundation to play zone defense. So he chose to play one-on-one on the defensive end, with standard NBA help defense, letting the players play however they were used to. If they couldn't defend, then they would attack.

To this end, he recruited the strongest players he could muster into the team. After Kobe joined, he even boldly declared that the team would be "stronger than the Dream Team"...

As a result, they were crushed in the very first match of the Olympics!
They can't make the shot and they can't defend it!
However, Coach K didn't need to say anything more; the American players had already been awakened.

They wanted to see James make a fool of himself, but they didn't expect that the James + Howard duo would be so thoroughly defeated by the Yi Shui + Yao Ming duo.

They failed to score in 4 offensive possessions, while the opponent made 4 of 5 shots!
This result greatly shocked even Kobe, Kidd, and others who were not optimistic that James and Howard could deal with Yao Ming.

Wade, Bosh, and others who believed their friend could easily defeat the 'hundred-million-dollar champion' were completely dumbfounded.

'How could LeBron lose so badly? He was just a rookie!'

They now truly realize that the 'hundred-million-yuan champion' is no ordinary student.

Their previous evaluation of Yi Shui was actually not low, but at most it was comparable to rookie Durant and rookie Roy.

Now, the ratings are going up!
And they determined that it wasn't a problem with the rules of the game.

There are some players who are very good on the international stage, but not so good in the NBA. For example, Darko Milicic's NBA career is over, but he is still a dominant force in the paint on the international stage.

But Yi Shui's physical attributes and playing style are undoubtedly something he could achieve in the NBA!

With Yi Shui and a dominant center, it's highly likely that they can replicate the Celtics' defense against LeBron James!

Seeing that the players were taking the game seriously, Coach K didn't waste time criticizing or motivating them, and immediately began adjusting the lineup and tactics.

On the other side, the Chinese team celebrated with the fans after the timeout.

Yi Shui wasn't that excited.

Seeing Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer taking off their training gear on the other side, and Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwight Howard surrounding Coach K, he knew that the real game was about to begin.

But he didn't spoil his teammates' fun; he high-fived, hugged, and shouted together when they wanted to.

They need morale, they need confidence, they need drive!
...

After the timeout, Yi Shui made the free throw, giving Yi Shui a 10-0 lead.

Turning back, Kobe Bryant hit a fadeaway three-pointer after a one-on-one against Wang Shipeng, and Team USA launched their counterattack!
Coach K's strategy was clear: just like his decision to abandon zone defense, he didn't want to make things difficult for the players, and he preferred to keep things as simple as possible.

In positional offense, whoever Yi Shui is guarding, he lets the other player in the second or third position take mid-to-long-range isolation shots.

When Yao Ming was on the court, he would avoid attacking unless absolutely necessary, except for second-chance opportunities.

Although we don't know how good Yi Shui's one-on-one defense is, his physique seems even more imposing than young LeBron James back then, his defensive IQ is incredibly high, and with Yao Ming behind him, he can't be bad at interfering with shots from mid-range and long-range.

Coach K believes that both Kobe and Anthony can dominate Yishui, but he is minimizing the risks.

Trailing by double digits at the start, Kobe and Anthony, already awakened and burdened with the responsibility of 'reviving the Dream Team,' did not resist and strictly followed the plan.

When Kobe and Anthony, the one who isn't being guarded by Yi Jianlian, needs a break, let Deron Williams and Boozer run pick-and-rolls.

As for attacking the basket... we'll play a high-pressure, defensive counter-attacking style!
Faced with the American team's simple but clear playing style, the Chinese team's lead was quickly eroded.

Kobe and Anthony, Wang Shipeng, and substitutes Zhu Fangyu and Li Nan, were all helpless.

The Chinese team defended Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer's pick-and-roll offense quite well, much better than the Rockets, and even managed to gain a slight advantage at this stage.

It wasn't because of ability, but because there was no three-second rule, the three-point line was shorter, and the Dream Team didn't have many open shooters on the perimeter.

Unfortunately, the Dream Team didn't play like that often. After suffering some losses, Deron stopped running pick-and-rolls and started driving straight in, drawing Yi Shui's help defense and then passing the ball.

The scenario that Yi Shui had hoped for—James playing off-ball and being able to defend 4 opponents 5-on-4—did not materialize.

Coach K learned his lesson two years ago. Now, when playing against teams with a dominant center and a zone defense, he will never send James to play off-ball. Without the defensive three-second rule, James' off-ball movement is too ineffective.

From having a clear advantage to falling behind and being dominated in an instant, especially against the Dream Team, in the past, the Chinese team might have collapsed even more severely than if they had fallen behind from the start.

But now they have their new leader—Yi Shui!
The American team is indeed frightening to them; once they get serious, they can dominate them.

But as soon as they thought that Yi Shui was fighting alongside them, and that Yi Shui had just been holding down the two top draft picks on the opposing team with Yao Ming, their fear was greatly reduced.

They knew the gap in individual ability between themselves and the opposing players, but Yi Shui and Yao Ming were playing so hard, so they had to play even harder and try not to hold them back!

At the end of the first quarter, Li Nan received a pass from Yi Shui in the corner and hit a three-pointer, and Yi Jianlian cut in and received a pass from substitute Wang Zhizhi and dunked, which helped them withstand Reed's two consecutive mid-range shots and widen the gap by 1 point.

In the first quarter, China led the United States 33-29, entering the break!
In the second quarter, the US team fielded a lineup of Wade, Kobe, Prince, Boozer, and Bosh. Before Yao Ming could enter the game, they went on a 13-6 run to take a 42-39 lead.

Then Yi Shui received the ball and hit a three-pointer over Wade who was helping on defense, leading the team to withstand the fierce attack from the American team.

He stopped defending on the perimeter. Spreading out was useless; the opposing team wouldn't let their players face him one-on-one. They had strong one-on-one players at every position, so one of his perimeter teammates would always get blown out. He chose to help Yi Jianlian and Wang Zhizhi protect the rim.

The US team kept trying to gain an advantage and widen the gap, but was repeatedly thwarted and became a bit impatient. Taking advantage of the opponent substituting James, Jonas seized the opportunity to substitute Yao Ming.

Yi Shui helped Yao Ming relieve pressure on the defensive end, while Yao Ming relentlessly attacked Bosh on offense, scoring 11-7 in the last 4 minutes.

At halftime, the Chinese team had taken a 62-61 lead!

After halftime, the American players' expressions were completely different.

After falling behind 0-10 at the start, they just got serious. Their comeback in the final moments of the first quarter was thwarted, and they played with even more focus in the second quarter.

The American team players are clearly starting to fight hard now!
When they were down 0-10 at the start, they thought that as long as Kobe and Anthony exerted their strength, they could break the opponent's confidence and then rely on the fierce firepower of their rotation lineup to overwhelm the opponent in one fell swoop.

That's how the Dream Team played back then.

The Dream Team didn't have zone defense either. The US men's basketball team that started in 92 only began using zone defense at the 98 World Championship because that team didn't have a single NBA player and could only play team offense and defense.

But in the final moments of the first half, the score was reversed again, and the American players finally understood.

The Chinese team before us is no longer the team that could be easily toyed with. The addition of Yi Shui has brought about a qualitative change to this team!

There's nothing strange about that. Unlike most team sports, basketball is a game where a single, exceptionally talented player can bring about a dramatic change to a team.

Yi Shui is undoubtedly such a player!

(End of this chapter)