Basketball Terminal

Chapter 62 Buck
With six seconds left in the first quarter, Kyrie Irving slid into the paint like a ghost, attempting a layup over two taller Kings players. The ball bounced twice on the rim, but failed to go in as the buzzer sounded, falling out of the net.

It's a real shame, everything went smoothly except for a bit of luck at the end. The Nets players were overjoyed and rushed onto the court to help Irving up. Harden was grinning like a 200-pound child; the Nets were truly on fire in the first quarter, scoring 42 points and taking a 16-point lead over the Kings.

The Kings' offense was decent, but the Nets' firepower was overwhelming. Their relentless three-pointers and drives to the basket, coupled with their incredibly high shooting percentage, completely stifled the Kings. Their defense was already poor, and then they ran into Maxim.

Judging from the situation established in the first quarter, given the Kings' poor defense and the Nets' excellent form, a big win is highly probable. The key is whether the Kings will falter during the game and whether they have a chance to turn the tide.

Li Wei didn't use his abilities in the last two minutes of the match, as he needed to conserve energy. Even without using Observation Haki or Armament Haki, Li Wei's performance wasn't bad; he could keep going on the court and even contribute a block. His persistent basic training, combined with his good physical foundation and past experience, worked in tandem to achieve his goals.

Of course, what really matters is confidence; Li Wei is no longer afraid to compete and challenge any NBA player.

So, right at the start of the second quarter, Levi blocked Harrison Barnes' shot under the basket! Barnes cut to the basket to receive the ball, turned, and attacked Levi. Levi, no pushover, withstood Barnes's attack, blocked the shot, and then controlled the ball.

Harden remained on the court, and it was another high pick-and-roll with Levi. The Kings' defense on the pick-and-roll was terrible; they only watched the ball, not the players, and didn't box out. Levi smoothly cut to the basket again, and Harden attempted a high lob! But Harden overestimated Levi's jumping height. The seemingly perfect shot was caught by Levi, who landed and went for a layup.

Holmes blocked his shot, but Levi grabbed the rebound, pushed past Holmes, and scored again. He got two points and a defensive rebound. Eight points and six rebounds to date.

"Shit, that guy's headbutt hurts so much..." Kings forward Holmes tried to block Levi's shots repeatedly, but Levi pushed him away with his arm. Holmes felt suffocated by that impact, unable to catch his breath. He was lucky to even stand up, let alone jump to block.

With an iron block strapped to his elbow, a wrench stuffed in his pants, and a steel plate lining his chest and back, no one could withstand that.

The point difference continued to widen, and the Kings committed a turnover on offense, giving the Nets a fast break opportunity. However, the Nets' backup center, Nick Claxton, dribbled into the paint during the fast break, but the Kings' defense stole the ball, resulting in a turnover. The Kings continued their fast break, with Holmes driving down the middle. Levi easily blocked him, and Holmes dunked the ball with both hands.

After that mistake, Claxton never dared to attack with the ball himself again. Even on a team like the Kings, with the worst defense in the league, not everyone can drive to the basket with the ball. Inside players who dribble flawlessly in daily practice and pickup games often struggle to get the ball down in official NBA games.

They lose the ball as soon as they get it out of their hands, and get it stolen as soon as they dribble. That's why some big men give fans the impression that their skills are very rough, that they can't even dribble properly, yet they still make it in the NBA. In reality, they don't even need to go to amateur courts. Just switch to a lower-intensity league, like the G League, and these big men can transform into all-around players, each one like Durant.

In college, Claxton was a 2.10-meter tall, unicorn-type player who could dribble, shoot threes, and drive to the basket. In the NBA, however, he found his place as a defensive, role-playing center.

This play gave the Kings a breather and they launched a counterattack. Corey Joseph blocked Shamet's three-pointer, and the Kings scored again on the fast break. Levi once again executed a pick-and-roll with Harden, but the Kings defended well, squeezing past him cleanly without leaving any openings, and their attack failed.

The Kings launched a counterattack. Haliburton, after a simple screen on the left 45-degree angle, adjusted his footwork and launched a strange but quick three-pointer, hitting his second three-pointer of the game. This guy's shooting form may be ugly, but his accuracy is undeniable.

After overcoming his rookie adjustment period, Haliburton's performance improved significantly in February. He scored 21 points against the Celtics, 23 against the Nuggets, and 22 against the Grizzlies, maintaining a three-point shooting percentage above 40%. Beyond scoring, he consistently dished out 4-7 assists off the bench, orchestrating the team's offense and proving himself to be an invaluable leader.

The Kings' selection of him at 12th overall was a good one, but the Kings' management is in a state of ambiguity regarding the choice between Haliburton and Fox. Fox has become a top scorer in the league this season, averaging 25 points per game, and the Kings are clearly reluctant to give up their core guard whom they have nurtured for many years.

Given this, why did they insist on choosing Haliburton, and why didn't they promote and develop him after discovering his potential? Only heaven knows. Nash's mind was also in turmoil, but at least after finding a gem like Levi, he made good use of him, elevating him to the starting lineup.

The Kings narrowed the gap to 11 points when Levi stepped up, setting a solid screen to help Harden sink a three-pointer, responding to Haliburton's attack. Haliburton, young and impetuous, quickly inbounded the ball, attempting a pinpoint pass to the heart of the Nets' paint, but Levi anticipated his move and made a precise steal.

The Nets launched a counterattack, and Levi dribbled the ball across half-court, miraculously evading the Kings' defense. Reaching the three-point line at the top of the arc, he drew the defense before delivering a no-look pass to Claxton, who caught the ball and unleashed a thunderous dunk!
The Nets' bench erupted in excitement. Durant was the first to jump, feigning to block his teammate behind him. Li Wei's magician-like drive, pass, and assist were not only spectacular and beautiful, but also showcased his potential ceiling. He's more than just a short center who's good at defending the rim.

This play also caused a stir among many Chinese fans watching the game online, with the nickname "Eastern Little Green" flooding the screen. One quick-thinking netizen commented: "Kevin Durant still can't escape Green's clutches."

With some practice, Li Wei could easily become the "Little LeBron" of the East.

[There's only one LeBron in the East, and that's me, James Harden.] In just three games, Li Wei's popularity among Chinese fans has skyrocketed. It's unavoidable; it's been too long since a truly promising face has emerged among Chinese players. Yao Ming retired a full ten years ago, Jeremy Lin flashed by like a comet, and the others who tried their luck in the NBA were either unprepared or simply lacked the skills to even meet the basic survival standards.

Li Wei was like a gift from heaven, leaving everyone dizzy. Before three games were even over, Li Wei's total points were already surpassing Zhou Qi's and even Sun Yue's. And he's a defensive player.

The Kings were in trouble now, and Walton called another timeout. Levi thought to himself, "This coach is really nice. I just felt tired and needed a rest, and you called a timeout, just like in the first quarter." Levi praised Walton in his mind, while Walton was truly at a loss. Where did this guy come from, capable of defense, offense, and passing?

However, after Levi's intervention, the Kings launched a counterattack immediately after the timeout. Holmes, in particular, scored 6 points in a row, including a layup, a turnaround floater, and a putback. Shamet was practically invisible against Holmes; the two shouldn't have been matched up in the first place. Claxton, on the other hand, was too slow to react; he only realized what was happening after it had already occurred, resulting in him going to the baseline to inbound the ball.

In just three minutes, the Kings responded with a 6-0 run, forcing the Nets to call a timeout. Li Wei sensed trouble; was he going to be sent back to the court? He wanted to rest. Playing at the end of the first quarter and then back in the second was taking its toll on Li Wei's stamina. Currently, with his stamina bar at its peak, he could probably play around 25 minutes a game. Strolling around with his hands on his hips, directing traffic, he could manage 35 minutes, but he wasn't up to that level right now.

While Nash was explaining the tactics on the whiteboard, Levi found a corner to hide in, keeping his head down and avoiding Nash's eyes. It was like when you don't know the answer to a question in class and try to avoid it by hiding. But often, the more you hide, the easier it is to be found.

"Victor, get ready to go in, control the rebounds, and stop Holmes."

Li Wei sighed inwardly. Coach, I'm happy you're willing to use me, but are you going to use me to the point of exhaustion? Isn't that a bit too much of a waste of my life? I don't yet have the stamina to play a grueling 35-minute game.

But you can't say you can't do it on the court, so Levi adjusted and went back on. He knew his job was defense, and mainly to mark Holmes, so he ignored everything else and focused on dealing with Kings number 22, and he had to use some tricks.

Holmes is advertised as 6'10" (2.08m), but he's actually only around 2.03 or 2.04m tall. However, his short neck makes his effective height quite good. With his tattoos, dreadlocks, and sports glasses, he looks like a Predator, which is pretty cool. Having entered the NBA in 2015, he's already a veteran on the court, with a great feel for it. His numerous collaborations with Haliburton rekindled the Kings' offensive rhythm.

Once Holmes gets going, Levi can't stop him. With the current three-second rule, even a dominant center has a hard time stopping an opponent charging in with the ball, let alone a de facto forward like Levi. Therefore, the goal of the defense is to prevent Holmes from charging.

After the timeout, the Nets switched to man-to-man defense, with Levi keeping a close eye on Holmes, constantly making small, unsettling gestures. He'd put his hand on Holmes's hip one minute, and tug at his shirt the next. The actions weren't excessive, but they were annoying, irritating Holmes. A player's inability to focus on the game can significantly impact their performance.

Holmes, who had just been scoring on a scoring streak, went cold. After all, he's a role player, and with a little targeted play, his offensive rhythm crumbled. When it came to the Nets' offensive possessions, Levi became lazy. With Harden off the court, Irving didn't really need pick-and-rolls; just pass him the ball.

They abandoned the offensive rebound and immediately retreated on defense. Holding off Holmes in the low post, they stole the ball with a slicing motion! After the steal, they immediately passed to Irving, who launched a solo counterattack, scoring a layup and drawing a foul. Li Wei stood under his own basket, not participating in the fast break at all.

He'd rather leave the fast breaks to his teammates; he wanted to stay in the backcourt and quietly guard the paint (to conserve energy). As for being aggressive in fast breaks and taking walks on defense—things that could earn him stats—Li Wei wasn't even qualified for those.

It has to be said that having a player under the basket who can hold his own, rebound, and act as the last line of defense, even if he's only a mediocre one, makes a huge difference to his teammates' gaming experience. A veteran commentator on the TV station said, "Victor Lee's performance reminds me of Buck Williams. That seemingly unremarkable but all-powerful Bucks player."

Buck Williams is a well-known small forward in NBA history, standing just over 2 meters tall, yet possessing a significant impact on the defensive end. After he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, the Blazers immediately became a championship contender, reaching the NBA Finals twice. He is a representative figure of how defense can transform a team.

Li Wei managed to play for about five minutes in the middle of the second quarter, focusing entirely on defense and operating with minimal energy expenditure. Even so, he still managed to grab two rebounds on offense, assist one teammate, and secretly make one of his own shots.

When he was substituted by DeAndre Jordan, the Nets maintained an 8-point lead, weathering a tough scoring drought and withstanding the Kings' fierce comeback. Levi's stats included 10 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, and countless other crucial plays.

It's unclear at what moment Nash had a change of heart and realized that Levi might be a bit tired, but after a dead ball, he substituted the battered Levi off the court. As he left the court, Nash made a point of helping Levi up and saying, "Well done, well done."

Li Wei sniffed and said, "You did a good job too, knowing to replace me."

(End of this chapter)