Reborn in 96, I started by taking charge of the Dallas Mavericks.

The two teams were evenly matched in the first quarter, and no one expected that the Mavericks would hold their own against the Bulls.

The bulls scored, and the calf immediately responded in kind.

The score went back and forth, and the first quarter ended quickly with the two teams tied at 27.

In the second quarter, both teams began rotating their lineups.

At this point, the Mavericks' weakness in bench strength became apparent.

The Bulls' bench also boasts scorers like Steve Kerr and Tony Kukoc, while the Mavericks' bench only has Zydrunas Ilgauskas as a reliable offensive weapon.

The two teams, which were evenly matched in the first quarter, quickly widened the gap thanks to the performance of their substitutes.

As the score gap widened, Chen Fang called a timeout after Da Z drew a foul from the opposing defense.

In fact, the Mavericks' bench players executed the tactics very well and created open looks, but they just couldn't make the shots.

This has nothing to do with the coach's coaching ability; it's simply that the players' individual abilities are lacking.

Chen Fang knew this too, but he couldn't let the main players play the full 48 minutes of the game.

He just hopes that the substitutes can lose by a few points, so that there is hope of catching up later.

"Boss, let me use it again."

At that moment, Kobe stepped forward and spoke.

Kobe played the entire first quarter, and including the break, he only rested for less than 10 minutes.

If I were to play now, I'm afraid I wouldn't have the stamina for the second half.

But without bringing Kobe back on the court, the situation on the court was indeed out of control.

For a moment, Chen Fang was also caught in a dilemma.

Before the game started, he knew that the Bulls were a tough opponent, but he didn't expect the championship team to have such a deep foundation. He had underestimated his opponent.

"Boss, don't hesitate, let me go on stage, otherwise we won't have a chance to catch up."

Seeing that Chen Fang did not speak, Kobe volunteered again.

Do you still have the energy?

Looking into Kobe's eyes, which were full of fighting spirit, Chen Fang finally wavered.

Kobe nodded and said confidently, "Don't worry, I still have the energy."

"Okay, you can go on later. If you don't have enough stamina, let me know and I'll take you off to rest."

"it is good!"

After the timeout, Chen Fang substituted Kobe into the game.

The Bulls made no personnel changes, as they are currently in the lead and there's no need to bring in their starters early.

The game continues.

As soon as Kobe came on, the Mavericks' offense improved.

He drove inside and shot from outside, quickly closing the gap in the score.

Seeing the score closing in, Phil Jackson quickly got up and went to the scorer's table to call a timeout.

But when he saw Kobe with his hands on his knees, panting heavily, after returning to defense, he suddenly went back to the bench.

Kobe is currently on fire and has narrowed the score gap, but his physical exertion is also enormous.

If he calls a timeout now, he's actually giving Kobe a chance to rest.

The Bulls are currently leading, so it's not time to call a timeout yet. They might as well continue playing and let Kobe expend more energy.

It was with this in mind that Phil Jackson returned.

Chen Fang naturally noticed Phil Jackson's unusual behavior, and after a moment's thought, he understood Phil Jackson's plan.

"What a cunning old fox!"

Chen Fang cursed under his breath, realizing he could only vent his frustration verbally but couldn't do anything about it.

At this point, the young player was gaining momentum, and he couldn't very well call a timeout and disrupt that momentum.

Two minutes later, Kobe had narrowed the gap to just 5 points thanks to his individual skills, but his stamina was also nearing its limit.

With four minutes remaining in the second quarter, Chen Fang made a decisive substitution.

At the same time, Phil Jackson substituted Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman into the game.

Seeing this, Chen Fang could only angrily curse Phil Jackson.

Phil Jackson did it on purpose.

Kobe was the soul of this Mavericks team and a sharp weapon on the offensive end.

Without Kobe, the Mavericks' offensive level will be greatly reduced.

On the defensive end, Jordan would have been much more at ease without Kobe's constant presence.

Most importantly, Jordan and his two teammates had rested for most of the game and were now full of energy.

Sure enough, after Jordan and others entered the game, the situation on the court changed dramatically once again.

The point difference has returned to 10 points from 5.

If Peja hadn't hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer before halftime, the point difference would probably have been even greater.

At the end of the first half, the Mavericks trailed the Bulls 51-63, a total of 12 points, heading into the second half.

Back in the locker room, Chen Fang didn't rush to arrange tactics for the second half. Instead, he sat down and pondered.

The NBA season is very long, with 82 games in the regular season alone, and even more in the Finals if the team makes it to the playoffs.

Looking at the Mavericks' current roster, their bench is their only weakness.

To compete for the championship, you can't rely on your starters forever; the performance of your bench players is also very important.

Take today's game for example. If the Mavericks' bench players had scored a few more points, Kobe wouldn't have been so exhausted.

Fortunately, it's only the beginning of the season, so it's not too late to discover this problem.

However, if Chen Fang wants the Mavericks to go further this season, he must make changes.

After halftime, the players from both teams returned to the field.

Both sides maintained their starting fives.

At the start of the third quarter, Chen Fang shifted the tactics towards Peja, allowing Kobe more time to rest.

On the other side, the Bulls, perhaps because the halftime break was too long, or because of their large lead, saw their shooting percentage plummet in the third quarter, with several shots missing the mark.

The Mavericks seized the opportunity and went on an 8-0 run, narrowing the gap to just 4 points.

59:63

At this moment, Jordan stepped up, scoring 5 points with a layup, a drive, and free throws, helping the Bulls maintain their lead.

Kobe responded in kind, hitting a three-pointer and drawing a foul for a three-point play.

The game then turned into a battle between Kobe and Jordan.

These two shooting guards, arguably the greatest in NBA and even global basketball history, delivered a spectacular offensive battle for fans worldwide at the Mavericks' home arena, Reunion Arena.

If history had unfolded as it should have, Kobe in his first year would never have had the ability to compete with Jordan.

Let alone Jordan, even Kobe was no match for Iverson, who was in the same grade.

Otherwise, why would Iverson have been the number one pick in the original draft, but he wasn't selected by the Lakers until the thirteenth pick?

In this life, however, Kobe met Chen Fang. With Chen Fang's help, Kobe will complete his evolution in the first season and no longer have to waste his time on the bench.