Who will be the role players now that everyone's been reborn?

In the eleventh minute, Justin Gray and Paul executed a pass and cut on the outside, bringing DeBron's defense to Paul's face.

DeBrown wasn't surprised. With his 183cm height, he's been the most talked-about player all along, and he's used to it. To put it another way, before the game, the University of Illinois had already prepared a matchup plan for Chris Paul to face off against DeBrown.

So DeBron didn't panic. Like Tyronn Lue, he stood close to Paul, blocking his path and letting him shoot freely.

Clang!

Paul's long two-point jump shot missed.

Shooting isn't something you can just do whenever you want.

Under the basket, Rick Williams and Chris Ellis fought fiercely for offensive rebounds, a key to Wake Forest University's success against small, agile teams.

However, it's not just about who's taller to grab the basketball. James Augustin, like Rodman, would first lift the ball up, then jump repeatedly to secure the rebound. This tactic had worked for him time and time again. Occasionally, if he was in a bad position and couldn't get the rebound, he would disrupt the play by swatting the ball away.

It all comes down to talent!

James Augustin has the potential to bring his physical gifts to the NBA. Rick Williams, on the other hand, doesn't have much of an advantage in height. Wake Forest University's advantage lies in average height, not absolute height.

During the counterattack, Luther Head dribbled forward. Being an off-ball shooter doesn't mean he can't advance the ball. In fact, he was originally a point guard, but he just couldn't compete with a genius-level point guard like Deron Williams. He was entangled by Gray and quickly passed the ball to Deron Williams. Chen Dong also closely guarded him. Deron Williams changed direction and passed the ball back to Luther Head, who drove into the three-point line and shot.

Swish-!

The knife falls, the ball goes in.

When counter-attacking, he dares to finish with a mid-range jump shot, which shows Lutherhead's absolute confidence in his shooting skills.

That's right. This season, Luther Head is averaging 16.2 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game, which is still a bit lower than Justin Gray's 21 points per game last season. But Luther Head has better talent and is still improving.

Justin Gray's talent was more mediocre. Not only did he not improve, but when Paul honed his offense and Chen Dong rose to prominence and took away his shot attempts, his scoring performance was directly halved.

People like Duncan and Roy, who have top-tier talent and spend four years in college before making their professional debut, have a clear plan and confidence. They play conservatively and choose the NBA. But people like Justin Gray, who lack physical talent and continue playing in college, are just wasting their time and have no self-awareness.

Playing ball is like rowing against the current; if you don't improve while others do, the gap in skill will widen.

In the 13th minute, DeBron was once again called upon to face Paul. He dribbled between his legs, changed direction, and forced his way through. Luther Head left Justin Gray unguarded, spread his arms, and aggressively double-teamed Paul. Paul instinctively passed the ball to him.

Justin Gray found himself open, received a pass from Paul—or rather, a legitimate pass—and launched a three-pointer…

As a result, he angrily struck a piece of fine iron.

Inside the paint, Roger Powell (1.98 meters) and Chris Ellis (2.03 meters) jumped almost simultaneously, with Roger Powell being the first to touch the basketball and bounce it away.

Deron Williams controlled the out-of-control basketball, used a crossover dribble to force back Chen Dong's immediate counter-attack, created distance, and pushed the ball forward with both hands. In a flash, DeBron quickly started his run and pounced out like a cheetah.

Paul was overtaken by DeBrown at the start and knew he couldn't catch up. He felt his emotions gradually getting out of control and he became somewhat impatient.

The question is, with teammates like this all around, how can you even play basketball?!

All he wants now is to unleash his powerful punches and knock all his opponents down, then the world will be at peace!

DeBron received the ball, accelerated, and drove straight to the basket, taking on zero chances.

Clang!

He scored with a powerful dunk after leaping high into the air, putting the ball into the net on the counter-attack.

That said, all the 180cm short players who make it into the NBA are incredibly talented. They may not be as good as Allen Iverson, but they're at least 8 or 9 out of 10 in terms of talent.

Take Isaiah Thomas, for example, who famously said he'd need an armored truck to bring in money to re-sign his contract. Playing in the right system, aside from not having the same style of play or the same flashy drives as Allen Iverson, he certainly doesn't lack the so-called physical talent!

Off the court, Prosser was somewhat bewildered. What happened to Wake Forest University's supposed ability to counter small, agile lineups? What happened to their extensive experience against small-ball lineups? How come it was Wake Forest University that was being countered?

On the other hand, the University of Illinois was on a roll from the start. Deron Williams was on fire, and Chen Dong's defense finally managed to put him back in the game. Damn it! How come the University of Illinois is playing with multiple players contributing and everyone is contributing?

This situation is very bad!!!

On the court, Paul played with more patience. He felt like he was surrounded by CBA teammates. He suddenly thought of Chen Dong. Chen Dong had been there for Wake Forest during their most difficult times, helping them get to where they were today.

However, the University of Illinois seemed to have prepared a countermeasure early on. Deron Williams was closely guarding Chen Dong, not giving him any chance to receive the ball and shoot.

Chen Dong made an off-ball cut and run, and Deron Williams desperately followed. Chen Dong finally managed to get a foothold, but the University of Illinois preferred to leave other players open in order to kill Chen Dong's off-ball offense.

Chen Dong's offense was perfectly orchestrated, and seeing this, Illinois University head coach Brown Weber, watching from the sidelines, drew circles in satisfaction.

That's right. Wake Forest University's small and agile lineup has been on a winning streak. Judging from the results, it seems that Wake Forest University always has the last laugh. But in fact, looking at the process, the key player who decides the game is not their team's core player, Chris Paul.

Instead, it was the unremarkable but exceptional player Chen Dong who, time and again, solved the most difficult problems facing Wake Forest University, allowing Chris Paul to play at a comfortable pace.

You know what, even though Chen Dong was targeted and couldn't get open space, his constant running like Forrest Gump still managed to disrupt the University of Illinois' defensive formation.

Paul seized the opportunity, using Chris Ellis's support to break into the paint and score a two-pointer off the backboard, temporarily stabilizing the situation on the court.

In the seventeenth minute, Chen Dong finally received a pass and launched a three-pointer from the top of the arc, but it slammed into the brick. His shooting cooldown had been too long; without a microwave to keep it warm, it would be a miracle if Chen Dong could even shoot and draw blood!

Chen Dong can't be relied on either!!!?

After finally delivering a brilliant pass, Chris Paul was starting to doubt his life choices because he didn't get the desired result.

Next, he decided to take matters into his own hands and first attack De Brown, forcing the University of Illinois to change their defensive strategy. So, he first hit a powerful three-pointer over De Brown's block, and then, taking advantage of the three-point threat, he showed off a crossover dribble, broke into the paint, and scored two points with a layup.

At halftime, led by Paul's inside and outside shooting, the score was 32-43, with Wake Forest University trailing by only 11 points. So, could they fall further behind?

Unfortunately, Chen Bei only made 1 of 3 shots in the first half, and his offense was completely blocked by Deron Williams. Paul's offensive efficiency was low, and with his teammates' offense not performing well, he had to face the multi-pronged offensive firepower of the Erie Three on his own.

To take on three opponents and still manage a draw requires the ferocity of Lü Bu; not everyone can do that.

If anyone feels they can do it, then let them do it!