Basketball miracles

Chapter 240 [How much do you like the scoring champion?]

During live broadcasts of matches, there are often video replays after players score spectacular goals.

Fans watching on TV only realized how Xiao Tu had dribbled past them after seeing the slow-motion replay. Everyone, including the two TNT commentators, was stunned.

Barkley exclaimed, "Shaw's layup was spectacular. I remember Jamal Crawford made a similar move, but he wasn't able to score that many points."

Kenny Smith said, "Crawford is the Bulls' leading scorer right now, but his shooting percentage is too low, and he just plays flashy."

While the two were chatting, the Mavericks completed an offensive play. Antoine Walker's three-pointer from the left 60-degree angle missed, and Xiao Tu grabbed the rebound.

When interviewed by a reporter, Walker was asked why he chose to shoot so many three-pointers. He replied, "Because there are no four-pointers." This comment was hilarious and became one of the iconic moments of his career.

Walker loves to shoot threes, but his accuracy is abysmal, barely over 30%. Therefore, Don Nelson doesn't allow him to take many three-pointers. This arrangement is correct; Walker's stats with the Celtics may look good on paper, but he's actually averaging 20 points per game on 20 field goal attempts plus free throws…

It's obvious that Walker is a liability. The Celtics coaching staff can't stand his 4% shooting percentage anymore; no starting power forward is that ineffective. Looking across the entire league, there are very few players with a lower shooting percentage than Walker.

Xiao Tu received the ball in the frontcourt, and the Mavericks players still didn't double-team him on the perimeter. They wouldn't actively double-team unless instructed by the coach; they were being overly obedient.

After testing the waters, Xiao Tu passed the ball to Odom, who had moved to the right, and Odom initiated the attack. Xiao Tu then made a run to the right corner using Grant's off-ball screen, and Walker was screened again.

The Heat had practiced this tactic before, and it could create mismatch opportunities for Xiao Tu. Odom saw that Xiao Tu had made his run into position, took a step inside the three-point line, and passed the ball.

When Xiao Tu received the ball, Nowitzki had no choice but to cover the corner. Xiao Tu immediately shot without hesitation, and as expected, Nowitzki hesitated to close out the three-pointer, merely extending his arm without jumping.

Xiao Tu landed with his right hand still raised, and immediately clenched his fist to celebrate when he saw the ball go in.

82 to 65, my 47th point.

Don Nelson finally called a timeout, completely conceding defeat. The Mavericks just can't get by without double-teaming on the perimeter; Xiao Tu keeps scoring.

Don Nelson has always admired players who can shoot, regardless of position. Xiao Tu is the player he's ever seen who loves shooting threes the most, and even more accurate than Ray Allen of the SuperSonics.

In the 2001-02 season, Ray Allen averaged 3.3 three-pointers per game for the Bucks, with a 43.4% success rate. In the 2001 playoffs, Ray Allen averaged 3.2 three-pointers per game, with a 47.9% success rate, and 25.1 points and 6 assists, almost leading his team to the NBA Finals.

In fact, NBA players have already proven the power of three-point shooting; players of average talent like Glen Rice and Reggie Miller were selected for the All-Star team based on their shooting ability. However, not many people practice three-pointers unless a big-name star leads the way.

Outside superstars prefer to emulate Jordan and play like their idol.

Barkley said, "This is the craziest individual performance of the new season. I don't think it would be difficult for Shaw to score 60 points today."

Smith said, "His most terrifying skill is his three-point shot; he dares to shoot whenever he has the chance. He averages more than ten three-point attempts per game, and there has never been a player like that before."

Regardless of what others think, Xiao Tu is determined to use Harden's "Moreyball" style of play. If opponents don't double-team him, he's sure to average 30+ points per game and win the scoring title in his rookie season.

哈登数据飙升就是增多三分投篮开始的，命中率不到4成，真实命中率就在60%以上。哈登巅峰赛季场均13.2次外线出手投进4.8球，场均36.1分6.6篮板7.5助攻2抢断，吸粉无数。

Xiao Tu dared not say he would score 35 points; he couldn't allow anyone to defend him with their hands behind their back when he tried to break through.

Riley continued to build the offense around Xiao Tu, replacing Wade with Alston.

He sensed that the opponent would double-team him, and at that moment, players with shooting range would be more effective, and Wade would likely be left open.

The game continued, and the Mavericks players, as expected, began to double-team Xiao Tu relentlessly, with Finley and Jamison handling this task. Walker's defense was inadequate, so Nelson told him to focus on offense.

Xiao Tu immediately changed his tactics, drawing double teams and passing the ball to Alston, Jones, and Odom. Two of them were drawn to the perimeter, leaving open spaces in other positions for the Mavericks.

Both players receive the ball and take jump shots, while Odom uses his physical advantages to receive the ball and drive to the basket. If Odom draws help defense, he can pass the ball to Grant, making the offensive strategy very clear.

Riley replacing Wade didn't affect the team's offensive organization, except for a weaker fast break. Odom is the team's second playmaker, capable of both driving and dishing, but in a weaker form. His shooting is inaccurate, and his drives aren't as sharp as Xiao Tu's. Defensively, Xiao Tu started to slack off, ignoring opponents' outside shots and just staying near the paint to grab rebounds. His teammates cooperated well on defense, and Xiao Tu was able to protect the rim.

At the end of the third quarter, the Heat led 101-86.

The score was close, and it seemed the Mavericks still had a chance to come back and win. Nowitzki had the best performance, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and 2-for-4 from three-point range in the first quarter, scoring 16 points and grabbing 3 rebounds. He finished the third quarter with 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.

There's no doubt that Nowitzki put up star-level numbers today.

但他作为当家球星和出战31分钟，砍下53分8篮板14助攻1抢断的肖途完全没法比，对方即将砍下超级三双。

Xiao Tu scored 22 points in the quarter, and the Mavericks couldn't completely stop him in the latter part of the quarter, allowing him to grab an offensive rebound. Xiao Tu can attack with the ball and also use off-ball movement, constantly moving to draw the defensive attention.

The small point difference means that Xiao Tu will continue to play in the final quarter, and the home team can't say anything about it.

The Mavericks are still trying to turn the tide, and the opponent isn't guaranteed to win, so what reason is there to substitute their key player for a rest? Xiao Tu only rested in the second quarter and garbage time; he was on the court the rest of the time.

Many Mavericks fans also hope that Xiao Tu will continue playing and want to see him put up super stats, like a 60+ triple-double.

Upon discovering that Xiao Tu was slacking off on the defensive end, Riley couldn't help but think of Magic Johnson.

Yes! They are so similar!

Furthermore, Xiao Tu clearly prefers to pad his stats, and he's capable of doing so. Magic Johnson, on the other hand, was just lazy back then and wasn't particularly interested in rebounding.

Riley noticed Xiao Tu slacking off but didn't say anything, just like he rarely criticized Johnson back then, at most communicating with him privately. This is the treatment a true star player receives on a team; the Heat are counting on Xiao Tu to lead the team to victory, attract fans, and generate revenue for advertisers.

Unless a superstar declines drastically and can no longer play, they are like a father to everyone on the team.

A player's commercial value determines everything; this is an unspoken rule in the NBA that all owners must abide by. If owners don't make their superstars comfortable, the consequences could be dire if the players leave.

Xiao Tu has always been high-profile because he understands this rule.

In Xiao Tu's memory, there was only one superstar who burned his heart out and remained a subordinate to his team for a long time, and that person was Dwyane Wade. In the movie "Infernal Affairs," the characters named "Silly Strong" were all wise but appeared foolish, but Wade was genuinely foolish, even having some intellectual problems.

Dwyane Wade showed his basketball talent in high school, so why did he wait three years in college before entering the draft? The reason lies in his poor academic performance.

Due to academic issues, Wade almost couldn't go to college. During his freshman year, his grades were so poor that he couldn't play and could only participate in team training. It wasn't until his junior year that his basketball skills were recognized nationwide.

The Heat's two rookies this year have already fallen far apart in Riley's eyes. Even though Wade played very well today, Riley still refused to devise plays for him.

So what if Wade has a high shooting percentage? He mainly plays two-pointers. Even if he makes 15 field goals and adds free throws in a game, he'll only get around 30 points. Riley thinks Wade averaging around 20 points per game is good enough; any more and his scoring efficiency will suffer. It would be better to focus the shot attempts on Xiao Tu and let him compete for the scoring title.

How much does Riley love the scoring title? His behavior last season shows it.

At the end of last season, when Jordan set foot in Miami for the last time as a player, Riley held a unique retirement ceremony for him—a jersey with half red and half blue number 23 was slowly raised in front of him.

As is well known, Jordan never played for the Heat, yet the Heat retired his jersey and number. This means that when LeBron James joins the Heat, he can only wear number 6, not number 23.

In the playoffs, Riley led his team against Jordan's Bulls four times, losing each time. Riley once admitted that he was not defeated by Phil Jackson, but by Jordan's exceptional ability.

Wade certainly wouldn't reach the same level of success as in a parallel universe with the Heat.

After the Heat formed their Big Three, Wade only had one good season, after which he consistently scored around 20 points per game while maintaining a low shooting percentage. This illustrates the tactical importance of the second option, which has now been elevated.

Xiao Tu believes this is good for Wade because his knees are fragile. Reducing his playing time and shot attempts will extend his career and potentially allow him to secure a bigger contract.

(End of this chapter)