Chapter 22

Half of the second quarter had already passed, and the Pistons’ lead had widened to over 10 points since the Celtics’ big four returned to the game. Zhou Yi controlled the ball and orchestrated the offense; after halftime, McGrady stepped in to assist. Once he got the ball, McGrady quickly broke through, with Ray Allen guarding him. It wasn’t easy for McGrady to get past Ray Allen, but it wasn’t impossible either. With a behind-the-back dribble, he then made a graceful turn, leaving Ray Allen behind him. At that moment, Garnett crossed in front of McGrady, and Ray Allen quickly closed in as well. Seeing no chance, McGrady glanced around, then shook his hand, sending the ball straight toward the free-throw line. Zhou Yi caught the ball and immediately shot. With a “thud,” Zhou Yi’s shot was blocked by Randolph, and he fell to the ground heavily after colliding with him. “Is this the gap? Is this all I am?” A sense of powerlessness suddenly arose in Zhou Yi’s heart. This feeling had appeared during his last confrontation with Rose, but not as strongly as now. Randolph’s ironclad defense and strong playmaking skills were gradually crushing Zhou Yi’s confidence, and he suddenly felt extremely heavy. “Time out!” Seeing Zhou Yi’s condition, Kuster immediately noticed something was wrong and called a timeout, bringing Will Bynum in to replace Zhou Yi. After returning to the bench, Zhou Yi covered his head with a towel. He suddenly felt useless—a feeling that came suddenly and was the first time he had experienced it; he didn’t know why. Initially, Zhou Yi came to the NBA with great confidence, vowing to make a name for himself. On his way to the United States, he even swore, “I must show these Americans that China can produce top-tier point guards. I must showcase China’s strength.” At first in the NBA, although there were some setbacks, things were generally going well, and the progression of events satisfied Zhou Yi, filling him with hope. But when he saw Gordon get injured, witnessed McGrady’s disappointment and sad gaze, felt Rose’s strength, and was crushed by Randolph, he realized just how weak he was and how difficult this path was. “Is this really all I am?” Chapter 113: I Can

The Pistons lost this game without a doubt, and by a large margin. Zhou Yi did not return to the court after being taken out in the second quarter due to an injury sustained in a confrontation with Randolph. Fortunately, the injury was not serious, and he could play again after a day of rest. Zhou Yi played only 11 minutes in this game, scoring 2 points, providing 4 assists, and grabbing 2 blocks, while Randolph delivered a spectacular triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 22 assists, being the main reason for the Celtics’ victory—his stats were even higher than those of Zhou Yi and Bynum combined.

After the game, Zhou Yi did not head straight to Blake’s house but went to the bar closest to the arena with his teammates Bynum and McGrady.

“Heh, 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 22 assists—really impressive!” Zhou Yi said with a bitter smile, his tone tinged with sadness.

“Don’t take it too seriously. After all, you’ve only played three games; you still have a long way to go,” McGrady said, noticing Zhou Yi’s sadness. Sitting next to him, he sighed and added, “It’s good for young players to suffer some setbacks.”

Now, Zhou Yi had indeed suffered a heavy blow. In the previous game, when Rose scored over 40 points against him, he hadn’t felt particularly devastated, only a bit helpless. But in this game, Zhou Yi’s confidence had clearly been shaken by Randolph’s terrifying performance.

Sitting next to Zhou Yi, Bynum looked at him, suddenly smiled, then said to Zhou Yi seriously, “When I first entered the NBA, I faced much greater setbacks than you. In the 2005-06 season, I tried to get drafted, but sadly, I wasn’t selected—no one wanted to take me. Do you know how I felt after being rejected? But I didn’t give up. I’m a man, and a man must get back up after falling. After being rejected, I played 15 games for the Warriors. After that, I couldn’t find a spot in the NBA again, so I had to go to Europe in search of opportunities. For the next two seasons, I played for the Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv. In the summer of 2008, I signed with the Detroit Pistons as a backup point guard. Can you imagine my joy at that time? That feeling of getting rewarded after putting in a lot of effort? Zhou, I understand how you feel now, but nothing ever goes smoothly. Tracy is right—it’s good for young people to face setbacks. It’s something I’ve learned too: facing setbacks in your rookie season is actually a good thing. It makes you realize that if you don’t work hard in this league, you’re nothing but a failure.”

Bynum took a sip of his ice beer, glanced at Zhou Yi, and continued, “When I first joined the NBA, those teams wanted me to play as an organizational point guard, but I hadn’t played that role in college. Back then, I played alongside players like Jarrett Jack (at Georgia Tech) and Jason Gardner (at Arizona University), so we didn’t need an organizational point guard. They had me focus on scoring and offense. I’ve never been good at being an organizational point guard or playing in a different style—managing time, scoring, and all that. In Europe, I could lead my team to victory in high-intensity games. Playing for Maccabi came with pressure—you had to be a real man, keep improving, and guide your team in the right direction. Even if we won, if I couldn’t get the game on track, people would criticize me in the newspapers the next day. There I learned a lot: how to pass the ball to my teammates when they needed it, how to pass accurately so they could catch it mid-air. After going to Europe, I started thinking more deeply about games, my skill level gradually improved, and I was able to control the game at critical moments. I also gave Jamal Crawford more trust at the BMO Center. He helped me a lot. Just like in Chicago, he often played in Wisconsin, and when I watched game footage, he did the same exact things. We also talked openly on the phone about everything.”

After a pause, Bynum continued, “Actually, after signing with the Pistons in 2008, my salary was cut. Do you know why I didn’t stay in Israel to earn more money?”

Seeing Zhou Yi shake his head, Bynum smiled, then became unusually serious and said, “Playing in the NBA is my dream, my entire life. It’s my dream. That’s who I am. That’s what drives me forward. My dream is to make a name for myself in the NBA. When I first left Europe, I knew I had to come back. My goal was to return to the league and keep fighting.”

After hearing Bynum’s words, Zhou Yi nodded thoughtfully. He suddenly felt a sense of clarity in his heart. “My dream is to play in the NBA, to make a name for myself there. How can I give up so easily? It’s just a setback, just a fall—I can get back up, I can fight again, I can prove myself once more. I won’t yield, I won’t give up. This is my dream, and I definitely can’t stay discouraged. I must work harder, I can do it.” Zhou Yi thought to himself.

“Will, thank you for sharing your experiences with me. And Tracy, I also want to thank you both!” Zhou Yi raised his glass and said to Bynum and the others.

Zhou Yi rarely went to places like bars. Today, it was because Bynum was coming, and he was in a low mood, so he came to the bar with them.

“We’re brothers—why be so formal? Haha, come on, let’s drink.” Bynum laughed loudly.

“Yes, Zhou, Will is right. We’re not just teammates; we’re brothers. If there are any difficulties in the future, we’ll face them together,” Maddie said with a smile.

Hearing their words, Zhou Yi’s mood improved, and he said with a smile, “It’s great to meet you both.” Then he drained his glass in one gulp.

Seeing this, the other two also drank theirs in one gulp.

……

That night, Zhou Yi thought about many things and came to many conclusions.

Chapter 114: Be Firm Like This

At 6:30 p.m. the next day, the Phillips Arena, which can hold 18,729 spectators, was already packed. The Atlanta fans hoped their heroes would defeat the Detroit Pistons, who were challenging them that day, and extend their winning streak to six games! The Eagles’ head coach, Larry Drew, also said that the team was in top form and confident they could beat the visiting Pistons and extend their streak to six. Larry Drew believed that as long as his players performed normally, the Eagles could easily win this game.

With 25 minutes left before the game started, the Pistons players arrived on the court for pre-game warm-ups. This match was not easy for the Pistons, as they had lost heavily to the Celtics at home in their last game, which somewhat affected their morale. Another factor was that they hadn’t gotten enough rest. This was a back-to-back game, and it was also an away game. On top of that, the Eagles were extremely strong, having gone undefeated since the start of the season with five consecutive wins. Thus, the Pistons’ situation was concerning. Perhaps the Pistons players had some psychological advantage, as they had defeated the Eagles by 22 points in a preseason game. However, they didn’t get carried away by this, knowing full well that it was just preseason play.

Soon, 25 minutes passed, and the game was about to begin. The Pistons’ starting lineup for this game was different from the last one. Koostert kept Greg Monroe and James Posey on the bench, with Chris Wilcox and Tracy McGrady starting in their place. So, the Pistons’ starting lineup was:
C: Ben Wallace
PF: Chris Wilcox
SF: Tashaun Prince
SG: Tracy McGrady
PG: Will Bynum

The Eagles’ starting five were:
C: Al Horford
PF: Josh Smith
SF: Marvin Williams
SG: Joe Johnson
PG: Mike Bibby

The game was about to start as Josh Smith and Chris Wilcox stepped to the center line to prepare for the jump ball. The referee quickly threw the ball up, and Smith and Wilcox jumped almost simultaneously! Smith, known as the “Spring Man,” passed the ball to his teammate Joe Johnson, who then handed it to Bibby to organize the offense.

Bibby controlled the ball and quickly broke through to the other side of the court. Once past the midpoint, he slowed down. Facing Bynum, who had average defensive skills, Bibby didn’t dare to be careless. He kept using subtle moves to test his opponent, hoping to find an opening to break through. But the increasingly skilled Bynum ignored such attempts, sticking to his strategy and waiting for Bibby to launch a real attack. After all, Bynum had faced Bibby before and knew his skills well.

Sure enough, when only 10 seconds remained, Bibby moved. He first took a small step forward, then turned halfway around. By the time Bynum realized what was happening, Bibby had completed the turn and broke past him from his right side.
“This guy is already so old, yet he’s so fast and agile,” Bynum was shocked. He tried to get close to Bibby, but the experienced Bibby wouldn’t give him such a chance. With just a couple of sidesteps, he completely pulled away from Bynum.
Having successfully broken through, Bibby easily jumped up to shoot. With no interference, the ball smoothly made it into the basket.
Cheers erupted throughout Phillips Arena.
2:0, the Eagles took the lead.
“Swish!” Pruney found an open shot after receiving a pass from McGrady and easily scored, giving his team a 2-point advantage!
2:2, the Pistons easily tied the score.
Soon after, the game became closely contested, with both teams trading blows—one scoring a layup, the other a three-pointer—keeping the score tightly tied. It wasn’t until the last four and a half minutes of the first quarter that Josh Smith scored twice in quick succession inside the paint, pushing the score to 18:13, before the Pistons called a timeout.
“Zhou, you’re up!” Kuster ordered, looking serious.
Zhou Yi nodded and headed toward the court. He appeared very energetic; the listless state he had yesterday had disappeared after his conversation with Bynum and McGrady.
Zhou Yi’s entry into the game brought loud cheers from some of the Pistons’ fans present, as if his arrival would immediately change the outcome.
Zhou Yi slowly pushed the ball forward. At this point, the Pistons’ offensive options became more diverse, and Zhou Yi seemed even more composed. Facing Jeff Teague’s defense, he remained calm.
After several quick passes, the ball ended up in Monroe’s hands. With the ball, Monroe faced Josh Powell, who was watching him intently. Monroe pushed Powell hard, then turned and drove right, scoring with a layup.

With the starters off the court, the Pistons’ offensive core now consists of Zhou Yi on the outside and Monroe on the inside. Although both are rookies this year, Kuster is generally satisfied with Zhou Yi’s playmaking and offensive abilities. Monroe, on the other hand, has a wide range of offensive techniques, and in the first few games of the season, he seemed to be in top form, displaying exceptional offensive strength—far from what one would expect from a rookie. When Horford and Josh Smith were absent, he successfully dominated the opposing team’s interior, scoring six points in a row by attacking the Eagles’ front line. However, his impressive offensive performance couldn’t hide his poor defense today. In fact, Monroe’s defense is usually good, but he lacked his usual intensity today. His lax defense led to frequent gaps in the Pistons’ interior, and the Eagles’ backup center, Josh Powell, took advantage of these gaps. Fortunately, Durham Porter stepped up to shoulder the defensive burden; otherwise, the Pistons’ interior would have been completely overwhelmed.
Soon, the two teams tied at 26, and the first quarter ended with a tie.