Chapter 99

More than half of the third quarter has passed, but Zhou Yi still hasn’t been substituted out. It seems John Kuester is determined to let Zhou Yi widen the score gap to over 30 points, turning the entire fourth quarter into garbage time. Zhou Yi holds the ball as his teammates create space, seemingly aiming to let him continue playing one-on-one. He then keeps driving hard with the ball, drawing almost all of the Nets’ defensive attention. Stephen Graham tries to help defend Zhou Yi’s fast breaks but overlooks Andre Iguodala nearby. Clearly seeing Iguodala in an open position, Zhou Yi passes the ball to him, who immediately shoots a three-pointer. Iguodala’s shot forces the Nets’ head coach, Avery Johnson, to call a timeout. The current score is 95:68, with the Pistons leading by 27 points—it seems the fourth quarter will essentially become a time for the Pistons to train their rookies. The timeout ends quickly, and both teams make adjustments to their lineups. However, Zhou Yi remains on the court, pairing up with Will Bynum to form the Pistons’ backcourt. Devin Harris carefully controls the ball, drives, and passes it to Chris Humphries, who then sets a screen for Harris. Harris drives to the baseline, receives a perfect pass from Humphries, and attempts a layup—but misses. Zhou Yi grabs the rebound and quickly passes it to Charlie Villanueva. Villanueva stops abruptly and shoots a jump shot, which swishes through the net, increasing the Pistons’ lead to 29 points. The Nets players aren’t ready to give up. Faced with Zhou Yi’s defense, Devin Harris shoots from beyond the three-point line, and the ball swishes into the basket. Zhou Yi looks stunned, then shakes his head and takes over the ball from Villanueva. After halftime, Zhou Yi throws a pass into the paint. Samuel Dalembert feints, making Brook Lopez jump, then quickly passes the ball to Tyler Hansbrough behind Lopez, who scores with an easy layup. Disturbed by Hansbrough, Lopez’s layup misses, and Dalembert grabs the defensive rebound. The Pistons’ offense also fails, and Derrick Favors secures the defensive rebound. Unable to break through inside, the Nets shift their offense to the outside, with Anthony Morrow stepping up.

Devin Harris quickly passed the ball to Anthony Morrow, who controlled it and moved around the top of the key, looking for an opportunity to break through. The Nets seemed unwilling to suffer a heavy loss at home against the opponent, so their players strictly followed the coach’s tactics, constantly moving and switching positions. Anthony Morrow feinted with his left foot several times, keeping his defender Will Bynum on edge. With a step back, Anthony Morrow raised his center of gravity quickly, prompting Will Bynum to jump instinctively to block the shot. But to his surprise, even after jumping into the air, Anthony Morrow’s feet remained firmly on the ground. Then, as Will Bynum descended, Anthony Morrow jumped decisively, passing the ball to his left hand just before Will Bynum’s body covered his right hand, and shot before losing his balance. “Clang” — a miss sounded. But soon after, a “swish” was heard. Will Bynum shrugged helplessly and frustratedly; he had been called for a defensive foul by Anthony Morrow, giving the opponent three free throws. Anthony Morrow made all three free throws, bringing the score to 99:94 and narrowing the Nets’ deficit to 25 points. Samuel Dalumport took the initiative to get the ball inside, and although his defender, Brook Lopez, was excellent offensively, he was poor defensively. Samuel Dalumport shook off two defenders and then hit a beautiful turnaround jump shot that went through the net. Devin Harris used a screen from his teammate to drive to the basket, but missed, with Zhou Yi grabbing the defensive rebound. Zhou Yi moved around the top of the key looking for an opportunity, then suddenly rushed toward the basket from the baseline. As Devin Harris charged forward, Zhou Yi suddenly flicked his wrist and passed the ball. The receiver was Charlie Villanueva, who was cutting toward the basket from the middle. After catching the pass, Charlie Villanueva took a quick step forward and rushed toward the basket. Facing Derek Favors’ help defense, Charlie Villanueva immediately drove to the basket with an overhead shot that went in, also resulting in a defensive foul on Derek Favors. Charlie Villanueva made the free throw, and it also succeeded. Devin Harris drove with the ball and assisted Anthony Morrow in scoring again from beyond the three-point line.

Zhou Yi drove with the ball, pulled back sharply, retreated beyond the three-point line, and then shot a three-pointer. The shot floated toward the basket, bounced three times on the rim, and finally fell in reluctantly.
“Wow…” The entire arena was in awe.
Witnessing Zhou Yi’s performance, the home crowd couldn’t help but cheer for the Chinese player.
The Nets attacked, with Devin Harris successfully making his way to the Pistons’ basket, but his layup missed. Tyler Hansbrough grabbed the defensive rebound.
In the subsequent attack, Tyler Hansbrough received a pass from Zhou Yi and threw down a small hook shot with his back to Derrick Favors. Unfortunately, the ball was touched by Favors’ fingertips after being shot, bounced twice on the rim, and still didn’t go in.
Samuel Dalumport grabbed the rebound and passed it to Zhou Yi on the outside. Zhou Yi shot from a high position but missed again, and Anthony Morrow secured the defensive rebound and scored a free throw.
The Nets moved slowly. By the time Devin Harris brought the ball across half-court, the Pistons’ players had already set up their defense.
The ball was passed to Stephen Graham on the right wing. Seeing no chance to attack, he passed it to Anthony Morrow.
Anthony Morrow used his speed to get past Charlie Villanueva’s defense, moved to the side, and shot a three-pointer. Unfortunately, his form was off, and the shot missed. Derrick Favors grabbed the offensive rebound and scored a putback.
Zhou Yi controlled the ball and drove to the baseline.
Suddenly, he flicked the ball, which flew straight to Tyler Hansbrough, who was running back toward the basket from the middle. After catching the ball, Hansbrough stepped across and dunked with one hand.
The Nets’ attack failed, and Samuel Dalumport easily grabbed the defensive rebound. The ball was passed back to Zhou Yi.
After driving across half-court, Zhou Yi passed the ball to Will Bynum at the baseline.
By the time Will Bynum reached the baseline, Anthony Morrow had already noticed him, though he was still some distance away.
Will Bynum held his breath and shot a three-pointer. Just as the ball was released, Anthony Morrow closed in.
With a swish, the Pistons’ three-pointer went in again.
Brook Lopez pulled up from the outside for a screen, while Anthony Morrow cut toward the basket and dunked.
Zhou Yi orchestrated the attack and made a clever pass to Will Bynum, who drove in for a layup and scored.

On the Nets’ side, Derrick Favors attempted a high jumper, but it missed due to interference from Samuel Dalembert, with Zhou Yi grabbing the rebound. Zhou Yi took control of the ball, and the remaining four Pistons players started moving. Charlie Villanueva broke away from Derrick Favors, received the pass from Zhou Yi, and moved to the outside. Zhou Yi returned to the paint and blocked Devon Harris from getting the ball. Charlie Villanueva passed the ball to Zhou Yi, who held it, leaned back forcefully, then suddenly turned and jumped backward. Devon Harris immediately jumped to try and block it, but Zhou Yi had only feinted—after deceiving him, he stepped forward two times and shot a jump shot, which went in! Brook Lopez took on Taylor Hansbrough alone, then suddenly turned and shot a backboard jumper, which also scored. Zhou Yi held the ball at the top of the key and set up a pick-and-roll with Will Bynum; Zhou Yi rushed straight to the Nets’ basket while Will Bynum quickly moved to beyond the three-point line. Zhou Yi pretended to drive but actually passed the ball to Will Bynum outside. Will Bynum attempted a three-point shot, but it was short and missed. However, the ball bounced back right into Zhou Yi’s hands. Zhou Yi passed it to Will Bynum again, and this time, Will Bynum seized the opportunity, raised his shot, and successfully made a three-point shot. The Nets’ offense failed once more; after grabbing the rebound, Zhou Yi rushed swiftly toward the opponent’s half, with Devon Harris closely following behind. But Zhou Yi was so fast that no matter how hard Devon Harris tried, he could only watch as Zhou Yi got farther and farther away. The ball bounced on the floor; seeing the basket getting closer, Zhou Yi took a big step forward, grabbed the ball, stepped back into the paint, and then launched a powerful dunk! After this play by Zhou Yi, the Nets’ already low morale dropped even further. Zhou Yi, inspired by his successful dunk, became even more aggressive, completely overwhelming the disinterested New Jersey Nets. Will Bynum also had a solid performance thanks to Zhou Yi’s clever passes. By the end of the third quarter, the Pistons led 109–75, a 34-point advantage that essentially meant the game was over. In the end, the Pistons defeated the New Jersey Nets 130–98, winning by 32 points. Chapter 279: The Current Situation of the Pistons

In the match against the Nets, the Pistons showed strong performance, seemingly turning into an offensive force on par with the Suns at their peak after the trade, while still maintaining a solid defense. Although the Nets scored 98 points throughout the game, their shooting percentage was a dismal 39.1%, whereas the Pistons scored 130 points with a high shooting percentage of 57.2%. On the Pistons’ side, the standout performer was Andre Iguodala, one of Zhou Yi’s new teammates. Playing just 28 minutes, he scored 32 points with 14 out of 16 attempts, achieving a remarkable shooting percentage of 87.5%. In addition, Iguodala contributed 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, with only 1 turnover and 1 foul throughout the game—exactly the performance of a superstar, as if he had been playing with his new teammates for a long time. Zhou Yi did not play in the fourth quarter and played 26 minutes in the first three quarters, scoring 17 points, providing 12 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals, showing high efficiency. Tracy McGrady scored 21 points, along with 7 rebounds and 7 assists, playing only 27 minutes—his efficiency was also impressive. Greg Monroe recorded 13 points and 9 rebounds, nearly hitting a double-double. Ben Gordon was the second-best performer among the bench players, behind Iguodala; although his other stats were average, he scored 16 points. Jody Meeks had a strong performance in the fourth quarter, scoring 9 points in that quarter and 11 points overall, along with 4 rebounds. Veteran James Posey also scored 11 points. Zhou Yi, McGrady, and Iguodala can be considered the Pistons’ “new trio.” Of course, compared to the trios of the Celtics and Heat, the Pistons’ trio might be slightly inferior, but their potential is the highest among these three teams. In their first collaboration, the Pistons’ new trio delivered impressive stats: 70 points, 24 assists, and 19 rebounds, with excellent teamwork—unlike the Heat’s trio, which often made mistakes when they first played together.

Now, the Pistons’ perimeter lineup is well-balanced. Although Andre Iguodala started as a substitute in the first game, it was because the Pistons’ management wanted to see if he fit into their system. Now, Iguodala’s performance has completely convinced the Pistons’ management, so he will definitely start in upcoming games.

Thus, the Pistons’ perimeter is quite strong now. Zhou Yi, Tracy McGrady, and Iguodala will surely start together. Although McGrady occupies the shooting guard position, he can easily move to the small forward spot, while Iguodala can play shooting guard—or actually, his height and physical attributes make him suitable for the small forward role as well. So McGrady and Iguodala can complement each other perfectly, and their combined frontcourt and backcourt will be one of the most formidable pairs in the league.

As the starting point guard, Zhou Yi will provide McGrady and Iguodala with plenty of quality passes. As long as the two maintain their strong shooting form, combined with Zhou Yi’s offensive firepower, the three of them will form the most challenging perimeter trio in the league. Moreover, when Zhou Yi is not on the court, both McGrady and Iguodala can organize the team’s offense. In other words, even if two of them are absent, the Pistons’ head coach won’t worry about a lack of playmaking, as all three are excellent at organizing offense, with outstanding playmaking skills and passing awareness.

Some might ask, the Pistons’ perimeter is strong, but what about their interior? After all, it’s nonsense to talk about winning a championship without a strong interior!

Actually, the Pistons’ interior strength has also improved after the trade. Although Spencer Hawes doesn’t have very distinct technical traits, he is highly skilled around the basket, able to score with either hand. He has excellent mobility, good ball-handling skills, and decent passing ability for someone of his size.

Spencer Hawes has a 7’1” reach and good touch, but his biggest issue at the moment is rebounding ability. Before reaching 6’11”, he played as a point guard, so his ball-handling skills are remarkable compared to players of the same height and position.

Built on ball control, Spencer Hawes’s passing is excellent both on the perimeter and inside, showing potential to become one of the NBA’s top passers. He is also a solid defender who doesn’t tend to get out of position.

Spencer Hawes’s weakness is that, like many white centers, he prefers to shoot from outside rather than being strong inside, which is an area he needs to improve. Additionally, his movement and defensive skills on the court also require enhancement.

However, the Pistons’ head coach, John Kuester, isn’t concerned about Hawes’s defense. Given his 7’1” height, he acts as a natural barrier inside the paint. Moreover, Hawes has excellent physical conditioning and good defensive awareness, so developing him into a key defender for the Pistons shouldn’t be a problem.

The Pistons also have defensive experts like Ben Wallace and Samuel Dalembert on the team, so coaching Hawes shouldn’t be difficult. After all, being selected 10th overall in the 2007 draft by the Kings and averaging 11.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.21 blocks per game over the 2008–09 season shows that Hawes has real talent and great potential for development.

In future games, Ben Wallace is likely to be the Pistons’ starting center unless something unexpected happens. But since Wallace is older and no longer in peak physical condition, he plays limited minutes despite being the starter. Samuel Dalembert, though officially a reserve, often fills in as the starting center. Wallace will retire in the summer, and if Dalembert maintains a strong performance, he will likely receive a contract extension and take over as the starting center for the next season.

However, both Wallace and Dalembert have been in poor health recently, so Hawes has quite a few opportunities. If he seizes them, he will likely receive a contract extension from the team in the summer.

At the power forward position, the Pistons’ undisputed starter is naturally Greg Monroe. Throughout most of this season, Greg Monroe has proven that he is more than capable of serving as the team’s starting power forward. So far this season, he averages 12.3 points (sixth among rookies), 8.7 rebounds (third among rookies and 12th in the entire league), and 1.8 blocks (second among rookies and eighth in the league), ranking fourth among rookies overall, just behind Zhou Yi, last year’s draft pick Blake Griffin, and this year’s draft pick John Wall.

Greg Monroe not only shows strong offensive prowess but also performs well defensively. He has received dedicated coaching from veterans Ben Wallace and Samuel Dalembert, which has greatly improved his defensive skills. Moreover, Greg Monroe still has a lot of potential and room for improvement; with continued effort, it shouldn’t be difficult for him to become a top-tier power forward in the years to come.

As the Pistons’ backup power forward, Taylor Hansbrough has also delivered satisfactory performance for the team. Although he plays limited minutes—only 14.6 per game—he manages to score 6.7 points, grab 5.6 rebounds, and block 1.1 shots, which demonstrates his value. If not for Greg Monroe, the Pistons might consider making Taylor Hansbrough the starter.

The Pistons not only have a strong starting lineup but also a formidable bench that impresses the league. Ben Gordon, an excellent scorer, has played just 15 games so far this season, averaging 22 minutes per game, but he still manages to contribute 13.8 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals—stats typical of a starting player. If Ben Gordon stays healthy and maintains this level of performance in upcoming games, he has a strong chance of winning the Best Sixth Man award.

Charlie Villanueva has above-average scoring ability and solid rebounding skills, with his ability to score in critical moments being the main reason the team values him. Although he can be criticized for being overpaid for his performance, his overall contribution is decent. So far this season, he has missed only two games and averages 16.8 minutes per game, scoring 9.7 points and grabbing 6.9 rebounds.

There’s little need to elaborate further on Taylor Hansbrough.

Samuel Dalembert is an experienced veteran. Although he has been troubled by injuries recently and his overall performance has declined significantly, his performance for the Pistons has been satisfactory, especially in defense where he has done well.

James Posey is definitely a player with a big heart, one who thrives in big games. Though he plays as a reserve, he gets 25 minutes per game, during which he can score 14.4 points, along with 5.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists, making him one of the top candidates for best sixth man of the season.

Will Bynum, Zhou Yi’s backup, used to be the starter, but became a reserve because of Zhou Yi’s outstanding performance. Even as a reserve, Will Bynum’s strengths cannot be ignored. He has not missed a single game this season, averaging 10.1 points and 4.4 assists in 23 minutes per game. The twin point guard lineup he forms with Zhou Yi is quite impressive.

Austin Daye has some scoring ability and decent long-range shooting skills.

Jody Meeks was once the leading scorer in his conference at Kentucky. He is a skilled shooter who often delivers outstanding performances. In a 2009 game where Kentucky defeated the University of Tennessee, Jody Meeks scored a legendary 54 points—a game in which he made 10 of 15 three-point attempts, 5 of 7 two-point attempts, and all 14 free throws. Starting as an unknown player in his first two years in college, he evolved into a scoring machine averaging 24 points per game. His rapid progress is truly remarkable.

Jody Meeks was selected 11th overall in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2009. On February 19, 2010, the Bucks completed a four-player trade with the 76ers, and Jody Meeks joined the 76ers. On December 5, 2010, in a 109-91 victory over the Bobcats at home, Jody Meeks made 6 of 6 three-point attempts in the first quarter, scoring 20 points in that quarter alone and reaching a career-high 26 points for the game. He is a highly talented and promising second-year rookie with great potential for development.

Therefore, the Pistons’ starting lineup for the upcoming games will be as follows: Center: Ben Wallace, Power Forward: Greg Monroe, Small Forward: Andre Iguodala, Shooting Guard: Tracy McGrady, Point Guard: Zhou Yi.

And the bench lineup: Ben Gordon, James Posey, Samuel Dalembert, Charlie Villanueva, Taylor Hansbrough, Austin Daye, Will Bynum, Spencer Hawes, Jody Meeks.
This is the Pistons’ latest 14-player roster, with a well-balanced lineup across all positions.
Center: Ben Wallace, Samuel Dalembert, Spencer Hawes.
Power forward: Greg Monroe, Taylor Hansbrough, Charlie Villanueva (can play power forward or small forward).
Small forward: Andre Iguodala (can play at both 2 and 3 positions), James Posey, Charlie Villanueva (can play power forward or small forward), Austin Daye (can play small forward or shooting guard; can even fill in at power forward due to his 7 feet tall stature).
Shooting guard: McGrady (can play at all three positions), Ben Gordon (can play shooting guard or point guard), Jody Meeks.
Point guard: Zhou Yi (can temporarily fill in as shooting guard), Will Bynum.
Overall, the Pistons are still very strong and fully capable of competing for a championship. However, their frontcourt is slightly weaker compared to the Lakers, Magic, and Celtics. Even so, their frontcourt strength is still among the best in the league.
After the trade, the Pistons’ goals changed entirely. Their aim is no longer just to make the playoffs—it’s to win this season’s championship.
Chapter 280: Another Back-to-Back Game
As soon as the game against the Nets ended, the Pistons rushed back to Detroit that very night. The next day, they faced the Western Conference powerhouse Phoenix Suns at home.
For the Pistons, this was a tough schedule—their games were packed tightly together.
“What kind of messed-up schedule is this? Another back-to-back game, with not even two days to rest,” Will Bynum said frustratedly to Zhou Yi.
At that moment, everyone was on the team’s private plane, flying back to Detroit.
“Sigh, stop complaining. It seems like we’ll have a game every other day for the rest of the month. At the end of the month, I’ll even have to ask the coach for time off!” Zhou Yi was also helpless.
“Ask for time off? For what?” Will Bynum asked curiously.

“It must be Chinese New Year approaching, right?” Maddie asked.
“Huh, Tracy, how did you know?” Zhou Yi also showed curiosity on his face.
“Hehe, don’t forget—I’ve been teammates with your Da Yao for several years! And I’m his brother; we’re so close. How could I not know anything about your country’s events?” Maddie explained with a smile.
“Oh, hehe, you guessed right. Chinese New Year is coming up soon. I’ve already promised my parents and friends that I’ll go home for it. Coincidentally, there are no games at the end of this month, and the first two days of next month are also free from games. I want to ask for leave to go home without delaying any matches. But I might not be able to attend team training,” Zhou Yi explained.
Maddie and the others nodded in understanding after hearing this.
Zhou Yi and his teammates sat in the back, while John Kuester and some other assistant coaches and team officials sat in the front. Since Zhou Yi spoke softly, John Kuester didn’t hear him.
The group rested on the plane for over an hour. After arriving in Detroit, they rushed home to get some sleep.
Since it was already past 11 p.m. when they arrived in Detroit, John Kuester canceled the training session for the next day. However, the players still had to arrive at the gym early so they could train a bit before the game, ideally playing an internal scrimmage.
After returning home, Zhou Yi found that Xiang Yun wasn’t asleep yet, so he joked, “Why aren’t you sleeping? Are you waiting for me?”
“Yes, of course I’m waiting for you. Do you think I resemble a devoted wife waiting for her husband who’s worked all day?” Xiang Yun teased Zhou Yi.
Hearing this, Zhou Yi gave her a glare.
After joking around a bit more with Xiang Yun, Zhou Yi went back to his room.
…
At 2 p.m. the next day, Zhou Yi arrived at the gym. John Kuester had asked the players to arrive at 4:30, but Zhou Yi, used to training early, arrived two and a half hours earlier.
The staff guarding the gate were already used to the team’s star coming in so early for training. After chatting with Zhou Yi for a while, they opened the gate and let him in.
Earlier that month, the Pistons had already played against the Suns once and defeated them away from home. This time, the Suns were determined to avenge that loss.

At 7 p.m., players from both teams had already arrived on the court, undergoing pre-game warm-ups. The match would officially begin at 7:30. This game will be broadcast live by Chao Ting Wu Tai, with Yu Jia and coach “Zhang Lihe” covering the broadcast. The Pistons’ starting lineup for this game was different from the last one; as expected, Andre Iguodala was included in the starting lineup. The Pistons’ starting lineup consisted of center Ben Wallace, power forward Greg Monroe, small forward Andre Iguodala, shooting guard Tracy McGrady, and point guard Zhou Yi. The large screen on site also showed the Suns’ starting lineup: center Robin Lopez, power forward Channing Frye, small forward Grant Hill, shooting guard Vince Carter, and point guard Steve Nash. This game would be a crucial test of the Pistons’ trade decision—the Suns represented the real test after their trade. As Robin Lopez and Greg Monroe jumped for the ball, the game officially started! The Pistons gained possession first. Greg Monroe had excellent jumping ability and a long reach, so they usually won the jump ball. “Greg Monroe is far superior to Robin Lopez. In the NBA, aside from top players like Kevin Garnett, there aren’t many who can compete with him for the ball,” said Yu Jia. By the time Robin Lopez reached Greg Monroe’s chin after he touched the ball, it demonstrated Greg Monroe’s amazing jumping power and explosive strength. Zhang Lihe nodded in agreement, saying, “Monroe has strong explosive power and is a player with great potential.” Zhou Yi received a pass from his teammate, took a deep breath, then quickly drove forward with the ball. Just as Zhou Yi had crossed half-court, Steve Nash appeared in front of him. Given the Pistons’ current form, the Suns’ chances of winning were slim. Therefore, they couldn’t afford to be careless at all and focused more on defending Zhou Yi and McGrady, the two key players for the Pistons. During the pre-game tactical discussions, Elvin Ginty emphasized just one thing: no matter what happened, as long as the ball was in Zhou Yi or McGrady’s hands, the players on the court had to rush forward to double-team them without hesitation, even if it meant leaving space for other players, so as not to give those two any chance to play.

Zhou Yi didn’t hesitate at all; he quickly passed the ball away. Steve Nash clearly didn’t expect Zhou Yi to pass the ball so easily. In his mind, given the Pistons’ current situation, Zhou Yi would try to keep the ball under control to avoid unnecessary mistakes. While Nash was distracted, Zhou Yi effortlessly slipped past him, and the ball quickly returned to his hands. The moment he got the ball, Zhou Yi’s speed surged. Nash wasn’t prepared for him to move so fast; he quickly took up a defensive stance inside the three-point line, staring intently at Zhou Yi without daring to slack off in the slightest. Zhou Yi, with his rapid movement, suddenly stopped just inside the three-point line—his toes making intense friction against the floor. Without pausing, he leaped up, raised the ball high, and gently pushed it, sending it flying from between his fingers. With a “swish,” the ball went straight into the net! After completing the attack, Zhou Yi high-fived Igoudala beside him before retreating to defend. Steve Nash shook his head—Zhou Yi’s strength was truly remarkable now, and his physical condition had also improved astonishingly. In just a few steps, he went from stillness to action, instantly adjusting his body. All of this seemed simple, but it was impossible without explosive power and excellent coordination. “Great shot!” In the studio of CCTV, Yu Jia and Zhang He Li couldn’t help but cheer. The Suns responded quickly; after Zhou Yi scored, the ball was passed away swiftly. Aside from Steve Nash, who was holding the ball behind, the other players rushed toward the Pistons’ half-court. Before Nash could even reach the half-court, the ball was already passed to him. With his excellent overall vision, he immediately spotted players without defense around Channing Frye and passed the ball to him right away. Frye took two quick steps and, before Greg Monroe could defend, threw the ball high. It flew over Monroe’s raised right hand and easily went into the net. The Suns had many scorers, but even for a team as outstanding as the Pistons, their scorers might still be slightly inferior to those of the Suns.

Vince Carter goes without saying. Aside from Robin Lopez, Grant Hill, Vince Carter, and Steve Nash are all excellent scorers. Even Channing Frye has multiple scoring methods. As a tall interior player, he can shoot threes from outside. Among the bench players, Michael Pietrus, Jared Dudley, Goran Dragic, and others all possess outstanding offensive skills. Moreover, these scorers are very good at moving around—no matter how strong your defense is, you can guard one or two or three of them, but it’s impossible to guard all five. Given a chance, Steve Nash’s passes will cut through obstacles to find the perfect recipient.

However, this has also led to the Suns’ weak defense. Although these players are good at attacking and scoring, their defense is really average, if not weak.

With the Pistons’ current roster, they are naturally stronger than the Suns. But their lineup still needs time to gel. With some time to work together, they can become a team capable of competing for championships in both offense and defense.

On the Suns’ side, Steve Nash broke through down the court and passed to Grant Hill, who scored with a mid-range jump shot.

Almost in the same spot and in the same way, Zhou Yi replicated that goal. Steve Nash’s expression turned quite grim. In basketball, completely shutting down an opponent’s scoring is only theoretically possible; in practice, it’s extremely difficult. But in just one minute, Zhou Yi scored twice in the same way right in front of him. What made it even worse was that Nash didn’t react at all during both attempts—this was what hurt him the most.

Suddenly, the referee’s whistle blew.

Everyone was surprised. Neither team had called a timeout, and no one had fouled. The game had just started—why did the referee blow the whistle?

The next moment, everyone understood why the referee had blown the whistle.

Channing Frye fell to the ground, his face showing pain as he held his knee, seemingly injured.

It turned out that earlier, when Channing Frye was defending Gregg Monroe, Gregg Monroe turned, and his knee hit Channing Frye’s knee, causing him to get injured.

Strangely, the culprit, Gregg Monroe, wasn’t hurt at all.

The Suns called a timeout and helped Channing Frye off the court.

Chapter 281: The Three Giants Take Control
Channing Frye’s fate was truly tragic—he left the game just one minute in. The match couldn’t stop because of his injury, so Marcin Gortat stepped in to replace him. When the timeout ended, play resumed.

It was the Suns’ turn to possess the ball, and Steve Nash felt frustrated—just one minute into the game, they had lost one of their key players. He hoped Channing Frye wasn’t seriously injured and could return after resting for a while.

Steve Nash drove around the top of the key and passed backward to Vince Carter. McGrady was blocked by Grant Hill, and Vince Carter attempted a jump shot. However, Zhou Yi reacted quickly and rushed at him as he shot. Though he failed to block the shot, he disrupted it, causing Vince Carter’s attempt to miss. Greg Monroe secured the rebound at the back court.

John Kuester watched Zhou Yi’s performance with satisfaction. After most of the season of training, Zhou Yi’s control over the game had become increasingly mature. He performed excellently both offensively and defensively. People often admired Zhou Yi’s offense and passing skills but often overlooked his defensive abilities. Not only was his individual defensive skill outstanding, but he also did a great job in helping out on defense.

His coordination in defending Vince Carter earlier would have been impossible for Zhou Yi in the past, but with his current game experience, he had mastered this aspect.

After several days of rest, the Suns’ players had regained their strength and continued to rely on an offensive strategy. Classic pick-and-roll plays were seen frequently in their attacks. Grant Hill even moved to the free-throw line, constantly setting screens for his teammates. He also served as the team’s playmaker, holding the ball for long periods and delivering it to the weaker side of the Pistons’ defense. Coupled with Steve Nash’s precise passing, the Suns’ offensive power was maximized.

The Suns players kept attacking the Pistons’ basket, rapidly depleting the Pistons’ players’ stamina through constant running. After all, on both offense and defense, the offensive players had the upper hand, especially with the Suns’ playing style, which kept the Pistons’ players on high alert at all times—they had to anticipate where the Suns players would pass the ball next. The offensive players had a clear goal: they just needed to find the best route, while the Pistons’ players had to constantly guess their opponents’ next move, resulting in a lot of wasted effort.

Under Steve Nash’s coordination, the Suns scored a 7-2 run. Zhou Yi was constantly guarded by two Suns players, making every move extremely difficult for him, and McGrady also felt uncomfortable—whenever he caught the ball, two players would immediately come to defend him. With both Zhou Yi and McGrady in a tough spot, the Pistons urgently needed a third player to boost their offense. That’s when Andre Iguodala showed his value. Iguodala received a pass from Zhou Yi, went one-on-one with Grant Hill, spun away from him, rushed into the Suns’ paint, jumped high, and delivered a dominant and inspiring slam dunk. Iguodala’s dunk immediately ignited the passion of the Pistons’ players.

When the Suns’ offense failed, Zhou Yi grabbed the defensive rebound and passed the ball long to McGrady and Iguodala, who were already moving downcourt. McGrady and Iguodala coordinated, with the latter easily scoring a dunk. 10-11, the Pistons were down by one point. Grant Hill broke through in the middle and passed the ball directly to Marcin Gortat inside. Gortat attempted a layup but was blocked by Greg Monroe. Robin Lopez fought for the offensive rebound but didn’t score instead passing it to Steve Nash on the outside. However, as the ball was passed to Steve Nash, a gust of wind swept past him, stealing the ball. It was Zhou Yi who stole the ball; after grabbing it, he drove fast downcourt, with Andre Iguodala on his left and McGrady on his right.

Vince Carter and Steve Nash were already in position to defend their halves, leaving the Pistons with a 3-on-2 advantage. Zhou Yi didn’t stop outside the Suns’ three-point line but kept charging toward their paint. Steve Nash had no choice but to stick closely to Zhou Yi, denying him any chance to attack. McGrady and Igoudala were on opposite sides, so one of them would always be open.

After charging into the Suns’ paint, Zhou Yi flicked the ball to McGrady on the right side. McGrady, who was now open, immediately took a three-point shot—swish—the ball went in.

The Pistons completed this fast break in just six seconds.
13:11, the Pistons took a 2-point lead.

The Suns attacked, with Steve Nash controlling the ball and organizing the offense. After half a minute, he passed it to Vince Carter.

As soon as Vince Carter caught the ball, McGrady rushed over, and the two cousins faced off again.

A few years ago, both cousins were the hottest superstars in the league. But now, neither of them has their former glory.

Two years ago, Vince Carter was doing better than McGrady, but now it seems McGrady is ahead of him. Although he doesn’t earn as much as his cousin Vince Carter, McGrady’s life is definitely more comfortable. Though he no longer has his former super strength, he has mostly recovered, and with a great teammate like Zhou Yi and the team’s excellent performance, he is getting closer to his goal of winning the O’Brien Cup.

On the other hand, Vince Carter, while with the Nets and Magic, was once close to winning a championship, but now he is growing further away from it. His performance is also declining, which is why he was abandoned by Orlando. The once “UFO” and “half-god” no longer exists.

Vince Carter took on McGrady alone, used Grant Hill as a screen to get past McGrady’s defense, then shot a layup from an open position. The ball traced a beautiful arc through the air before dropping into the basket.

The Pistons attacked again, with McGrady controlling the ball. Facing his cousin Vince Carter’s defense, McGrady remained calm and ended the Pistons’ offense with a quick jump shot.

Steve Nash made a brilliant pass to Marcin Gortat, who missed his layup but grabbed an offensive rebound. He tried for a second chance shot, which also missed, but it led to a foul on Ben Wallace.

Marcin Gortat takes a free throw, missing the first attempt. The Pistons replace Ben Wallace with Samuel Dalembert, and Gortat makes the second free throw. Zhou Yi drives to attack, but is disrupted by Steve Nash, resulting in a mistake; Grant Hill steals the ball. The Suns launch a fast break but fail, with Andre Iguodala grabbing the defensive rebound. Iguodala drives across half-court and passes to Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi organizes the offense, drives past defenders, uses a crossover to get past Steve Nash, then takes a jump shot that clanks off the rim. Greg Monroe fights for the offensive rebound and passes it to Iguodala at the perimeter, who shoots a three-pointer that sinks cleanly! Steve Nash also attempts a three-pointer from the left wing with help from teammate Grant Hill, but misses; Samuel Dalembert defends and grabs the rebound. Zhou Yi drives, uses his speed to get past Steve Nash’s defense, then rushes to the basket and scores. After Iguodala’s impressive performance earlier, the Suns noticeably tightened their defense on him, which actually made it easier for McGrady and Zhou Yi. With the combined efforts of Zhou Yi, McGrady, and Iguodala, the Pistons scored a 12-5 run. With 3:11 left in the first quarter, the Pistons led the Suns 26-17 by 9 points. At that point, the Suns’ head coach, Ervin Johnson, called a timeout. After the timeout, both teams changed their lineups. Pistons: Samuel Dalembert, Taylor Hansbrough, James Posey, Ben Gordon, and Will Bynum; Suns: Marcin Gortat, Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Pittman, Vince Carter, and Goran Dragic. In the first quarter, both teams seemed focused on offense, but obviously the Pistons were better at attacking and also excelled defensively. The Suns’ offense was quite monotonous; aside from Marcin Gortat scoring inside, only Vince Carter had a decent shooting percentage from outside.

However, with James Posey providing help defense, Vince Carter didn’t get many shooting opportunities. After hitting a mid-range jump shot and a three-pointer right after the timeout, Vince Carter scored only 2 points from free throws in the next two minutes, with all three of his other attempts missing. The other players did have quite a few chances, but they were very hesitant to shoot. After receiving the ball, they would overthink it, unsure whether to shoot or pass it. They were reluctant to waste such good opportunities, but given the Pistons’ strong defense, they had very little time to shoot. The moment they hesitated, defenders would immediately close in, and the few chances Goran Dragic managed to create were all wasted. Elvin Johnson shook his head in frustration. At the start of the game, he was quite satisfied with the team’s performance. But once Andre Iguodala exploded off the bench, prompting Zhou Yi and Tracy McGrady to do the same, he immediately became nervous. He kept pacing around the sidelines, shouting loudly, but the more anxious he became, the worse things got on the court. The players, who were already unstable, became even more hesitant and slow after being scolded by him, making more and more mistakes. With 1 minute and 6 seconds left in the first quarter, the Suns were trailing the Pistons 37–25 by 12 points. The Pistons had already built such a big lead before even the end of the first quarter, leaving Elvin Johnson extremely frustrated. Helplessly, he called another timeout, determined to give his players a good lesson. Chapter 282: Johnson’s Tactical Requirements “The situation now is that although we’re in sixth place in the West, there are several teams right behind us, eyeing us closely. The gap between us isn’t that big, and if we’re slightly careless, they’ll push us down. Half of this season has already passed, and I don’t want us to get overtaken by other teams at the end and fail to make the playoffs. Right now, every game is crucial for us. As you all know, competition in the West is always fierce. This game is the toughest one we’ll face before the playoffs. I bear primary responsibility for how things are going, but now isn’t the time to assign blame. After all, it’s only the first quarter, and we have plenty of time to make up for our mistakes.”

For the Pistons, a top-tier team in the league, there’s no need for me to say much—everyone already has a personal experience from our last encounter. Now, they’ve strengthened their team through trades. Although our focus in this game is on offense, we all know that with our current lineup, we can’t break through their defense. So what should we do? We can only improve our defensive intensity, strengthening defense while not giving up on offense. There’s no other option. The Pistons are excellent both offensively and defensively, and in games, they place more emphasis on defense; their offense only became strong in the recent season. Moreover, they’ve just completed trades, so coordination among them will likely be problematic. Therefore, we can only force them to make mistakes through intense defense and then use our fast breaks to have a chance of winning. Elvin Johnson’s tactical plan is simple: strengthen defense, force the opponent to make mistakes, then move quickly and make wide runs, using speed to drive the offense. As long as there’s an opportunity, there should be no hesitation—quickly shoot the ball at the basket.

I have to say, Elvin Johnson’s analysis is quite reasonable. But it’s the only option available. If one can’t even analyze these basic tactics, then Elvin Johnson wouldn’t have reached the position of head coach.

Although this might result in many unnecessary shots from the Suns, it’s still better than losing opportunities over and over again! However, it puts even more pressure on the Suns’ interior players. In addition to exerting enough pressure on the Pistons offensively, they also need to maintain a strong performance in rebounding.

Yet today, the Suns’ interior players as a whole didn’t perform well. Aside from Marcin Gortat, who did fairly well, the other interior players didn’t perform well.

During this timeout, the Pistons made some lineup adjustments: Spencer Hawes replaced Samuel Dalembert, and Andre Iguodala replaced Ben Gordon. Both players who came off the court performed well earlier, and John Kuester replaced them so they could get enough rest to stay strong throughout the game.

The Pistons’ substitutions didn’t significantly affect their offense. These players had already started in previous regular-season games, and with Andre Iguodala on the court, John Kuester had nothing to worry about.

Ervin Gantley watched the Pistons’ starting players with red eyes. After such a long game, he should have made some adjustments to the lineup—not only to conserve the players’ energy but also because having the same lineup on the court for too long would allow the opponent to gradually find ways to counter them. Yet after glancing at the few players on the bench, he suppressed his urge. With the score already so far ahead for the opponent, any further hesitation would make it unnecessary to continue playing.

Steve Nash gently wiped the sweat from his forehead; his hair stuck to his scalp due to the sweat. Amar’e Stoudemire’s departure had left the Suns’ frontcourt weak. Without his pick-and-roll play, the other players lacked the awareness to cover properly. On two occasions, they failed to block the defenders and instead stood in Steve Nash’s path as he tried to break through.

Steve Nash was well aware he needed to change his previous playing style of constantly searching for three-point shots, which now seemed unlikely. Previously, Zhou Yi had guarded him tightly, appearing right beside him as soon as the ball reached him, leaving no room for maneuver.

Although in his current condition, Steve Nash was confident he could break through Zhou Yi’s defense over time, it would still be exhausting. Moreover, playing alone while the other four watched wasn’t the kind of game Steve Nash preferred. And even if he managed to force a breakthrough, it might not yield any real opportunities. He firmly believed that as a competent point guard, the “brain” of the team, it was through his constant movement that every pass could create a great offensive opportunity. Keeping the ball in one player’s hands wasn’t good for either the player or the team, nor did it align with the spirit of teamwork in basketball.

The ball was quickly passed to Marcin Gortat. Marcin Gortat dribbled with his right hand, focusing his strength on his left shoulder, pushing against Spencer Hawes behind him as he moved step by step toward the basket. Faced with Marcin Gortat’s aggressive play, Spencer Hawes fought tenaciously, firmly holding his ground under the basket.

As time passed, Marcin Gortat realized he might not come out on top if he continued like this. Seizing an opportunity to exert force, he quickly passed the ball to the outside.

With such a rare opportunity, Steve Nash naturally wouldn’t let it slip away. The moment the ball was in his hands, he quickly jumped up; the ball stayed in his grasp for only a brief second before flying out of his fingers. After landing, Steve Nash let out a deep sigh. During those few minutes of play, he watched as the opponent closed the score gap and even took the lead, with the difference between the two teams growing larger and larger, while he failed to score from outside. He felt extremely frustrated, and this shot finally relieved some of that pressure. Steve Nash hit a three-pointer, helping the Suns narrow the score gap to 9 points, bringing the score to 37:28. With 36 seconds left in the first quarter, it was the Pistons’ turn to play. The Pistons had a flawless offense and excellent defense, with every player contributing effectively, making it difficult for the Suns to defend. The Suns could only rely on Steve Nash’s scoring to hold on, ending the first quarter with a score of 30-43. “Coach Zhang, what’s your opinion on how the first quarter turned out like this? In your view, how can the Suns overcome their current disadvantage?” Yu Jia turned to ask. “Actually, it’s not surprising that the game turned out this way. Both teams are among the best offensive teams in the league. When these teams are on a roll offensively, they’re almost unstoppable, but once their offense falters, things get tough. The Pistons showed their strengths today, excelling both offensively and defensively, while the Suns lost one of their key players right from the start, which surely hit them hard. Given their current situation, they can only count on Nash,” said Zhang Lihe, looking at the data in his hands and speaking at length. Still, with Steve Nash on the team, the Suns certainly weren’t without hope. Basketball is a team sport, but star players often can determine the course of a game at critical moments, and they definitely have the power to decide the outcome in such situations.

Elvin Kingtry also harbors this mindset. During the game’s breaks, he gave orders to the other players to be more aggressive, to never miss an opportunity when it arose, and if no chance existed, there was no need to force it—instead, more focus should be placed on defense. Even if a goal seemed impossible to stop, tactics like fouling should be used to prevent the Pistons from scoring, and if fouling was necessary, it had to be done thoroughly to ensure they couldn’t execute a 2+1 play, thus making the Pistons’ scorers nervous whenever taking shots.

Being willing to resort to fouling tactics against a team like the Pistons shows that Elvin Kingtry is in a desperate situation, but it’s also an effective strategy to make the Pistons’ scorers anxious while shooting.

Back in the day, the Pistons’ “Bad Boys” squad won two championships using a violent and aggressive style, even keeping “The Basketball God” Michael Jordan out of the finals several times. Everyone feared facing the Pistons because of their tough and even dirty playing tactics.

The worst among the “Bad Boys” was their center, Bill Laimbeer—one of the most troublesome players in NBA history, known for his brutality and dirtiness. When defending, he focused more on charging at players rather than the ball. Many players were terrified of facing him, worried about being caught off guard by his tactics.

Elvin Kingtry has always dismissed such tactics, but he has selectively adopted elements of them to be more aggressive in defense, which can significantly affect the mindset of offensive players. However, he does not endorse Bill Laimbeer’s style. As professional athletes, one should always maintain professional conduct. Basketball is a passionate sport, but not one based on violence. Intense competition should still be conducted within certain rules—excessive brutality goes against the true spirit of basketball.

Chapter 283: The Suns’ Counterattack