Basketball: The Path to the Extraordinary

Chapter 7 Veteran vs. Newcomer: A Battle of Experience and Talent

This experienced team demonstrated its advantage over the newcomers from the very beginning, relying on its rich experience and tacit teamwork, even though it may be slightly less talented than its opponents.

On offense, Donte Smith ran a pick-and-roll with Lian Dao, attempting to utilize his speed. Smith quickly drove towards the basket, but was immediately blocked by the defense.

Lian Dao found an open shot beyond the three-point line and attempted a long-range shot, but failed to notice the defense behind him. His shot was blocked by Keith Wilkinson, but Lian Dao quickly regained possession.

Because Dwight Lewis focused his attention on defense near the basket, Lian Dao seized the opportunity and quickly took a three-pointer.

"Whoosh."

Lewis was caught off guard by the sudden shot, reacting a beat too slow to effectively disrupt Lian Dao's quick release. His positioning and reaction were both a step too slow, making it impossible to stop the shot.

Tim, watching from the sidelines, was taken aback by the distance and speed of the shot. He recalled footage of Liandao High School games, where such long-range shots and quick releases were uncommon.

Tim felt a sense of déjà vu about this style—it reminded him of the three-point shooting ability of that small player on the Davidson team last season, a shot that had caused a sensation in the tournament.

Lian Dao's three-pointer gave the freshmen a one-point lead.

As the scrimmage progressed, Marcus Simmons confidently sank a three-pointer from the outside, tying the score at the freshman team's previous level.

Meanwhile, among the new players, DeMar DeRozan stepped up, driving to the basket for a layup, only to be tightly guarded by Gibson. Undeterred, he gracefully completed a fadeaway jumper.

"Bang."

This move was reminiscent of Kobe Bryant's signature shot, but unfortunately, the ball missed, hitting the front of the rim. Veteran Keith Wilkinson seized the opportunity, boxing out Leonard Washington and allowing Marcus Jensen to grab the rebound. Jensen quickly launched a fast break, delivering a precise long pass to Marcus Simmons, who easily scored a layup.

As the match progressed, the veteran team gradually gained control of the situation through experience and teamwork. Although Lian Dao currently has some limitations in physical confrontation, his amazing 223cm wingspan and excellent positioning compensate for this deficiency to some extent.

Lian Dao's defensive strategy was very shrewd. When defending Dwight Lewis, he anticipated the opponent's offensive route and used his wingspan advantage to disrupt the shot. If Lewis attempted an outside shot, Lian Dao's hands were already in front of his chest, ready to block it at any time.

At halftime, the scoreboard showed 20-9, with the veterans leading.

In a crucial moment, Lian Dao grabbed the rebound and decided not to rely on the point guard for passes. However, despite Lian Dao's earlier three-pointer, Donte Smith still preferred to pass the ball to DeRozan. Frustrated by DeRozan's tight defense by the veteran, Lian Dao decided to create his own opportunities.

Dwight Lewis crossed the three-point line and aggressively pressed Lian Dao, believing Lian Dao was weak in physical confrontation. However, Lewis was unaware that Lian Dao was not only an accurate shooter but also possessed excellent ball-handling skills. Lewis quickly attempted a steal, but Lian Dao cleverly paused, causing Lewis to release the ball too high. Lian Dao seized the opportunity, smoothly stopping and changing direction, then powerfully pushing off to shake off his opponent.

Lewis's attempt to steal the ball displaced him, giving Lian Dao an easy opportunity to drive and lay up. As Lian Dao prepared to shoot, Gibson quickly moved to block the shot. Sensing the defense, Lian Dao swiftly passed the ball to Vucevic, who was cutting along the baseline. The pass was perfectly timed; Vucevic didn't need to adjust and easily scored with a reverse layup.

After scoring, Vucevic excitedly pointed at Lian Dao and gave him a thumbs up. Lian Dao returned the high-five, both clearly very satisfied with their performance.

Tim watched the game from the sidelines, both excited and surprised by Lian Dao's brilliant performance. He knew Lian Dao possessed a deadly three-point shot and solid dribbling skills, but what surprised him most was Lian Dao's outstanding passing ability.

A beautiful pass requires keen court awareness, excellent vision, and outstanding basketball IQ—qualities Tim lacked during his time at Liandao High School. Back then, Liandao often sat on the bench with limited playing time, which made his playing style more focused on scoring than playmaking. Like many young players, he craved the applause that comes with scoring, sometimes even at the expense of the team's overall tactics.

Now, with the wisdom accumulated over two lifetimes, Lian Dao has a deeper understanding of the game. He knows when to shoot and when to pass, constantly adjusting his playing style according to the needs of the coach and the team. This crucial pass and score not only ignited the morale of the new team but also showcased Lian Dao's own growth and maturity.

The offensive success emboldened Lian Dao, who tightened his defense. When Marcus Simmons attempted a pass, DeRozan intercepted the ball and quickly passed it to Lian Dao on the fast break. Although Lian Dao wasn't particularly fast, he sensed Lewis closing in for a block. In a flash, Lian Dao deftly passed the ball behind his head, narrowly avoiding Lewis's block.

The ball flew towards DeRozan, who leaped high and caught it at its highest point, then unleashed a thunderous tomahawk dunk over Lewis, slamming the ball into the basket. The rim trembled from the impact, and Lewis, caught off guard by DeRozan's athleticism, sat stunned on the floor.

This spectacular dunk left the veteran players in awe. Lewis was stunned, momentarily speechless, completely captivated by DeRozan's astonishing power and exquisite skill.

"This kid must have springs in his shoes!" Tim exclaimed, a smile spreading across his face. He marveled at the resilience and talent the freshman had displayed.

Tim jumped up from the bench, marveling at DeRozan's incredible athleticism and Lian Dao's increasingly refined passing skills. If the first assist was a stroke of luck, the second fully demonstrated Lian Dao's technique and talent. Lewis blocked Lian Dao's view from behind, preventing him from seeing his teammates' positions—in this situation, only a top passer could accurately find the target with keen on-court awareness.

Lian Dao is gradually proving himself to be that type of playmaker—a playmaker with exceptional vision on the field, or at least the potential to become one. This innate understanding of the field is the foundation of all top playmakers and sets him apart. While passing skills can be improved through training, this intuitive understanding of the game is the best proof of Lian Dao's exceptional talent.

Tim couldn't help but realize that USC was currently lacking a playmaker with Lian Dao's keen passing awareness. DeRozan was clearly excited by the dunk, and on the way back on defense, he and Lian Dao bumped shoulders.

The scoreboard shows 20:13.

Once the freshmen found their rhythm, they quickly launched a 4-0 offensive, narrowing the gap to single digits.

The freshmen intensified their defense, forcing Marcus Jensen to miss a layup. Using his exceptional wingspan, he leaped over Gibson and cleanly grabbed the rebound.

Taking advantage of his excellent field vision, Lian Dao quickly delivered a quarterback-like pass to Dont Smith, who was making a quick run down the court. Smith caught the ball easily and maintained a good running path.

Smith then seized the opportunity and decisively chose to dunk. His jump was elegant and fluid, exuding a touch of grace.

Wait—what is this? In mid-air, Smith adjusted his shooting technique, choosing to hit the backboard and score.

"What a promising young talent!" Tim exclaimed from the sidelines, impressed by Smith's quick thinking and adaptability.

The scoreboard showed that the gap had narrowed further, which boosted the morale of the freshmen team even more.