I've been playing in the NBA for three years, and this system is only now showing up?

Chapter 33: Kobe the Cancer!

"You think you're worthy?" Iverson's contemptuous tone, coupled with his dismissive expression, was incredibly impactful.

Kobe broke through the defense instantly, and in anger, he turned around and elbowed Snow, making Snow wince. Then Kobe immediately turned around and, with Snow still in the middle of his defense, threw out a long two-pointer.

This was a shot selection that would make O'Neal curse out loud.

Because the Lakers' first offensive possession of the game is always given to O'Neal, who has already secured his position under the basket. O'Neal can easily beat Hill, just like Iverson could easily beat Kobe.

But Kobe didn't care at all; he just pulled it out and threw it away.

With a "smack," Rice, who had rushed to the basket, slapped the rebound away, allowing Lin Ze, who was on the right side of the free-throw line, to grab the ball.

Ratliff was nearly two meters away from Lin Ze.

This guy just let Lin Ze go.

He thought the Lakers would target O'Neal, so he went to lie in wait in advance, wanting to give O'Neal a surprise.

This defensive choice reflects a typical stat-padding mentality.

Which serious player would leave a top shooter with a 45% three-point shooting percentage during the season to help defend an inside player who doesn't have the ball?

Ratliff did just that; that's his defensive philosophy, and it's also why, despite being a multiple-time blocks leader, no one considered him an excellent defender.

Brown, sitting on the sidelines, immediately started criticizing Ratliff. He said that if Matt Geiger hadn't been sidelined for a month due to an ankle injury, and if the team hadn't been so short-handed on the bench, he wouldn't have kept Ratliff in the starting lineup.

Then, Lin Ze, who had the ball in the mid-range and was unguarded, didn't hesitate and pulled up for a mid-range shot!

"Swish"

With a crisp sound, a mid-range jump shot went in cleanly!

"Huh?" Jackson, watching Lin Ze jump and throw his hand from the sidelines, felt a little dazed.

Has this kid changed his shooting form? Or maybe he hasn't?

Why does it look completely different, yet also seem so familiar?

More importantly, Lin Ze has been playing a very "Moreyball" style of play this season. This pragmatic yet advanced style of play has given him extremely high efficiency, and he almost never shoots mid-range shots. But tonight, he didn't hesitate at all for this first shot.

However, since it was an open shot, Jackson only felt that Lin Ze's posture was a little strange when he took the shot, and didn't think much else about it.

On the 76ers' side, Iverson dribbled the ball up the court, and Kobe naturally went straight to him, wanting to go one-on-one with the kid!

Kobe was actually completely unsuitable for guarding Iverson.

These two should never have been matched up against each other.

A speed king who claims to be 183cm tall but is actually 178cm tall, and an agile sprite.

A swingman who is said to be 198cm tall but is actually 196cm, and a successor to Jordan.

When these two are matched up, it's destined that whoever attacks will kill the other.

The 76ers had Snow, who specialized in dirty work, while the Lakers played a big lineup, with players at positions 1-3 all around two meters tall. In terms of speed, the Lakers didn't have anyone who could match up with Iverson, so they could only let Kobe, the most athletic and defensively capable of the three, try to tear Iverson apart.

"Whoosh!"

But obviously, Iverson in his prime was not so easy to contain. Even though Kobe tried his best, Iverson still managed to create space with two fakes and then calmly hit a long two-pointer!

Many people who haven't watched Iverson play might think that he relied on his terrifying driving ability and cosover to destroy his opponents' ankles and then repeatedly attack the basket to score.

But it's not.

Allen Iverson's pull-up jump shot ability is absolutely top-tier in today's league; he can pull up and force a shot anytime, anywhere.

This is why he was able to become the scoring champion four times and remain one of the league's top scorers throughout his prime.

Give him space, and he'll get in!

Although his height makes some of his shots look less than ideal and he is often contested, resulting in inconsistent efficiency, he can often be considered the league's number one shot-blocker.

But his ability to create opportunities is equally unquestionable.

He doesn't need screens or teammates' help; as long as the opponent dares to go one-on-one with him, he can always find an opportunity to shoot!

"You should be on defense! Why aren't you on defense?" Iverson yelled at Kobe after scoring.

"Do you need my help?" Lin Ze looked at Kobe again, this time without mocking him, but genuinely asking.

"No need! I can kill him myself!" Kobe said firmly, refusing Lin Ze's request.

Lin Ze shrugged and didn't say anything more.

O'Neal, who was under the basket, abandoned his post position. The clever fat man realized that Kobe was on fire and wouldn't pass the ball for the next few minutes.

However, O'Neal wasn't too dissatisfied. Although his relationship with Kobe wasn't great, he didn't think Kobe could threaten his position on the team. He just thought Kobe was a disobedient little brother!

In this possession, Kobe once again dribbled past Snow. This time, when he drove to the basket for a layup, Ratliff, who had left Lin Ze behind early, seized the opportunity and delivered a spectacular and brutal block, sending the ball flying to the vicinity of the free-throw line.

The ball fell into Lin Ze's hands again.

However, after Lin Ze got the ball this time, Lynch George quickly came over to help defend, reaching out to block Lin Ze's shooting space.

Lin Ze received the ball, made a feint, then half-turned and leaned back slightly to block George, then immediately turned back again, and when he raised the ball, he made a noticeable backward leaning motion.

George, who was trying his best to block Lin Ze, watched in disbelief as Lin Ze got further and further away from him. He knew that his defense had become useless.

"Whoosh!"

Then came another crisp sound, and Lin Ze's mid-range shot hit again!

"That was so steady!" Wilmarcus, who had become a fan of Lin Ze after broadcasting the Lakers vs. Timberwolves game last time, immediately showered the rising star with praise while commentating on Lin Ze's game again tonight: "Those two jump shots of his were more like Jordan's than Kobe's!"

"This guy doesn't seem to shoot from this area much before," Smith said. "His form seems a bit different when he shoots mid-range and three-pointers."

"Constantly adding new weapons and showcasing new weapons is a basic quality that an ambitious player should have, but I also have to say that Lin's progress this year is really exaggerated," Wilmarcus said. "If possible, I would really like to interview him to find out what he practiced this summer and how many times he practiced each day."

"According to my intelligence," Smith chuckled, "he trained with Grover all summer!"