My days of working at the NBA

Chapter 41 Two Hit-and-Run

The whistle blows.

The competition has officially begun.

jump ball.

Du Ze's height disadvantage was obvious; the two were about 20 centimeters apart. When he jumped, he could only reach Thabeet's elbow, so he naturally couldn't touch the ball.

Connecticut got the first attack of the game.

Price dribbled the ball over, not in a hurry, and waited until everyone was in position before giving the signal.

Under the basket, Thabeet has secured the most advantageous position.

Du Ze didn't argue with him directly. Of course, even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to win; the difference in tonnage was obvious.

Even if you can't win the argument, you still have to take the necessary actions.

He used his foretoes to press against the inside of Tabbit's foot, a move that looked absurd but effectively restricted Tabbit's movement.

At the same time, his left hand rested on Tabbit's waist, subtly pushing against him, while his right hand slipped under Tabbit's armpit, constantly fiddling with his right arm.

The goal was not only to restrict Thabeet's movement, but also to prevent Thabeet from receiving the ball comfortably.

These defensive details were accumulated from the original owner's many years of experience on the field, and they are very effective.

Of course, the deeper intention was actually to deplete Thabeet's physical strength.

With Thabeet's size, height, and weight, his biggest weakness and Achilles' heel is actually his physical fitness. Once his physical fitness drops, he can only crawl like a snail in the second half of the race.

This was a strategy he devised before the match.

Just then, Thabeet suddenly waved towards the top line: "AJ, give me the ball."

Du Ze was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.

Goodness...

This shill wants to take him down in the very first round?

At that moment, he felt his blood rush to his head and his cheeks burning slightly. Did they really think he was an easy target?

Price, who was on the line, didn't hesitate and immediately lobbed the ball in.

The others then pulled them apart.

The Missouri players also showed no intention of helping out on defense.

In the first round, both sides were still in the probing stage and were relatively cautious, with neither side rushing to change their established offensive and defensive plans.

of course.

Missouri is waiting for Duze to humiliate Thabeet, while Connecticut, what are you waiting for?

At the scorer's table, Billy King was quite surprised: "Connecticut's first offensive play is aimed at Duze? Wow, that's really brave. Single-handedly attacking Missouri's strongest point, Jim truly lives up to his reputation as a two-time championship coach, his tactical arrangements are always so unpredictable."

Another reason he was so surprised was that Thabeet's post-up game was almost nonexistent, his center of gravity was too high, and he couldn't even dribble properly. As a result, the first possession was given to him, which was indeed an absurd decision.

Dorut took over the conversation and offered a tactical analysis: "This arrangement did surprise me a bit. Normally, Connecticut would open up the game with a drive first, and then create space in the paint. But if, as you say, Duze's rim protection is excellent, then letting Thabeet test Duze's abilities first is not a bad option."

Billy King said with a smile, "It seems you still don't quite believe in Duze's defensive abilities."

Dorut shrugged: "I only believe what I see with my own eyes."

Clearly, he wasn't entirely convinced by Billy King's exaggerated praise of Duze's rim protection.

On the court, Thabeet leaned back after receiving the ball and secretly glanced at the basket.

He's currently positioned half a step inside the free-throw line. With his height, he can finish with a hook shot or a turnaround jumper.

The problem is that Thabeet only started playing basketball at the age of fifteen, and in just a few years, he simply couldn't have developed such refined skills.

But he wasn't without options; he used the simplest and most direct inside game strategy: sitting and playing.

His buttocks were sticking out, ready to volley the ball, when suddenly his knees buckled...

By the time he regained his composure and reached out to retrieve the ball, it was already gone.

Looking down, he saw that Du Ze had already blocked his position with his thigh, and the ball was firmly in Du Ze's hand.

Without the slightest hesitation, Duze passed the ball to Lawrence.

Lawrence is incredibly fast, completing the service in one go.

Whistles rang out from the crowd.

Especially in the front row, there was a girl with black eyes clapping her little hands enthusiastically, looking very happy...

Lawrence was also very smug. After scoring the goal, he jumped high and his eyes unconsciously glanced in the direction of the black pearl.

Thabeet's attack ended before he even crossed the center line.

2:0.

Thabeet was given a firm rebuff, his face turning slightly pale. He glared at Du Ze, who was jogging back, and sneered, "Little brat, you're disgusting. All you can do is resort to these low-class tricks."

Instead of getting angry at such unfounded accusations, Du Ze gave a bright smile: "You're such a grown man, don't say such childish things, or I'll think you're mentally challenged."

Upon hearing this, Tabbit's wise little eyes instantly flashed with a chilling light.

Du Ze ignored him and ran back to the backfield on his own.

Billy King chuckled and turned to Dorut: "So, what do you think of the first round of offense and defense?"

Dorut pondered, "To be honest, Thabeet is not suited for one-on-one play. His center of gravity is too high, and his control of the ball is very rough. This kind of back-to-the-basket attack is a crime."

"As for Duze, his defensive skills are very solid. Facing a giant who is nearly 20 centimeters taller than him, he did not panic. In fact, he was exceptionally calm. He did not choose to fight with brute force, nor did he sit and wait for death. Instead, he intercepted the ball at the moment Thabeet passed the ball. It was very fast and decisive. This ability to judge the timing is truly amazing."

Billy King said with a smile, "That's a very high compliment."

Dorut slowly shook his head: "However, I haven't seen the top-notch rim protection ability you mentioned yet, but I did notice a small knee-thrusting motion."

Billy King didn't argue: "You'll see soon enough."

Dorut: "I'll wait and see."

But how fast can it be?

It happened in the blink of an eye.

Price used Adrian's screen to get around the defense. Although Carroll anticipated his intention, Price pushed Carroll aside and accelerated straight to the basket.

At the same time, Thabeet also used his body as a human wall, allowing Price to pass unimpeded and directly jump into the air to hit the rim.

Everyone thought Price was about to unleash a spectacular dunk, but just as he took to the air, a dark shadow flew out from his side.

boom.

The ball, held high, was swatted away with a resounding slap.

After Lyons on the periphery picked it up, Missouri immediately launched a fast break.

In the end, Lyons and Lawrence exchanged some fancy footwork, with Lawrence finishing with a layup.

4:0.

Two surprise attacks right from the start, got you stunned?

Meanwhile, Black Pearl on the sidelines was already dancing with joy...

Billy King's smile widened: "I told you, you'd see soon enough. See? I wasn't lying, was I?"

Dorut shook his head with a wry smile: "Price was mostly careless on this play; he didn't even notice his side. Thabeet also messed up his blocking; the opponent slipped right past him without him noticing. His positional awareness is definitely not ideal."

He still didn't directly acknowledge Du Ze's defensive abilities, only attributing it to defensive lapses and carelessness.

Billy King countered, "Doesn't this just demonstrate Duzer's rim protection instincts?"

Dorut simply shrugged: "Maybe?"

He then smiled and said, "But I think we need to observe further."