Chapter 741: Rookie, Welcome to the NBA
Knicks offensive possession.
Beverley handed the ball off to Chen Yan in the frontcourt.
As soon as Chen Yan took the ball, David West immediately came up.
Chen Yan did not rush to dribble because he noticed Anthony Parker was already preparing to fight through the screen.
Chen Yan faked 1 step, then went in the opposite direction.
Jamison switched.
Anthony Parker chased.
With that, David West was completely open.
Chen Yan sent the ball over with a bounce pass.
David West took an uncontested mid range jumper.
Swish.
The shot went in.
After the basket, the 2 of them high fived in celebration.
David West was slowly getting used to Chen Yan's rhythm, and that was the 1st step in building chemistry.
Chen Yan was very satisfied with David West's offensive stability and diverse skill set.
David West basically knew every offensive move a power forward should know. He was very well rounded.
Chen Yan's passing ability was no worse than Paul's.
If Paul could feed David West into becoming an All Star power forward back then, Chen Yan could certainly do the same now.
In fact, Chen Yan had underestimated himself.
Putting aside on court performance, with his popularity alone, David West could easily make the All Star team.
There was no way around it.
The Chinese fan base was too massive, and Chen Yan's popularity was among the best in the league.
Playing alongside him guaranteed enough exposure.
Irving dribbled past half court, and his 1st action was not to initiate the offense, but to signal his teammates to spread out.
Irving's current situation was very similar to Durant's 1st year with the Boston Celtics.
The team had no pressure to produce results, and management allowed the young leader to play freely and develop his skills.
Beverley pressed him like a mad dog, his movements extremely aggressive.
Irving made 2 consecutive behind the back dribbles, showing off some fancy ball handling.
But just as he prepared to drive right, he collided directly with Beverley.
Irving fell over, and the referee called a blocking foul on Beverley.
Beverley glared fiercely at Irving on the floor.
He was not going to pamper him.
After Irving got up, the game continued.
Jamison inbounded the ball from the sideline.
Irving suddenly made a back cut, received the ball, then pulled back with a sudden stop.
This play showed high basketball IQ and excellent detail.
Beverley was directly faked out by 2 steps.
Irving took a mid range jumper.
Missed.
At this stage, he was still a little too raw and lacked shooting consistency.
But his skills and basketball IQ were already far ahead of his peers, showing the potential to become a star.
Beverley was very unconvinced.
On the next Knicks possession, he drove straight at Irving with the ball.
Beverley was fearless.
This was his survival rule.
He forcefully drove past Irving for a layup and drew a foul.
Irving's defense was not on the same level as his offense.
He was not tall enough, and his body was too thin.
Standing at the free throw line, Beverley made 1 of 2 free throws.
5 to 2.
Chen Yan did not stop Beverley's competitive spirit.
He believed players should have passion, and this kind of on court rivalry could sometimes unleash potential.
However, Chen Yan immediately withdrew that thought.
Irving was very raw at this time, but Beverley was not much more seasoned.
Although Beverley had played overseas for several years, this was his 1st year in the NBA.
Strictly speaking, he was also a rookie.
Irving did not use a screen.
After a double crossover, he created space and took a high post jumper.
Swish.
The shot went in.
5 to 4.
After returning to the frontcourt, Beverley called for a screen.
Irving quickly went around DeAndre Jordan.
Beverley tried to force his way inside and committed a turnover.
Chen Yan walked over to Beverley.
"Switch. I will guard him."
Chen Yan could not let Irving, this rookie, do whatever he wanted on the court.
He had to teach Irving a lesson.
Beverley nodded.
He knew he had not performed well on either end during the past few possessions, so it was better to simply follow the boss's instructions now.
Irving crossed half court.
Just as he was about to call for a pick and roll, he saw that the defender had changed to Chen Yan, and he immediately changed his plan.
Irving once again signaled for an isolation.
That was right.
He was going to challenge Chen Yan.
Chen Yan was the benchmark for perimeter players in the league.
No perimeter player did not want to defeat him and prove himself, especially young rookies who were fearless and full of confidence.
All the Cavaliers players spread out.
These Cavaliers players were all good natured. Otherwise, after several consecutive possessions of running back and forth without even touching the ball, any player with a slightly bigger temper would have already erupted.
The fans in the arena started to boo, and Irving became even more energized by the noise.
He performed continuous between the legs dribbles and fakes.
A star needed this kind of aura, the belief that it had to be him.
Those who were afraid of everything would never become stars.
Chen Yan's center of gravity was very stable.
He let Irving fake as much as he wanted.
Chen Yan was a well known ankle breaker in the NBA, and he understood exactly what players like Irving were thinking.
Irving faked for 6 or 7 seconds but still could not shake Chen Yan.
He did not have a height advantage, so he could not simply pull up over Chen Yan.
Irving's true height was around 185 cm, with a wingspan of only 193 cm.
Shooting over Chen Yan would only have 2 outcomes.
Either he would get badly blocked, or the shot would be heavily contested.
Irving sped up his dribbling frequency.
Chen Yan's defensive pressure was intense, and Irving nearly lost control of the ball.
At this point, the best way for Irving to handle the possession would have been to pass.
But Irving was stubborn.
Despite failing to find his dribbling rhythm, he still insisted on challenging Chen Yan.
Irving dribbled outside the 3 point line, adjusted his rhythm, and continued his attack.
This was exactly what Chen Yan wanted to see.
Because Irving not finding his offensive rhythm meant he had already fallen into Chen Yan's defensive trap.
There were 12 seconds left on the shot clock.
Irving performed continuous between the legs dribbles at the top of the arc.
With 8 seconds left on the shot clock, Irving finally made his move.
He drove hard to the right for 2 steps, only to be cut off by Chen Yan near the basket.
Irving's ball handling was top notch, and his skills were excellent.
But his athleticism was truly average.
Trying to get past Chen Yan with speed and explosiveness was too difficult.
Irving quickly changed pace, using a behind the back dribble to switch the ball to his left hand.
His ball control was superb.
Chen Yan still did not lose his position.
In fact, Jamison and Anthony Parker were already open at this point.
But at this moment, Irving only had the basket in his eyes.
Irving's idol was Kobe, and from a very early age, he had modeled himself as a 1 on 1 player.
Players like that were usually more selfish.
They did not care whether teammates had open opportunities. They only focused on themselves.
After his left side was also sealed off, Irving chose to turn around.
This turnaround was more out of helplessness.
There was very little time left on the shot clock, and Irving's offensive moves had been completely anticipated by Chen Yan.
After Irving turned around, Chen Yan was still positioned in front of him.
Irving made a fake, but the movement was not convincing.
Chen Yan did not jump.
He simply raised his arms high and leaned into him.
Chen Yan would not jump before the offensive player, which was why he was rarely baited into fouls.
He was very confident in his vertical leap and reaction speed.
Even if he jumped later, he could still block or contest the opponent's shot.
With the offense reaching this point, a normal player would have thought about passing the responsibility away.
There were still 4 seconds left in the possession, enough time to pass the ball to the perimeter.
But then, a thought flashed through Irving's mind.
He thought of the Mamba Mentality.
The Mamba Mentality meant never backing down, never giving up, never retreating.
Irving did not think Kobe would choose to pass in this situation.
So, in the next second, Irving leaped and took a difficult fadeaway jumper.
The move was graceful.
The outcome was miserable.
Slap.
Chen Yan showed no mercy.
He slapped the ball out beyond the 3 point line.
Anthony Parker picked up the ball and shot.
But before he released it, the shot clock had already expired.
24 second violation.
Possession changed.
At that moment, Chen Yan looked at the frustrated Irving with a mischievous smile.
"Rookie, welcome to the NBA."
.....
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