Champion Creed-Chapter 907 - 300: I just took my eyes off him for a second and he fell asleep!? (Requesting for monthly tickets!)
Chapter 907: 300: I just took my eyes off him for a second and he fell asleep!? (Requesting for monthly tickets!)
In 20 years, fans will argue passionately over the question of "who is the best player in history."
Is it off-season Ben Simmons? An uninjured Greg Oden? The 196 cm Chris Paul? Or LeBron, who could use scattered titles as a dynasty?
This will be an enduring topic.
But at least in the minds of Atlanta fans right now, there’s only one choice for the best player in history, with no need for debate.
Roger’s dominant one-on-one play extended the lead to 11 points, an exhilarating moment for Atlanta fans.
Over the past half month, the Detroit Pistons swept through the league with their terrifying defense.
They first defeated the Hawks and then strengthened with the addition of the formidable Rasheed Wallace, turning from a preseason underdog into a team that caught everyone’s attention.
But just as their dominance peaked, Roger led the Atlanta Hawks tonight, emphatically proving they still held control over the league.
If this were a boxing match, the Hawks would be throwing a surprising counterpunch when the opponent only had hands up for defense, reminding the world: "Hey, the match ain’t over yet, damn it!"
Hawks fans are thrilled not just because their team is 11 points ahead. Leading by 11 in the third quarter doesn’t guarantee the Hawks will be smiling at the end.
The excitement is more about how the Pistons failed entirely to contain Roger in the second half.
This means the Hawks’ lead is sustainable.
The supposedly "Dark Defense Era" defense turned into a joke against Roger’s V-cut pick-and-roll.
Plus, Roger just outplayed Artest even without the V-cut pick-and-roll, which was a royal mockery of so-called ultimate defense.
Another question: What if the Hawks had Hakeem Olajuwon today?
If Olajuwon hadn’t been injured, the Hawks’ center position could provide sustained spacing, extending the effectiveness of the V-cut pick-and-roll. With this, the Hawks would gain even more advantage.
All this makes Atlanta fans believe, the Detroit Pistons won’t be a problem!
Ron Artest is probably the most ashamed player on the court right now, tasked with defending Roger, he’s to blame for much of the Pistons’ defensive failure.
He can’t swiftly bypass screens, can’t force Roger into continuous missed shots, and even lost to Roger one-on-one.
Most crucially, he let that bastard keep laughing disdainfully.
All this is striking at Artest’s pride.
He’s mentally chaotic now; his only thought is hitting back!
This is an instinct honed since childhood in Queens.
In fact, it’s not just Artest feeling disgruntled.
All Detroit Pistons players are extremely agitated; their defense has tormented opponents every moment this season so far.
Kevin Garnett was once stopped from dribbling, Tim Duncan seemed clumsy against Pistons defense, and the OK duo struggled painfully in the Pistons’ meat-grinder defense.
They’re used to solving every problem with their tough defense and seeing rival stars with expressions doubting life.
But today, they can’t limit Roger whatsoever, causing intense frustration.
Not only that.
Richard Hamilton has had enough of Paul Pierce’s endless trash talk; he wonders if the idiot naturally enjoys stuffing crap into others’ heads.
Rasheed Wallace is fed up with Shawn Marion, the incredibly ugly guy who keeps on moving ahead on defense, limiting his catch, leaving him with nowhere to exert his strength.
Pistons’ bench players have been enduring provocations from Atlanta fans continuously.
"Go home, you Detroit losers!"
"Look at the point gap; your dominance is a joke!"
"No one can capture the soaring Hawks, and neither can you bunch of failures!"
"Stop Roger if you can, but you just can’t handle him!"
"Except for Ben Wallace, none of you are wanted; you’re all trash players!"
Amidst the chaotic atmosphere on-site, continuous defensive failures leading to intense frustration and the 11-point gap, all these have made Pistons players incredibly agitated.
But the game must go on; the Detroit Pistons need to find scoring opportunities on offense next.
But their efforts were wasted as Roger made a steal.
This offensive play, Steve Kerr’s pass to Hamilton was directly intercepted by Roger, and that’s why none of the greatest scorers in NBA history purely played off-ball.
Pure off-ball play struggles to maintain output because your offense has added a "get free-receive the ball" step. The more complex your offensive steps are, the harder it is to execute efficiently.
Indeed, Richard Hamilton is the Pistons’ primary scorer. But ultimately, the Pistons are a team that survives fundamentally on defense.
The moment Roger completed the steal, most Hawks players had already rushed past half court.
Immediately pushing the seven-second offense after turnovers is something ingrained in Hawks players’ DNA.
Roger quickly passed the ball up to Marion this time; unless Rasheed Wallace commits a foul, he can’t catch up with the Hacker anymore.
