Unfortunately, whenever George Lynch is faced with a situation that requires him to go one-on-one, he almost never succeeds. However, his strong body can indeed attract double-teams, so Zhang Hao has to cooperate with him. The team can only rely on Zhang Hao’s movement abilities and athleticism to coordinate. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Since the Magician’s return, things have improved significantly. Previously, George Lynch would only cut to the inside and crash the offensive boards, but now under the Magician’s guidance, he has become more valuable in team offense.

Although George Lynch’s skill set is quite one-dimensional, when conditions allow, he can indeed make passes that lead directly to scoring opportunities for teammates. However, Zhang Hao is the only one on the Lakers who can consistently capitalize on the opportunities created by George Lynch, as it requires precise timing.

The Magician now struggles against Olajuwon, but when Olajuwon is not on the court, the Magician even utilizes George Lynch offensively to create easy shooting opportunities for Zhang Hao, preventing Zhang Hao from exhausting himself in isolation plays.

Cassell clearly feels the gap. In terms of scoring, defense, and endurance, the Magician is no match for him, but in organizing the offense on equal terms, Cassell feels the difference between himself and the Magician.

But this is not important. Although he cannot organize the whole team’s offense as smoothly as the Magician, Cassell has a more direct way of handling it.

After receiving the inbound pass and pushing to the frontcourt, Cassell does not attempt another one-on-one against Zhang Hao but signals for a pick and roll with Mark Bryant.

Switch defense! Just as Zhang Hao was about to try switching defense back to the inside to see how to solve it, he saw Cassell suddenly slam the ball hard to the ground, sending it bouncing towards the baseline!

Horace, actively moving, caught the pass at the first opportunity and took a step to make a layup!

This bounce pass, beautiful!

The Magician’s eyes lit up, admiring the vision, passing accuracy, and decisiveness.

In the last game against the Rockets, the Magician noticed a significant strength of Cassell’s in organizing the offense—an ability to seize opportunities created by teammates’ active movement along the wings and the baseline, a strength buried in the Rockets.

The Magician felt both gratitude and regret for Cassell—the main players of the Rockets are too old. Drexler stands beyond the three-point line when playing off the ball, and Olajuwon can’t actively move off the ball just for Cassell. Only Horace and a few less skilled substitutes allow Cassell to shine, burying his talents in this area.

Zhang Hao, though less experienced than the Magician and unable to see Cassell’s strengths as swiftly, from his future memory only remembered Cassell for his unpredictable offensive rhythm, composure under pressure, and strong abilities—not for the intricacies of his play.

But he could still recognize Cassell’s excellence—calmness and restraint when faced with tough defenses.

The Lakers thought they could seize the opportunity with Olajuwon absent and the Magician orchestrating the offense to take control.

However, during the latter part of the first quarter, Cassell effectively utilized Drexler’s three-point threat, Horace’s active movement, and the athletic abilities of the smaller lineup to withstand the Lakers’ rally!

Tomjanovich was aware of Cassell’s buried talents, but his two strongest stars were aging and suited for a slow, methodical pace, something Tomjanovich couldn’t solve, leaving Cassell on the bench, trying to align the best lineup for him.

After the first quarter, the Magician racked his brains to organize team plays and conserve Zhang Hao’s energy as the team’s scoring leader, exhausted himself. Meanwhile, the opposition had a backup who could be a core point guard for any team, playing so tirelessly... Thankfully, by the end of the first quarter, Doug Christie’s three-pointer allowed the Lakers to lead 31-29 against the Rockets into the break.

...

Zhang Hao returned to the bench, took the sports drink handed by the staff, closed his eyes, and took a strong sip...

"If we had a big center during the rotation... The opponents wouldn’t run fast breaks, just a quicker-paced half-court game. They surely wouldn’t want to play fast with us.

We didn’t capitalize on Olajuwon’s absence because our approach was wrong. The opponents didn’t want to play fast, but fielded a small lineup not just to complement the Alien; it also prevented us from speeding up each possession as they retreated promptly..."

Drinking more than half of the drink in one go, Zhang Hao opened his eyes, his gaze very bright.

He figured it out! He immediately walked toward Del Harris.

Del Harris, holding the tactical board, was about to make adjustments for the second rotation phase when he saw Zhang Hao approaching.

That look, that direct path...

Del Harris felt a jolt, as if he received a sudden enlightenment, sensing his planned setup might soon be overturned! This rookie would surely suggest something different from his intended rotation!

Zhang Hao was about to speak up when Del Harris immediately said, "I know what you want to say, Nick, Anthony, Doug, Jason... Aix, you keep playing. Go out there, and in the upcoming time, give it your all in attack! Keep the score close!"

Zhang Hao was stunned for a moment. His strategizing was precisely aligned with Del Harris’s setup!

"Great minds think alike!"

Zhang Hao wanted to exchange a look with Del Harris but saw an annoyed expression, quickly shut his mouth, and turned to discuss details with the teammates who were about to go on court.