Cassell claiming he shut Su Xi down was just a way to make himself look good.

Su Xi had been shut down by Garnett.

Garnett was terrifying this year; he had completely reached the peak of his career. So far this season, he was averaging 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game.

To put it in perspective: he was fourth in the league in scoring, first in rebounding, tenth in blocks, in the top thirty for steals, and first in assists among all interior players.

It proved he could do it all.

In terms of both talent and skill, he had reached an all-time great level. On the defensive end, in particular, his presence was so overwhelming it was like he blotted out the sun.

This was why so many rookies could get a high draft pick just by looking like the next Garnett.

Su Xi had seen plenty of "second Garnetts"—Miles, Bender—but none of them could even hold a candle to the real thing.

In that game, Su Xi had a very difficult time with Garnett constantly shadowing him on defense.

With Su Xi’s current driving ability, it wouldn’t matter if Cassell gave him one step of space—even with two, Su Xi could still power through for a layup.

But Garnett was like an octopus. He used his excellent mobility, astonishing anticipation, terrifyingly long limbs, and precise timing to completely stifle Su Xi’s offense.

Of course, another reason Su Xi played poorly in that game was that both Reggie Miller and Ron Artest were ice-cold. As soon as they started bricking shots, the Minnesota Timberwolves collapsed their defense without hesitation.

It was a strategic problem.

Not a personal failing on Su Xi’s part.

In fact, Kevin Garnett praised Su Xi after the game. He said Su Xi was the guard version of him.

Rick Carlisle called it the most accurate assessment of Jack to date.

Carlisle and Su Xi were very close, and they often had late-night talks. That night, he told Su Xi, "You’re averaging 13.6 points per game this season, which really isn’t bad. But with your current offensive arsenal, it’s hard for you to push for 30 or even 40 points a night. In that way, you’re just like Kevin Garnett. You’re both perfect teammates."

"But not a true number one option. A franchise cornerstone needs to be able to attack off the dribble and create for others with their passing, or both. KG is lacking in those areas, and so are you. KG is the third-best superstar big man of this era. I’d argue his off-ball movement, playmaking, help defense, and ability to link the offense are all better than Shaq’s or Duncan’s. But on offense, he can’t establish deep post position, and he can’t punish opponents in the low post to draw double-teams. On defense, he can’t lock down the entire paint by himself like Duncan, nor can he just clog the lane with sheer power like the Shark."

"So, some nitpicky critics complain that KG is weak in the clutch, that his ability to take over a game isn’t superstar-level."

"But when he’s on the court, the team’s offense runs smoothly, and its defense is incredibly tenacious."

"You’re starting to show the same tendencies."

"But I don’t want you to continue down that path."

"You haven’t maximized the threat of your drives yet. With your speed, strength, and explosiveness... you could be doing so much more damage."

"I want you to be a little more selfish. I even want you to learn to score from the two toughest spots on the floor: the elbows."

"Don’t listen to that bullshit from those basketball ’experts.’ Don’t chase so-called efficiency; they don’t know a damn thing about basketball. If a player can score from the elbows, the two most difficult spots on the floor, the entire team benefits, no matter what offense we’re running. The Triangle, the Princeton, the pick-and-roll, you name it..."

At a time when Su Xi was facing criticism, Rick Carlisle gave him his unwavering confidence.

This was incredibly important to Su Xi. It gave him unwavering courage and a deep sense of support.

Su Xi was touched.

"By the way, with me talking your ear off every day, I’m not getting in the way of you finding a girlfriend, am I?" Carlisle couldn’t help but add at the end. "Even though folks in Indiana are pretty conservative, it’s fine if you want to go out and have fun. Reggie knows a lot of secret spots..."

Su Xi laughed. Sometimes he felt like Carlisle was actually Jim Carrey in disguise, just trying to mess with him. What other normal head coach would encourage him to chuck up shots and support him going out to fool around?

"I’m not legal drinking age in Indiana yet, so there are a lot of places I can’t go. The whole state knows I’m only 19," Su Xi said with a helpless shrug.

You think Su Xi wasn’t tempted, listening to Artest, Ah Fu, and Batty Miller talk about their "adult techniques" every day?

His hands were tied.

Besides, he had a lot of endorsements now, so his image was important.

A normal relationship was one thing, but if he were caught "partying" at some place like the Gold Club and the photos got out, his commercial value would plummet.

...

"I’m not that interested in being an All-Star starter. But I don’t think Jack can beat me in the fan vote. I have a lot of fans in China, too."

Allen Iverson showed the media his immense confidence before the game started.

The 76ers had gotten worse every year since Larry Brown’s departure, and Iverson’s personal peak was still back in 2001.

Su Xi was guarding Iverson one-on-one tonight, and he was struggling.

Iverson’s speed, explosiveness, agility, coordination, and jumping ability were all off the charts. Moreover, he had long since perfected an offensive style that was perfectly suited for him.

Su Xi still struggled against quick and agile guards, but he stuck to him closely, doing his best to keep up with Iverson’s sheer display of talent. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Allen Iverson gave Su Xi a long-awaited upgrade. Su Xi’s Super Speed Talent rose to 98, while his Super Coordination Talent saw an even bigger jump, increasing to 93... on the verge of breaking into the superstar tier.