"This is Tang Long's value to the Cavaliers. This play was Tang Long directly blocking David West's shot, followed by a long pass to James, which led to James' spectacular dunk. If it were someone else, they might not have been able to block the shot and still get the ball back, especially with Tang Long's positioning, which is definitely top-tier in the league."
"Coach Yang is right."
Yu Jia chimed in, "Tang Long is indeed quite versatile in the NBA, which is also why he's managed to establish himself. While Chandler is good at protecting the boards, his scoring ability and offensive contribution are lacking, so he can only be a role player."
Yu Jia then turned to Zhang Weiping, "Coach Zhang, do you think the Cavaliers can win this game against the Hornets?"
"It's hard to say, especially since the Hornets are ranked second in the Western Conference."
Coach Zhang hesitated for a moment. "The Hornets exploited the Cavaliers' weaknesses and scored several times in a row previously. This shows that the Hornets are good at capitalizing on offense. Moreover, the Hornets' starting lineup is slightly better than the Cavaliers'. That's why the Cavaliers have been struggling. If they can't maintain their current form, this game might not be as smooth as they hope."
"The last few plays indeed relied heavily on Tang Long and James," Yu Jia added, picking up from Coach Zhang. "The Cavaliers' 29-game winning streak was largely due to the stars' abilities. However, the presence of other players is insufficient. Once the playoffs begin and defensive intensity increases, the Cavaliers might find themselves in a difficult situation."
"This game will depend on whether someone can step up to share the pressure with James and Tang Long. After all, basketball is a team sport. A star or two can make the game exciting, but to achieve glory, a team's overall strength is crucial. That's why the Celtics formed their Big Three."
...
The professional abilities of the three commentators were beyond doubt, as was evident in this game.
In the first quarter, the Hornets intensified their defense on James and Tang Long. Chandler, in particular, was glued to Tang Long from one end of the court to the other, giving him no easy opportunities to receive the ball, which made it significantly harder for Tang Long to score.
At the end of the first quarter, the Cavaliers trailed the Hornets by 5 points, with a score of 25-30.
"In the second quarter, our starters will continue to play. We'll substitute the bench players after five minutes."
Mike Brown rarely made in-game adjustments. He typically had his starting five play the entire first quarter. This time, however, he was making a change by starting the second quarter with the reserves. If they fell behind, he would bring in Tang Long. The fact that he was proactively making this change showed how much importance he placed on this game.
"Okay, Coach, no problem. I just wonder if the Hornets will also keep their starters on the court."
It was not a problem for the Cavaliers' starters to continue playing, but everyone was curious whether the Hornets would bring in their bench players and who they would field. After all, although the Hornets' bench players were not weak in scoring, their reserves lacked a center, generally featuring a combination of quick and agile players.
Mike Brown was exploiting this exact situation. With Tang Long on the court, they only needed to defend against their shooting. If these smaller players managed to drive to the basket, Tang Long's average of over 6 blocks per game was not for show.
*Beep.*
The whistle blew, and the second quarter began.
Byron Scott was clearly not expecting the usually inflexible Mike Brown to keep his starters on the court. This annoyed him, as he had analyzed the likely Cavaliers players to be on the court before the game but had overlooked Mike Brown. Fortunately, West was still on the court. With West ensuring rebounds, this quick and agile lineup might still be able to penetrate the Cavaliers' defense.
As soon as the game started, Jannero Pargo brought the ball to the Cavaliers' half. The Cavaliers had adopted a 1-3-1 formation, clearly intending to defend against their shooting. They had already noticed how difficult Tang Long was to deal with when the starters were on the court. Therefore, Jannero Pargo decided to drive first to draw Tang Long out of the paint, and then others could drive, which would lead to a successful offensive play.
Jannero Pargo's plan was excellent. He directly passed the ball to Bobby Jackson. Bobby Jackson was only 1.85 meters tall, which wasn't particularly tall in the league. However, precisely because of this, his driving speed was extremely fast. He had even won the Sixth Man of the Year award in the 02-03 season.
Upon receiving the pass from Jannero, Bobby Jackson, almost at the same moment, drove past James's defense and into the basket. Tang Long rarely played against such short players and couldn't adapt immediately. By the time he got into position, Bobby Jackson had already driven in.
Tang Long rose to block the shot. Bobby Jackson, however, managed to twist the ball behind his back. By the time he brought it back around, Tang Long's hand was already past him. It was at this moment that Bobby Jackson brought the ball out from behind his back.
*Beep.*
A shooting foul.
Although the shot didn't go in, it resulted in a foul on Tang Long.
"Damn, this guy's speed is insane."
Tang Long, standing at the free-throw line, was exchanging words with Drew Gooden, who was separated from him by West.
"Who can blame him? He's so short."
While shorter players might be easier to block at the basket, their speed could be a real headache for taller players who were slow to turn.
"Hey, what are you two talking about? Show some respect."
West glared at Tang Long with dissatisfaction. The two of them were discussing Bobby Jackson's height as if no one else was around. Drew Gooden, in particular, was mocking Bobby Jackson, and as a teammate, West couldn't allow that.
"What, you got a problem?"
Drew Gooden clearly wasn't going to humor West. The two of them stared at each other, and the air on the court was thick with tension.
During this time, Bobby Jackson made both free throws. He then looked at Drew Gooden and said, "What's the use of being tall? Our blood has circulated throughout our entire bodies, while yours hasn't even reached your head yet. What's there to be proud of?"
Drew Gooden froze for a moment and looked at Tang Long suspiciously. "Tang, what does this guy mean?"
"He means your brain reacts slowly."
"What?"
Drew Gooden exploded. "This short guy dares to mock me? Tang, let me guard him later."
Drew Gooden was genuinely angry. This short guy dared to call him a slow-witted big man.
"No problem, but we need to play well on offense first."
"Leave it to me."
Drew Gooden's anger translated into exceptional aggressiveness on offense. After Larry Hughes brought the ball past half-court, West was tasked with guarding Tang Long. However, West uncharacteristically raised his hand and made a request. Tang Long, not one to be stingy, especially given West's rare display of offensive intent, faked an offensive move to draw West, then cleanly passed the ball to Drew Gooden.