CHAPTER 1285: CHAPTER 519: YOU ARE DEFYING THE GODS (PART 1)

The East hasn’t even been left behind, and there’s already a ’final battle’? That’s exactly what he thought. The Lakers dominated the West in the 80s for a decade, and it hasn’t yet recovered. Whether it was information he gathered from training sessions before the 80-line or just his own impression, the early 90s were a dreadful time for the West.

It wasn’t until Barkley joined the Phoenix Suns, sparking a trend of star players heading west, that the West slowly started showing signs of life. Then a god emerged in the East and emptied it out. This time it’s even harsher, with the East unable to recover for more than 20 years.

There’s just one thing he feels a bit ’ashamed’ of – using the human movie essential’s breakdown during the farewell game to ’scrub’ 70 points and snatch the scoring title.

Did ’he’ pave the way for the Admiral’s future? No, it’s possible he blocked the Admiral’s scoring title path, or perhaps neither the scoring title nor the Admiral nor the Big Shark has a chance – ’he’ and Jordan will continue to dominate.

He just wants to say those 70 points were ’scrubbed’ beautifully! If it were him, he’d shoot even harder...

After digesting the training information, Zhang Yang’s thoughts flicker, and the ’door’ appears in his vision.

"Name: Zhang Yang.

Age: 28 years old (Date of Birth: June 6, 1963.)

Height: 196 cm, Wingspan: 216 cm.

Weight: 96 kg.

Ability Assessment: Three-point 95, Mid-range shot 95, Layup 95, Dribbling 93, Passing 87, Speed 94, Strength 89, Jumping 90, Stamina 96... (80-line peak)

Training Gains: Steve Nash’s dribbling rhythm (Intermediate), improved continuous jumping ability, the Devil’s Pace of the Razor, Big Bird’s post-play rhythm (Intermediate), slight improvement in core strength, damage dealing bigger opponents, art of facing the basket, aging slower (Intermediate), Death (Primary), Art is Shooting, many kinds of peaks."

Seeing a full historical level in shooting fundamentals, Zhang Yang feels like shouting ’Awesome!’

His strength might not compare to Jordan’s, and the gap in jumping should be large, but he has the advantage in speed. He had it before, and now it should be a bit more significant.

As for mid-range, he estimates ’he’ and the same 29-year-old Jordan, it’s hard to say who is better. Jordan is stronger at attacking the basket, but ’he’ is much better than Jordan in three-point shooting.

Just a week shy of turning 29, the peak period of combining physical fitness and skills... he wishes he could immediately face Jordan head-on.

After taking a deep breath to calm down, he knows he can’t be hasty right now. Some things need to be done first.

He gets up out of bed – it’s clearly not home, but a hotel. Based on the training information, he’s still in Chicago. With the Knicks’ historical 70-win season, the tiebreaker will definitely be at home, likely on Children’s Day.

After a shower, feeling refreshed, he goes into the suite’s small living room. He initially thinks about calling the editor, but the tapes are right on the table. Besides the lack of last night’s Game 6, the previous 5 games are all there.

He quickly skims through the offensive portions of the Game 1 tape and understands why this training session directly started with a ’final battle.’

He flips through the detailed game reports next to the tapes of the first 5 games. He averaged 34.6 points and 2.4 assists, consistently shooting, shooting, shooting. Mark Jackson, Greg Anthony, Little Anthony Mason, along with Ewing, pretty much took over all the passing duties.

In terms of tactics in a half-court offense, Big Bird has basically picked up the future VP’s system but performed it more extremely, with a very slow pace, making Pippen and Jordan slower.

On fast breaks, Big Bird’s vision is genuinely sharp. Greg Anthony, this small point guard left a deep impression on Zhang Yang even in his own time. He can drive the ball well with Iverson, Anthony, Kenyon Martin, and Nene.

Playing Anthony Mason as a center is simply outstanding, revitalizing Old Nelson’s small-ball style from the late 80s.

Using small players as a center is rare after the 70s, giants multiplied. Even 208 cm Buck Williams playing center is often questioned, despite making first-team defenses, often being overwhelmed by the Dream, Great Ape, and the Admiral.

Old Nelson, in the 86–87 season, used a 206 cm + 100 kg swingman Terry Cummings as a center, proposed ’pure offensive basketball’... then he got fired by the Bucks in the summer of 87, stayed jobless a year, joined the Warriors.

Big Bird wasn’t as extreme as the Crazy Scientist, playing Anthony Mason as a center, but with a good defensive base. ’He’ and Gerald Wilkins form a defensive wall along with Anthony Mason, applying pressure defense, stealing, on the counterattack... it’s been set explicitly for crashing with Jordan and Pippen, arranged for playoffs against the Chicago Bulls.

Zhang Yang guessed that the 70 wins, MVP, best coach, best manager, are very likely unintended ’side products.’ Big Bird’s adjustments in the system, purely targeting Jordan...

The team’s half-court offensive system is a ’familiar’ style, in fast-breaks he only needs to seize scoring opportunities.

In the videotapes, his personal skills, he showed nothing different from what he displayed in training camp reports ’yesterday.’ Movements are smoother, more fluid? Instinctive reactions better? He needs to personally step onto the court to truly feel it.

...

During the morning hours, Zhang Yang reviewed the editing of the offense and defense of the first 5 games twice. By noon he assembled with teammates to head to the airport.

In training mode, the sealed memories unlocked, facing Mark Jackson, Ewing, Vandevich, Oakley, Starks, who together won the first championship in the 90s, Zhang Yang felt very familiar, with no sense of strange interactions.

Once on the plane, Assistant Coach Sam Vincent handed Zhang Yang the Game 6 video that the editor completed overnight.

Seeing Vincent, Zhang Yang’s eyes widened slightly, ’dreaming back’ to his timeline, yet here Vincent looked significantly younger than he would many years later.

He remembered, the first time he came to the 80-line, Vincent was his teammate, but didn’t get playoff game time, a first-round pick yet a ’bust,’ rookie year averaged 3 points, during playoffs keeping company by the water cooler along with the same reserve Carlisle.

Lately, he became aware of how early this duo’s relationship began. In their player years, they hung by the water cooler, years later they stood beside it as coaches, worthy of the title ’Water Cooler Brothers.’

However, Big Bird is indeed ruthless, after getting squeezed out by the Celtics, he tore the face entirely, showing no consideration. Vincent is a Celtics-trained tactical genius, an excellent assistant coach, just snatched from the old nest, along with Mike McHale, brazenly poached.

Back on the plane from observing the Celtics, reviewing the last game recordings, upon returning to the hotel’s rented mansion in New York, continued reviewing game tapes in the backyard basketball, practiced shooting. Gathered at the airport next day with the team.

June 1st, children’s day, day 7, evening hours close to game start time.

7:40 PM in Madison Square Garden, New York.

Seeing the starting five for the opposing Chicago Bulls rush out one by one from the players’ tunnel, Zhang Yang could hardly contain his excitement then and there!

At this moment, when superstar Michael Jordan walked out of the player’s tunnel last, Zhang Yang’s excitement soared uncontrollably!

The ’door’ popped up, in the previously empty training task section, words began to form.

"Basic Task: Is this where you fight?, Palate cleansing, enumeration challenge, method stimulation."