Upon seeing Ben Wallace's strength attribute skyrocket to 104 points, Lin Yu knew for sure that Wallace would dominate tonight's game.
What does 104 points in strength mean? It far surpasses even Wallace himself at his peak.
Such primal, brute strength ensured Big Ben was unbeatable in positioning battles, always securing the prime spot. Even without a rebounding stat exceeding 90 points, he could outrebound the vast majority of big men in the league.
Now, with his formidable rebounding and shot-blocking stats added to the mix, Lin Yu was sure that aside from the league's top four centers, any other center facing Big Ben would be left in the dust.
"Boom!"
As Lin Yu pondered this, during the Celtics' possession, Big Ben delivered another thunderous block on Radia.
Having suffered consecutive setbacks early on, Radia actively called for the ball on offense, determined to redeem himself against Big Ben.
Unfortunately, he still underestimated Big Ben's dominance in the paint. After catching the ball and attempting to post up, he realized he couldn't budge Big Ben.
Left with no choice, he spun for a close-range jumper. But Davis again locked down his position, compressing his lift space. He barely got airborne before Davis raised his hand for another emphatic block.
Fly caught the block and immediately led a fast break with his backcourt partner, feeding Chaney for an easy layup.
"Nice play!"
Onseld sat not far from the bench. Tonight marked Lin Yu's debut, and he was there to oversee the action in person.
Seeing Ben dominate the paint, Onseld became even more animated than Bilin Yu, his face flushed as he stood up to cheer Ben on.
That thunderous block by Ben had given Onseld an illusion—the agile figure towering over the basket like a dragon coiled in the court was himself, thirty years younger.
From tip-off to this moment, the Celtics hadn't scored a single point. Despite the Bullets' players struggling with their shots, they still managed a 7-4 lead thanks to Big Ben's dominance in the paint.
After Chaney scored, the Celtics pushed the ball up the court.
Mickey Wesley, watching his teammates repeatedly miss shots, decided not to pass this time. After advancing to the frontcourt, he found his backcourt partner, Rick Fox, setting a screen and launched a three-pointer.
"Thud!"
Still no good. Both teams' players were as cold as ice.
Big Ben resembled a relentless rebounding machine. He leaped over Radia, hooked his arm around him, and snatched the rebound with one hand.
After grabbing the board, he passed it to the nearest player, Webber, then spun around and sprinted back to defend.
The Bullets' offense moved quickly this time. Juwan Howard took a mid-range jumper from the high post and swished it through.
Time ticked away as the game became a one-sided slaughter. With Big Ben anchoring the paint, the Bullets dominated the boards. Even with poor shooting, they scored heavily off second-chance opportunities.
For the Celtics, the rebounding was certainly deadly, but what proved even more fatal was their abysmal shooting. Radia couldn't break through Ben Simmons' defense in the paint, and it took them three minutes into the first quarter to finally score their first two points.
Lin Yu's previously taut nerves relaxed. The situation had become crystal clear: after the game, the Bullets would be in for a thrilling showdown.
Beating the tanking Celtics wasn't precisely a glorious achievement, but if they could dominate the Celtics in the Western Conference, that would be different. At the very least, the fans in attendance wouldn't hurl such vicious insults at the national team's veteran center, Lin.
With nothing else to do, Lin Yu began pondering his next move.
Uncovering a beastly big man earning a mere $150,000 annual salary—imagine how much money that would save the Celtics!
Rodman's salary this season was $8 million, Mutombo's was $8 million—both elite interior defenders. If Ben Wallace could sustain tonight's performance, his value might even surpass theirs, given his youth.
In essence, Bolin was spending a mere $150k to enjoy the services of players worth at least eight figures!
And this is just one year. Ben's contract spans three years. By unearthing Ben alone, Lin Yu has saved Pollin over twenty million dollars.
Pollin risked the world's wrath for $13 million, severing ties with Jordan. Now, over twenty million dollars is more than enough to earn Lin Yu's favor and officially appoint him as the team's head coach.
Ben Wallace currently has a 90 favorability rating and hasn't fully entered his prime yet. However, thanks to the random aura bonus, his combat effectiveness isn't far off from his peak years.
After facing the Celtics, the next two games are against the Charlotte Hornets and the Atlanta Hawks.
Unlike the Celtics, the Hornets and Hawks are formidable Eastern Conference powerhouses. The Hawks, in particular, boast a roster featuring Mutombo, Steve Smith, Leutner, and Brewer. Their mature 32-system offense bolsters their competitiveness—they even managed to defeat the Bulls once this season.
The Bullets' strength had surged dramatically, yet Lin Yu sensed they still faced a high probability of defeat against the Hawks.
Lin Yu knew that as long as the first two games were won convincingly, even a loss to the Hawks—provided it wasn't too lopsided—would still make him a strong candidate for the head coaching position. Still, he wanted to win as many games as possible, aiming for a flawless record.
"Conquering one big man isn't enough—I need to win over other players too."
"Who should I target?"
Lin Yu watched Weber and others on the court, shaking his head. These were established stars; his small favors wouldn't sway them.
Moreover, this week's random aura wouldn't boost them much. Even if he maxed out several players to 90 points, it wouldn't significantly improve their chances against the Hawks.
Lin Yu scanned the bench again. Spotting Legzi's face—more delicate than a young girl's—he grinned. Could there be a better target?
This was a legit ESPN-ranked top-13 shooter in history. What's the ultimate weapon for underdogs? Three-pointers, of course.
Last season, Legler averaged 3.2 three-point attempts per game with an otherworldly 52.2% accuracy. The season before that, his three-point percentage still sat at 52%.
In the modern era of small-ball, Legs would have been a hot commodity among teams. There's no way he'd be relegated to playing just ten games a season with under ten minutes of playing time per game.
The Bullets' two guards can't shoot threes—even in this retro era, that's an absolutely explosive situation.
Fortunately, Lin Yu had randomly obtained a [Power Shot Aura] this week, boosting his three-point shooting by five points. After defeating Legler, while victory over the Hawks wasn't guaranteed, their chances had at least improved.
"Dai Mu, come sit over here."
Lin Yu patted the seat beside him and beckoned Legler over.
Leg Brother quickly bent down and jogged over. "Coach, am I in?"
Lin Yu shook his head. "No rush. Let's talk first."
"I'm curious—do you have some beef with Mumum?"
The question made Leg Brother's butt clench. He had no idea how to answer Lin Yu.
Mainly, he didn't know much about Lin Yu's background. To him, a young guy like Lin Yu suddenly landing the head coach position at Bullets must have some serious connections.
Was his relationship with Na Mumu good or bad? He was already on the fringe of the team. If he said the wrong thing and pissed off Lin Yu, what kind of juice would he get to drink in the future?
"Coach, I'm not quite sure what you mean," Legs replied softly.
Lin Yu waved his hand dismissively. "Don't read too much into it. I'm just puzzled why you were so outstanding last season but marginalized this one."
"The only reason I can think of is that you crossed Lenam."
Leggy shook his head like a rattle. "No, Coach, I absolutely did not cross Lenam."
"I'm an undrafted player. I didn't come from one of those big-name NCAA schools. My overall skills are weak. The only thing I'm good at is shooting threes."
"Coach Lenam is not giving me a chance—I totally get it. If I were the head coach, I'd make the same decision."
Lin Yu was stunned by this. It was almost comical that someone could actively PUA themselves.
"Damn it, I'm not usually rude, but right now I really want to curse at you."
"What kind of bullshit is this? If you don't respect yourself, how do you expect others to respect you?"
"So what if you're an undrafted player? Big Ben was also undrafted on the court. How is he any worse than anyone else?"
"What good is coming from a prestigious school? Take Ed O'Bannon from UCLA, the basketball mecca, drafted ninth overall two years ago. Now he's not even worth giving away for free."
"I was considering giving you another chance to prove yourself, but it seems you simply don't deserve it."
Lin Yu seethed inwardly. If only he possessed Legler's natural talent, the system would likely have steered him toward a player career path. His journey wouldn't have started so clumsily, stumbling unthinkingly in every direction.
And yet here was Legler wallowing in self-pity. Truly, comparison breeds envy.
"What? Coach, you're seriously willing to give me a chance?"
Tim Legler grabbed Lin Yu's arm, his face lighting up with excitement.
"Congratulations, Host. Tim Legler's Affinity Progress has been activated. Current Affinity: 40. Detailed information can be viewed in the Player Attributes Panel."
Lin Yu hadn't expected that his random ranting would actually trigger Legler's affinity. Did this guy have a masochistic streak?
[Tim Legler]
[Strength 47][Speed 67][Vertical 62]
[Low Post Offense 31][Perimeter Defense 61][Rebounding 32][Blocking 41][Stealing 68]
[Mid-Range 81][Three-Point 93][Free Throw 95][Passing 48][Ball Handling 52] [Driving 31]
[Current Affinity 40, Enjoying 40% Aura Effect]
Lin Yu fell silent after reviewing the stats. It seemed Legler wasn't exactly engaging in self-delusion—he was a one-trick pony who could only shoot threes.
Apart from his standout three-point and free-throw attributes, his mid-range shot was passable. Yet none of his other stats reached seventy.