Coach, you didn't call me here to teach me how to form cliques, did you?"
After unlocking his favorability, Flycar's tone toward Lin Yu had shifted.
"Of course not. I want to replace Cheney in the starting lineup and put Legler at shooting guard, but I need your help."
Lin Yu's words lit up Flycar's eyes.
Cheney was also intensely disliked by Weber and Moody. Though he shared the backcourt with Flycar, the two had zero communication on the court—evident in their last game against the Celtics.
Flyer couldn't help but ponder: if he helped Legler, then Legler would be on his side. And if Legler could permanently replace Cheney as the starter, wouldn't that mean his faction would hold three spots in the Bullets' starting five?
It must be said, Feiche possessed a natural talent for office politics. If he ever entered government, he'd surely rise to at least the rank of minister.
"How do I help?"
"Run pick-and-rolls with Legler. You drive inside for penetration and passes, while Legler stretches the floor for open threes off-ball. You'd be a perfect backcourt duo—far more compatible than Chaney."
"That's convincing. I'll try it in tomorrow night's game."
After a moment of contemplation, Speedster nodded in agreement.
"How about we practice the pick-and-roll today?" Lin Yu suggested with a smile.
"Do we really need to practice such basic tactics? I played the Princeton offense for four years with the Trail Blazers—I could find the pick-and-roll spot with my eyes closed."
"Even if it doesn't work, it definitely won't be my fault."
The Princeton offense is undoubtedly the best system out there—after all, no one in the NBA has ever won a championship using it.
But Princeton demands exceptional tactical execution from players. Anyone who sticks with it for years has top-tier execution skills. Bird's greatness came from honing his game in the Princeton system under King's guidance, which elevated him to elite status.
Fei Che spoke with pride when discussing Princeton.
...
In the days that followed, Lin Yu went out of his way to show Feiche warmth and concern, hoping to boost his favorability rating.
The Power Strike aura and Unbreakable Resolve passive skills did not affect Feiche—he neither shot threes nor played center. Only the Focus aura proved helpful, at least enhancing his steal potential.
Unfortunately, all the fussing over him had zero effect. After all his efforts, Feiche's favorability remained stuck at 10 points....
On Thursday afternoon, hours before tip-off, the Bullets and Hornets each held their respective pre-game press conferences.
Ever since Dave Cowens took over as Hornets head coach, this has become a tradition between the two teams.
"With our team training and form this season, we possess the league's strongest frontcourt. How do you plan to beat us?"
"Honestly, I don't think Dave's coaching skills are any better than 26-year-old Lin Yu's."
"This game is bound to be a one-sided slaughter!"
Onseld attended the press conference alone, confidently declaring to the media.
"One-sided slaughter? Wes hasn't changed all these years—he's always soft below the belt but tough with his mouth above it."
"Don't get me wrong—I'm talking about his legs, the 'elephant legs' you all refer to."
"Hearing Wes speak like this, who'd guess they're ranked tenth in the East?"
Cowens's demeanor was worlds apart from Onseld's. While Onseld looked like a dung-picking farmer, Cowens was refined and humble, sitting on stage with a touch of Marlon Brando's aura.
These two older men trading barbs wasn't a new thing. Every time they met, they'd have a go at each other. The reporters were already used to it.
At 7:30 PM, Lin Yu announced the starting lineup for the game in the locker room.
"What? Karl isn't starting?"
"Lin, you should know what this game means to Onseld. If we lose, he might kill us."
Webber was stunned. Carl, also known as Bill, was like his younger brother on the team. With his little brother's starting spot on the line, the big brother had to speak up.
But he wasn't afraid of Lin Yu. After witnessing Lin Yu's tactics yesterday, he didn't want to clash with him head-on either, so he came up with a plausible excuse.
It wasn't that he dared not confront Lin Yu—he simply didn't want to. Weber wasn't the type to fear a rookie coach like Lin Yu.
Legs' heart sank. Would Weber snatch away the long-awaited starting opportunity?
"Chris, the Hornets' guard, the little bugger Bogues, is still playing for Dell Curry. Due to his height, he excels more at defending drives than shooting."
"I think Tim's style gives us an edge against the Hornets."
"As for worrying, Mr. Onseld will give us grief over a loss—don't worry. I'll take full responsibility for any defeat."
Webber's justification was perfectly reasonable so that Lin Yu couldn't argue. His reasoning seemed sound.
But if you dug deeper into Lin Yu's words, you'd realize how ridiculous they were.
It was true that the Hornets' backcourt excelled at defending drives but struggled against jump shots. But Chaney was a 6'7" swingman—towering over Legs—and while he wasn't a poor shooter overall, he simply couldn't hit threes. His mid-range game was competent.
"Fine, you're the head coach. Your call."
Webber shrugged, unwilling to argue further. If they won the game, he could pretend nothing had happened. But if they lost, he'd definitely have to bring up his buddy Yao Qianni.
Legs was overjoyed inside, wishing he could hug Lin Yu and give him a couple of kisses. How long had it been since he last started? Two years? Three?
He silently vowed to himself that tonight, no matter what, he had to perform well and absolutely not let Lin Yu down....
Half an hour later, players from both teams began entering the court.
This time, the Bullets' home fans were much more subdued, refraining from hurling insults at Bolin like last time.
After the referee's whistle blew, the starting lineups for both teams took the court.
The Hornets' current fifth-place standing in the Eastern Conference was no fluke—their roster was undeniably stacked.
Starting center: veteran Vlade Divac. Power forward: the notoriously fierce Anthony Mason Jr. Small forward: All-Star Glen Rice. Shooting guard: Ricketsdale Curry. Point guard: the diminutive Bogues.
Each of these five players had their own story. Take the 5'11" Bugs Borgez, for instance—he always played like he'd been injected with adrenaline whenever facing the Bullets.
His grudge against the Bullets stemmed from the long-standing feud with Anselm, a rivalry as old as time.
Glenn Rice made the All-Star team last season. Had history not been altered by Lin Yu's time travel, he might even have edged out Jordan for All-Star MVP at the upcoming All-Star Weekend in two weeks.
Don't let the "Little" in Mason's name fool you—it sounds soft and sweet, but he's actually a notorious member of the New York Gangsters. Playing for the Knicks in previous seasons, he teamed up with "The Ape" Ewing and "The Old Oak" Oakley to wreak havoc, tearing apart countless opponents on the court.
Dell Curry's playing career was defined by his pinpoint three-point shooting, and his two sons have surpassed their father's legacy.
The Hornets acquired the seasoned Vujacic in exchange for Kobe Bryant. From a hindsight perspective, this trade was undoubtedly a steal for the Lakers. Yet, in the context of that era, the Hornets certainly didn't lose out. Had they selected Kobe, they would never have achieved their current fifth-place standing in the Eastern Conference.
The Hornets' lineup was formidable, yet Lin Yu remained utterly confident in tonight's victory.
He couldn't even identify where the Hornets might gain an advantage—at every position on the court, the Bullets held the advantage.
David Robinson and Vlade Divac contested the tip-off, and unsurprisingly, Robinson lost the jump again.
The diminutive Muggsy Bogues dribbled the ball forward at lightning speed. The defensive-minded Flyer lowered his center of gravity, his expression grave as he braced for impact.
Facing the 5'11" Bugs, any point guard in the league had to stay hyper-focused.
It wasn't that Bugs was exceptionally skilled, but getting tormented by him was expected. Getting outplayed by Bugs, however, was a career stain that stuck.
Especially if you got faked out by Little Bug—even thirty years later, you'd be roasted by TV hosts whenever your highlights aired.
The ball reached the frontcourt. Little Bug spotted Poor Zee's position and fired a straight pass his way.
Lacey set a screen and launched a rainbow three-pointer. Unfortunately, Weber contested it and missed. Big Ben, under the basket, easily grabbed the rebound.
Even a player of Diraya's caliber gets blown away by Big Ben. As another white center, Divac falls short compared to Diraya and certainly isn't Big Ben's match.
The Bullets' offensive possession begins.
Flyball dribbled with extreme caution, refusing to give Little Bug even the slightest chance for a gamble-style steal.
Legs rushed over, setting a pick-and-roll for Flyball with his body. Seizing that brief opening, Flyball stepped up and launched a mid-range jumper.
"Swish!"
The jumper swished through, giving Flyball the opening basket.
Legler had played a season with the Jazz, whose perimeter offense relied heavily on screens. His screening skills were anything but subpar.
On the Hornets' possession, Mason Jr. also scored.
Bullets' turn again. This time, Flyer returned the favor. He faked a drive and passed forward, then quickly set a screen for Legler after the ball left his hands.
Swish!
Legler launched the three-pointer virtually uncontested. His impressive 96.5% three-point shooting rating ensured the shot swished through the net.
And this was just the beginning. As stunned eyes watched, the Bullets' trio—Big Ben, Flyer, and Legs—formed an iron triangle on the court.
Flycar and Legs performed a two-person game, setting screens for each other and taking shots whenever an opportunity arose.
If the shot missed, Big Ben grabbed the offensive rebound under the basket. Flycar would then drive deeper into the paint, bring the ball back out, and continue the two-person game.
Ironically, the Bullets' twin stars, Weber and Howard, became spectators on the court. While they contributed defensively early on, they were completely invisible on offense.
Onseld was dumbfounded, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
How could his team's offense flow so smoothly without its two biggest stars participating? They were nearly up by ten points in just half a quarter?
What was up with that kid named Legler? He'd taken five threes in half a quarter and made four of them?!