When this sentence, which may be the most classic trash talk in NBA history, came into his ears, Embiid gasped and climbed up from the floor, looking up at Wang Zelin's back, his face full of unwillingness.
He overestimated his physical resistance by a hundred million points, and also underestimated Wang Zelin's tonnage and strength. He was hit hard just now, and his whole chest was a little sore and numb, and he needed to take some time to relax.
In the next half-quarter or so, Embiid never had a one-on-one duel with Wang Zelin. Instead, he relied more on tactics to seek opportunities for open shots.
Not to mention, Embiid's golf IQ is indeed very high, he is very hardworking and has strong self-learning ability. This is evident from the fact that when he first arrived in the United States, he gradually learned English by listening to English songs every day, which shows how strong his talent is.
On the offensive end, Embiid can score in different ways, including singles with the ball, pick-and-roll finishing, post-up singles, and off-ball ability. All traditional center offensive methods are available.
Including the long-range shooting ability that adapts to the development of the times, he also has it.
Especially pick-and-roll finishing and off-the-ball abilities. At least before Ben Simmons took over the ball for the 75ers, Embiid actually practiced these two abilities in a decent way.
It's a pity that he was paired with a big outsider whose long-range shooting ability is about 0. Once he and Simmons play pick-and-roll, any fool will know who to guard.
So you can't blame Embiid for becoming less and less fond of playing pick-and-rolls. If you were to partner with Simon, you might not be as good as him.
So when Harden went to Philadelphia to partner with Embiid, many people were still worried: These two guys used to be the type to just hold the ball. Will they be able to play the traditional pick-and-roll cooperation between guards and centers? ?
The fact is that after Harden came to the 75ers, the team's biggest offensive move was the pick-and-roll tactics of Harden and Embiid.
In the first game where the two started at the same time, there was also a scene where after Harden and Embiid picked and rolled, Embiid received a return pass that was clearly unguarded three meters away, but he was still stunned for several seconds.
Poor kid, the past few seasons when he partnered with Simmons were really miserable. Embiid must have been in despair. He didn't expect that one day he would be left alone on the court. No wonder he would show up in that game. The large number of open seats will make you feel uncomfortable.
At the same time, due to his technical characteristics, Simmons needs a lot of attacks to the basket to maximize his value on the court, which further squeezes Embiid's offensive space under the basket, causing Embiid's future offensive distance to become more and more outside. , the offensive methods are becoming more and more like a defender.
In the first half of the first quarter, Embiid moved forward to play a pick-and-roll for the team's point guard, and then quickly passed the ball down to complete the finish. He used these two moves to catch the ball without the ball. In the first direct conversation with the first active player, he scored 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in half a quarter.
How can such an all-powerful Embiid not make Philadelphia fans crazy?
However, Wang Zelin was a little disappointed because he didn't expect Embiid to give in so quickly and keep avoiding him.
Since they won't cooperate, he can't force himself on him, that would be boring!
Therefore, Wang Zelin did not attack with the ball a lot, handed the ball to Lillard and Jokic, and switched to the same off-ball mode as Embiid.
In the off-ball mode, Embiid also possesses the offensive skills shown by Wang Zelin, and his technical maturity and offensive threat are far superior to Embiid.
This made Embiid very depressed. Whether with or without the ball, he was blasted all over by Wang Zelin.
However, the emperor, who is naturally optimistic, quickly figured it out and convinced himself in his heart.
After all, you, Wang Zelin, have played for several more years than me, so it’s normal for me to be inferior to you now.
Don't bully a young man into being poor, let's see how I will defeat you in three years!
At the 7th minute of the game, the main players of both sides temporarily left the field and replaced them with substitute lineups.
At the end of the first quarter, at 34:23, the Trail Blazers led the 75ers by 11 points!
This section of the game seemed to take Philadelphia fans back a few years ago, to a time when they only played a dozen or so games throughout the season.
In fact, the 75ers' starting performance was worse than the score reflected. The only ones who contributed positive value on the field were Embiid and Covington, who contributed 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block in 7 minutes. In addition, The plus and minus values of the three starters are all negative, which is equivalent to holding them back.
If it weren't for the No. 9 rookie Dario Saric on the bench, who was in great shape and scored several heroic goals one after another, the point difference would definitely be more than 11 points!
As for Wang Zelin, in the same playing time, his statistics surrounded Embiid in all aspects, scoring 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal!
Facing Wang Zelin like this, NBA agent Michael Taylor could only shake his head helplessly and said with emotion: "Your uncle is still your uncle!"
During the break, Wang Zelin specifically told Harrell and Zubac: "You should pay more attention to the No. 9 of the 75ers later. When it's time to get up, get up."
The boss spoke, and Harrell and Zubac immediately looked fierce. In the second quarter, they wanted to give Saric a good look.
Two minutes later, the game entered the second quarter.
During the break, his coach and agent gave him two cups of chicken soup. Embiid suddenly felt that the weather had cleared up, the rain had stopped, and he seemed to be OK again.
75-man offense.
Embiid began to occupy the low position on the left wing, hoping to start a one-on-one real man battle with Wang Zelin.
But Wang would not easily let Embiid occupy the position, and immediately put up a strong confrontation from behind.
His low-post defense is not only a confrontation of absolute strength, but also mixed with harassment with small movements that the referee cannot see. It is not just a blind push.
The huge resistance force is like a wave, either rising or falling, empty or real, one wave after another, coupled with endless small movements, making Embiid feel pain and numbness in his back, which is very uncomfortable.
This is the first time Embiid has faced such a strong defense in the new season. When he played against Dabai Bian and Old Warcraft, he had never been defended like this, which made him mistakenly think that the top centers in the league are nothing more than this.
I don’t know if Wang Zelin is too good, or if his previous opponent is too bad.
"Why are you so strong?"
Now that Embiid hasn't received the ball yet, he naturally can't steal the chicken and make a turnaround jump shot like before. He can only keep wrestling with Wang Zelin, and he was surprised again and again during the process.
Facing the first active player, is it so difficult to take the position just once?
He found that his strength was of no use at all. When he tried to defend with all his strength, he would be suddenly relieved. When he was not holding on, the strength above him suddenly surged, leaving him in a dilemma.
In other words, Wang Zelin saw him through and predicted his prediction in advance.
"It's been a long time since I've seen the boss so serious?"
Jokic on the right wing was also paying attention. He was very surprised to see Wang Zelin's defense.
At this moment, Embiid pointed to the sky and used his strength to carry it, trying to use his strength to complete the turn and alley-oop. Wang Zelin suddenly retreated. Embiid leaned back his upper body and failed to keep up with his feet. Smashed my ass.
"oh!"
Philadelphia fans exclaimed.
"Young man, your ideas are great, but your experience is lacking."
Wang Zelin moved his lips and looked at Embiid with a half-smile.
Embiid is worthy of being a famous internet troll, and his mental quality is really strong. Even when he was down, there was no expression on his face. He got up and left the paint area. He took a step outside and reached the area near the left free throw line, where he took the position. .
Wang Zelin took a step back and did not go up to defend again. He could not drive Embiid too far. If he followed him, he would not be able to return to the basket in time.
Although he took a step away, he was only at arm's length and within reach, and the defense against Embiid was still extremely tight.
At this time, Covington used the cover of his teammates from the top of the arc to break through with the ball. His height of 2.08 meters had a certain size advantage against Batum, and he strode into the paint area.
As Covington broke through, Wang Zelin was forced to take a step back to the basket. He faced up and stared at Covington who was coming in, while also looking at Embiid.
Covington is an example of how to achieve a comeback through hard work, dedication and commitment. His improvement on both ends of the court over the years has made him one of the most versatile and efficient complete players in the league. He is the only one in the starting lineup who can A player who helped Embiid to some extent.
"Crack!"
Covington is very smart. When he sees Wang Zelin replaying the basket, he will not attack the basket. Instead, he will suddenly stop two steps away from the basket.
"What a beautiful thought!"
Already prepared, Wang Zelin immediately used his feet and rushed over.
"Shoot? Or pass?"
Zhang Lili became nervous.
As he rushed up, Covington noticed from the corner of his eye that Embiid was moving towards the paint area.
At this moment, Covington made a choice. He first raised one foot to make a pull-up gesture, but the other foot remained motionless. He took the ball back, flicked his wrist at the same time, and stuffed the ball towards the basket.
He originally wanted to do it by himself, but Wang Zelin's reputation on the defensive end forced him to change his shot to a pass. Before passing the ball, he also made a fake shot, hoping to help Embiid delay Wang Zelin.
"It's a pass! Be careful!"
Zhang Lili shouted urgently.
At this time, Embiid entered the paint area and rushed south, while staring at the basketball coming from Covingden.
The next moment, Wang Zelin hurriedly stepped on the brakes, made a squeak under his feet, turned around urgently, and rushed back to the basket with two steps and one step at a time. At this time, Embiid took off with both hands to catch the ball, and took advantage of the situation to hold the brake. He immediately sealed it with a Tathagata Palm. past.
"Snapped!"
Embiid hit Wang Zelin's hand with a ball and was blocked again.
"Oh, no!"
His own top pick was blocked for the second time.
"Good shot! Zelin, play with him!"
Zhang Lili shouted excitedly.
Embiid landed, the ball fell on his head, he got it, and the game continued.
"here."
Covington's voice sounded, and a figure appeared behind Wang Zelin in front of the basket.
Embiid hurriedly passed the ball, but Wang Zelin, who was sandwiched between the two, reacted very quickly and casually smacked it on the ball. Then the basketball rebounded and was caught by him with both hands, completing a steal.
"The king stole the ball! Lillard and Batum were on the offensive line, and the king passed the ball..." Ke Fan shouted excitedly.
Lillard caught the ball, slowed down, Yanzu glanced at McConnell, and then dropped the ball toward the basket. Batum came out from the right, leaped high to catch the ball, and completed an alley-oop dunk.
At 36:23, the Trail Blazers led by 13 points.
In the next round, just when Wang Zelin thought Embiid would continue to challenge him, he found that Embiid had switched to off-ball mode again. When he was not paying attention, he pulled outside the three-point line, received a pass from his teammate and hit an open three-pointer. .
26:36, the score difference is still 10 points.
For a moment, Wang Zelin couldn't laugh or cry.
How is this different from the Embiid you saw on his previous game tapes?
Don’t forget that you are the King of Philadelphia, but you are stunned!
When you used to play inside for other teams, you were so ruthless. How did you find me and become so willing to do it immediately?
To put it nicely, Embiid’s tactics are flexible and versatile, and Wei Junjie is a master of Western things!
But to put it harshly, he is the type who bullies the weak and fears the strong!
Emmm, it fits very well with how some fans and media teams viewed Embiid's game in his previous life.
But it has to be said that when facing an opponent who is far stronger than himself, adopting such an offensive strategy can indeed ensure that Embiid obtains relatively decent data on the court.
After halftime, Embiid played 15 minutes, and his personal statistics reached 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block, which looked quite gorgeous and comprehensive.
If this plays the whole game, it can't be 20+10+5?
It's just the efficiency that's a little off. He made 4 of 11 shots and 1 of 3 three-pointers. Fortunately, with the home court bonus, he made 4 of 7 free throws, allowing him to catch up with Wang Zelin's first-quarter score in just half a game.
After half the game, Wang Zelin finally saw one thing clearly. Embiid was different from his previous opponents. It was difficult for him to suppress him as easily as he did against Howard, DeAndre Jordan, and Drummond.
Talent, skill, and mentality, these three factors often determine how far a player can go in the cruel world of the NBA, and determine the upper limit of his career.
Looking back at past opponents, Howard, DeAndre Jordan, Drummond and Whiteside, they are all insiders with obvious shortcomings, either lacking skills or insufficient talent.
Among the center players he has played against, Cousins has the strongest scoring ability and the most comprehensive offensive methods, but Cousins also has his own shortcomings.
After all, when it comes to the brainlessness and unhappiness of the NBA, no matter how fans discuss it, Bynum, McGee, and Cousins are definitely on the list.
They have talents and skills, but their development is hindered by their mental incompetence. They are like the "brainless and unhappy" characters in the animation, and from time to time they will create a series of farces that make people laugh and cry, both on and off the court.
It is precisely because the previous opponents have their own shortcomings, so Wang Zelin can change the game strategy according to the opponent, and then defeat the opponent in the shortest time.
Embiid is completely different from his previous opponents. This guy is too mature, both in appearance and skills. At the same time, he also has good talent and a eloquent mouth.
Although this kid is a little immature now, he has all three elements: talent, technology, and mentality. It is destined that even if this game is defeated by Wang Zelin, it will not affect his development.
For such an opponent, just one night of training is not enough.
Maybe with the stimulation of powerful opponents, Embiid will grow faster than in his previous life.
However, this does not mean that Wang Zelin will give up training the rookie Embiid.
On the contrary, such super potential stocks are truly worthy of Wang's attention and expectations, because once the training is successful, the sense of satisfaction will never be matched by others.
It seems that it is necessary for him to put Embiid on his long-term training list.
In this case, while the game is just over halfway, let him deepen the first impression of the two in the second half.
From the first training, he wanted to make the Philadelphia great realize one thing deeply:
Everything in the alliance is yours if I give it to you; if I don’t give it to you, you can’t take it away!
(End of chapter)
