Xu Xin was happy in the box, not only because the Rockets were leading the halftime break, but also because of Livingston's outstanding performance.
Livingston only played 7 minutes in the second quarter, scoring 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 5 assists. If this momentum continues, Xu Xin's time-limited task can be easily completed.
Counting the 50 points gained from winning this game, Xu Xin had just enough 1,000 points to start the next section. He couldn't wait to know what good things he could exchange for in the second section.
Things developed smoothly. At the beginning of the second half, the situation did not change at all. The Rockets worked hard to open the point difference to 30 points.
This arena, nicknamed the "Dharma Center" by Chinese fans, has almost half of the audience gone, and it is almost silent.
The Rockets' main force clocked in for three quarters, leaving a whole quarter of garbage time for Livingston to perform.
Livingston lived up to expectations. In the fourth quarter, he performed mid-range shots in various ways and angles, easily closing the game.
In the end, the Rockets defeated the Trail Blazers 136:100, 36 points away.
Livingston made a perfect debut, making 10 of 16 shots and 6 of 6 free throws, scoring 26 points and 10 assists.
This allowed him to enjoy an ice bucket surprise in the locker room. Teammates rushed over, shouted his name, gave him high-fives and hugs.
At this moment, Livingston felt that he had finally found his home after wandering for several years. He was so excited that tears filled his eyes and he enjoyed the process of celebrating with his teammates.
Xu Xin did not participate in it. At this moment, he was still having fun in the box.
If there was someone around, I might have to call an ambulance.
Just 5 minutes ago, Lolita sounded in his mind,
"Ding, win the game and get points: 50."
"Ding, the limited-time mission—rescuing the second-generation magician is completed, and the reward points are: 300."
Xu Xin looked at the system interface. Points were displayed in the upper right corner, which was exactly 1,000.
He excitedly communicated with the system,
"With 1,000 points, can I open the second section?"
"Yes, do you want to activate it now?"
Xu Xing was just about to want to activate it now, but suddenly a question came to his mind. Will the 1,000 points be cleared after the activation?
If it's cleared, it's better to save some more, otherwise you won't even be able to redeem a "Hot Status" with 50 points.
Thinking of this, Xu Xin asked:
"After activation, will these 1,000 points be retained?"
"Yes, a certain amount of points is a condition for opening the next section, but points will not be consumed."
Loliin replied.
This was the answer Xu Xin was looking forward to. He felt that the system sounded better.
"Turn on!"
Xu Xin said without hesitation.
Immediately afterwards, Xu Xin saw that the second plate from the left was gradually lit up, and after a while, it was completely lit up.
Xu Xin couldn't wait to click in. There were three skill cards inside. From left to right, they were "Lossless Sealing", "Talent Cashing" and "Nirvana Rebirth".
Xu Xin looked at the corresponding introductions in turn.
"Destructive Sealing", when a player wants to continue playing due to injury and is forced to take a sealing injection, using this skill can eliminate various injuries after the sealing injection, making it completely lossless. 100 points are required for redemption.
"Talent Realization" takes 30 days after use. During this period, the player's physical condition and various abilities will rapidly improve, allowing the player to break through the rookie wall and quickly reach his peak period, reaching the highest level after four years of his original career. level, only valid for players 25 years old and below, and redemption requires 250 points.
"Nirvana Rebirth", after using it, it will take 30 days for the players' injuries to be cured and 80% of their peak strength to be restored. However, there is still a risk of injury after recovery, and 1,000 points are required for redemption.
After Xu Xin read it, he understood clearly that what interested him most were "Talent Fulfillment" and "Nirvana Rebirth".
"Talent Realization" cannot increase the upper limit of a player's potential. It has little effect on mediocre players, but it is a treasure for superstars who have not yet grown up.
This skill also has limitations. It can only reach the level after four years, not the peak level.
This means that for those potential stocks with a long development period, using "Talent Cashing" will only shorten the time by four years.
But for Xu Xin, it was enough.
There are currently two future superstars in the team, James Harden and Jimmy Butler, but both of them need the ball and time to grow.
Harden is okay. The team now has him as the core. According to the normal trajectory, it will take another 1-2 years to enter the peak period.
But Butler can't. His biggest shortcoming now is the stability of his shooting, because he hasn't practiced shooting yet and can't open up the space on the court.
He and Harden are not suitable for each other and can only play the role of a bench gangster on the bench.
The lack of playing time and ball rights are not conducive to his growth.
This is also the problem that has been plaguing Xu Xin during this period.
Well now, "Talent Cashing" can quickly improve the two's various abilities, including of course their shooting level.
Four years later, Butler has completed his transformation and is one of the few offensive and defensive stars in the league.
He can average 24+6+5 per game. Although he is not good at three-pointers, he can still shoot 36.7% and hit 1.2 per game.
As for Harden four years later, he will be amazing.
At this time, Harden has become the league's number one combo guard, averaging 29.1 points, 11.2 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Although Harden has not yet transformed, in a month's time, when Harden's various abilities have made a qualitative leap, it will be imperative for him to lead more offenses and move closer to the ball-carrying core. .
In the last life, the ball-carrying core has never been able to win the championship, whether it is Harden or Doncic. This is also a question that Xu Xin has been thinking about during this period.
Is it because the ball-carrying style of play is not good, or the ball-carrying man is not good, or the teammates around him are not good.
Xu Xin thought about it and finally felt that the latter two situations were more likely.
The ball-carrying core invests too much in offense, and the defensive end naturally becomes a loophole on the court. This is one of the problems.
The three key points of playing with the ball are mainly to pass to the inside after the pick-and-roll to finish, to pass to the outside to shoot three-pointers, and to attack by yourself.
When the opponent has enough defensive resources to limit interior finishing and singles with the ball, only giving outside shooting opportunities.
If teammates fail to make a shot and there is no second offensive starting point on the field, the offense will fall into a swamp. This is question two.
To solve these problems, Xu Xin's idea was to reduce Harden's offensive role in the first half.
Jeremy Lin and Butler launched the offense to enrich the team's play style, including giving Livingston more roles.
This allows Harden to have more physical energy to focus on defense. In the second half, Harden will lead the offense more.
