score maniac

Chapter 47: Skill Tree

Simple, yet effective. Facing Gu Yu, whose scoring touch had returned, the Dallas Mavericks’ defensive strategy was quite “unassuming”—preventing anyone else from passing the ball to Gu Yu. Simple, yes, but… “That’s incredible…!” In the press box, the reporters—all veterans of the sports world—had picked up on the pattern after just a few possessions. “Against any other scorer, this strategy from the Mavericks wouldn’t work. But against the Kings—and especially against ‘Hair Guy’—it’s proving to be incredibly effective!” A veteran reporter made this enthusiastic remark, and the other journalists all nodded in agreement. Throughout the NBA’s long history, there have been countless scoring masters. Each has their own unique scoring style—some rely on drives to the basket, some on post-up moves, some on free throws (like the dark-skinned Le Bron! ), and of course, some focus primarily on shooting. Yet among all of them, not a single one has ever relied on shooting to the extent that Gu Yu does today. “He’s just a baby.” On the court, the Kings were trying to switch directions to set up Gu Yu for a shot. But Gu Yu’s movement served as a compass for the Mavericks’ defense. Jeremy Lin didn’t focus all his energy on “how to keep up with Gu Yu,” but rather on “how to position himself between the ball and Gu Yu.” “Gu right now is just a baby—a baby with terrifying scoring explosiveness, but one who can’t do anything besides catch and shoot!” At the commentary desk, Barkley—who had been silent for quite some time—finally spoke up, his gaze toward Gu Yu filled with regret: “The entire Kings team is acting like nannies. To maximize Gu’s scoring potential, they’re setting screens, cutting to the basket, creating space, passing, and setting up open shots… just like wet nurses, spoon-feeding him every bite.” But now “Smack!” “Another steal! Jeremy Lin, you’re the man—!!!” After another successful steal, Jeremy Lin showed his competitive streak. He spun on his heel with the ball, dribbled past Gu Yu as if he were a cone, then flicked the ball forward with one hand. In the blink of an eye, he followed up, and the fast break was already underway. “Get back on defense! Everyone, get back on defense!!” Westphal couldn’t sit still any longer; he jumped to his feet and roared at the Kings players on the court, who looked a bit dazed. “Hmph, trash.” Not far from him, Evans was beaming with satisfaction; the tension that had kept him on edge since the start of the game finally eased. He leaned back comfortably in his chair, almost putting his feet up high. No matter how good you are, Gu Yu, at the end of the day, you’re just a shooter. In this league, someone like Wade, who has perfected his drive to the extreme, can descend like a god and do anything. Someone like Chen Mu, who has mastered the post game to perfection, can also control the game at will and dominate the court. Or if you’re blessed with superhuman strength—born with Shaq’s massive frame and explosive agility—you can still carry the world on your shoulders and crush it with a single thunderous dunk. But shooting…? “A shooter is just a shooter—no matter how accurate, he’s still just a shooter.” Watching Gu Yu on the court—breathless and drenched in sweat, yet unable to get a single touch of the ball—Evans felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. A smirk of schadenfreude curled at the corners of his mouth as he muttered to himself, “At the end of the day, shooters are just system players. Without ball-handling skills… you’re not even worth a damn!” “Swish!” “Beep beep! The Sacramento Kings have called a timeout!!!” As Bubowa sank a three-pointer, Westphal couldn’t take it anymore and hurriedly called a timeout. 7–0! “Great shot! Well done!” On the Mavericks’ side, the players were riding high; as they left the court, their faces beamed with joy as they high-fived and bumped chests, letting their excitement run wild. “Lin, you did an excellent job!” The Mavericks’ assistant coach stepped forward and high-fived Jeremy Lin, prompting him to break into an uncontrollable smile. He took the towel handed to him by a staff member, wiped the sweat from his face, and said, “Really? Was my performance… okay??” “Of course!” The assistant coach’s smile didn’t waver as he patted Jeremy Lin on the shoulder and said, “Keep it up. If you can maintain this level of play throughout the game, you’ve got a real shot at staying on the team!” …I can stay in the NBA! Those words completely ignited Jeremy Lin’s fighting spirit. His eyes sparkled with an intense, crystal-clear determination as he nodded firmly and said, “I’ll do my best!” “Great!” The assistant coach knew that among the players participating in the Summer League this time, Jeremy Lin was the one who had trained the hardest and was the most eager for a chance to prove himself. To be honest, Jeremy Lin’s performance in previous games hadn’t been particularly outstanding. Aside from his solid passing, defense, and decent ability to drive to the basket, his weakness in shooting was all too evident. In a league teeming with elite athletes, it’s easy to imagine how difficult it would be for an Asian player to make it here without a reliable jump shot. Even exceptionally talented players like Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian possessed precise shooting skills. And Wang Zhizhi, whose physical attributes were far from outstanding, managed to hang around the league for several seasons thanks to his shooting. As for Sun Yue, whose shooting is subpar, his fate was made clear a few days ago when, following the game against the Kings, news broke that the Bucks would not sign him. Jeremy Lin, however, has shown NBA teams another possibility. “As you’d expect from a Harvard graduate, his basketball IQ is truly remarkable!” Over at the commentary booth, Smith also heaped praise on Jeremy Lin’s performance. As a highlight reel of his brilliant defensive positioning played on the screen, he nodded and said, “Every step is calculated to perfection; every decision is flawless. Every steal is made only when a teammate is available to close out the defender, ensuring he never overcommits. Jeremy Lin, the pride of the Chinese community—truly a player with exceptional intelligence!” That’s right—intelligence. That’s the main reason the Mavericks started Jeremy Lin to counter Gu Yu! As for Gu Yu… “He probably won’t see any playing time in this game.” Smith glanced at Gu Yu, who sat on the bench looking dejected, and shook his head with a hint of regret. “He’s being shut down completely—he doesn’t have a single chance.” “…You, you, you, just you wait and see!” Barkley was still putting on a brave face, but his expression had already turned grim. A shooter is, after all, just a shooter. No matter how accurate, he’s still just a shooter. Once a shooter is targeted, unless you have a shooting range that defies all logic—like Mita Shintaro’s… ugh, a shooting range that defies all logic—otherwise, a shooter whose passing lanes have been cut off has no choice but to wait for the end. At this very moment, in this game, the area around Gu Yu was like a black hole. A bottomless black hole where any pass that passed through would be ruthlessly intercepted! “…Gu, Gu!” “…Huh?” On the Kings’ bench, Westphal thought it over carefully before finally deciding to say those words: “Next… take a breather. Terric, get in there and tear through their defense with your drives!” “…Hmph, it’s finally here!” Tyrese Evans had been waiting far, far too long for his coach to say those words. The moment he was called, he sprang to his feet, strutting smugly past Gu Yu. His gaze swept downward as he sneered, “Rookie, just sit there and watch how I put on a show…!” “Enough with the nonsense—get on the court!” Before Gu Yu could explode, Westphal had already stepped in to push Evans aside, afraid a brawl might break out on the bench, and urged the players to get on the court. As for Gu Yu, however, he showed a rare lack of reaction. Gu…? Seeing Gu Yu’s unfocused gaze—as if he’d lost his soul—Westphal sighed deeply, sat down beside him, and said earnestly, “Gu, let me tell you this: just because I’m taking you out doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. Although I don’t have 100 percent say in who stays and who goes,But I really admire you—truly. When the game’s over, I’ll have a serious talk with the manager. Given the Chinese market, the team might just decide to keep you…” The old coach’s kind words rang in his ears, but Gu Yu didn’t take a single one to heart; his eyes remained fixed on the empty space ahead. What the hell is this? When did that even appear?? Gu Yu’s attention was completely focused on the corner of his vision—a floating button that kept emitting a faint, flickering glow. Was it there before the game started? Why didn’t I notice it? Was I so absorbed in the game that I overlooked it? After all, the button is so small, and with all the flashing lights on the court, it’s no wonder I didn’t notice it. But that’s not the point. The real issue is the text labeled on the button. “‘Skill Tree’…? What on earth is that??” A key ability has appeared!