Looking at Su Feng on the bench, who was being regarded as the "savior" by his teammates, Stackhouse felt like crying.
Hello, wait a minute...
Doesn't anyone care about the technical stats?
Why is everyone praising Su Feng's decisive shooting and confidence...
Isn't this just 7 points on 3-of-8 shooting?
Stackhouse felt like the world had changed.
However, even though he believed he saw the truth, Stackhouse didn't dare complain at this moment.
Because...
He really didn't want to clash with Su Feng again.
Not even once more!
After the timeout, the Bucks substituted in Vin Baker.
This guy was also known as a heavy drinker.
In Su Feng's previous life, the Supersonics traded an undisciplined Kemp for Baker in a three-team deal with the Cavaliers and Bucks.
At the time, the Supersonics had high hopes for the Payton-Baker duo, but the good times didn't last...
In the 1998–99 season, after the lockout ended, Baker showed up at training camp...
The Supersonics' staff were stunned.
Where did this guy come from?
After seeing his condition, Baker's weight left the team completely desperate.
Four hundred pounds—brother, are you trying to be Shaquille O'Neal?
But don't worry, don't think the Supersonics lost out trading Kemp for Baker, because looking at Kemp next door...
Supersonics staff: "Oh, that's fine then." (Payton: "Fine? Think about my mood before you say that!")
Baker had long arms and a versatile offensive skill set. As soon as he entered the game, he made an impact.
He faked Big Ben with a move, then powered to the rim and dunked with both hands.
33 to 33.
Although under Fraser's guidance that summer Big Ben had improved rapidly, no one like Su Feng had been trained by three of the league's top forwards before joining.
Getting beaten up is the only way to improve defensive ability.
Think of the punishment Su Feng had endured in the past...
Fortunately, aside from Kobe, no one would ever know.
The 76ers attacked, but Su Feng's three-point play didn't work this time, and Big Dog Robinson had turned into a mad dog.
He was so irritable that all he wanted was to take Su Feng down.
Waters forced up a shot, and on the 76ers' bench, Davis patted Iverson's shoulder: "Allen, get ready to go in."
Iverson nodded, then smoothed his stylish hair.
Wash, cut, and blow—the three brothers. The game can be lost, but the hairstyle must stay perfect!
The Bucks attacked again, isolating Baker for a one-on-one. Baker pulled up from mid-range.
33 to 35.
And unlike Garnett, who carried himself with relentless toughness, this jump shot by Vin Baker was far from iron-blooded.
Big Ben failed defensively twice in a row, his expression showing some frustration.
Su Feng patted him on the back: "Don't worry, just focus on grabbing the rebound."
Big Ben nodded, and after feeling Su Feng's encouragement, he immediately grinned.
Su Feng thought the 76ers should pay him extra—he was both the behind-the-scenes coach and the on-court psychological counselor.
"Every evil capitalist knows how to exploit employees like me—highly motivated and self-driven!" Su Feng muttered angrily.
The game continued. The 76ers committed a turnover, and right on cue, the substitution came: the top pick, Iverson.
And indeed, the "wash, cut, and blow" trio of Philadelphia became one of the highlights of this preseason game.
There were even young Bucks fans who wanted the same hairstyle after the game.
Bang—!
After scoring twice against Big Ben, Baker missed his next shot.
Big Ben instinctively boxed out, and Su Feng rushed back just in time to secure the rebound.
On the sidelines, Davis smiled with satisfaction: "Although Su still has many areas to improve, his awareness of protecting the rebound is excellent."
Jason and Rick chimed in: "Yeah, a lot of perimeter players today lack that awareness."
Nearby, though the coaches hadn't named names, Stackhouse felt like an arrow had pierced his chest.
Because he was exactly the kind of perimeter player who lacked rebounding awareness...
In Su Feng's previous life, Stackhouse averaged only 3.2 rebounds per game, similar to Iverson's 3.7.
Forget about team tactics in the '90s—because Kobe Bryant, with a height similar to Stackhouse, consistently averaged over 5 rebounds per game throughout his career, except during retirement and injury seasons.
To put it bluntly, Stackhouse preferred conserving energy for scoring rather than fighting for rebounds.
Rebounding? That's the big man's job.
But in Su Feng's past life, didn't Westbrook set the example?
As Westbrook's future senior, how could Su Feng disappoint the young Westbrook, who was only a child at this time?
Watch closely, kid—uncle will teach you how to rebound.
And after adapting to his new role, Su Feng found that this generation's feeling was truly exhilarating.
The 76ers attacked. Iverson's ghostly crossover stunned the Bucks' guard...
That range, that balance, that shift—it was AI!
This time Iverson didn't drive inside. After creating space, he pulled up for a three-pointer.
Swish—!
36 to 35.
After scoring, Iverson pointed to the tattoo on his arm—"The Answer."
Moments later, Iverson added a steal. Robinson didn't notice Iverson lurking nearby during his drive, and Iverson stretched out his long arm to snatch the ball.
The "Ai-Feng" connection, first seen in the 76ers' Summer League, was back!
Iverson sprinted forward, Su Feng charged alongside him, Iverson lobbed the ball, and Su Feng dunked it with both hands!
After strengthening his core and vertical leap over the summer, combined with his natural athleticism, Su Feng had shed the nickname "Golden State LaVine."
Now, please call him—
"Philadelphia LaVine"!
38 to 35. After Su Feng high-fived Iverson following the dunk, Davis finally understood Claus's pain.
All along, I blamed you.
It's not that you don't understand basketball—it's that you understand it too well!
At this moment, Davis thought: even if Weatherspoon and the veterans don't listen to me...
With "Ai-Feng" in hand, who needs anything else?
Stackhouse was already flustered, because as the second quarter went on, the coach showed no intention of bringing the "main force" back in.
Coach, look at me—I'm the starter!
…
Su Feng played through the second quarter. Although tired, it didn't matter.
It's worth noting that after entering the NBA, aside from training, nutrient solutions cannot be used during games.
But even without them, Su Feng's physical fitness was astonishing.
Once, Joe brought his pet dog to join Su Feng and Kobe in physical training—the poor Alaskan husky almost didn't survive the workout with those two maniacs...
Dogs really have it tough sometimes.
In Su Feng's previous life, the masked man Hamilton was also a famous "dog abuser."
He liked running with his two pet dogs, but every time, the dogs collapsed before he did.
Of course, the 76ers had more physical freaks than Su Feng.
Iverson was another monster.
In the future, people would marvel that Harden could score 30+ while partying at nightclubs—but Iverson was the same type of player.
Before coming to Milwaukee, Iverson had just finished a party.
48 to 47. At halftime, Bucks fans were buzzing about the 76ers' "Golden Double Guns."
Scoring high in this era wasn't easy, because in the latter half of the second quarter, the Bucks started battling fiercely with the 76ers.
Of course, the biggest advantage of this kind of brick-fest was that the rebound stats for big men looked especially good.
Look—Big Ben had already grabbed 10 rebounds before halftime.
In the cramped locker room, Davis asked curiously: "Where did you find such a rebounder?"
Jason and Rick answered honestly: "He's Su's friend—Su introduced him."
Drinking water, Davis nearly spat it out. The 76ers had picked a first-round No. 13 and also got a rebounding machine.
After the players returned to warm up, Davis looked at Rick and Jason: "Next game, I want to start Big Ben. What do you think?"
Jason and Rick shook their heads: "We think starting him will improve our lineup chemistry."
Although protecting young players was common sense in the 1990s, Davis felt exceptions could be made.
Su Feng had proven himself in training camp. If you didn't believe in his resilience, Davis thought, then the 76ers had no one tougher.
"After we return to Philadelphia, make time to tutor him on positioning," Davis said, patting Jason and Rick's shoulders.
"However, to be safe, I'll still keep his playing time under 30 minutes," Davis added after a pause.
…
In the third quarter, both teams returned to their starting lineups.
As a result, the 76ers became stiff again...
Weatherspoon tried to play seriously, but struggled to get the ball several times.
Fortunately, Stackhouse had already developed a sense of crisis. He defended with the same intensity he used against Su Feng, leaving Ray Allen a little frustrated.
"You 76ers are poisonous, aren't you? Staring at me? This is just a preseason game!"
Su Feng knew the main reason the 76ers' offense wasn't flowing was because Iverson wasn't on the floor.
In Su Feng's previous life, Weatherspoon's scoring average this season suddenly dropped to 12.2 points.
He liked to play with the ball in his hands, but Stackhouse and Iverson also needed the ball. There's only one ball on the court—how could three ball-dominant players coexist?
And in Su Feng's past life, the 76ers also had star power forward Coleman...
Four players wanting touches—was this supposed to be divided into quarters?
Neither Big Ben nor Su Feng needed the ball. Once they played, Iverson naturally produced better chemistry.
Iverson wasn't a pure passer. In his rookie season and after leaving Larry Brown, he averaged over 7 assists per game.
The key to Iverson's passing was that you couldn't fight him for ball control.
As a scoring point guard, if he couldn't break down defenses, he couldn't create double-teams or passing lanes.
This was the result of his style and long-term habits, so teammates had to adapt to him—not the other way around.
Su Feng knew Iverson's history, so after being drafted by the 76ers, he never thought about changing Iverson's style.
Aside from encouraging Iverson to turn long twos into threes, the rest required self-adjustment.
But here came the problem...
Did Su Feng need to adjust?
Look—Su Feng had already taken 10 shots in the first half. Was Iverson feeling uncomfortable?
Therefore, when Davis compared the situations, plus the poor impression left by Weatherspoon and others, he reached this conclusion:
Su Feng and Ben Wallace were good kids who listened to him.
His tactics were correct—the fault lay with the disobedient players!
If Weatherspoon was one of the few stars on the 76ers, and Big Ben was just an undrafted player, Davis still wanted to replace Witherspoon with Big Ben in the starting lineup.
"Su, Ben, you're going in for Clarence and Don." In the third quarter, after nine minutes, Davis made the adjustment.
Su Feng happily led Big Ben to the scorer's table.
Seeing that he wasn't the one being subbed out, Stackhouse breathed a sigh of relief.
Because he had only scored 6 points tonight—even if preseason stats didn't count, Stackhouse still cared about his numbers.
He felt his tenacious defense must have impressed the coach, so he glared even more fiercely at Ray Allen...
Ray Allen felt bitter.
At that moment, he was like Stackhouse, who had been challenged by Su Feng countless times.
On the court, once Su Feng returned, Iverson immediately became the dazzling "Answer."
With Su Feng on the floor, the Bucks couldn't collapse too tightly, leaving someone to guard him.
And Iverson would fire cold arrows from time to time. Whether they went in or not, the spacing inside became much more comfortable.
Even if they couldn't stop Vin Baker, Big Ben's strength and elbows were enough to make Baker suffer in rebounding battles.
Watching from the sidelines, Davis even thought: if the 76ers could find a more reliable center than Williams, they would definitely shine under his leadership in the new season.
While Davis was thinking this, on the 76ers' bench, Weatherspoon—who had only scored 2 points—threw his cup to the ground after drinking.
"Weatherspoon's stats were good last season. If we trade him, we could definitely get a solid big man," Davis thought as he watched.
…
In the end, 94 to 99—the 76ers failed to win this preseason game because the hole dug by the starters in the third quarter was too deep.
Su Feng shot 7 of 16 in his preseason debut, including 3 of 6 from three-point range, with no free throws. He finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
Iverson went 8 of 21, including 3 of 7 from three, and 6 of 8 from the line. He scored a game-high 25 points, along with 8 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.
Big Ben's stat line was remarkable: only one shot attempt, which he made, for 2 points, plus 16 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 1 steal.
After adjusting his mindset, Stackhouse scored 12 points and grabbed 2 rebounds.
Not much on the stat sheet, but one of Su Feng's three assists went to him.
After receiving Su Feng's pass, Stackhouse—who had initially felt reluctant—thought Su Feng glared at him.
So, gritting his teeth, Stackhouse decisively took the shot and scored.
Although the overall intensity of games in the 1990s wasn't as high as in later years, the defensive standards were tougher. After battling through, Su Feng's body was already covered in bruises.
Su Feng felt targeted by the referees that night.
The NBA referees were too strict—he made several strong drives, yet didn't get a single free throw!
But that's how it is. A rookie has little "human rights" in the NBA. Iverson was the No. 1 pick; Su Feng couldn't compare...
After the game, Davis praised the performance of the "Philadelphia Triangle" in an interview and said he would give the young players more opportunities in the future.
Anyway, no one on the 76ers was younger than Su Feng, so it was clear who he meant.
Thus, after finishing his first preseason game against the Bucks—experiencing NBA-level defensive intensity and collecting nearly 400,000 "iron value" points (Note ①)—Su Feng returned to Philadelphia with the team.
The 76ers still had six preseason games to play. Each venue was another step in Su Feng's plan to rise to prominence.
And shortly after Su Feng returned to Philadelphia, on October 8th, in the Lakers' first preseason game, Kobe also made his NBA preseason debut.
After sitting by the water cooler for nearly 38 minutes, Bryant finally got 10 minutes of playing time.
Looking up at the championship banners and legendary jerseys hanging from the Staples Center dome, Kobe felt his heart surge.
In that game, Kobe played well—3 of 6 shooting, including 1 of 2 from three, for 8 points.
After the game, he was so excited that he immediately called Su Feng:
"Su, did you play badly yesterday? Are you too embarrassed to call me?"
"Allen, wait a second... hello, Kobe? What's up?" Su Feng asked.
"It's nothing. I just finished my first preseason game and scored 8 points. I wanted to tell you."
Kobe thought: without his "Philadelphia Magician," Su Feng's first preseason game must have been rough.
The thought of Su Feng's frustrated expression after running back on defense—though sad for Su Feng—made Kobe feel strangely pleased.
"Oh, 8 points... that's half of my score," Su Feng said calmly.
"Half?" Kobe was stunned. Double 8 is 16...
Hiss—!
Su Feng had actually scored 16 points?
"How long did you play?" Bryant asked nervously.
"Originally, the coach planned only 25 minutes, but in the end, my performance was so good he gave me nearly 30. No way, Kobe, you know, an excellent person like me..." Beep beep—Kobe hung up before Su Feng finished.
In Philadelphia, Iverson—teaching Su Feng new dribbling skills—looked up curiously: "Was that Kobe?"
"Yeah," Su Feng nodded.
"What did he say?" Iverson asked.
"Nothing much. He just said he scored 8 points and was very happy." Su Feng shrugged.
Iverson grinned: "Alright, let me show you—the key to this move is..."
Los Angeles.
After learning that Su Feng had scored 16 points, Bryant couldn't stand it.
After tossing and turning all night, he went to the Lakers' training hall early in the morning to practice.
When Lakers coach Harris pushed open the doors of the gym, he saw a young man repeatedly working on offensive skills.
Harris had once coached Kobe's father, so naturally he took extra care of the son.
He didn't interrupt Kobe, but stood quietly to the side.
After Kobe executed a dazzling offensive sequence, Harris gently applauded.
"Young man, that's wonderful." On the court, after Bryant finished a one-handed dunk, Harris sighed.
At that moment, Kobe, who had been immersed in practice, noticed the coach's presence.
He stepped forward and asked: "Coach, why are you here?"
Harris waved at Kobe: "I came to take a look at our future."
The coach's praise made Kobe smile shyly. He didn't fully grasp the deeper meaning of "future." "Coach, what do you think of my one-on-one skills?"
Harris nodded: "Very good."
Encouraged by Harris's consecutive compliments, Kobe pressed further: "Coach, could you give me more playing time? As long as you give me the ball and clear the floor, I can take on any player in the league."
Harris chuckled, wondering what had sparked Kobe's determination. Wasn't he happy yesterday?
And while Harris was speaking cheerfully, Kobe thought the coach didn't believe in him, so he added: "Really, coach, I can go one-on-one against anyone if you just give me the chance."
At this point, Harris patted Kobe's shoulder: "Kobe, I know you can, but I can't push Shaq aside and give you the paint for isolation plays."
Kobe nodded...
He wasn't foolish; he knew Harris was telling the truth.
Just yesterday, O'Neal had bulldozed anyone who tried to stop him at the rim.
Los Angeles fans were thrilled by O'Neal's dominance.
But still...
Kobe was unwilling.
"No, I have to work harder!" At that moment, Kobe wanted to become stronger than ever.
...
PS: Note ① Once again, the formula for calculating "iron value" in a game:
(regular iron value + counter-iron value) × missed shots × system score.
math was taught by a Chinese teacher, so it's reliable. Don't worry about mistakes.
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