The Best Point Guard

"Stephen, you need to calm down. Jack once told me, the more the fans boo you, the more they fear you, the more they don’t want you to succeed. At times like this, if you just stay calm, you’ll be able to steadily achieve your goals."

Carlisle said earnestly to Stephon Marbury on the bench.

But at this point, how could Marbury possibly listen to Carlisle? Besides, he knew perfectly well that the New York fans weren’t booing him because they feared him. They just hated him and looked down on him.

All he wanted right now was to completely dominate, to shut those bastards up.

"Why don’t you come off the court and get some rest?"

Just then, the blunt Stephen Jackson walked over and said to Marbury, "You’re playing too recklessly."

?

Marbury’s brow furrowed. ’He can’t believe Jackson would dare say something like that to him. Me? Go to the bench and rest? Then who’s going to lead the team? Is that any way to talk to the team’s core player? Would you dare say that to Little Sheep Su Xi? You’re not treating me like the leader here.’

A storm of intense emotions flashed through his eyes.

But in the end, for the sake of the team, he ’sacrificed’ his own feelings.

He suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, "I’ll adjust."

Hearing this, Stephen Jackson casually draped an arm over Marbury’s shoulder. "That’s more like it," he said. "Anyone can get reckless when they’re emotional. But we’re a unit. We’ll help you."

Normally, a sentence like that wouldn’t mean much.

To a normal person, it also wouldn’t be a big deal.

But Marbury was prone to getting stuck in his own head. Especially in a situation like today’s—where the New York fans were cursing out eight generations of his ancestors, in his own hometown no less—and on top of that, there was his own personality.

Jackson’s two consecutive sentences grated on Marbury’s already raw nerves. He even felt like he’d never truly been a part of this group. Even though Su Xi was gone, his shadow loomed everywhere.

He felt miserable.

So, he pushed Jackson’s arm away and sat down on the bench.

Jackson didn’t think much of it, figuring Marbury just needed to process things on his own.

For the second quarter, Carlisle subbed in Fraser Jones.

TWEET!

The whistle blew, and the second quarter began.

Jones came in and played a conservative game. Facing Su Xi, he didn’t even entertain the thought of trying to drive past him. He knew his own limits all too well. Back in their team scrimmages, Su Xi had dominated him every single day, beating him so thoroughly he had no fight left in him. He also knew, deep down, that he could never hope to challenge Su Xi in his entire life, let alone make a name for himself at Su Xi’s expense. Just the thought of it made him break out in a cold sweat.

Jones passed the ball as soon as he crossed half-court.

The Pacers’ offense, paradoxically, came to life.

Little O’Neal went back to his bread and butter: bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

The newly-entered David Lee was getting absolutely schooled by him. Little O’Neal was toying with David Lee like he was Olajuwon.

Once Little O’Neal got going, the other players started firing on all cylinders too.

The Pacers quickly established an extremely formidable presence on both ends of the court.

At this point, the Knicks’ chaotic, freestyle offense started to lose its effectiveness.

The Pacers countered chaos with consistency.

They didn’t make mistakes.

The Knicks’ opportunities dwindled. Even a transcendent genius like Su Xi couldn’t carry a bad team to an upset over the defending champions all by himself.

The Knicks’ lead gradually shrank.

Halfway through the second quarter, the lead was down to just four points. By the eighth minute, a three-pointer from Jackson put the Pacers ahead by one.

Su Xi was doing everything he could.

The entire arena could see it. Su Xi was playing the role of both mother and father to the team.

At that moment, people started to desperately "miss" Stephon Marbury, hoping he would return to the court.

"If Marbury doesn’t get back on the court soon, the Knicks are going to lose!"

Even Kenny Smith was being sarcastic on TV: "Isn’t the Son of New York going to step up and help the Knicks?"

TWEET!

The Knicks called a timeout. Su Xi was still all smiles, high-fiving every teammate as if they were still in the lead.

He wasn’t worried at all.

In fact, under the Pacers’ high-pressure defense, he saw that the Knicks still had many bright spots. The group of players Isaiah Thomas had assembled each had their own flaws, but they also had their own strengths. They just hadn’t blossomed yet.

Su Xi wasn’t in a hurry. He wasn’t concerned with the wins and losses this season.

He wished he could play ten straight games against the Pacers.

An opponent like this was a rare gift. After ten games against them, the Knicks might just forge themselves into a powerful team with an established tactical system.

"You’re playing well. You guys were stars for a reason."

Su Xi said sincerely, without a trace of sarcasm.

And everyone could tell.

"A few more tough games like this, and we’ll start to build some set plays. Now’s the time for you to show what you’ve got. Once we have set plays, your personal stats will look a lot better. And by ’better,’ I don’t just mean more points, rebounds, and assists—your efficiency will be high, too."

"We’re all proud professionals here. There’s no reason we can’t reach our peak again right here in New York City."

"A championship might seem far away, but if we just put in the work, what if we actually succeed? Winning it all in New York... just think about how much money you’d make, how many parties you could go to..."

Every word from Su Xi was practical.

When you’re talking to these wily old vets, you can’t talk about ideals. you have to talk about tangible rewards.

Of course, a little flattery was also necessary. Eddie Curry was playing with a lot of energy now. He was playing very well tonight, almost inspired to the point of having a true fighting spirit. When the team was on its heels, he even encouraged David Lee: "Let Little O’Neal come at me in the paint. I’ll show him what’s what."

As expected, for a prodigal talent like Eddie Curry, ’being needed’ was the ultimate form of respect and motivation.

Even if that motivation came from a handsome, fair-faced man.

If the Chicago Bulls’ management saw the change in Eddie Curry now, they’d cry their eyes out.

While Su Xi was dangling the carrot on one side...

...Stephen Jackson was busy sabotaging the meal on the other.

Carlisle had spent the timeout talking to Marbury and felt he had calmed down considerably. He had to put him back in. After all, he was the team’s core perimeter player, the one who had inherited most of Su Xi’s former duties.

If he kept Marbury pinned to the bench, the guy would start to get ideas.

So, during this timeout, he decided to put Marbury back in the game.

Just then, Jackson put a hand on Marbury’s shoulder. "See?" he said. "Beating the Knicks doesn’t require the point guard to be a big-time scorer. As long as we run our system, it’s a guaranteed win. There’s no need for you to get into it with the fans, because your matchup is Su Xi, not the crowd. And when you’re up against Su Xi, you have to play it smart. You can’t just go right at him. If you could actually take him, wouldn’t you already have a championship by now?"

Jackson’s logic was simple, and it was also the truth.

But it was a truth that stung.

What stung even more was his final sentence: "You need to play according to our old system. After all, we’d already won two championships before you got here."