The Best Point Guard

Jalen Rose was a member of the Michigan Five.

Stackhouse's pedigree was even more impressive. He was touted as the next Jordan, the third overall pick who was edged out by Iverson. In Detroit, he was an All-Star who was once considered the core of the team, the successor to Grant Hill.

They had all fucking had their moments in the sun.

Jalen went one-on-one against Stackhouse on the wing. His body was a bit stronger and taller than Stackhouse's, so he used his back to create space. Then, he quickly followed with a spin, drove a step inside, came to a sudden stop, and hit a step-back jumper... SWISH!

This was a fundamental skill for the swingmen of their generation.

It had a very classic feel.

The Mavericks' head coach, Johnson, nicknamed the Little General, clearly hadn't expected the Knicks' first play to be an isolation for Jalen Rose.

Su Xi was even running around on the side to clear out space for him. This left the Little General scratching his head. 'Do the Knicks have any semblance of a game plan? Are they always this chaotic?'

He looked over at Isaiah Thomas on the opposite bench.

Isaiah Thomas was stroking his chin, looking even more confused than the opposing coach. 'Why would we start the game like that?'

The Little General immediately scratched the back of his head.

He had a strange appearance, but the thoughts swirling in his head at that moment were even stranger. 'Why is it that we're both head coaches, yet I work myself to the bone every day while he's as carefree as a child? He's always getting into verbal spars with people, using sarcasm, and making enemies. But somehow, he still has so many fans supporting, praising, and hyping him up.'

'And he can just casually pull out a million USD to bet against Jordan.'

The Little General had never been so envious of another head coach.

In contrast to the Knicks' high degree of unpredictability, the Mavericks' playstyle was extremely stable.

Jason Terry brought the ball past half-court. His attempt to drive was unsuccessful, so he passed to Nowitzki, who had drifted up to the high post. Nowitzki looked to facilitate but couldn't find an open teammate. He took one step in, pulled up for a sudden jumper... SWISH!

It went in.

On the other end, the Knicks' offensive set featured Hardaway and Jerome. Jerome set a screen for Hardaway, who drove to the free-throw line. He then passed to a cutting Tony Battie, who caught the ball and shot... SWISH!

While Battie was shooting, Su Xi was boxing out in the paint.

The Little General grew even more confused.

'Is Little Sheep Su Xi really not going to be the primary attacker tonight? Is he really that confident in his teammates?'

The game continued.

Both teams were scoring with high efficiency.

It was just that the Mavericks were running their regular offense, while the Knicks kept trying out new lineups, with Su Xi constantly using his powerful gravity to draw the opponent's defense.

At the end of the first quarter, the two teams were tied 27-27.

After the second quarter began, Su Xi finally unsheathed his sword. He used his formidable offensive ability to tear apart the defense. The Mavericks were powerless against his attack. Su Xi could drive into the paint and consistently draw fouls. He could also pick on and punish defenders from mid to long range. He could even move without the ball and hit shots with precision.

Most importantly, his playmaking ability was on display throughout the entire game.

The Mavericks couldn't guard against everything.

Dallas had always been a strong team, and they had played against many single-core teams. Even against a weapon as potent as Kobe, they had the confidence and ability to come out on top.

But facing Su Xi, they felt a great sense of uncertainty.

Su Xi's individual scoring threat was extremely potent, and his ability to elevate his teammates' performance through that threat was even stronger.

At the end of the third quarter, the Knicks were leading by 1 point.

Then came the fourth quarter.

The Mavericks tried to swarm Su Xi... Before the game, they had predicted that the Knicks would swarm Nowitzki and had prepared numerous contingency plans. In reality, the Knicks didn't do that at all. They let Nowitzki score on Tony Battie, David Lee, and even Channing Frye.

Nowitzki had 31 points through the first three quarters.

In the first three quarters, Su Xi had 23 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals.

A near triple-double, and he had led the Knicks to a higher offensive efficiency.

This was something the Dallas Mavericks couldn't stand. Little General Johnson had never imagined the Knicks would beat the Mavericks in a shootout.

But what he expected even less was...

...that upon entering the fourth quarter, just as he was preparing to trap and swarm Su Xi, Su Xi unleashed a run-and-gun offense.

Su Xi led the team on an offensive rampage.

Crawford, Ariza, David Lee, and Channing Frye ran wild with him.

They completely abandoned their interior defense, playing even more ferociously than the Phoenix Suns.

The only thing they did on the defensive end was have Su Xi, at the top of the arc, limit Jason Terry's speed pushing the ball and his passing lanes.

On the very first possession, Su Xi pulled up for a jumper right at the top of the arc, kicking things off with a three-pointer.

Following that, his drives became even more aggressive. He quickly penetrated the paint, causing the Dallas defense to collapse, and then kicked the ball out. David Lee was a very reliable mid-range shooter, and Channing Frye's range extended a meter beyond the three-point line.

These two big men put the Mavericks in an awkward position.

Their Dampier couldn't guard the perimeter, and their Nowitzki wasn't exactly a defensive specialist either.

So, even though the Knicks were missing Zach Randolph and Eddie Curry, their offensive sets involving their big men were still very diverse.

And their scoring was still eye-catching.

Why?

Little Sheep Su Xi!

Five minutes into the fourth quarter, the score difference suddenly ballooned.

Because Crawford and Channing Frye hit three consecutive three-pointers, the lead instantly stretched to 10 points.

The Mavericks had no choice but to call a timeout. Johnson adjusted their strategy; they would no longer swarm Su Xi.