The Best Point Guard

The discussion at the announcer’s table was heated, and in the Knicks’ locker room, the atmosphere of criticism and self-criticism was just as intense.

Zach Randolph was participating for the first time. He was excited, his face red and his neck veins bulging.

Because his teammates were all criticizing him.

"Zach’s movement is too slow. He needs to put the same energy he uses for rebounding into his lateral movement. If he improves his lateral movement, the damage from Wade’s drives will be reduced by thirty percent."

"He should keep some distance from me. We two big guys should be complementing each other, not leaning on each other."

"If Randolph cut down on some of his spin moves and showboating, our offense would be a lot smoother."

"He could help double-team O’Neal. His long arms would give O’Neal some trouble."

"..."

Randolph had originally thought he’d be praised for scoring 18 points in the first half.

Unexpectedly, after their own self-criticisms, most of the players turned their criticism toward him.

This made him quite emotional. It wasn’t anger, but a feeling of, ’So I’m actually this important.’

That’s men for you.

What is a man’s greatest failure?

It’s not being needed.

Now, so many teammates were pointing out his shortcomings. In Randolph’s eyes, this meant that they especially needed him in those areas.

So, he humbly accepted the criticism and engaged in deep self-reflection, saying he needed to work even harder and strive to integrate with the team as soon as possible.

This made everyone a little embarrassed. For a newcomer to be so self-aware, it was like he was trying to show everyone up. ’Is he trying to run for vice-captain of our Knicks party branch?’

Isaiah Thomas also hadn’t expected Randolph to integrate so quickly; he could hardly believe his eyes and ears. ’Is this still the same bastard who assaulted a head coach? Is this still the same scumbag who attended a memorial service at a nightclub? How did his awareness get so high?’

Su Xi decided to let Zach Randolph watch from the bench for a while longer in the third quarter so he could absorb things. Sharpening the axe doesn’t delay the work of chopping wood.

Randolph readily accepted.

This was the charm of Su Xi’s leadership.

He had given Randolph a heavy responsibility right from the start, instead of just letting him watch from the bench. First, he got him emotionally invested, and then he brought up the need to learn.

This way, he wouldn’t crush his motivation.

However, seeing Randolph’s current level of awareness, his motivation was already maxed out. There was nothing to worry about.

The second half began.

The Miami Heat came out firing on all cylinders. Wade, as their powerful engine, unleashed a furious amount of torque. Although Shaquille O’Neal had been posterized by Su Xi’s dunk in the first half—earning him a spot on the "Best Poster of the Year" reel—he was playing even harder.

He hadn’t crumbled.

He admitted he was aging, that his dominance was gone. But he wanted to fight for one last championship ring before he was completely washed up, because he wanted to tell Kobe: ’No matter what, I’m still better than you. Four is greater than three.’

The Heat’s offense was like a tidal wave; the Knicks couldn’t stop it.

But the Knicks’ firepower was just as formidable, and the Heat couldn’t handle it either.

So, the two teams continued to trade blows.

The Heat Team was slightly more efficient on offense, while the Knicks had slightly more offensive possessions.

At the end of the third quarter, the two teams were tied again.

Then, in the fourth quarter, the Knicks subbed Randolph in.

Randolph had watched for a whole quarter. As he was about to go in, Su Xi asked him if he had understood anything he saw.

Randolph was very honest. "No, the more I watch, the more confused I get."

’It’s good that you’re confused.’

’The game is already a muddled mess. Adding you to the mix will just create the perfect chaos.’

After Randolph got on the court, he was exceptionally active. Although he hadn’t understood the Knicks’ tactics, he remembered his teammates’ criticisms. His lateral movement quickened, his shots became more decisive, and his double-teams started to look the part.

As a result, the Knicks’ defense improved rapidly.

Both O’Neal and Wade were weakened to a certain extent by the addition of this big, black player.

However, the Miami Heat’s role players stepped up. Posey and Payton came through in the fourth quarter.

The score remained tight.

The game went down to the final seconds.

With 18 seconds left in the game, Dwyane Wade drove into the paint with the ball. Su Xi stuck to him like glue. As Randolph came over early to double-team, Wade suddenly pulled up and, under pressure from both Su Xi and Randolph, sank the shot.

That basket gave the Miami Heat a 101-100 lead.

And it left the New York Knicks with only 11 seconds on the clock.

The Knicks called their final timeout.

During the timeout, Wade ran to the sideline and shouted, "This is my house! This is my house!"

He yelled at the top of his lungs.

It had already become his signature phrase.

The atmosphere in the American Airlines Center Arena surged because of him.

This time, Larry Brown didn’t feel upset. It was as if he had become immune.

He had finally emerged from the shadow of last season’s Game 7 buzzer-beater. After all, Wade was yelling at Su Xi now.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Besides, he could distinguish between the primary and secondary conflicts.

"Wade has 36 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks tonight. That’s truly a superstar performance. This game-winner only adds to his killer instinct. Perhaps my previous assessment of him was a bit too conservative. He may have already become a superstar guard on the same level as Kobe," Larry Brown said.

Beside him, Reggie Miller rubbed his temples and glanced at Su Xi’s stats. 27 points, 12 assists, 11 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block. ’Looking at the stats alone, he’s got Wade surrounded in every category except scoring.’