Chapter 11

"Beep"

In the scorching Arizona, Phoenix.

Inside the US Airways Center, after a spectacular halftime performance, the second half of the 2005-2006 NBA regular season game between the Phoenix Suns and the New Jersey Nets was about to begin.

"Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud"

The players from both teams returned to the court and were immediately greeted with enthusiastic applause from the fans.

"LET'S GO SUNS! LET'S GO SUNS!"

The fans chanted in unison, cheering for the Suns. In the commentator's booth, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith ended their playful banter and refocused their attention on the game.

"Hmm, let me see..." Kenny Smith took two sheets of paper from the staff and, after a quick glance, said, "The second half is about to start, and I have the starting lineups for both teams."

"From what I can see, there's not much change in the starting lineups for the second half. The visiting Nets still have their three-headed monster in the backcourt, with Cliff Robinson and Nenad Krstić in the frontcourt."

"Hehe, two Biscuits~" Barkley joked, "Chocolate and cream, just to my taste."

"If you were on the court, you'd probably devour them alive." Kenny Smith, knowing Barkley was about to boast, laughed and said, "After all, your body is like a Swiss meatball, hahaha~"

"Alright, let's move on to the Suns' starting lineup for the second half." Ignoring Barkley's complaints, Kenny Smith turned to the other sheet of paper and continued, "There's no significant change here either. In the backcourt, Nash and Bell, and on the wings, Diaw and Marion. Hmm, Diaw has been moved to the power forward position, so the center is... huh?!"

Halfway through, Kenny Smith was struck as if by an electric shock, his body freezing as he stared at the lineup several times, confirming with the staff that there was no mistake. He then said in disbelief, "The Suns' starting center for the second half is... Chen!"

"What did you say?!!"

Barkley, who was munching on Biscuits, nearly fell off his chair in surprise.

"Starting that Chinese kid? Is D'Antoni crazy??"

In the first half, although everyone had seen Chen's unparalleled rebounding ability, it was also clear that his offensive skills were very rough.

The Suns' style of play was fast-paced, centered around MVP point guard Steve Nash, who led the team in rapid attacks and defenses, capitalizing on every opportunity for a fast break. Their overall tactics were extremely flashy.

In particular, the pick-and-roll between Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire was the most eye-catching. In the previous season, Nash had won the title of assist leader thanks to his pick-and-rolls with Stoudemire, and Stoudemire had reached the peak of his career.

"D'Antoni's offensive tactics require a high level of mobility from his big men, especially on the offensive end, where they need to have both the ability to attack and the skills to score."

Barkley, rarely serious, displayed his professional player's expertise, analyzing, "This Chinese kid, while seemingly mobile enough, clearly lacks offensive skills, as seen in his limited playing time in the first half."

"Even though Nash has the ability to turn the mundane into the magical, I doubt he can do much with this Chinese kid!"

Barkley's words reflected the thoughts of most fans.

Why would D'Antoni, the renowned offensive master, put a player who can barely score in such a crucial game?

What was the Suns' strategy??

"Beep"

Amidst the confusion, the referee blew the whistle to start the second half, and the Nets took the ball, continuing the game!

"Thud, thud, thud"

Jason Kidd dribbled the ball, his icy demeanor giving no hint of his thoughts.

However, at this moment, Kidd, known for his court control, was also a bit dazed, facing the Suns' starting lineup with a vague sense of foreboding.

"What's the purpose of Chen's presence? Rebounding? It can't be that simple."

Kidd dribbled the ball, directing his teammates, his mind racing, trying to guess the Suns' strategy.

"Even if Chen is a great rebounder, he's still a rookie, lacking strength and smart positioning. When I drew a foul on him, I gauged his strength. I could grab a few rebounds over his head even if I went for them!"

As one of the best rebounding point guards in history, Kidd had such confidence. His 100 triple-doubles were not for nothing. In terms of rebounding, at least half of the starting centers in the league were below him.

"Could this Chen have some other skills besides rebounding?"

"Thud, thud, thud"

On one side of the court, Vince Carter had found an opening and was signaling for the ball. Kidd, without hesitation, quickly passed the ball to him.

"Vince, drive!"

Kidd shouted, and Carter, understanding, turned and dribbled past the defending Bell, charging towards the basket.

"Could this Chen have a knack for protecting the rim? Vince, test him out!"

Kidd had already planned the play, watching Carter charge into the paint while keeping an eye on Chen.

"Thud, thud!"

Carter reached the paint, and the Suns' weak defense could not stop the half-man, half-god. Carter took a step and leaped into the air.

"Thud!"

Carter, like a flying dragon, jumped high, raising the ball above his head and slamming it into the rim.

"Hmm...? Chen didn't come to help...!"

Everyone was focused on Carter's dunk, but only Kidd noticed Chen's movement:

Chen was still firmly holding off the skinny Nenad Krstić, showing no intention of helping, and watched as Carter dunked.

"Bang!"

The dunk scored!

"...Wow!!!"

Carter, after landing, made his signature shark gesture, and the entire Suns crowd was stunned. Everyone knew this play would make the top ten plays of the week, with the other players on the court serving as the background.

"Run!"

As soon as Carter landed, the Suns quickly inbounded the ball, and Nash dribbled down the court, pushing the pace.

"Thud, thud, thud"

While defending Nash, Kidd also kept an eye on Chen's movements. Chen showed no interest in joining the fast break, slowly jogging down the court, seemingly indifferent to the offense.

"What does this mean...??"

Kidd was puzzled, and while he was distracted, Nash slipped past him, creating a half-step advantage, and then passed the ball to the perimeter.

"Smack"

At the three-point line, Diaw received the ball. His defender, Cliff Robinson, was slow to react, leaving Diaw with an open shot.

"Three-point!"

Diaw took a smooth three-point shot, but as soon as the ball left his fingers, he frowned.

"DAMN...! Too much power!"

Diaw's long-range shooting was inconsistent, and he knew this shot wouldn't go in as soon as he released it.

A counter-attack opportunity!

Kidd saw the problem with the shot and immediately charged towards the basket, ready to grab the rebound and push the fast break.

On the wing, Carter and Jefferson were already preparing to run down the court, and the Nets' famous three-headed monster fast break was about to start!

"Thud, thud"

However, at this moment, the Suns' players did not prepare to defend but waited at the other end of the court. Marion and Diaw, both excellent rebounders, turned to look at Chen, as if waiting for his orders.

"Thud, thud, thud"

After a full offensive possession, Chen finally sauntered to the other end of the court, glanced at the basket, quickly scanned the court, and then shouted, "One step inside the left key, parallel to the baseline!"

"Huh~"

This statement left everyone puzzled, unsure of Chen's intentions. However, Marion, as if understanding, grinned and quickly ran to the left key.

"Thud, thud, stomp!"

Marion, like a train, rushed to the spot, took a step, and leaped high, his long arms ready, confident that the rebound would be his.

"Clank!"

Diaw's three-pointer indeed missed, hitting the left side of the rim and bouncing down, and Marion caught it steadily!

"Smack"

After grabbing the rebound, Marion casually flicked the ball to Nash, giving him a thumbs-up as he ran to his position.

"This...?!!!"

Kidd was completely stunned. The purpose of this Eastern kid's slow, non-participatory approach was this!

"Set up again, steady and sure!"

Nash, calm as ever, seemed unsurprised by Chen's command. He dribbled the ball, observing his teammates' movements, and then passed the ball to the cutting Bell.

"Whoosh"

Bell caught the ball and took a floater, but it wasn't his strong suit, and the ball hit the rim and didn't go in.

"Clank!"

"Two steps inside the free-throw line, high rebound!"

Chen was near the three-point line but still showed no interest in joining the offense. Instead, he continued to "command."

"I'll get it!"

"Thud, thud, thud"

Diaw was near the free-throw line. Hearing Chen's instructions, he took two steps forward, raised his hands, and easily grabbed the offensive rebound.

"...Oh oh oh!!!"

The consecutive offensive rebounds electrified the crowd. If there was anything more uplifting than a slam dunk or a three-pointer, it was consistently grabbing offensive rebounds!

"This, this Chinese kid... is like the Suns' rebounding commander!"

In the commentator's booth, Barkley was speechless, watching Chen's confident demeanor. If the rebound was close, he would grab it himself. If it was far, he would immediately call out the rebound's landing spot. The Suns began to dominate the offensive rebounds, and the Nets' fast break was completely stifled!

"Tsk tsk." Kenny Smith also shook his head, excitedly saying, "So that's it! The Suns' offensive commander is MVP Nash, and the rebounding commander is the Chinese player—Chen!"