Chapter 86

"Agent... Zero!!!"

Inside the MCI Center, the DJ's high-pitched voice echoed continuously, and the fans were as excited as if they had been injected with adrenaline. They waved the large headshots of Arenas, forming a sea of Agent Zero.

"This... This is too far, right?!"

Iguodala, who was guarding Arenas out of position, had not yet recovered from the previous offensive and defensive play. He looked down at his position and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

After being provoked by the rookie Chen Mu, Arenas unleashed three consecutive three-point shots, each more unreasonable than the last, and each one farther than the previous.

On the last three-point attempt, Arenas was still a large step behind the three-point line, almost throwing a super-long bomb from near mid-court, which fiercely bombed the 76ers' basket.

After making three three-point shots, Arenas showed no reaction, his face as cold as ice. As he passed by the rookie Chen Mu, he taunted him a few times.

"This is power!"

Arenas' eyes burned with flames, and he glared fiercely at Chen Mu before retreating to defend.

After the opening, a 2+1, a foul that led to two successful free throws, and three consecutive three-point shots all hit the mark.

Gilbert Arenas, the player many consider to be the strongest second-round pick in NBA history, gave the 76ers a stern warning right from the start of the game.

"Less than a quarter, and he already has 14 points...!"

Chen Mu was also shocked. Although he knew that Arenas had a strong scoring ability, he never imagined that his explosive power would be so ridiculously strong before facing him on the court.

In the NBA, or in the basketball world in general, shooters can be divided into two categories.

One category is the stable type, whose shooting form is as fixed as a machine, with each shot almost indistinguishable from the last.

These players rely on endless training to achieve an extremely stable shooting touch, with each shot nearly perfect. Whether they make it or not is just a matter of luck.

Defending such players requires patience and perseverance. As long as the defender can keep up with the opponent's movements and prevent easy shots, trying to affect each shot, they can disrupt the shooting rhythm and cause a decline in efficiency.

The representative of this type of player is the Gentleman's Sword, Ray Allen. Not only is his three-point shooting form stable over the years, but his ultra-fast release and spatial perception and judgment on the court also allow him to maintain a hot hand continuously.

The other category is the feel type, who can score from any shooting position.

Compared to the stable type of shooters, the feel type of shooters are more likely to experience a cold spell. If their feel drops, they may miss shots in a row, even the simplest open jump shots.

However, if a feel type player finds their rhythm, the only thing the defender can do is pray.

This type of player is often called a "neuro-knife," with JR Smith being a typical feel type player.

Arenas and Kobe, on the other hand, are the ultimate versions of feel type players.

Due to their extraordinary perseverance and boldness, they practice without any slack, and their shooting form is very stable. Combined with the natural feel they are blessed with, when they are in the zone, they are almost unstoppable.

Compared to neuro-knives like JR, the "ultimate neuro-knives" like Kobe and Arenas have two advantages.

One is the ability to create "impossible shooting" opportunities.

The second is a combination of inside and outside play. Even if their feel is off, they can quickly adjust their style and create damage in other ways.

"Beep beep"

On the court, the referee's whistle sounded again.

Inside the 76ers' paint, Webber raised his hands high, looking at the referee with an innocent face.

Beside Webber, Arenas was panting heavily, adjusting his breathing, and preparing to step up to the free-throw line.

"Another foul?!"

The 76ers' bench was filled with sighs. From the start of the game to now, the first quarter was not yet over, and the team's interior had already been continuously attacked.

The starting center, Hunter, quickly picked up two fouls and was taken out of the game. The backup center, Chen Mu, had one foul, and now even Webber was being targeted.

"This is really a problem. If this continues, it won't do!"

Watching Arenas steadily make two free throws, Chen Mu looked up at the scoreboard.

28 to 17, with less than a minute left in the first quarter, the 76ers were already trailing by 11 points.

"Timeout!"

Aikens called a timeout, and the 76ers' players returned to the bench, all with looks of disbelief.

"Foul... Foul!"

Aikens was in a panic. The team's interior was already thin, and now the main rotation players were being targeted. If this caused the team's defensive formation to become disordered, it would be a big problem.

"What's going on? Arenas is strong, no doubt, but is his impact really more lethal than Wade's?!"

In previous games, the 76ers had faced the Heat. Although they lost, after Wade's initial rampage, Chen Mu's entry changed the situation.

By constantly running to help defend and continuously harassing and blocking, Chen Mu used his energy to put a lid on the basket, significantly reducing Wade's efficiency and giving the team a chance to breathe.

"Don't get physical, use your feet, your feet!"

The players understood what Aikens was saying, but unlike Wade's drives, the reason Chen Mu could reduce Wade's efficiency to some extent was that Wade didn't have a stable three-point shot and always drove hard to the interior, making his offensive patterns relatively easy to predict.

Arenas, on the other hand, was completely different. His ability to force shots was too terrifying. A momentary defensive lapse could give him a chance to shoot and score.

Under the constraint of the outside shooting, the 76ers' interior defense became more aggressive. When Arenas penetrated, Chen Mu and Webber would instinctively step forward, making it much easier for Arenas to draw fouls.

"Getting nearly 30 points in the first quarter, what do we do in the rest of the game? Are we going to let them score 120 points?!"

Continuous defensive failures also affected the 76ers' offense. To catch up, the players became impulsive, making irrational shot choices, leading to a significant drop in shooting efficiency.

If this continues, the game will be lost!

This season, Chen Mu had already tasted the bitter fruit of failure too many times. As a player who had finally gotten the chance to step into the basketball hall, Chen Mu did not want to be remembered as a failure.

"Adjust the offense, slow down the pace, and don't let them get into a counter-attack!"

As the timeout was about to end, Aikens calmed down and began to set up the strategy.

Chen Mu carefully looked at the tactical board, but another idea formed in his mind.

"Coach."

With the timeout time almost up, Chen Mu hesitated for a moment and then said, "I have an idea, I don't know if it can work."

Recalling how Chen Mu's strategies had helped the team in previous games, Aikens thought for a moment and said, "Go on."

"For the next part of the game, in the short term, I mean, about three to five minutes."

Looking at his teammates' hopeful gazes, Chen Mu gritted his teeth and said, "I'll guard Arenas...!"

"What...?!"

Hearing Chen Mu's words, the teammates were almost driven mad.

Chen Mu to guard Arenas?

A power forward to guard a point guard?

"Are you crazy?!"

Iguodala was the first to react, frowning at Chen Mu, looking at him as if he were a lunatic, and said, "I understand your point. Your footwork isn't slow, and your quickness is impressive, so you might be able to keep up with Arenas and make it hard for him to shoot from beyond the arc."

"But he is an All-Star level point guard, with dribbling skills and speed that are no joke. Getting past you would be a piece of cake. Switching you to guard him is just asking to be broken down, right?"

Although Iguodala's words were harsh, they were not without reason.

With Arenas' skills, breaking through Chen Mu's defense would be too easy, without even needing any fake moves, just using speed.

Behind Chen Mu, Webber's rim protection was not strong. If Arenas broke through, the basket would be like an open garden, and he could shoot however he wanted.

What was Chen Mu's plan in volunteering to guard Arenas??

"Chen, you need to calm down. Basketball isn't a one-on-one game. Arenas is indeed challenging you, and there are examples of interior players successfully defending perimeter shooters in the NBA. But with your defensive skills, it's really... "

"Wait."

Before Iguodala could finish, Allen Iverson, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, "Interesting..."

"What did you say, Allen?!"

The other teammates were almost driven mad. Although they knew Iverson was a fierce competitor who loved one-on-one battles, Chen Mu's proposal was too outrageous. This wasn't the time to talk about competitiveness!

"Hmm..."

However, not only Iverson, but even Aikens thought about it seriously and nodded, "I understand what you mean."

"Wait, coach, this won't work..."

"Enough." Aikens waved his hand to stop Iguodala's objections and said, "Two minutes. You have two minutes to prove your strategy."

"The remaining minute of this quarter plus the first minute of the next quarter. If you can't achieve your goal, we'll switch back to normal defense!"

"Yes!"

With the coach's approval, Chen Mu was very excited and nodded vigorously.

The referee's whistle blew, and the game resumed.

"Allen, what's wrong with you? Why aren't you trying to talk that rookie out of it? When Arenas breaks through, are you counting on Chris to help defend?" As he was about to enter the court, Iguodala was still nagging at Iverson, clearly unable to understand the three teammates' thinking.

"Who says that when Arenas breaks through, we can only rely on Chris to help defend?"

Iverson's big eyes blinked, looking at the determined Chen Mu not far away, and a smile appeared on his lips. "Our goal isn't to limit Arenas' scoring. As long as we can make him have a couple of 'not so smooth' moments, the situation will turn around...!"

On the court, Arenas stood with his hands on his hips, his eyes full of killing intent, looking at the confident Chen Mu, ready to continue his "slaughter" journey.

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