Chapter 109: Chapter 108: The Galaxy is His Limit
To limit Zack’s explosive creativity through mismatch advantages for his teammates, the SuperSonics adopted the same defensive strategy as the Cavaliers before them. However, facing the SuperSonics’ box-and-one defense, Warriors head coach Mike Malone set aside his disdain for this "kid’s tactic."
Opening Possession
From positioning to Zack receiving the ball at the top of the arc, forcing the SuperSonics to change their defense, the Warriors used almost thirteen seconds of their shot clock. This was the main reason Malone didn’t dare underestimate the SuperSonics’ box-and-one. In hindering Zack from catching the ball, the veteran Kevin Garnett, through both post-up sealing and fronting, forced Davis to proactively move closer to Zack and deliver the ball to him via a more conservative passing lane. In just one encounter, Malone saw the difference between the SuperSonics’ box-and-one and the Cavaliers’ box-and-one. While Zack’s ability to break down zone defenses was well-known, if the SuperSonics could slow down the Warriors’ offense with their box-and-one, they would have completed a successful defensive possession. This was also where coach Rick Carlisle differed from other NBA coaches. Compared to winning certain possessions through tactical adjustments, Carlisle always preferred to win games through strategic battles. The SuperSonics were a team that was destined to play at a slow pace. Therefore, they had to find a way to slow down the Warriors’ rhythm.
At the top of the arc, the tall, long-limbed, and broad-visioned Zack found Brown, who was lurking on the baseline, with an unreasonable one-handed power pass. This was a pass Zack had to put extra force on to bypass Garnett’s defensive area. However, the overly nervous Brown took a bit too much time to adjust when receiving the pass. As a result, his slow finish was immediately met with strong interference from Yao Ming. Then, his soft, weak bank shot turned directly into an assist to the board (meaning it was essentially a missed shot that hit the backboard, bouncing off for an offensive rebound for the opponent).
Having a perfectly good opportunity spoiled by a teammate wouldn’t put anyone in a good mood, but as they retreated on defense, Zack still showed his leadership charisma to Brown: "Next time he gives you contact, just lean into him. You might even draw two free throws." Hearing this, Brown, who seemed to be asking for a scolding, replied, "But my free throws... aren’t very good either." The next second, Zack, who hadn’t wanted to lose his temper, retorted angrily, "Then Andre [Igoudala] starts from now on!"
SuperSonics’ Offensive Possession
Back on the SuperSonics’ offensive possession, point guard Luke Ridnour, responsible for bringing the ball up, raised his hand to signal for a pistol action. Seeing this, Zack, who was primarily guarding Yao Ming tonight, immediately hinted at Brown with his eyes. The pistol action is an offensive set primarily initiated by guards, using pick-and-rolls, screens, or backdoor cuts to create scoring opportunities. This tactic is not uncommon in the NBA, but each team’s pistol action differs, and due to the varying characteristics of the players executing it, its subsequent variations can only be described as endlessly diverse.
However, the SuperSonics’ pistol action largely revolves around Ray Allen. For example, in this possession, Garnett first set a high screen, then Ridnour immediately used a handoff to give Ray Allen time and space to move towards the "wall." Next, under Garnett’s airtight screen, Ray Allen showcased his exquisite shooting skills. Swish!
This was a three-pointer that gave the Warriors a huge headache. The reason for the headache was that, within the SuperSonics’ tactical framework, Garnett’s offensive capabilities would be infinitely amplified. With Yao Ming inside and Ray Allen outside, Garnett, no longer needing to bear as much offensive burden as before, would undoubtedly use his experience, his basketball IQ, and his high-quality screens to disrupt the Warriors’ defensive system. Brown, who had received Zack’s hint, immediately followed out, but the more experienced Garnett had already positioned himself in advance.
The opening offense and defense, seemingly Garnett had no stats. But in Zack’s eyes, this superstar power forward had already shown his sharp edge. Furthermore, the moment Ray Allen released the three-pointer, the other SuperSonics players, who had absolute trust in the sharpshooter, didn’t give the Warriors any chance to initiate a fast break. They retreated on defense early, forcing the Warriors to continue playing a half-court offense in their next possession.
On the Warriors’ bench, a grim-faced Mike Malone had already pulled out his clipboard and was moving tactical magnets back and forth. After three minutes of the first quarter, the Warriors called their first timeout. The unusually quiet Oracle Arena tonight said it all. So, even the Warriors players who had always looked down on Malone patiently listened to him explain the tactics at this moment.
"Here, this is their zone’s weak point. Our previous movement was too slow, Jason. Next, you need to get to your designated position faster."
"Since Kevin doesn’t want the Messiah to get the ball too early, Ron, you’ll set a screen for the Messiah here."
"Baron, you also need to take on some playmaking duties tonight. You can use the Messiah’s gravity to run some relatively simple plays with Jason and Ron."
"Troy, be ready to come on at any time. They’re playing zone to reduce ’Big-Yao’s’ energy consumption. So, I’ll put you in early in the latter half of the quarter."
It must be said that at this moment, Mike Malone finally resembled the person Zack remembered.
On the Court
After the timeout, it was the Warriors’ offensive possession. Garnett, seeing that Zack wanted to use Artest’s screen to get the ball faster, simply had James Posey commit a tactical foul to interrupt the Warriors’ offense. Then, after a brief instruction to Posey, Garnett immediately made Zack feel the weight of an old veteran. Using his experience, Garnett perfectly anticipated the location of the Warriors’ high pick-and-roll and, with a quick turn like a small forward, rotated in front of himself.
This Warriors’ possession still took about eleven seconds of offensive time before forcing the SuperSonics to convert their box-and-one into a 2-3 zone. Although the Warriors’ increasingly faster offensive rotations had already made Carlisle wary, for the Warriors, who would normally have completed their offense and retreated on defense by now, the offensive time consumed by the SuperSonics meant that they were definitely going to have a hard time speeding up the tempo of this game.
Seeing this, Zack, who knew that hesitation would lead to chaos, deliberately slowed down the pace of this possession. The Warriors’ opening offense tonight, precisely because they played too hastily, failed to achieve their desired goal.
High post, until his teammates had all settled into position... only then did Zack dribble and accelerate. This was a drive that greatly surprised Garnett. In a flash, Garnett, who had been able to keep up with Zack just a second ago, was left dizzy by Zack’s double-crossover.
The long-silent Oracle Arena was finally ignited by Zack himself. The moment his violent pull-up jumper swished through the net, the 20,000 fans immediately chanted "MVP, MVP" for him.
Actually, Zack had never been against a slower game pace. His height and weight determined that a slower pace actually allowed him to conserve more energy. And so, a half-court battle, which had almost become extinct at Oracle Arena this season, officially began. To counter Ray Allen’s perimeter threat, Mike Malone, suddenly finding the box-and-one truly effective, no longer cared if it was a "kid’s tactic." Halfway through the first quarter, the Warriors’ on-the-fly box-and-one, in turn, gave SuperSonics head coach Rick Carlisle a headache.
Perhaps the Warriors’ improvised box-and-one wasn’t as tightly positioned or disciplined as the well-prepared SuperSonics’ version. But to break a box-and-one, the SuperSonics also needed someone to organize and facilitate. Throughout his career, Ray Allen was never a master in this regard. As for Ridnour? What’s the difference between this guy’s status in the NBA and that of an extra in the entertainment industry?
Moreover, like the SuperSonics, the Warriors’ box-and-one wasn’t aimed at completely shutting down the SuperSonics’ offense. After all, the SuperSonics, with Garnett, could also easily convert the Warriors’ box-and-one into a zone defense. But as Garnett became a simple playmaking pivot on the court, the Warriors’ defensive strategy immediately became clear and straightforward. Because if Garnett had to stand at the high post and distribute the ball, how could he use his high-quality screens and off-ball movement to disrupt the Warriors’ defensive system?
It must be said that Mike Malone’s comprehension was astonishing. After quickly summarizing the Warriors’ strengths and analyzing the SuperSonics’ weaknesses, he escaped the trap of having to break the SuperSonics’ box-and-one with specific tactics, and instead began to play a chess match with Carlisle by taking a broader view of the game.
The Warriors were not a team incapable of playing at a slow pace. Last season in the Finals, the Warriors precisely crushed the Heat head-on with half-court offense. Although the SuperSonics’ despair-inducing twin towers in the paint would greatly hinder Zack’s interior attacks, Zack could still punish the SuperSonics’ zone defense with his violent pull-up jumpers. In addition, Malone had absolute confidence in the Warriors’ bench depth. The SuperSonics’ bench largely consisted of role players. To maximize the effectiveness of these role players, Carlisle would inevitably have to stagger the playing time of his "Big Three."
And the Warriors? Malone just needed to ride Zack hard. If the SuperSonics were a fast-paced team, Malone might have to find other ways to rest Zack. But since the SuperSonics were a team destined to play slowly, then... at the end of the first quarter, after glancing at the 28-24 scoreboard, Malone turned his gaze towards Zack with a look of deep affection.
"Tonight, I want you to play a little longer."
Hearing this, Zack, who was almost developing a psychological shadow from punching out after three quarters this season, immediately stood up and said, "Mike, remember to take me out only after I drop dead!" In that moment, recalling Mike Brown asking him earlier if coaching Zack was hard, Malone wished he could rush to Brown right away. Look, this is what a franchise player is all about! He never demands to play in garbage time; he always steps up only in crucial moments!
But putting on a show aside... before the second quarter began, Zack still specifically asked Malone for an inside partner. Since Yao Ming only played 7 minutes in the first quarter before being subbed out, Zack knew that the SuperSonics’ star leading the bench unit in the second quarter would definitely be Yao Ming. Therefore...
Private Adonal Foyle, step forward! As the temporary Warriors all-time leading shot-blocker, Foyle, who returned to the Warriors this summer, weighed over 275 pounds (125 kg). Although Foyle couldn’t guard Yao Ming either, Zack, knowing Yao Ming would be the primary offensive option leading the team in the second quarter, didn’t want to waste too much energy on defense. This was a necessary trade-off of energy for a "single-core" team playing against a "three-core" team. And since it was "Three Heroes Fighting Lu Bu"... would it be too much for Zack to bring a few more "Red Hares"?
On the Court
It proved that Foyle was indeed a good horse. In guarding Yao Ming in the low post, he avoided jumping whenever possible, not only collecting enough "toll fees" from Yao Ming, but most importantly, this good horse didn’t even need to eat grass. Throughout his career, Foyle’s offensive ability was virtually zero. So, after coming on, on offense, he only focused on setting screens for off-ball players and didn’t need Zack’s spoon-feeding to gain emotional value (someone’s inner thought: Look at him, Kwame!).
Although Foyle’s presence inevitably made the Warriors’ offensive space smaller, in the game, Troy Murphy almost single-handedly ran the distance of two perimeter players. It didn’t matter that Foyle had no offensive ability. As long as Murphy kept running, Foyle’s diligent screens were enough for Zack to find the elusive Murphy.
On the court, it was the Warriors’ offensive possession. Looking at Foyle, who barely even entered the low post... Yao Ming, thinking how annoying this guy never used to be, was caught in a dilemma—should he follow him out or not? A slight hesitation, and Yao Ming, standing alone in the paint, sent Zack to the free-throw line. This was a defensive three-second violation. Swish!
At the free-throw line, Zack made the free throw. Then, it was still the Warriors’ ball. This time, Yao Ming proactively followed him out. But as soon as he left the paint, Zack secretly slipped into the low post from the other side. The SuperSonics’ backup power forward was Chuck Hayes. Zack had a clear height advantage over him. Seeing this, Jarrett Jack quickly lobbed the ball to Zack. The next second, facing "Mr. Chuck," who was known for his solid base, Zack didn’t try to power through but instead executed a side-step jump shot at a height Hayes couldn’t reach. Bang, swish!
This was a 45-degree bank shot that fully demonstrated Zack’s Wake Forest bloodline. On the SuperSonics’ bench, Carlisle immediately felt Zack’s dominance, which was unlike a traditional big man. He was bound by no rules. Even if the SuperSonics had an absolute advantage in the paint, he could still use his other weapons to force a solution. Any defensive tactic could only limit certain aspects of his abilities, not seal him off like some stars, where one trick would make them stand at the top of the arc staring blankly with the ball. As Oscar Robertson said, Zack was the type of cornerstone player that you could build a team around in any era.
Of course, Zack was by no means without weaknesses. It was just that this Warriors team, willing to let him "suck their blood," very cleverly concealed his weaknesses. For example, when he was fully immersed in offense, all Warriors players would help him with help defense and rotations, and try their best to give him opportunities to showcase his talent on defense. For example, when his shot was off, he just needed to "press the pass button" and he could use his teammates’ off-ball movement to get through his cold spell.
In Carlisle’s eyes, this Warriors team was highly centralized; they invested almost all their resources in Zack, with Zack responsible for distributing the pie on the court. This was a basketball philosophy Carlisle couldn’t understand. Because no matter what stage of his coaching career, Carlisle disliked this kind of dominant, ball-handling core player who took on everything on the court. But at this moment, Carlisle had to admit that Zack, complementing the Warriors, was single-handedly changing the game.
Latter Half of the Second Quarter
Garnett and Ray Allen re-entered the game. But as soon as Garnett came on, it was the Warriors’ offensive possession, and Zack pulled off a tough move right in front of him. It was a backdown spin move that Garnett found hard to describe in words. If you absolutely forced Garnett to find the right adjective... he could only think of a tumble dryer.
This was a divine skill Zack learned from Carmelo Anthony during their summer training together. Anthony taught Zack all his backdown spin move insights almost without reservation. The core technique of this spin involves manipulating the defender’s footwork with a slow-to-fast rhythm, using the powerful dribble for momentum, quickly stepping, and completing the entire spin move in one fluid motion. But to truly master this technique, in addition to the ball-handler needing a certain level of ball-handling skill, their own explosiveness also affects the effectiveness of the "washing machine spin."
Bang, swish! On the court, Zack, having shaken off Garnett, flew up for a layup and scored. This summer, by "fooling around" with Zack, Anthony clearly didn’t realize what kind of monster he had inadvertently unleashed. While many skills can be self-taught on the basketball court, having someone teach you versus learning on your own are two completely different things. Of course, Anthony, who taught Zack all his signature moves, didn’t lose out. After all, Zack earned those "secret techniques" with sincere "Teacher Melo" calls and genuine effort.
Final Moments of the Second Quarter
Warriors’ offensive possession. On the right side of the court, Zack first used a between-the-legs probe step, then a left-side dribble into a sudden stop, followed by a "pray move" (crossover akin to a prayer motion often used to fake out defenders). This silky smooth triple-threat combo also came from his good buddy, Carmelo Anthony. In this moment, even a full-throttle Kevin Garnett could only watch as Zack launched this incredibly smooth crossover pull-up jumper right in front of him. And on TNT, Charles Barkley’s commentary was even more direct: "The Messiah toyed with Kevin Garnett! Ho ho ho, Kevin was completely played like a fiddle by him!"
Swish! Oracle Arena, ball goes in, clock stops.
Halftime Score: 51-54.
Zack, playing the entire first half, shot 9-of-17 from the field, including 1-of-3 from three, and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line, putting up 24 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal by halftime. Although Garnett had anticipated that the box-and-one wouldn’t completely stop Zack from scoring before the game, after a true head-to-head matchup with Zack for a half, Garnett finally understood why even Tim Duncan could only walk away frustrated when facing Zack.
He possessed offensive skills that completely did not belong to a power forward. His despair-inducing mismatch advantage stemmed from his anti-human ball-handling ability.
"Unless I could be five years younger... otherwise, no one in the league today can guard him. I simply can’t see where his limit is. Perhaps, the galaxy is his limit."
At halftime, Garnett, being interviewed by ESPN, commented on Zack.