One Year Left to Play

Guarding what looked like a Grant Hill as tall as Iverson, Zhang Hao chose to defend him in the same way he defended Iverson.

Grant Hill burst towards the foul line and suddenly came to a halt, Zhang Hao hurriedly pressed forward to cover him in the air.

Grant Hill slammed the ball into the ground and in a step-back maneuver took a mid-range shot...

Zhang Hao stopped and pounced again but was a beat late, Grant Hill scored with a long two-pointer!

Just a little bit, with obvious height and reach advantages, he was just a little bit away from grazing Grant Hill’s shot. But defense is about precision; even a slight miss can result in a great error. Zhang Hao could only regretfully run to the frontcourt.

While Zhang Hao regretted not being able to stop Grant Hill, both Grant Hill himself and others watching their one-on-one were actually surprised.

Originally thought Zhang Hao only had speed and physique on his side to defend guards, didn’t expect he could force Grant Hill to make such complicated moves!

Grant Hill himself felt he had to exert more effort just to score against Zhang Hao!

Compared to last year’s matchup, a noticeable difference.

In one offensive play, Grant Hill analyzed Zhang Hao’s defensive intent—not guarding his three-pointers, using height and reach to limit his mid-range shots, and executing well without being deceived by feints.

These are absolutely great defensive habits; Grant Hill truly didn’t expect Zhang Hao to improve his defense so much from 1st grade to 2nd grade!

The Pistons retreated quickly, Kenny Anderson didn’t think to speed up now; a half-court battle would suffice. Zhang Hao had said they don’t need to constantly increase the pace; they should wait for real opportunities to counterattack. They have the strength, no need to force counterattacks.

Though in practicality, there’s always some difference...

When Kenny Anderson reached the frontcourt, the Pistons players were already ready to double-team O’Neal when he received the ball for a post-up.

But O’Neal positioned himself on the right side of the three-second zone without establishing position, leaving Zhang Hao on the left baseline for mid-range.

Grant Hill truly didn’t expect, even with O’Neal, he’d still have to guard Zhang Hao’s post-up.

Zhang Hao received the ball leisurely, bumping Grant Hill to the edge of the three-second zone. Just when Grant Hill thought he would continue backing him down, Zhang Hao suddenly grabbed the ball, turned left swiftly, swung with his left foot, positioned Grant Hill aside, contracted his right foot, then lifted the ball for a floater before Ratliff could come double-team...

Still a little rushed, the Pistons had prepared for the double-team, not on O’Neal, so Ratliff came to assist Zhang Hao quickly. Zhang Hao’s front-leaning shot after the spin was not ideal, and the ball bounced off the right side of the rim.

The ball wasn’t near O’Neal’s side, he glanced at Zhang Hao and quickly retreated on defense.

Edith Soper dashed in to grab the defensive rebound before Barkley.

Effort is one thing, but O’Neal’s basketball IQ is absolutely top-notch. His defensive awareness is certainly not lacking, and his understanding of the game is profound. Upon securing the rebound, Edith Soper immediately pushed forward, passing to Lynch Hunt in motion.

After Lynch crossed half-court, he passed to the right sideline, with Grant Hill arriving in the frontcourt outside the three-point line earlier than Lynch Hunt, taking the ball straight to the basket!

O’Neal had retreated, and Grant Hill stopped abruptly at mid-range, attracting defensive attention from Zhang Hao and Barkley, then passed to Joe Dumars, who had followed up to the free-throw line, for a successful jump shot!

Very elegant fast-break cooperation!

The Pistons have clearly proven they indeed have the capabilities for a 50-win, possibly even 55-win season!

Despite the absence of Alan Houston, their coordination and chemistry are more advanced than the Lakers, who are still in an exploratory phase.

Fortunately, the Lakers players have strong confidence, and since the game has just begun, they aren’t affected.

When Kenny Anderson advanced to the frontcourt, he considered letting Zhang Hao go at it again; there was an opportunity earlier, though it didn’t score.

While the next shot wasn’t guaranteed to go in, Grant Hill defended the turnaround fadeaway well, and Zhang Hao’s spin isn’t fluent, but he still needs more practice.

Who knew O’Neal actively wanted the ball in the low post this time!

Zhang Hao naturally cleared out immediately. If O’Neal demands the ball, it should be given.

Big Fatty has to be appeased after all, especially since his isolation play is strong.

O’Neal received the ball, and before the double-team arrived, he charged forward forcefully, taking a big step directly into the three-second area.

O’Neal’s grasp of isolation play details is excellent! It seems straightforward, but the intricacies are quite subtle!

When Edith Soper arrived to double-team, O’Neal didn’t just force up directly but instead turned right, moved along the baseline, shielded Ratliff, and pushed the ball towards the backboard with his right hand...

Bank shot successful!

Although Ratliff is already a first-rate defensive center, averaging 1.8 blocks in 17 minutes per game, with improved stamina, he could compete for the block king title. However, against O’Neal, even without raw power play, with finesse, he can still bully the future young block king.

Moreover, even Zhang Hao watched the finesse play with eagerness!

O’Neal easily executed what Zhang Hao struggled to perform earlier!

After scoring, O’Neal quickly retreated on defense, and the other Lakers players are wary of the Pistons’ teamwork-focused fast break that seems towered mostly by Grant Hill; they swiftly retreated on defense as well.

The Pistons avoided fast breaks without good opportunities, preventing the Lakers from counterattacking, with Lynch Hunt steadily advancing. Once in the frontcourt, starting with Grant Hill’s dribble penetration, Edith Soper found an opportunity for a baseline jump shot—Barkley came to help Zhang Hao block Grant Hill.

This time, the Lakers were lucky; Edith Soper’s mid-range missed. Without a rebounding opportunity, Ratliff used his wingspan to knock the ball out of bounds, preventing Kenny Anderson from rebounding and igniting a counterattack leveraging O’Neal’s position.

The details demonstrate the Pistons are well-prepared and truly improved in strength compared to last season.

With another half-court setup, Zhang Hao originally wanted to observe O’Neal’s isolation but O’Neal left the left low post.

Zhang Hao hesitated...

"Is this a demonstration for me? Asking me to take a shot?"

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