Chapter 10: The Purpose of Belittlement

It was the Catbird team’s turn to attack.

Mark Davis, the top scorer, was driving with the ball from the right wing. He faked a shot and then made a real drive, first beating Philip Doron before changing direction to attack power forward Bill Younger.

Tang Bei noticed Mark Davis making his move toward Bill Younger and immediately moved to provide support.

Just as Mark Davis was about to take a step and drive into the paint from the right elbow, he suddenly collided head-on with a giant.

“Bang!”

It felt like crashing into a wall. Not only did he lose the ball, but the backlash also knocked him off balance, sending him sprawling to the floor.

Tang Bei remained motionless for a moment before swiftly grabbing the ball with one hand from the floor. The head referee signaled a change of possession, pointing toward the Haidai team’s frontcourt.

Commentator Jalen Jaros said, “Tang’s help defense was lightning fast, getting into position ahead of Mark Davis and forcing his turnover.”

Bavier Hanks added, “If Tang had fallen backward along with Davis, that could have been an offensive foul for charging. But he stood his ground perfectly.”

As the two commentators spoke, the Haidai team advanced into the frontcourt, and Tang Bei sprinted toward the basket again.

On the sidelines, Philip Sanders made a double hand chopping motion while shouting loudly, “Collapse the defense!”

Except for the point guard, the Catbird team’s other perimeter players immediately shifted inward toward the paint, leaving some gaps for Haidai’s shooting guard and small forward.

The point guard, Tom Morris, instantly passed the ball to shooting guard Philip Doron.

At that moment, the Haidai team’s collapsing defense saw their shooting guard Jalen Jackson quickly recover to guard Doron, who forced up a three-pointer.

As Doron released the shot, the Catbird defenders had already retreated into the paint.

“Clang!”

The shot was short, the ball bouncing off the rim.

Tang Bei was positioned to the left front of the hoop; the rebound bounced toward the right front, slightly out of reach.

Surrounded by a crowd in the paint, the tallest and most robust player seemed stuck in quicksand, unable to move an inch, helplessly watching as the opposing small forward snatched the rebound.

Commentator Bavier Hanks immediately said, “One of Tang’s weaknesses is his lack of game experience, especially his poor anticipation on rebounds. By the time the rebound’s landing spot becomes clear, he’s already half a beat too late and can only contest rebounds near him.”

The Catbird team went on the offensive.

Point guard David Rivers used a screen and roll to drive from the left elbow into the paint and attempted a floater over Tang Bei.

But clearly, he underestimated Tang Bei’s defensive height.

“What an idiot! Get out of here!” Tang Bei cursed inwardly. He took a quick step and jumped up, swatting the ball away with one powerful slap.

“At least 80 centimeters of vertical—what a leap!” praised commentator Bavier Hanks.

“Looks like his testing numbers are legit; his running jump really can reach 100 centimeters,” added Jalen Jaros.

The ball was recovered by Haidai. The Catbird team continued to collapse their defense; aside from the ball handler, the other two perimeter players found small openings.

Point guard Tom Morris suffered from indecision, unsure whether to pass to a teammate in a small open spot or drive it inside.

Logically, he should have distributed the ball to the open teammate, since driving into the paint would have meant multiple defenders collapsing on Tang Bei.

If he mishandled this play, it would be his fault.

But just then, Tang Bei roared from inside the paint, “Ball!”

Hearing Tang Bei call for the ball, Tom Morris’s indecision vanished instantly, and he quickly lobbed the ball inside.

As the basketball soared toward the hoop, the Catbird team rushed back to defend the paint.

Beneath the basket, the beastlike Tang Bei soared into the air with lightning speed, rising faster than several defenders who outweighed him by tons.

“Bang!”

“Beep!”

The thunderous slam and the referee’s whistle sounded simultaneously.

Tang Bei hung from the swaying rim, while beneath him lay two fallen players—the Catbird team’s starting center and power forward—both knocked over by him.

“How do you stop this monster?”

“He’s too strong! The inside mismatch is too great; there’s no way we can win.”

The Catbird players all stared at Tang Bei in shock, their morale inevitably starting to falter.

On the floor, Brian Lachilli and Derek Garvin struggled to get up, panting heavily and visibly shaken.

Commentator Bavier Hanks shook his head and said, “Another alley-oop dunk. Lachilli and Garvin got steamrolled by Tang Bei inside. The double-team defense failed, and they even got hit with a 2+1; Lachilli committed a shooting foul.”

“They’re not even in the same league. They’re being crushed by Tang’s raw talent,” sighed commentator Jalen Jaros.

Tang Bei prepared for the free throws, prompting Philip Sanders to call a timeout.

“Gentlemen, don’t get discouraged. They do have an advantage inside, but we hold the edge elsewhere. We’ll focus on strengthening our perimeter offense and keep the score close.”

“Remember, we still have a chance because human endurance is limited. He can’t be under the basket for the entire game; not even an ironman could.”

“Also remember, this is our home court. Calls that could go either way will favor us, so don’t be afraid to commit fouls. His free throws are terrible—we’ll send him to the line.”

“Finally, lock down the ball handler. Don’t let that Chinese player receive the ball easily inside.”

His clear strategy calmed the players’ nerves, stabilizing their morale.

“His fundamentals are lacking, but his talent is truly remarkable!”

“A talent like this at center is rare, definitely worth a lottery pick.”

Steve Patterson and Bernie Bickstaff conversed nearby.

Eric Fleischer then said, “Gentlemen, I believe that even if Tang Bei enters the NBA, with his talent, he would dominate inside.”

Steve Patterson shook his head. “This is only Tang’s fifth game. Compared to other players, his stamina hasn’t been tested over a long regular season yet, so these games don’t tell the full story.”

“If he played a full NBA season like others, he wouldn’t still have this much energy to attack inside.”

“Besides, his opponents here are all too weak—players who couldn’t make or were cut from the NBA. I’m not exaggerating when I say any NBA backup center could easily dominate them in the CBA.”

Bernie Bickstaff nodded in agreement. “Besides stamina, his style is a major issue. Due to his lack of fundamentals and technique, his offense is very one-dimensional—only inside scoring. In the NBA, he’d be easy to defend.”

Steve Patterson added, “Exactly. The NBA’s intensity surpasses the CBA by far—82 games with tougher competition. How long could this style last? I’d guess ten to fifteen games before his stamina collapses, maybe even fewer.”

Bernie Bickstaff said, “The NBA also has more advanced and complex tactical systems. His opponents have better skills and talent, which would further limit his effectiveness.”

Eric Fleischer smiled thoughtfully but didn’t argue.

For 19-year-old Tang Bei, his future was what these general managers truly needed to consider, so talent was the most important factor.

The two GMs’ simultaneous downplaying of Tang Bei likely had only one purpose—to mislead each other’s perception of him.

Such small tactics were common; they all knew each other’s intentions. But saying these things repeatedly, especially with several outstanding rookies available, often created interference that led opponents to make wrong decisions.