Chapter 74: A Goal of Exquisite Technique

It was now the Grizzlies’ turn to attack. Their strengths lay in scoring at the rim and from mid-range, so Coach Nelson’s plan was to slightly tighten the defensive perimeter, focusing on stifling the Grizzlies’ inside game and mid-range shots.

However, the Grizzlies, a young team, played with remarkable decisiveness. On the first possession, Gay orchestrated the offense and passed to Randolph, who was posting up low. Assessing the situation, Randolph recognized this as a great opportunity for a low post isolation—he was up against Jobs. Known for his power, Randolph, nicknamed “Big Rand,” was a real force down low. But Jobs’ defense this year had been strong. While Randolph might force his way into the paint, it wouldn’t be easy. At this moment, Gasol moved strategically to the high post, both to give Randolph more room to operate and to position himself as a mid-range threat, as Gasol’s shooting in that range was formidable. Randolph tried to make his move, but the Warriors’ Claudson and Jobs doubled him. Seizing the moment, Randolph kicked the ball out to Gasol at mid-range, who calmly buried the jumper.

From a technical standpoint, the Warriors’ defense had obvious flaws. Although the team emphasized more switching and rotation, no player had a fixed role in these rotations. This sometimes led to open shooters when several defenders collapsed to help, while at other times, no one rotated to help at all. In this scenario, when center Claudson helped on Randolph, Gasol was left wide open. Had X managed to rotate in time, Gasol would not have enjoyed such a clean look from mid-range. Still, for a team that relied on offense to win, such defensive lapses were perhaps tolerable.

Now it was the Warriors’ turn on offense. This time, Curry simply handed the ball to Lin Fei. Upon receiving it, Lin Fei burst forward like a tiger unleashed, charging down the court. The Grizzlies, having just repositioned themselves high, were quick to recover; by the time Lin Fei drove into the frontcourt, three defenders had already retreated inside their own three-point line.

Without hesitation, Lin Fei barreled into the lane, only to realize he was surrounded by a towering human wall, each opponent a head taller than him. Without a moment’s pause, Lin Fei attempted to slip between bodies, relying on his hallmark agility. Often, he would finish the play before defenders could react, slithering through like an eel. But this time, he hit trouble—the lone attacker in a sea of defenders, isolated and surrounded. Two defenders closed the gap, allowing him almost no space; Lin Fei barely squeezed his body through. With no other options, he flung the ball behind a defender’s back toward the backcourt. Fortunately, Curry, following up, scooped up the ball. Wasting no time, Curry launched a shot. With three defenders converging on Lin Fei, it was inevitable that someone on the Warriors would be left open. Curry’s three-point shooting was among the league’s best—overshadowed, perhaps, by Lin Fei’s own perimeter prowess, but his accuracy and volume were elite by any measure.

He hit it! Lin Fei was elated. What had nearly been a turnover became a brilliant assist—pure serendipity.

This was the Warriors’ greatest weapon: you could never afford to double-team any one player. Nearly everyone on the team could shoot from mid- and long-range. If you left someone open, they would take the shot. Unlike many teams, whose bigs were non-factors at the perimeter, every Warrior could threaten from outside, making their offense fluid and dangerous.

Grizzlies ball. They went with the simplest and most effective tactic—feed Randolph. No one was about to lose track of Gasol after the previous lesson, but this time Randolph took Claudson one-on-one without hesitation. A quick spin and hook shot, and the ball dropped through with effortless ease.

The Warriors still led by one. Nelson called a timeout. He hadn’t expected both Randolph and Gasol to be such versatile inside players—no wonder even Howard struggled against this Grizzlies frontcourt.

“Focus your defense in the paint, let them shoot from outside. Offensively, we need to attack from the perimeter—we have a clear advantage there in transition. If we get our speed up, no one can keep up with us. They’re focused on protecting the interior, so our bigs need to be aggressive and carve out space for the shooters,” Nelson instructed his team, drawing up player movements on the board.

Whenever the game turned to speed, Lin Fei came alive. Nelson’s directive to push the pace was, in effect, a signal: shoot as you wish; you all have the green light.

The Warriors pushed forward with an “X” formation—quick ball movement and continuous cutting. The Grizzlies’ defense was already in position, so the pace wasn’t overwhelming, but the “X” pattern, as Nelson had emphasized, maximized player flexibility and created openings for anyone to shoot.

This time, Curry was the focal point of the X formation, while Lin Fei had four potential passing options. Positioned just right of center court—well within his shooting range—he was shadowed by Gay, who had the edge both in size and skill. Usually, Gay was tasked with locking down the opponent’s main threat, a role Lin Fei was now clearly filling—his earlier triple-team had made that plain.

Curry held the ball while Lin Fei sprinted along the sideline—a difficult route to defend, as sideline catches are always tricky. Lin Fei’s cut brought him to the same spot as Jobs in the corner, the two staggering their positions. Jobs screened Gay, freeing Lin Fei. Curry bounced a pass right into his hands. Lin Fei, ball in hand, slipped along the baseline, but Gasol now blocked his path to the basket—Gasol had nearly thirty centimeters on Lin Fei. With a sidestep and a sudden burst, Lin Fei pulled up for a jumper. Gasol was momentarily dumbfounded by his quick change of direction—even before he could marvel at Lin Fei’s lightning release, the ball had already sailed cleanly through the net.

The crowd erupted in chants: “Lin Fei! Lin Fei!”

Why? Because Lin Fei had rarely scored in this fashion before. He was known for long-range bombs or simple, lightning-fast coast-to-coast layups—rarely did he display such refined technique, slicing through the defense and pulling up for a jumper in the paint.

But today, Lin Fei was showing new depths to his game. Many in the stands were left marveling—clearly, after the All-Star break, Lin Fei’s skills and basketball acumen had reached a new level.

Opportunities for outside shots were always limited. Even though Lin Fei was one of the rare players in the league capable of creating opportunities for himself, no one could guarantee a consistent shooting touch. A player might be hot for several games, but no one could maintain that level forever. Lin Fei, at his best, could effortlessly drop 40, 50, even 60 points on any opponent. But when his shot was off, he could put up a humiliating zero. If Lin Fei could maintain consistency, the scoring title would surely belong to him, not Durant—he would be the league’s undisputed scoring king.