"The Wei Kingdom is warming up..."

"Is he going to start...?"

Even if he doesn't start, Wei Guo's playing time in this match will not be less than 30 minutes...

"The Spurs are a strong team, we can't be complacent..."

As the audience watched Wei Guo earnestly warm up with shooting drills, they all speculated about when he would play.

Popovich also saw this. He didn't care whether Wei Guo was a starter or a substitute, because Wei Guo was sure to have a lot of playing time in this game. Starting or being a substitute didn't matter much. Some starters don't even get as much playing time as substitutes.

His only goal is to beat the Suns!

......

The match was about to begin, and Wei Guo returned to the sidelines to put on his jacket.

Starting lineup for this match:

Suns: Nash, Richardson, Johnson, Marion, Stoudemire

Spurs: Parker, Ginobili, Bowen, Duncan, Nesterovic

As expected, Wei Guo was not in the starting lineup, it seems he is determined to be a substitute this season.

The Suns' interior defense is at a disadvantage.

There's nothing we can do about it... Out of the thirty teams in the league, more than twenty of them struggle in the paint against the Spurs, because the Spurs have Duncan.

Wei Guo had a very high opinion of Duncan.

During the Spurs vs. Rockets game, there were many players in attendance, including Ginobili, Parker, Bowen, McGrady, Yao Ming, Gu Tao, and Masonberg... but Wei Guo said that only Duncan and Guo Er could be considered superstars.

Stoudemire and Duncan prepare for the jump ball.

The players are ready for the game...

Gentry leaned closer and said, "Brother Wei, I think your idea is excellent. Without you, our defense would be torn to shreds by the Spurs."

Unlike the Lakers, the Spurs don't have too many scoring options.

Even on the bench, there are many skilled players who can score as soon as they come on. Wei Guo may not start, but he cannot wait until the team is far behind before coming on. Moreover, Wei Guo has a feeling that the Suns will fall behind at the start of the game.

"Beep!!!"

The whistle blew, and the game began.

Parker received the ball, but he didn't rush to attack. He waited until the Spurs players were in position before passing the ball to Duncan.

Duncan turned his back to Stoudemire, faked a shot with his shoulder, then flipped over and hit a fadeaway jumper off the backboard.

"Bang!!!"

The basketball bounced off the backboard and into the basket.

2-0!!!

The Suns inbounded the ball from the baseline, and Richardson immediately signaled to the referee to make a substitution. Then Wei Guo entered the game!

"So eager to go on stage..."

Popovich sneered inwardly, "It seems Wei Guo also thinks the Suns can't beat us without him."

But...

Popovich's goal is to win this game. With Weiguo on the team, the Spurs need to win this game. Without Weiguo, the Spurs need to win this game even more.

......

Nash dribbled the ball, and Bowen used his newly learned "withered vine" entanglement technique to stick close to Wei Guo, his restless big feet swinging back and forth.

The Spurs have never been a clean defense team; they have players who play dirty. They were disciplined for a while after being beaten by Wei Guo, but now they're starting to act tough again.

but...

With Wei Guo drawing the defense, it becomes easier for other players to score.

Nash drove to the basket and made a behind-the-back pass to Johnson, who was beyond the three-point line. Johnson then launched a three-pointer.

"Whoosh!!!"

The basketball went into the net.

2:3!!!

This is the Suns' offensive rhythm. Small-ball emphasizes tactics that focus more on offensive positioning. Players need to constantly run and pass the ball on the court. Nash is a passing master. Although he is a bit thinner than the big and strong players, his accurate shooting makes his teammates dare not ignore him.

Not only that...

Nash had a wide variety of scoring methods (besides dunks).

Popovich sat on the sidelines. Small-ball had appeared as early as twenty years ago, but it was not valued by the league, especially in the 1990s, when the league always adhered to the idea that whoever controlled the paint controlled the game.

The Spurs are on offense.

Duncan's low-post ball handling is the Spurs' most consistent strength, while Stoudemire looks like a fresh-faced rookie next to him.

only...

Duncan faced much more pressure on offense this time. Wei Guo and Stoudemire switched defenses, creating a 1-on-1 moment for Duncan and Wei Guo. Facing Wei Guo's defense, Duncan made two smooth spins to the basket, spread his right arm to block Wei Guo, and used his less-than-favorable left hand to make a high-arcing shot!

After facing off against Wei Guo several times, Duncan was able to figure out Wei Guo's defensive patterns.

Duncan can get to the basket with a simple turn because the defender guards his right side. If he tries to shoot with his right hand at that moment, he'll get blocked.

Duncan likes dumplings...but doesn't like hot pot!

"bang~~~"

Unfortunately, Duncan's high-arcing shot hit the rim and bounced away!

Duncan immediately moved in front of Wei Guo, trying to grab the offensive rebound. Marion also moved towards the basket to position himself. After the ball left the vertical line above the rim, all three jumped at the same time!

*Smack!!!*

Wei Guo was the first to touch the basketball, quickly gathering it to protect his chest!

"Damn it..."

Popovich cursed under his breath, "If Wei Guo focused on rebounding, he could grab three thousand rebounds a season!"

This statement is exaggerated, but it also shows Popovich's recognition of Wilt Chamberlain's rebounding ability. With 82 games in a season, averaging 36.5 rebounds per game, it would take a season to grab 3,000 rebounds. Chamberlain and Russell only averaged 22 rebounds per game in their era. It is probably impossible for any human to achieve this.

but...

Wei Guo might actually be able to grab two thousand rebounds from him in a single season.

After Wei Guo grabbed the defensive rebound, Nash didn't stay in the backcourt to receive the ball. Instead, he ran to the frontcourt like a shooting guard, and when he was open, the basketball was accurately delivered to his hands.

Nash catches the ball and shoots!

"Whoosh!!!"

The basketball went into the net.

2:5!!!

The Suns played both of those fast breaks very quickly!

......

Popovich did not rush to call a timeout. Wei Guo came on as a substitute a dozen seconds after the start of the game, which was no different from starting.

Fortunately... he had anticipated this situation.

The Spurs were also tactically prepared, trying to disrupt the Suns' rhythm on offense. On defense, Wei Guo and Nash remained the Spurs' two main defensive threats, and the goal was to cut off their passing.

The Suns gradually took control of the game!

Cummings frowned as he looked at the statistics sheet in his hand and said, "Wei-ge, this kind of playing won't work."