Chapter 254: Chapter 55: Jordan, Why Don’t You Teach Jack?

But he quickly proved he was the real deal.

"Is this the passing skill taught by Magic and Bird? It’s definitely got that Magic flair."

Barkley exclaimed in praise on the TNT Channel.

The replay appeared on screen.

Michael Jordan raised his eyebrows slightly. ’That really was quite good.’

However, Jordan was never a fan of passing. He believed it wasn’t very effective in deciding games; on the contrary, it created an "efficiency loss" in the process.

When he was young, many people said he only knew how to pad his stats and had no idea how to unite his teammates. They even used Magic Johnson to "spur" him on. In a fit of pique, Jordan got several triple-doubles within a week, but unfortunately, they lost all three games.

After that, he no longer deliberately chased assists, and the public stopped saying he couldn’t pass.

After all, for the greatest offensive master in history, getting 10 assists per game was as easy as drinking a glass of water.

Compared to Jordan, Su Xi’s on-ball offense was barely at an entry level, let alone a master’s.

However, his passing ability had improved by leaps and bounds under the training of the two rulers of the 80s.

Just this one opening play was enough to get the Pacers fans fired up.

On the next possession, Su Xi planted himself in front of Wade.

Wade was a player with an incredibly explosive first step. But it wasn’t just his straight-line speed; his change of direction was even faster. Most importantly, his ability to control the rhythm of the game was superb.

He gave Su Xi a small, probing hesitation move.

Normally, a player would make two or three feints before committing to a move.

But Wade, breaking convention, suddenly exploded forward.

His explosiveness was on par with Su Xi’s, also at the 99 level.

His speed was even higher than Su Xi’s 97.

Most importantly, his coordination and agility far surpassed Su Xi’s.

He took a sudden step inside, and Su Xi hurriedly backed up. But in the instant Su Xi retreated, Wade’s body contorted in a bizarre change of direction... Su Xi shuffled laterally, but he was still a step too slow... Twisting his body, Wade forced his way into the paint.

Su Xi was rarely overwhelmed by raw talent.

Even guarding James hadn’t put him on the back foot like this.

It had to do with a stylistic mismatch.

Wade drove to the basket and exploded upward. Facing Foster’s defense, he fearlessly initiated contact... Guards from Illinois are exceptionally fierce. As he bumped Foster away, Wade completed a beautiful, acrobatic layup, putting the ball in the hoop with his left hand.

It had to be said, Wade was exceptionally talented, and his ball-handling was superb.

Michael Jordan was full of praise in front of the TV. He said to Bird, "Compared to the crafty Little Sheep Su Xi, don’t you think The Flash, Wade, has more of the spirit of our era?"

"I think Wade has a better chance of becoming a superstar. I know Little Sheep Su Xi has achieved a lot with the Pacers this season. He’s very versatile, a perfect fit for the Pacers’ system, and you guys have a high probability of making a run for the Finals."

"But, forgive me for being blunt, Little Sheep Su Xi can’t become a superstar."

Jordan told Bird firmly.

Bird was a bit speechless. He hadn’t come here to listen to Jordan’s "judgments"; he wanted Jordan to explain how to control large hands and use them to shoot with more precision and a softer touch.

He wanted to make Su Xi stronger. He wanted Su Xi’s jump shot to become even more deadly than his post-up game within a year.

So, until that goal was accomplished, he had no intention of arguing with Jordan.

The game continued.

Su Xi ran a pick-and-roll with Little O’Neal. After getting a sliver of space, he didn’t press forward, but decisively passed the ball to the corner. Reggie Miller was wide open. He caught the ball and shot... SWISH!

Miller hit the 3-pointer.

On this single play, Su Xi’s court vision and sense of timing for the pass were on full display.

A mediocre Point Guard would have likely missed that window of opportunity.

Before, even if Su Xi had seen the opening, his passing technique wouldn’t have been good enough to deliver the ball, and he certainly couldn’t have capitalized on such a fleeting opportunity.

"Reggie is still playing. Does he still have a chance to win a championship?" Jordan muttered to himself.

Reggie Miller was younger, but they were from the same era.

Reggie Miller had posed some ’small threats’ to a peak Jordan, and he greatly respected players who could challenge him.

Larry Bird said, "The chances are great this year. Jack solved all our weaknesses."

Jack?

It took Jordan a moment to remember that Jack was Su Xi’s English name.

’Right, Jack Su.’

The game continued.

Wade was in good form tonight. He continued to drive on Su Xi. Artest came over to help, and Su Xi quickly and decisively double-teamed him... but Wade still passed the ball out early, and Eddie Jones hit the shot.

The teams traded baskets.

Wade’s and Su Xi’s performances could be described as evenly matched.

Wade used his powerful ability to penetrate the defense to create opportunities.

Although Su Xi also initiated the offense with his drives, he was more focused on getting the entire team involved, showcasing his playmaking talent.

The Pacers as a whole were stronger than the Heat Team.

So, at the 6-minute mark, the Pacers were leading by 4 points.

Su Xi went to the bench for a rest.

His stats were 3 points, 5 assists, and 2 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Wade had 8 points, 2 assists, and 1 rebound.

"Wade’s drives are a lot like mine when I was young," Jordan said. "He controls his speed, coordination, and explosiveness perfectly, achieving a masterful balance. Moreover, he has plenty of moves to get to the basket, and his finishing ability at the rim is also very strong."

Jordan kept praising Wade.

He liked Wade far more than the Su Xi that Bird was constantly talking about.

This left Bird unsure of how to bring up the subject.

With Su Xi resting on the bench, the fluidity of the Pacers’ offense declined, which was a change from the previous series.

However, the Pacers’ lead was still slowly increasing.

Even though Stan Van Gundy always emphasized that the most important thing he learned from Pat Riley was defense, this Heat Team was still strong on offense and weak on defense.

Moreover, their young talents couldn’t form a truly cohesive unit.

Caron Butler and Lamar Odom both had to share the ball. Although the tactics held them together, facing the Pacers’ immense defensive pressure, they still showed signs of playing for themselves.

"You’re taking them apart piece by piece, like slicing a sausage," Jordan said. "You should be thinking about how to deal with the Detroit Pistons now."

Bird raised his eyebrows. He said, "We have Jack. We’re not worried about the Pistons."

"The playoffs are different from the regular season. Don’t underestimate the Pistons, Larry. I’ve watched their games. After getting Rashid Wallace, they’re extremely strong now. Larry Brown has built a disciplined, tough-as-nails team with a perfect system for Detroit."

"Even if your Little Sheep Su Xi’s passing has improved dramatically, he might not be able to change the outcome."

Jordan warned.

Bird said, "What do you think is Little Sheep Su Xi’s problem, then?"

"It’s not Little Sheep Su Xi’s problem. There’s nothing wrong with him. He even has some advantages in the backcourt."

This got Jordan talking. He said, "The problem is that your team doesn’t have a superstar who can step up in clutch moments and just dominate with the ball in his hands. Little Sheep Su Xi doesn’t have that ability, and neither does Little O’Neal. Miller is an off-ball shooter, and he’s old. It’s even more out of the question for Artest."

"Your team’s tactics are very similar to the Pistons’, but the Pistons take it to a greater extreme."

"Ben Wallace’s defense far surpasses the group of centers you’ve stockpiled. You guys wanted to use them to deal with O’Neal, right? But you might not even get to face the Lakers."

"Although Rashid Wallace is a little bit worse than Little O’Neal in every aspect, he’s tougher, and his ability to play from behind is stronger than Little O’Neal’s."

"Prince versus Artest... Artest is definitely stronger individually, but in the system, their functions are nearly identical. Prince is even more efficient."

"Hamilton and Miller... Hamilton is younger and more energetic."

"Little Sheep Su Xi and Billups... I think Billups is more experienced and more capable of hitting clutch shots."

"..."