Chapter 79: Kaleidoscope
By the second half, it was clear to anyone watching.
Compared to the Kings’ dazzling variety of tactics, the Clippers kept running through the same few plays, relying almost entirely on Paul’s masterful game control. Once Paul sat down, the rest of the team had to figure things out on their own.
Off the bench, the Clippers’ biggest weapon was Crawford.
The Seattle legend, J-Crossover, kept attacking the Kings’ defense with his trademark streetball flair.
“Switch to a 3-2 zone!”
During the timeout, Malone clenched his teeth and decided to change the defensive strategy.
Since it was the bench rotation, they could afford to take a calculated risk.
In a 3-2 zone, three players form a “horns” shape at the top of the arc, while two drop into the middle of the paint.
The top of the zone is usually manned by a mobile small forward. By crowding defenders at the arc, the defense cuts down the ball-handler’s space to operate.
Sure enough, after the adjustment, Crawford’s offense began to stall.
“Coach Malone’s move was brilliant! He just dismantled the Clippers’ current offense.”
At the end of the bench, Tang Zhou’s eyes were glued to the court.
A great basketball game is never just about raw talent—it’s also about the chess match between the coaches.
“Let me test you.”
Chen Yilun, who had drifted to the back row to slack off, overheard Tang Zhou’s comment and couldn’t resist chiming in.
“Then why is Coach Malone still frowning? What’s the biggest weakness of a 3-2 zone?”
“Weakness?” Tang Zhou hesitated.
“You don’t know? Just watch—the Clippers are about to figure it out.”
Chen Yilun grinned like a fortune-teller, speaking in riddles.
As they talked, Crawford dribbled to the top of the key. Griffin rushed over to set a solid on-ball screen.
Crawford seized the moment before Casspi could close in, accelerated, and drove straight into the paint.
Porter and Oden immediately collapsed from both sides to cut off his space.
But then—Crawford fired a pass straight to the corner.
Austin Rivers, waiting unguarded in the corner, caught the ball.
“Swish!”
The shot went down.
“That’s it!” Tang Zhou shot up from his seat, his mind racing, but he couldn’t piece together a clear explanation.
“That’s the weakest point of a 3-2 zone.”
Seeing his confusion, Chen Yilun tugged him back down and explained.
“The 3-2 zone pushes up on the ball-handler to throw off the opponent’s rhythm. It’s usually really effective against teams that rely heavily on perimeter shooting.”
“But the flaw is the baseline—it leaves the corners wide open.”
He pointed to the players’ positioning.
“Like just now—if Crawford breaks through with a screen or his individual skills, the two low defenders have to collapse into the paint. If the opponent has shooters waiting in the corners, that’s a completely open shot.”
“Ah, I get it!”
Tang Zhou’s eyes lit up. “So if Crawford keeps driving inside, we’re done for, right?”
“No! No! No!”
Chen Yilun wagged his finger.
“If it were that simple, then Coach Malone wouldn’t be Coach Malone.”
After Rivers hit the open three, Malone immediately called a timeout.
When play resumed, Crawford and Griffin tried the same move again. But this time, the Kings were ready.
As Griffin set the screen, Gay—who was being picked—instantly dropped down toward the baseline instead of sticking with his man.
At the same time, Oden slid across from the left side of the paint to anchor the middle.
Crawford, charging into the lane, suddenly found Oden looming like a tower in front of him, with Gay and Porter locking down the passing lanes to both corners.
With no options left, Crawford had no choice but to pull the ball back and reset.
“What’s this now?”
Tang Zhou, calmer this time, whispered the question.
“It’s simple—just an evolution of the 3-2 defense.”
Chen Yilun pointed toward the court.
“As the lead defender, Gay is the key to breaking the zone. The Clippers tried to neutralize him with Griffin’s pick, but Gay immediately dropped to the baseline.”
“That freed up one of the baseline defenders to step into the paint and challenge the drive, while the other two cut off the corner passing lanes.”
“See?”
Chen Yilun spread his hands.
“Basketball changes every possession. Tactics evolve constantly. If you ever become a head coach, never get stuck in rigid schemes. Like that possession—one small adjustment, and the defense instantly shifted from a 3-2 to a 2-3 zone, shutting down the Clippers’ attack.”
“I’ve learned so much!”
Tang Zhou nodded, scribbling notes quickly.
“This is amazing! So this is the charm of a head coach… theory is nothing without practice!”
...
The game ended after this back-and-forth battle.
The Kings defended their home opener with a 108–96 win.
Meanwhile, in the TNT studio, sparks were flying in debate.
“I’ll say it again—the Kings don’t have a true superstar. Their offense looks like a kaleidoscope, sure, but that only works in the regular season.” O’Neal shook his massive head. “The playoffs are all about superstars. The Kings don’t have anyone who can create under pressure. I don’t see them doing any better than last year.”
“I completely disagree!”
Charles Barkley pulled a pocket square from his suit and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Today’s game cleared up something I’ve been wondering about all offseason.”
“Why was Chen Yilun so eager to trade Cousins, even without getting a star player in return?”
“It’s because Jokić’s talent is overflowing. If they didn’t trade Cousins and give Jokić the starting role, they’d just be wasting another year of his development!”
“Look at tonight! Jokić’s ability to organize the offense and unlock the team’s tactics is miles ahead of Cousins!”
“The Kings’ future lies in this second-round pick who barely made noise last season!”
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