Opponent's Research: Tactics Against the Phantom

The stage of the National Tournament (IH) was like a colossal gladiatorial arena. Teikō Junior High, a burgeoning behemoth, easily crushed Yamagata Nishi and continued its rampaging advance into the quarterfinals. Bai Ze You's earth-shattering "2+1" during the match against Yamagata Nishi, along with his subsequent stable and crucial performances, were like massive stones dropped into a calm lake, creating ripples far beyond imagination. He was no longer just the "relatively quiet" star among Teikō's brilliant constellation; the name "White Phantom" began to be highlighted in bold font in the reports of coaches and scouts at the National Tournament.

"Bai Ze You (Teikō, 1st Year): Position SG/PG. Core Threats: Top-tier physical flexibility and sense of balance, combined with realistic feints and excellent finishing ability near the basket, forming a unique 'Phantom' style. His drives are extremely deceptive, and he excels at scoring in tight spaces and off-balance situations. Excellent organizational skills and broad vision. Extremely strong clutch performance. Weaknesses: Absolute physical confrontation is relatively weak; three-point shooting stability needs improvement; efficiency may decline when facing high-intensity, targeted defense."

This report was currently spread out on the coach's table of Teikō's quarterfinal opponent—the traditional powerhouse from the Kansai region, Osaka Tōyō High School. Tōyō's coach, renowned for his shrewdness, cunning, and extreme skill in studying opponents' weaknesses, pushed his glasses up his nose. The eyes behind the lenses gleamed with shrewdness as he repeatedly watched recordings of Teikō's matches, especially the highlights of Bai Ze You.

"Hmph, 'White Phantom'? Slippery little brat..." A cold smile curled the Tōyō coach's lips. "Even the slipperiest loach fears a net with tight enough meshes!"

He summoned the ace player responsible for guarding Bai Ze You—Kishimoto Minori, a shooting guard/small forward nearing 190cm and weighing 90kg, known for his strength, fierce defense, and trash talk—and another guard, Minami Ryō, who had agile footwork and excelled at anticipating and stealing.

"Kishimoto, Minami," the coach pointed to the screen showing Bai Ze You's agile drives and finishes time and again. "This Bai Ze You is the most troublesome 'Phantom Gear' in Teikō's precision machine. When Aomine and Midori are locked down, he can step up; on fast breaks, he can provide precise guidance; in half-court sets, his cuts and feints can tear open the defense. We cannot let him get into his rhythm!"

Kishimoto Minori clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking. A sinister grin spread across his face. "Leave it to me, Coach! I love crushing these flashy guys! I'll let him know that in the face of absolute strength, any phantom is just a paper tiger!"

Minami Ryō nodded calmly. "His feints change rhythm very quickly, and his center of gravity control is excellent. I need to carefully predict the direction of his first step."

"Excellent!" The coach nodded in satisfaction and quickly sketched tactics on the whiteboard. "Kishimoto! Your mission is power suppression! Use your body, stick to him like a wall! Don't give him space to start easily! Be fierce! Be brutal in your confrontation! Make him feel pain with every catch, every dribble, every jump! Wear him down! Disrupt his rhythm!"

"Minami! You're in charge of predictive interference! Don't let his feints completely throw off your balance! Pay close attention to the subtle changes in his shoulder movements, eye direction, and dribbling rhythm! Predict his true breakthrough direction! The moment he starts, interfere precisely and attempt steals! Also, focus on cutting off his connection with his teammates!"

"Everyone else! Pay attention to zone defense! Once Bai Ze You uses his skills to break free from Kishimoto or Minami's coverage and drive into the paint, collapse immediately! Form a pocket! Use numbers to compensate for his flexibility and sense of balance advantages! Force him into a dead corner! Compel him to take difficult, low-efficiency shots! Or directly draw an offensive foul!"

The Tōyō coach drew a large red cross over Bai Ze You's name and said coldly:

"Triple Chain! I will use strength, prediction, and numbers to lock down Teikō's 'Phantom'! Turn him from a lubricant into a jammed gear! Bring Teikō's offense to a complete halt!"

National Tournament Quarterfinals, Teikō Junior High VS Osaka Tōyō High School.

From the start of the game, Tōyō displayed a defensive intensity vastly different from their previous opponents, and all their firepower was concentrated on Bai Ze You!

Kishimoto Minori stuck to Bai Ze You like a leech! His defense was full of aggression and malice! Every physical contact carried a strong impact, with hidden pushes and downward pressure from his arms, constant small movements from his knees and elbows, all while spewing trash talk:

"Hey! Blondie! Can your flimsy body handle it? Don't fall apart with just one bump!"

"All you do is twist and turn? Like a woman dancing!"

"Come on! Try to drive past me! See if I don't crush you!"

Kishimoto's strength and bulk far surpassed Bai Ze You's! With every confrontation, Bai Ze You felt like he was crashing into a moving wall of muscle! His chest felt tight, his breathing labored, and his feet were forced to stumble! The rhythm change he relied on became difficult to execute under Kishimoto's rough power suppression! His starting space was drastically compressed!

Meanwhile, Minami Ryō was like a venomous snake, lurking outside the "cage" created by Kishimoto, waiting for an opportunity. His defense was extremely intelligent, his center of gravity low, his footwork quick, and his eyes like a hawk's, fixed on Bai Ze You's dribbling hand, shoulder movements, and shifts in balance. He wouldn't be completely fooled by Bai Ze You's larger feints, but would precisely predict the true direction of Bai Ze You's drive, interfering fiercely with steals or physical contact the moment he started!

"Slap!" Minami's hand shot out like lightning, nearly snatching the ball from Bai Ze You!

"Bang!" Bai Ze You, having finally created a sliver of space with a feint to drive, was forcefully shoved aside by Kishimoto's strong body, which moved like a tank!

Bai Ze You's dribbling became incredibly difficult. Every attempt to change rhythm or direction was accompanied by intense physical confrontation and precise predictive interference. His turnovers began to increase. A desperate drive was directly knocked down by Kishimoto, and the referee called a blocking foul, but Bai Ze You's offensive rhythm was completely shattered.

"Bai Ze is being shut down!"

"Tōyō's defense is so fierce!"

"That Kishimoto is too dirty!"

The Teikō supporters in the stands murmured with concern.

Momoi Satsuki anxiously flipped through the stat sheet. The data on Bai Ze You was alarming:

* First 10 minutes of the first half: * Ball-handling time: ↓45% * Forced turnovers: ↑300% (3 times) * Drive success rate: ↓80% (only 1 successful drive) * Shot attempts: ↓70% (only 2 attempts, 1 made) * Efficiency rating: Plummeted!

"Observation Alert: Phantom encountering 'Triple Chain' suppression! Physical confrontation weakness exposed, space extremely compressed, rhythm severely disrupted!"

Teikō's offense was indeed affected. With Bai Ze You, their crucial "lubricant" and "speed shifter," locked down, the fluidity of their offense was greatly diminished. Although Aomine could still score forcefully with his raw talent, Midori could occasionally hit difficult three-pointers under tight defense, and Akashi's playmaking remained calm, the entire offensive system operated with noticeable friction, losing its dominant, fluid dominance.

At the end of the first half, the score was: Teikō 42 : Tōyō 40. The point difference was minuscule! Tōyō's strategy had shown initial success!

The atmosphere on Teikō's bench was heavy. Sweat dripped down Bai Ze You's face. He lowered his head, his chest heaving, his white bangs soaked with sweat and clinging to his forehead, making him look somewhat disheveled. Kishimoto's malicious strength and Minami's precise predictions had brought him unprecedented pressure. He could feel his teammates' gazes—some worried (like Momoi), some encouraging (like Kuroko), some expectant (like Nijimura), and some scrutinizing (like Akashi).

"Yū, how are you feeling?" Nijimura Shūzō asked in a deep voice.

Bai Ze You looked up, his eyes lacking their usual calmness, with a hint of suppressed frustration and... a barely perceptible self-doubt. He took a deep breath, his voice a little hoarse. "That Kishimoto... his strength is immense, his confrontation is fierce... Minami's predictions are also very accurate. The space... is extremely compressed."

He clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white. Strength... had always been his relative weakness. Within Teikō, he could use skill and flexibility to contend with Aomine, but facing a defender like Kishimoto, who thrived purely on bulk and malice, his disadvantage was magnified infinitely.

"They've figured you out, Shiro," Aomine Daiki took a sip of water, his tone tinged with annoyance. "That bastard is targeting you! Using his body to bully you!"

Midōrima Shintarō adjusted his glasses, analyzing calmly. "The opponent's tactical objective is clear: sacrifice some defensive resources to focus on locking down Bai Ze. Disrupt our offensive rhythm. Based on the data, the effect is significant."

Murasaki-bara Atsushi yawned. "Ah~ So annoying. Should I go in and smash that big guy away?"

Akashi Seijūrō remained silent, his crimson eyes like a deep pool, quietly observing Bai Ze You as if assessing something.

Nijimura Shūzō surveyed his team, his voice suddenly rising with unquestionable authority:

"Everyone, get your heads in the game! This is the National Tournament! The opponents aren't here to give us free points!"

"Tōyō's strategy is very clear: lock down Yū! They succeeded in the first half! But that doesn't mean we've lost!"

His gaze was like a torch, fixed on Bai Ze You. "You! Lift your head! Are you going to give up just because your strength isn't enough? Is this all your 'Phantom' is capable of? Just dodging and playing with the lead?"

Nijimura's words struck Bai Ze You's heart like a whip! He abruptly raised his head, the flicker of self-doubt in his eyes igniting into an unyielding flame!

"What are your advantages?!" Nijimura demanded sternly. "Absolute strength? No! It's your flexibility! Your sense of balance! Your rhythm! Your mind!"

"Kishimoto is strong? Then don't go head-to-head with him! Use your sliding step to absorb his force! Use your feints to manipulate him! Use your rhythm change to wear him down!"

"Minami's predictions are accurate? Then turn his predictions into a trap! Use more realistic feints! Use more sudden rhythm changes! Pass and move in ways he can't anticipate!"

"Zone defense? Then transfer the ball out faster! Use your vision to find open teammates! Trust Aomine! Trust Midori! Trust Akashi! Trust Kuroko! Trust Murasakibara!"

Nijimura's voice echoed in the locker room:

"Use your 'Phantom' not to evade confrontation! But to control it! To toy with it! To tear apart their Triple Chain! Let them know that targeting you was their biggest mistake!"

Bai Ze You's chest heaved violently. Nijimura's words were like a sudden enlightenment! Lacking strength was a fact, but it wasn't insurmountable! His advantages lay in skill, rhythm, and intellect! In his ability to find openings in desperate situations!

He wiped the sweat from his face, his eyes regaining their sharp focus. The previous frustration and self-doubt were replaced by a calmer, deeper, and more dangerous glint. He looked at his hands, as if rediscovering their power.

"Yes, Captain!" Bai Ze You's voice was low and firm. "I understand."

Akashi Seijūrō finally spoke, his voice calm and unwavering. "In the second half, the Offensive Axis will temporarily shift to the strong side. Aomine, Midori, be ready to receive the ball. You..." He looked at Bai Ze You, a sharp glint flashing in his crimson eyes. "Use your way to tear open a gap, and then, send the ball where it needs to go. Or..."

Akashi paused, his voice carrying a hint of icy sharpness.

"Finish them yourself."

The drums of the second half were about to beat. Tōyō's "Triple Chain" remained chilling, but in the center of the chain, the White Phantom's eyes now blazed with a completely different fire. Would the strategy targeting the Phantom be effective until the end? Or would it become the fuse that ignited the Phantom's true awakening? The answer would be revealed in the battle of the second half. Momoi Satsuki heavily wrote on the record board:

"Observation Focus: Phantom's Breakthrough Moment!"