As the two young players came off the court, Wang Yi stood beside them and offered them more encouragement.
Then he suggested to the head coach, "Coach, you can let Hachimura and Zhang rest a little longer. Give Locke a few more minutes."
Hachimura was getting on in years for a small forward, and he needed a rest.
Frank and Nikola were better than Locke on offense, but they were nowhere near as good on defense.
So Wang Yi wanted to see how Locke would do with a little more playing time.
Locke's strong performance had indeed earned the head coach's trust. He nodded. "Locke, you're staying in."
Locke's heart warmed again at the news.
The boss had said he'd get three minutes in this game, but he'd already played four. Now he was going back in again.
Wang Yi gave Locke some instructions. "Earlier, you were up against their bench lineup, so your defense had a big advantage. But now you'll be facing their stronger starting lineup, and you'll be guarding their starting small forward, Rogers."
"He's a classic 3-and-D player. Remember, when you guard him, stay right on him. If he gets even a little room to shoot, he can knock down a three."
Locke nodded. "Boss, I'll follow him even if he goes to the bathroom."
Wang Yi patted him on the shoulder. "That's the spirit!"
Then Wang Yi made another suggestion to the head coach. "Coach, Zhang's looking tired and needs a rest. Let Tagore give it a try. He and I can form the backcourt, with Locke, Dauding, and Pang Bo alongside us. Let's see what kind of sparks this lineup's defense can produce."
The head coach had no objections.
With Wang Yi on the court to hold things together, he wouldn't be too worried