American Yang Yi Stephen A. Smith asked James again, "So what do you think is wrong with the Raptors?"
James thought for a moment, then replied:
"Honestly, when you watch the Raptors, you don't need to worry about them at all. Whatever the problem is, as long as Wang Yi is there, it isn't a problem."
"But if I really had to nitpick, I'd say their defense was off on both of those possessions. They were slow getting back on that last play. Clearly, they hadn't expected the Pistons to attack so quickly."
"On the other hand, I think their half-court defensive strategy was wrong. They shouldn't play man-to-man, because their point guard can't guard Bryce. Once Bryce gets inside the three-point line, he can create scoring opportunities for the Pistons."
"So the Raptors shouldn't play man-to-man. They should start with a zone defense."
Stephen A. Smith nodded. "You're right. But there's one thing: even if they play zone, they can't pack it in too tightly. At the very least, when playing zone, they need to extend it a little to specifically account for Bryce. After all, he's shooting close to 40 percent from three."
As the two chatted animatedly on the sideline, the game continued.
After bringing the ball across half court, they once again passed it inside to Pang Bo.
This time, Pang Bo didn't post up against the opposing center. Instead, he faced the basket and drove—the face-up game was one of his strengths, too.
He faked a dribble to the left, then quickly drove right.
Once he'd gotten half a step past his man, it was simple: he leaned into him and shoved the opposing center three steps to the side.
Then Pang Bo easily reached the basket.
He rose straight up for the dunk.
But