"But when you collapse your defense, their threes start falling. What can you do about that?"
Magic Johnson continued:
"I was wondering why Wang Yi couldn't stop Arthur's cuts when the Raptors weren't playing zone defense."
James laughed. "You're joking, right? When King Arthur wants to cut to the basket, who can stop him?"
"Wang Yi is a little faster than Arthur, but physically, he can't match him."
"The biggest thing is that this season, they're encouraging physical play, and Arthur has made great use of that. You might not have noticed, but I've been watching the two of them closely."
"Before every cut, Arthur gives him a little shove, doesn't he?"
"He doesn't shove hard enough to knock Wang Yi down, but it's enough to stop him from chasing. And when he shoves Wang Yi, he uses the recoil to get moving quickly. How's Wang Yi supposed to defend that?"
Magic Johnson thought it over for a moment, then said:
"If Arthur shoves Wang Yi before every drive, couldn't Wang Yi exaggerate his reaction a little when he gets pushed, so the refs know Arthur's pushing him?"
James shook his head. "You didn't see it, but Wang Yi did exaggerate his reaction twice. And one time, he wasn't acting—Arthur really knocked him down. The ref was right there and still didn't call anything."
Magic Johnson nodded. "Now that you mention it, that's true. Since the rule change, it really does favor the stronger players."
"Wang Yi can occasionally put in a performance like Shaquille O'Neal, but generally speaking, he still isn't as strong as King Arthur."
"With physical play being encouraged, Wang Yi is definitely at a disadvantage against King Arthur."
James continued, "If the Lakers keep shooting that well in the second half, how are the Raptors going