Stealing a Chicken Only to Lose the Rice

On the evening of January 6th at 7:00 PM, The Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit was set to host a matchup: the Detroit Pistons against the Boston Celtics.

"Beep." With the sound of the whistle, the game officially began.

Right from the start, the Detroit Pistons showcased their iron-blooded defense.

The Boston Celtics' two primary scoring options, Paul Pierce and Vin Baker, were finding it extremely difficult to operate.

Half a quarter had passed, and the Boston Celtics had only managed to score 6 points.

Fortunately, the Detroit Pistons' offense was also mediocre, having only put up 10 points.

6:10, the Boston Celtics trailed by 4 points.

"Timeout." At this moment, Doc Rivers decisively called for a timeout.

Adjustments had to be made; if they didn't act quickly, then once the Detroit Pistons' players found their shooting rhythm, the game would slip away from them.

"Goodwin, get ready to check in."

Close the door, release Goodwin.

"Yes, Coach." Goodwin took off his warm-up jacket and began preparing to enter the game.

On the Detroit Pistons' bench:

"Prince, I need you to lock down Goodwin." Larry Brown had anticipated that Doc Rivers would definitely sub in Goodwin, who had performed exceptionally well in the last two games.

Especially with a player like Goodwin, once he got his shot going, it would be a massive blow to the Detroit Pistons.

Moreover, if they committed heavy resources to guarding Goodwin, it would open things up for the other Boston Celtics players, especially Paul Pierce.

Facing such a situation, Larry Brown would not give the Boston Celtics any opportunities.

Thus, Larry Brown chose to have Tayshaun Prince, the best perimeter defender on the roster, shadow Goodwin.

As a forward, Tayshaun Prince possessed a certain level of offensive capability; he could put the ball on the floor to attack the rim and finish with decent efficiency. He could also hit perimeter shots—though not a three-point specialist, he could knock them down when needed. In the low post, Tayshaun Prince had very solid footwork and could use his height advantage to score. However, overall, Prince's offensive ability was not considered elite in the NBA; it was his defensive prowess that was top-tier.

Tayshaun Prince stood 206cm tall, which was quite tall for a wing forward. His shoulders weren't particularly broad, which made his already long arms appear even longer, allowing him to squeeze through screens more effectively. On defense, those long arms (218cm) gave him a significant advantage; he could apply greater pressure on opponents, make their dribbling more difficult, and perform spectacular steals and shot blocks. Beyond his long arms, Prince had many other strengths.

Tayshaun Prince had quick lateral movement, allowing him to keep up with both bigs and smalls, blanketing them with his long arms. While his frame wasn't thick and he looked somewhat thin, Prince's physicality was not lacking at all; he enjoyed battling opponents and making them uncomfortable. In terms of defensive awareness, Tayshaun Prince was also elite; he could accurately judge when to help and when to rotate, acting immediately.

Tayshaun Prince was like a magnet, sticking to his man and applying constant pressure. It was precisely because of his defense that Tayshaun Prince made a name for himself in the NBA, becoming the team's defensive anchor and perimeter stopper. Whenever the Detroit Pistons faced top scorers like Kobe Bryant or McGrady, it was always Tayshaun Prince who had to step up.

When the timeout ended, Doc Rivers felt a bit of anxiety seeing Tayshaun Prince assigned to guard Goodwin. He worried that Goodwin would be stifled by Tayshaun Prince, and if Goodwin couldn't make an impact, then...

Let's go, Goodwin!

Doc Rivers walked directly to the sideline, arms crossed, watching every change on the court with nervous intensity.

Compared to Doc Rivers' worry, the player in question, Goodwin, was clearly very excited.

The stronger the player guarding him, the more it proved his own worth and how much the opposing coach respected him—this was a good thing.

Tayshaun Prince looked at the smile on Goodwin's face and said with some annoyance, "Rookie, tonight I'll let you see what NBA defensive intensity is all about."

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it!" Goodwin replied with a smile.

Tayshaun Prince: "..." His internal irritation began to climb.

As they ran, Tayshaun Prince slammed directly into Goodwin.

Bang.

Muscle against muscle!

Hiss... That stung.

This guy looks so thin, damn, his strength is actually this high!

It seems my current strength rating of 65 isn't enough.

Bang, bang, bang... Tayshaun Prince kept attacking Goodwin, and Goodwin felt as if his "frail" body was about to be rattled to pieces.

After finally managing to reach the corner, Tayshaun Prince's physical assault finally paused.

"Rookie, your ability to handle contact isn't very good," Tayshaun Prince taunted.

Goodwin: "..."

In an instant, anger rushed to his head. Goodwin was just about to give Tayshaun Prince a piece of his mind—who are you calling weak?

Only a sliver of rationality pulled him back!

No, I can't face him head-on; I need to avoid this guy.

Goodwin hurriedly called for a screen, and Mark Blount from the interior immediately ran over.

A screen?

"Useless, rookie." Tayshaun Prince noticed Mark Blount running over immediately, bypassed him in time, and chased after Goodwin.

Before long, he caught up to Goodwin and slammed into him with force.

It nearly sent Goodwin flying.

Damn it!

Goodwin's pace couldn't help but slow down. He steadied his body, then pivoted on his left foot, heading in the opposite direction.

Tayshaun Prince hurriedly changed direction to give chase, trash-talking as he ran: "Rookie, your speed is as slow as a turtle's; you aren't shaking me off."

"Shut up!" Goodwin couldn't help but snap back. Damn, how could someone be this chatty? It was infuriating.

Goodwin's words didn't make Tayshaun Prince shut up; instead, they caused Tayshaun Prince to crank his trash-talking output to the max: "Rookie, who do you think you are? Are you getting anxious? It's fine, I'll play with you slowly tonight..." he rattled on.

Goodwin utilized a screen to quickly change direction, but he still couldn't shake off Tayshaun Prince.

Seeing this, Mike James at the top of the arc had no choice but to pass the ball to Paul Pierce on the other side.

Upon receiving the ball, Paul Pierce didn't hesitate for a second, using a series of fakes to create space for his shot.

"Clang." The sound rang out; the shot missed.

The Boston Celtics' offense yielded no results after the timeout, and on the sidelines, Doc Rivers couldn't help but shake his head. This was tough.

Ben Wallace secured the rebound, and after landing, he passed the ball to Chauncey Billups. Seeing Richard Hamilton sprinting toward the frontcourt, Chauncey Billups chose not to pass, instead dribbling the ball across half-court at a leisurely pace.

This was the slow-paced offense of the Detroit Pistons.

Chauncey Billups moved to the top of the arc, observing his teammates' positioning.

Down in the low post, Richard Hamilton used a screen to break free.

Chauncey Billups flicked his wrist to pass the ball over. Richard Hamilton caught it, jumped, hung in the air, and released!

"Swish." The sound rang out as the ball went through the net.

6:12

The Boston Celtics' timeout had been called in vain; not only was it ineffective, but they had also been scored on by the Detroit Pistons. It was a classic case of trying to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice used to lure it.