Marv Albert leaned forward slightly, taking over the discussion and pinpointing the Knicks' fatal weakness.
"The Knicks' biggest hidden danger this year is something everyone has selectively ignored."
"They lost Sabonis during the offseason, and that was the biggest loss in their roster."
"Over the past few years, Sabonis had been the only interior anchor who could help Li Fei contain O'Neal."
"His positioning, rim protection, physicality, and playmaking could greatly reduce Li Fei's physical burden."
"In previous matchups against the Lakers, Li Fei had not needed to guard O'Neal one-on-one the entire game or handle every aspect of interior offense and defense."
"But this year was different. With Sabonis gone, Li Fei was the only one left holding down the Knicks' interior."
"Throughout the entire NBA Finals, Li Fei would have to shadow O'Neal at his peak, protect the rim, grab rebounds, and block shots."
"At the same time, he also had to shoulder the team's primary scoring and mid-range shot-creation duties."
"That kind of all-around, high-intensity strain would become the Knicks' greatest hidden danger."
Bill Walton nodded in agreement and further analyzed the situation based on O'Neal's form in the Western Conference Finals.
"This year's O'Neal is at the absolute peak of his physical condition and competitive mentality."
"The San Antonio Spurs' twin towers took turns wearing him down. Robinson fouled out with six fouls, and even Duncan struggled to contain him while battling him head-on all game."
"Without Sabonis' support, Li Fei alone would find it difficult to withstand The Shark's assault from start to finish."
"Even if Li Fei possessed a Titanium Alloy Physique, stamina was still a weakness no professional player could avoid."
"Once Li Fei's stamina dropped in the fourth quarter, the Knicks' interior defense would collapse in an instant."
After discussing the Knicks'