Li Fei's Four Forms, How Do You Defend Against That?

Marv Albert adjusted his glasses and picked up the thread. "That's right, Kevin. The biggest surprise tonight was Van Gundy putting Li Fei at power forward. You have to understand, this season Li Fei had almost completely locked down the small forward spot. Only when Sabonis was injured and unavailable did he occasionally fill in at center. But in a crucial playoff game, with no injuries on the roster, he suddenly returned to power forward. It completely disrupted the Pacers' defensive preparations."

Bill Walton saw things more deeply, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "This isn't merely a simple positional adjustment. It's a declaration! It reminds the entire league of the fear of being dominated!"

"Think back," Walton said, his voice infectious. "When Li Fei was with the Phoenix Suns, everyone recognized him as one of the most dominant centers in league history. In his first season with the Knicks, playing alongside Ewing, he mainly played power forward. We saw a complete, versatile superstar at the four who could play inside and out, and he proved once again that he was the best power forward. Then this season, to make room for Sabonis, he lost weight, developed his ball-handling, and became a small forward. And what happened? He proved to us yet again that he was just as unstoppable at that position!"

"So what does tonight's game mean?"

Walton answered his own question. "It tells everyone that the Knicks' arsenal contains at least three forms of Li Fei! Center Li Fei, power forward Li Fei, small forward Li Fei! And tonight, the 'power forward Li Fei' we witnessed destroyed the interior tandem of Dale Davis and Rik Smits—men renowned for their toughness—in the most primitive, brutal way possible!"

Harlan added, "This poses a hell-level problem for every future Knicks opponent. When