"Buddy, I've got him! I've got him! I've got him!" On the next defensive possession, Zhou Ze voluntarily asked to switch assignments with Mihm.
Francis called for Howard to come up for a pick-and-roll, but Howard refused and began fighting desperately for position.
With shoulders measuring 73 centimeters across, Howard was half a size bigger than Zhou Ze, whose shoulders measured 66 centimeters.
Magic fans were full of confidence in their number-one pick.
"Dwight, destroy that softie!"
"Dwight, crush him!"
"Dwight, posterize him!"
But after a brief yet intense battle for position, Howard still failed to establish deeper post position.
Behind him, Zhou Ze pushed him out of the paint, disappointment clear in his eyes.
In an instant, the Magic fans fell silent.
Seeing Howard fail to get position for so long, Francis chose to drive himself. Using the explosiveness of his first step to beat Grim Reaper Parker by half a body, he burrowed toward the basket.
Odom's timely help defense forced Francis into a difficult shot. After it clanked off the rim, Lakers center Mihm secured the rebound, and the Lakers launched a fast break.
"Dwight, other than finishing spoon-fed shots under the basket, you're useless." After denying Howard his comfort zone and talking trash, Zhou Ze immediately joined the team's fast break.
Howard's slender calves kept him from backing Zhou Ze down, but his explosiveness and speed were genuinely outrageous.
Zhou Ze realized he could not shake Howard off, so he simply ran to the corner, giving the trailing players plenty of room under the basket. After Odom received Grim Reaper Parker's outlet pass, he shouldered aside Grant Hill and drove straight to the hoop.
Howard, pulled out near the left-wing corner by Zhou Ze, hurried over to help. But just as Howard was about to block