The Third Point Guard (Seeking Recommendations)

"Harris, the Suns have put their starters back in. Should we send ours in too?" Rambis suggested when he saw the Suns adjust their lineup after being overtaken.

"No rush. Let's see how Kobe and the others perform." Harris wanted to see how this group of Lakers reserves would fare against another team's starters.

The Suns' starters were led by Kevin Johnson. Having just turned thirty, he was at the peak age for a point guard. A three-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA Second Team selection, and one-time Third Team selection, he was one of the finest point guards of his era.

At 1.85 meters tall, his game was built on blazing speed and accurate shooting. In just his third season, he had already put up superstar point guard numbers of 20 points and 12 assists.

Kobe was still assigned to guard the ball handler—Kevin Johnson.

In his previous life, Kobe had not had many chances to face this great point guard. By the time Kobe entered his prime, Kevin Johnson was no longer the player he had once been. Kobe wanted to properly experience the skill of this point guard, said to be second only to Magic and Stockton.

Kevin Johnson brought the ball up. He had seen Kobe lead the reserves in taking back the lead, and he admired the energy in the kid. But they were opponents now, and Kevin Johnson intended to teach Kobe a lesson.

He signaled with his left hand, and Danny Manning and A.C. Green stepped up together.

"Damn, a double screen." Double screens were particularly effective against opponents with a big center who had trouble stepping out on defense, especially when the team had reliable mid-range shooters.

Kevin Johnson immediately spotted Travis Knight as the defensive weak link among the Lakers reserves. Though he had decent height, he severely lacked both speed and strength. With his slow feet, he simply could not come out of the paint.

Kobe squeezed through the screens quickly and barely kept pace with Kevin Johnson. But Kevin Johnson jumped and tossed the ball to Danny Manning, who was left unguarded in the mid-range. Manning easily knocked down the jumper.

Kobe frowned. Both A.C. Green and Danny Manning had solid mid-range games, while Travis Knight could not defend out there. This was trouble.

"Hey, kid. Welcome to the NBA," Kevin Johnson shouted at Kobe. He had not forgotten how Kobe had just schooled his little brother, Steve Nash.

Kobe was a little irritated. After crossing half court, he found Sam Cassell guarding him. The Alien Cassell was only 1.91 meters tall, and Kobe intended to overpower him.

After curling around the baseline, Kobe established position in the post. He caught the pass, did not waste time battling, then turned and rose for a jumper. Cassell had no way to interfere with Kobe as he soared high into the air, and the ball swished through the net.

"This kid... he has post moves too?" Harris felt that Kobe was giving him more and more surprises. That turnaround jumper was practically identical to Jordan's.

Kevin Johnson dribbled across half court, only to find Fisher standing in front of him.

"Oh? Your high school kid doesn't want to guard me anymore? He handed the job to you? This isn't an easy assignment."

Fisher's eyes were resolute. He slapped both hands against the floor and shouted, "Come on, then!"

Kevin Johnson was amused by Fisher. Then, with a sudden burst of speed, he blew past Fisher's defense.

Ben Wallace stepped up to help, and Kevin Johnson tried the same move again, passing to Danny Manning. A figure darted in from the wing and nearly stole the ball.

Under Kobe's defense, Danny Manning could not find any opportunities in the mid-range. When he swung the ball over to Cassell, the Lakers' rotating defense was already in position. Bowen smothered him. Time was running out, and Cassell missed under Bowen's pressure.

On the previous possession, Kobe had gathered his teammates and changed their defensive strategy. They would still protect against penetration rather than give up jumpers, forcing drives toward Ben Wallace for help defense, then having the perimeter players rotate quickly after a breakthrough. The flaw in this strategy was that it could easily create open perimeter shots, and it demanded a great deal of energy from constant rotations and help defense.

The rotating trap defense led by Kobe had shown some results. Though their lack of familiarity occasionally produced huge openings, they did not allow the Suns to go on many offensive runs. With all five players capable of scoring, the current Lakers reserves simply could not completely lock down the Suns.

On the offensive end, Kobe felt no pressure at all. He repeatedly bullied Cassell in the mid-range with post footwork. Cassell was too short and had no answer for Kobe. After Kobe scored several times in a row, the Suns even began sending double teams at the rookie.

Kobe calmly orchestrated the offense out of the double teams, kicking the ball to open Fisher and Bowen on the perimeter, who knocked down shot after shot. The game turned into a back-and-forth battle. Both sides maintained strong offensive efficiency while tightly preventing the other from getting out in transition.

"They're actually holding their own." O'Neal stood on the sideline with his mouth open. The starters had just been thoroughly beaten by the Suns, yet the reserves led by Kobe—a group of rookies—were trading blows with them.

After comparing Kobe's performance with that of the starters, Harris began to form a few ideas of his own.

The Suns coach called a timeout. He had figured it out: Cassell had become Kobe's personal ATM. He quickly sent in Wesley Person, the strong, tall shooting guard who had defended Kobe quite effectively earlier.

But the Lakers replaced their reserves with their starters, making Cotton Fitzsimmons' punch land on empty air.

As Kobe checked out, O'Neal stepped up and gave him an enthusiastic high-five.

"Man, you played great. Now watch me." O'Neal wiggled his eyebrows. This little brother would surely become a valuable helper for him in the future.

"I'll be watching." Kobe grinned as well.

Spurred on by Kobe and his group, the starters finally got back on track when they returned. With a series of high lobs and direct passes into the paint, O'Neal either kicked the ball out to the perimeter shooters when double-teamed, or overpowered his defender himself if the double team came too late. The Lakers put up extremely efficient offense.

On defense, with the firepower of the Alien Cassell gone, the Suns posed far less of a threat as well. At halftime, the Lakers led 57–49.

After the sides switched ends, the Lakers remained firmly in control of the game's tempo. An elite center was the best tempo controller; with the ball in O'Neal's hands, the Suns could not speed the game up.

The reserves led by Kobe continued to rout their opponents in the second half. Seeing no hope of victory, the Suns did not struggle too hard in a preseason game.

At the final buzzer, the Lakers claimed another victory, 91–77. Kevin Johnson was unable to turn the tide, while O'Neal's 22 points and 12 rebounds and Kobe's 18 points and 6 assists made the two stars shine brightly.

"Hey, Steve, seriously, let's play soccer together sometime." After the game, Kobe sought out Nash, whom he had targeted relentlessly throughout the match.

Nash's face darkened. He genuinely did not want to deal with Kobe after being targeted by him all game, but his good manners still led him to exchange contact information with Kobe.

A brief explanation in response to everyone asking for more updates: the author is currently in Wuhan and has no way to print and mail the contract. So there are no recommendation slots, and getting the book onto paid release is still a distant prospect. I am writing this book entirely out of passion.

At present, the only way readers can discover it is through the new book rankings. Once the word count gets too high and it drops off the list, no one will be able to find it. So I hope everyone will vote and add it to their favorites. Once the pandemic stabilizes and I can print the contract, after it goes paid I will definitely unleash a massive update spree for everyone to enjoy.