If Chi Tong had not spotted an opening and sent an unexpected pass his way, catching Kawata Masashi off guard, he probably would not even have had a chance to show what he could do. He would have been completely shut down from start to finish.
Was this the strength of the best center in the country?
Yu Zhu lowered his eyes slightly and stared at his sweat-dampened palms. His inward muttering held frustration, but also a trace of indescribable shock.
Fukuda Kiccho had kept his eyes fixed on Ichinokura Satoshi, the player wearing number 8 on the opposing team. Two flames seemed to burn in his gaze, fueled by lingering frustration and an almost obsessive stubbornness.
The intensity of this guy's defense had far exceeded his expectations. It was so absurd that he could hardly believe it.
Even while dividing his attention to keep track of Xiangtian Yanyi as she darted around the court, Ichinokura Satoshi always managed to anticipate his cutting routes precisely. He either got into position early to block him or disrupted his rhythm with a quick lateral shift. Several promising scoring opportunities had been brutally snuffed out by that figure.
Later, Yueye Hongming had been brought on to energize the perimeter offense, successfully drawing most of Sannoh's defensive attention outside and sharply reducing the pressure in the paint.
Even so, Ichinokura Satoshi never eased his grip on him. The moment he showed any sign of starting a cut, his opponent reacted, sticking to him like a patch he could not peel off.
Fukuda Kicchou felt both stifled and stunned.
This Ichinokura Satoshi was only a reserve defensive player on Sannoh's team.
Could a reserve defensive player really possess such terrifying defensive awareness and execution?
Only now did he truly gain a startlingly clear understanding of