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The sophomores organized their offense, and a long lateral pass from Jason Williams was intercepted by Wade, creating a fast break opportunity.Wade sprinted quickly toward the frontcourt with the ball.
In a half-court setting, the sophomore team, with Yao Ming, Stoudemire, and Boozer, had a significant advantage in size and strength.
However, when the game transitioned to a fast-paced, up-tempo style with quick breaks and counterattacks, the weaknesses of having a slower, more traditional frontcourt were fully exposed.
Among the sophomore team's big men, Stoudemire and Boozer are considered quite mobile. Even so, they couldn't match the speed of the first-year forwards, Anthony and Wang Chong. And as for Yao Ming's speed... well, let's just not mention it.
After a turnover, the only two sophomores who could quickly get back on defense were Jason Williams and Ginobili, but both were much slower than Wade.
As Wade crossed half-court and approached the sophomore team's basket, only Jason Williams was there to challenge him.
With Wade's abilities, he could try to break through for a layup.
However, given that there was a defender in front of him, the more sensible play would be to pass the ball to an open teammate.
"Hey!"
Just then, Wade heard a shout nearby.
Wade glanced over and was momentarily surprised.
He saw James sprinting in from the side at an astonishing speed, his strides wide and rapid. His speed was so impressive that even Wade, who was gaining a reputation as "The Flash" among Miami fans, felt humbled.
No one on the sophomore team could keep up with James' speed. If Wade passed the ball to him, it would almost certainly lead to a powerful dunk at the rim.
However, at the same time, Wade noticed Wang Chong slightly behind but also running hard to catch up.
"... Damn, this guy runs so fast!"
James was in front, leading the break, while Wang Chong was desperately chasing him from behind.
His speed wasn't slow either, and with his long legs, he was one of the fastest forwards in the league in a straight-line sprint.
But compared to James, it wasn't quite enough.
Throughout James' career, fast-break scoring was one of his primary methods of putting points on the board. Not that fast-break points don't count, but often in crunch time, when games are tight and every shot matters, there aren't as many fast-break opportunities. That's when a player's offensive skills are truly tested.
James charged into the three-point line with the force of a freight train, expecting a pass from Wade.
But Wade didn't pass the ball to him. Instead, he lobbed it back to Wang Chong, who had just reached the three-point line.
There were no defenders in front of Wang Chong, who was wide open outside the three-point arc because James had drawn most of the defensive attention.
Neither James nor the sophomore players expected Wade not to pass to James, the seemingly obvious choice.
Standing outside the three-point line, Wang Chong took a moment to set his feet and launched a three-pointer.
"Swish!"
The ball went through the net smoothly.
After his recent training focus on shooting, Wang Chong's three-point shooting ability had reached 89—a very high mark. Being left completely unguarded made missing almost impossible.
Wang Chong's three-pointer brought a roar from the crowd, many of whom were there to support him.
James came to a stop, his chest heaving slightly from the sprint.
With that three-pointer, the freshman team cut the double-digit deficit down to single digits.
But James wasn't happy at all.
These two, Wang Chong and Wade… they really weren't planning on passing to him!
It was clear to James that Wade had a better chance of passing the ball to him for a higher-percentage shot closer to the basket. However, Wade chose to pass to Wang Chong beyond the arc, and while the shot went in, it didn't seem like the logical play.
It was obvious to James that Wang Chong and Wade—two college teammates—had teamed up and were determined not to pass him the ball!
Upon realizing this, James' first thought was to align himself with the other players on the team.
But aside from Wang Chong and Wade, the only other players on the floor were Anthony and Bosh. Anthony, like James, was a competitor vying for the spotlight, with both engaging in subtle rivalries. As for Bosh... he was more of a supporting cast member. At this stage in his career, his presence was still quite subdued. He was averaging just 11 points and 7 rebounds per game and wasn't on the same level as Wang Chong, James, Anthony, and Wade.
James was still contemplating how to handle Wang Chong and Wade teaming up to isolate him when, unexpectedly, the coach substituted him and Anthony out for a rest after Bosh committed a defensive foul on Stoudemire under the basket, sending Stoudemire to the free-throw line. Only Wang Chong and Wade remained on the court from the freshman starters.
The sophomores also substituted out Yao Ming, Ginobili, Boozer, and others, leaving only Stoudemire from their starting lineup.
For the remaining few minutes of the first quarter, it was a two-man show for Wang Chong and Wade against Stoudemire.
Stoudemire was impressive. By his sophomore year, he was already averaging 20 points and 9 rebounds per game, certainly an All-Star-caliber performance.
But Wang Chong and Wade were equally formidable, and they weren't directly matched up against him. In this exhibition-style All-Star game, the focus was more on offensive skill and efficiency.
On that front, even Stoudemire at this stage couldn't outshine Wang Chong.
After all, Wang Chong's current overall ability rating was 87, heavily weighted toward offense.
As a sophomore, Stoudemire's overall rating was around 88 at most—not above 90. He was on par with Wang Chong at best.
In the second half of the quarter, Wang Chong and Wade executed pick-and-roll after pick-and-roll. Whether it was Wade driving to the basket or Wang Chong shooting mid-range jumpers after a pick, their offensive efficiency was outstanding.
The gap between the two teams closed rapidly, and just before the end of the first quarter, Wang Chong drew a defensive foul, sinking two free throws to tie the game.
By the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at 33:33.
Wang Chong had made 5 of 8 shots, scoring 12 points. Wade contributed 6 points and 3 assists, while James, who had dominated the early possessions, tallied 8 points and 3 rebounds.
Together, these three players accounted for 26 of the 33 points scored by the freshman team in the first quarter, leaving Anthony with limited opportunities and just 3 points.
End of this chapter.
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