14: 011: Truth_2 14: 011: Truth_2 ESPN commentator Jon Barry and former assistant coach to Coach K, Jay Bilas, quickly got to the point as the game’s commentators, “For Block High School, they can only pray that Roger scores more points.”
“You’re right, Jay, Roger is an incredible scorer, and I think his offensive ability leads among high school players.
But because of that, Isidore Newman School won’t let him have his way.
Today, Roger will face real, intense defense.
If Roger can’t adapt, the game will be over early.”
As for Randy, aside from scoring, he can use many methods to lead the team to victory.”
During the jump ball phase, Ed Miller, the white center from Isidore Newman School, easily secured the ball possession.
Although he’s only in his senior year, he’s already 2.14 meters tall.
Standing next to Andrae, it gives people a profound understanding of Auerbach’s famous saying, “You can’t teach height.”
Once Randy Livingston got the ball, he prepared to use his terrifying explosive power to charge into the paint.
Roger pressed closely, and Andrae came to help defend.
The training these past few months had also improved Roger’s defense somewhat.
While he might not have become a defensive stronghold, at least he wasn’t a liability.
Today’s tactic for Block High School was to use Roger’s aggressive pressing and Andrae’s help defense to limit Livingston’s penetration.
Hawk firmly believed that as long as they could force Livingston to pass the ball, the defense would be successful.
Because for Isidore Newman School, the other players, even when taking open shots, simply couldn’t match Roger’s firepower!
Sure enough, facing the double-team, Livingston found his open teammate Ed Miller.
The seven-footer had a soft touch around the basket.
2 to 0, Isidore Newman School took the lead as expected.
The crowd erupted in cheers; Block High School’s defense seemed utterly hopeless.
Randy Livingston, like a true basketball master, played the game in a way the media saw as reasonable.
On the offensive changeover, Roger, carrying the ball up this time, immediately encountered a double-team.
ESPN commentator Jon Barry was right, Roger would face real intense defense today; Isidore Newman School would not simply let Roger, the superb scorer, run wild.
Confronted by the double-team, Roger had no choice but to pass the ball.
Seeing this, Jeremy Simmons, who was tasked with guarding Roger, couldn’t hide his smugness.
“How do you plan to win?
Roger ignored him, ran off the ball to shake off his defender, and then received the pass again.
But Isidore Newman School’s defense reacted quickly, and the moment Roger received the ball, Simmons and another teammate, Bowie, immediately double-teamed Roger again.
Faced with this tight defense, Roger didn’t hesitate, and took a jump shot just one step beyond the three-point line!
Simmons and Bowen hadn’t expected Roger to shoot so decisively, so their interference was only a hand stretch and they did not jump.
For a long-distance three-pointer, that kind of defense was considered tight.
In the stands, many NBA scouts shook their heads.
Indeed, just like the reports said, this guy named Roger was being reckless.
Facing a double team, shouldn’t he patiently pass the ball around to look for an opportunity?
Instead, he heaved a shot from just beyond the three-point line.
Such erratic shooting would raise questions about his ability to fit into NCAA games.
Compared to the sensible play of Livingston just now, the difference was stark.
But in the next second, the sound of “swoosh” made all the scouts stop writing.
“Facing two defenders, he hits a deep three-pointer right off the bat; Roger comes out firing on all cylinders!” Jon Barry exclaimed.
Roger confidently flashed three fingers, for him, that shot was hardly a forced one.
It was his regular offensive choice!
In the original history, Gervin didn’t shoot threes, after all, when he started playing in the NBA, there wasn’t even a three-point line.
Although the league introduced the three-point line later on, players like Iceman found it hard to change their playing habits.
In a 2014 interview with Spox.com, Iceman still said, “The three-pointer is the worst shot choice in basketball.”
That was normal, just like you can’t expect someone born in the 50s to embrace rap music.
But just because Gervin didn’t shoot threes doesn’t mean Roger couldn’t!
With Gervin’s 360-degree impeccable shooting touch, if he were to set aside his bias and laziness and practice the three-pointer, it would be an easy task.
And that’s exactly what Roger did.
Over the past few months of training, he had turned the three-pointer into one of his regular weapons.
Moreover, he always aimed for the NBA three-point line during practice.
So the long-distance threes in high school games that were unattainable for others were just right for Roger.
After the ball went through the net, Roger shrugged his shoulders at Simmons with the scarred face: “Less talk, more action.”
One possession later, Roger took another three-pointer.
Simmons and his teammate still didn’t jump to block; they just raised their hands high, thinking that would be enough to throw him off.
People from that era didn’t believe in the three-pointer, thinking such interference was enough to mess with Roger’s precision.
But Roger used another swish to inform Isidore Newman School: “Your so-called tight defense is worthless against me!”
Truth be told, with Roger’s current three-point ability, placed in the defensively lenient NBA of the 90s, his three-point shooting percentage would actually not be too high.
But, shooting threes in the intensity of a high school game, Roger was in his element.
In the third possession, Isidore Newman School began to respect Roger’s three-point shooting.
Seeing Roger receive the ball outside the three-point line, Simmons and Bowie rushed forward like dogs spotting a bone, going crazy to block him.