The Best Point Guard

Chapter 435: Chapter 9: A Red-Hot Start

Eddie Curry was dominant on the court. Su Xi kept feeding him the ball, letting him go one-on-one against Shaun Marion.

Marion was miserable as hell. He felt like Eddie Curry and Su Xi were fighting dirty.

’What’s the point of scoring like this?’

There was.

And a very big one at that.

Eddie Curry played through the third quarter and another five minutes in the fourth. He finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block, coming off the court beaming.

Su Xi followed suit, heading to the bench for a rest.

As Channing Frye enthusiastically handed him a towel, Su Xi told him, "Pay close attention and learn."

After sitting down, Eddie Curry didn’t forget to tell Channing Frye, "Skill is important, but so is fighting spirit. You can’t get scared just because your opponent is strong, right? Stadumier acts all tough and looks intimidating. But why can I go out there and shut him down just like that?"

He tapped his own head. "Fighting spirit!"

Channing Frye took his words to heart, a thoughtful expression covering his face.

Jerome James, who was sitting nearby, frowned and even let out a faint chuckle. ’Fighting spirit? Eddie Curry is talking about fighting spirit? Has he lost his mind? Is he really one to talk?’

Once a game enters garbage time, it ends quickly.

BUZZ!

The final buzzer sounded.

The Knicks defeated the Phoenix Suns 120-103.

Although it was an inconsequential preseason game, for the Knicks, who had been in a slump for many years, it was still an uplifting and memorable victory.

Su Xi played 32 minutes, finishing with 20 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. Another all-around, efficient performance.

The New York media immediately swarmed Su Xi for a courtside interview.

Su Xi spoke highly of his teammates. "Beating the Phoenix Suns proves one thing: our roster is stronger than people think. You all saw it. Our young guys are driven and unafraid to compete. Our veterans are true professionals who can step up in clutch moments."

"The best player tonight was Eddie Curry. Even though he’s young, he’s a veteran in terms of experience and his sense of responsibility. When the team was in trouble, after one of our young guys got posterized and taken out, he stepped up without hesitation and asked to go in. He got on the court, boosted our morale with a monster dunk, and then sent that arrogant, taunting Stadumier to the bench with a huge block."

"I bet Patrick Ewing in his prime was just like that."

After hearing such high praise from Su Xi, who wouldn’t be floored?

"Do you really think Eddie Curry can be compared to Patrick Ewing?"

A surprised reporter pressed.

"I don’t know what Patrick was like in his prime, but I know that tonight, Eddie Curry was at forty percent of his full potential, at most."

Su Xi delivered the hype effortlessly.

When Eddie Curry got home that night and saw the interview, he felt a profound sense of satisfaction. It was like a broken faucet of dopamine had been turned on in his brain, gushing out nonstop.

He really, really loved this feeling.

Because commentators on TV were even saying things like, "Why are they still going after him for that gun charge? He has a license; it was just a hunting rifle that wasn’t registered in New York State. Why be so harsh on the Knicks’ star big man? If the police have so much time on their hands, maybe they should go deal with the homeless on the streets."

Eddie Curry rolled around on his bed in glee a few times. Then, unbelievably, he went to the gym. He actually did a fat-burning workout.

’What a ridiculous ploy.’

’Such childish praise.’

Watching Su Xi’s interview at home, Jamal Crawford had a dismissive look on his face.

In fact, he wasn’t the only one who was unimpressed. Jalen Rose, Jerome James, and others felt the same way.

They all thought they had seen through Su Xi’s plan. It was nothing more than an attempt to motivate Eddie Curry with praise.

But they believed it wouldn’t last. Sooner or later, Eddie Curry would realize Little Sheep Su Xi was just playing him.

Still, Eddie Curry really was a fool; it looked like he had actually fallen for it.

The Knicks’ second game was in New Jersey, which was like a second home for Su Xi. The fans there adored him, considering him the greatest athlete to ever come out of the state.

The cheers for Su Xi were deafening, far louder than those for the home team’s stars: Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Richard Jefferson.

In this game, Su Xi took a new approach.

He cleared out on the strong side for isolation plays, going one-on-one against Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson.

Both of them were very good swingmen, although Vince Carter was past his peak due to injuries.

Su Xi’s isolation plays on the strong side were moderately to highly productive and efficient. More importantly, Jamal Crawford, Richardson, and Jalen Rose all benefited on the weak side.

Because Su Xi consistently drew double-teams, and he would kick the ball out quickly.

Su Xi’s one-on-one skills were still a far cry from Kobe’s, but he now had the ability to overpower his defender, and his passes were much quicker than Kobe’s.

The Knicks secured another victory.

After the game, Su Xi praised Jalen Rose. "You can’t believe he’s been in the league for over a decade. It’s surreal, you know? When I was a kid, I saw him on TV leading Michigan to sweep the NCAA. Back then, they were national idols, more popular than Michael Jackson. But now that he’s my teammate, his game is even more precise and efficient than before."

"It’s unbelievable. He must be bathing in formaldehyde or something; how else could someone stay in such great shape for ten, twenty years? After he retires, he should open a gym just to teach athletes how to stay in shape and have long careers. Or, he should get an endorsement deal for health supplements."

"He’s the human equivalent of a long-life battery."

So Su Xi praised Jalen Rose.

And New York TV stations aired the interview.

Jalen Rose received many congratulatory phone calls that night.

Even though he had only scored 14 points in the game, with five of them coming off assists from Su Xi.

But a compliment from Su Xi? That definitely meant something.

Sure enough, health supplement companies reached out to him about endorsements, and women started asking him out.

Jalen Rose finally got a taste of what Eddie Curry had been feeling. He discovered... ’So this is what it feels like. It’s amazing.’

’Hmph, these little tricks again.’

’Treating Rose like a kid. Only an idiot would believe that ’incredible battery life’ nonsense.’

’Has Little Sheep Su Xi run out of tricks?’

"..."

Quentin, Jamal, Jerome... The guys all grumbled as they watched the TV.

But the very next day, they saw Jalen Rose take the initiative to greet Su Xi. And during practice, he would, intentionally or not, suck in his stomach and puff out his chest to show how strong he was.

"I can actually still date five women at the same time."

In the locker room, he’d casually drop hints about his incredible stamina. He even lectured the rookie Nate Robinson: "You know what the secret is? Self-control when you’re young. The more you restrain yourself when you’re young, the longer your career will be. A lot of young guys don’t get it. They indulge themselves, and by the time they’re older, they’ve got nothing left in the tank."

"That’s why I’ve had the longest career out of the Michigan Five."

Jalen Rose was enjoying his new persona. He started lecturing the younger players, always using himself as a living example.

Even Isaiah Thomas felt the atmosphere in the locker room was getting better and better.

The preseason games continued.

The Knicks then played five more preseason games against the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and Indiana Pacers.

The Knicks won all five of these games.

Those five teams were, to varying degrees, just experimenting with their lineups. The Knicks, on the other hand, played every game to win. They weren’t in a position to experiment; they’d be lucky just to get their own strategy figured out.

The Pacers really did them a favor this time; none of their starters played. Little O’Neal, Artest, Jackson, Foster—they all sat out.

Stephon Marbury led the second unit in a flurry of disorganized but aggressive play.

Marbury did seem to have turned over a new leaf. He was willing to pass and fit into the Pacers’ system.

He played pretty well, even managing to extend their lead at one point.

But the Knicks mounted a furious comeback. In the fourth quarter, Crawford’s shot caught fire. He was completely in the zone. Su Xi kept feeding him the ball, and he just couldn’t miss. In the end, he single-handedly shot the Pacers out of the game.

A seven-game preseason winning streak.

The Knicks couldn’t have asked for a better start.