Chapter 999 - 325: Let them hate us! (Requesting monthly tickets!)_2

Words : 915 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

Chapter 144 of "Champion Creed" begins the action: Yes, he hasn’t been selected for the best defensive lineup, but only two centers can... Discover the next part!

Yes, he hasn’t been selected for the best defensive lineup, but only two centers can make it per season. You can’t say that centers who don’t make the best defensive lineup are all lacking. In Jeff Van Gundy’s defensive theme, Marcus Camby is definitely one of the top five defensive centers in the league. However, the Camby now wearing the Warriors’ jersey is a far cry from expectations. His defensive positioning is worse than Stoudemire’s, and his personal defense is just for show, lacking any enthusiasm. Although his block numbers look impressive, both Hubie Brown and Jeff Van Gundy can see that those come at the cost of leaving his position. He would completely abandon his matchup to chase a potential block, which actually contributes nothing to the defense. In ten defensive plays, Camby might block one or two, but will comfortably allow scores on the other eight. Moreover, Camby’s obsession with rebounds is puzzling. He would even shove his teammates aside to grab a rebound. Marcus Camby now seems to care only about his block and rebound stats on the defensive end. This is completely different from the proactive, earnest, smart, and tough Marcus Camby of before. Hubie Brown doesn’t know what happened to this kid, but for now, he certainly isn’t qualified to start for the Warriors. So in today’s season opener, the Warriors’ starters are Roger, Allan Houston, Tayshaun Prince, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Dikembe Mutombo. Roger knows what issues Marcus Camby is facing, so his confidence hasn’t been shaken. Camby’s problems will be solved; it’s just not the right time yet. Mutombo was a bit emotional as he walked onto the court: "Honestly, Roger, if it weren’t for joining the Warriors, I might never have seen such a grand scene in my life. This is my first time witnessing a Championship Ring ceremony." "Not yet, Big Ben. Our very own Championship Ring ceremony will be the grand one. I’ll make sure it happens. By the way, if Transformers ever makes a live-action movie, you have to voice Megatron. You don’t even need special effects." "Hahaha, I’ll apply for it. But tonight, let’s win the game first!" As Roger and Mutombo talked, Ron Artest approached arrogantly: "Roger, don’t say my championship journey has never beaten you. You are the first step we take to defend the title." "The first step to a fall?" "Ha, just wait and see." Both teams got into position. The defending champions became serious, and the Warriors were also highly focused. Roger took a deep breath, feeling a strong desire to win. He really wanted to beat the defending champions. Alright, he admits, he also really wanted to take down Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Previously, "Sports Illustrated" said, "Once the regular season starts, it won’t take a week to know whether Roger or Michael is the arrogant one." But in fact, Roger thinks it wouldn’t take that long, just two days would be enough. Tonight he would beat the defending champions, and tomorrow the Cleveland Cavaliers would lose to the Knicks. The arrogant fool will be obvious. Roger has confidence in the Knicks because Yao Ming and Wade had unexpected chemistry, while the Clevelanders thought they could easily beat the Knicks. Tomorrow’s game could very well turn into a comedy, and before enjoying that comedy, Roger needs to take down the defending champions first. The referee threw the ball into the air, and Mutombo snatched the possession from Rasheed Wallace’s head, and the fierce battle was about to start! Roger took control of the ball facing the Pistons’ defense, making the first round of the game highly anticipated. Can the best star players of today solve the best defense of the day? This is what everyone is eager to know. Although in 2002 Roger’s Hawks beat the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons weren’t fully formed back then. Furthermore, the Hawks had better offensive resources at the time than the Warriors. In the Warriors, Roger doesn’t have a secondary attacker of Paul Pierce’s caliber. As Roger approached the Pistons’ defense, he didn’t hesitate and immediately called for a pick and roll. "Ha, I knew the only damn thing you’d do!" Ron Artest sneered at Roger’s offensive choice because defending the pick and roll was his weakness. However, at the moment Roger went around the screen, Rasheed Wallace immediately made up the defense, preventing Roger from breaking through. At the same time, Artest also quickly converged, and Big Ben firmly guarded the basket. If Stoudemire tried to dive down, all he’d find was a block. The Detroit Pistons’ defense had long become a complete cohesive unit, like a precision instrument, seamless. They perfectly combined excellent individual defense capabilities with perfect team defense harmony, which is why their defense is so formidable. For a moment, Roger was trapped in a double-team. But without panic, he forcefully passed the ball to his side, driving it through the gap between Artest and the Yelling Maestro to reach Stoudemire, who had run to the right mid-range after the pick and roll. Stoudemire then took a shot after the pick and roll. This was a tactic the Warriors had used last season. But since Stoudemire’s mid-range shots had never been stable, the frequency of this tactic’s use wasn’t high. However, people discovered during the preseason that Stoudemire’s mid-range jump shots had become quite stable, and Big Ben had also reminded the whole team before the game: "Watch that rookie’s mid-range shot."

Chapter 999 - 325: Let them hate us! (Requesting monthly tickets!)_2

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