383: 153: There is no denying that he is a great player (Votes for monthly ticket please!)_3 383: 153: There is no denying that he is a great player (Votes for monthly ticket please!)_3 After a perfect counterattack, the Rockets were only six points behind!
Brian Hill immediately called a timeout and yelled at Wilkins, “I don’t know what made you make that decision!”
He was furious that Wilkins had ignored his tactical setup.
Wilkins spread his hands, “I had made two in a row, and it was an open shot.”
“But my strategy was for you to hold onto the ball, whether it was an open shot or not!” Brian Hill roared.
It could only be said that Dominique Wilkins still retained some habits of being a superstar.
In the NBA, not every player has to follow the coach’s plan one hundred percent of the time.
Roger could ignore the tactics and go solo in certain rounds.
Shaq could stop all other work during certain periods, just focusing on demanding the ball in the paint and attacking.
Michael Jordan could say no to Phil Jackson’s triangle offense at any time.
Stars like Stockton and Karl Malone, who always followed the rules, were in fact the minority.
Similarly, Dominique Wilkins had the same privileges when he played for the Hawks.
As the Hawks’ iconic player, he could occasionally disregard the strategy and play the ball as he thought best.
But it was certain that role players could never have that kind of power.
Most of the time, role players had to play according to the coach’s arrangements, with relatively little freedom.
Dominique Wilkins just hadn’t gotten used to this yet; he hadn’t fully accustomed himself to the fact that he was now just an ordinary role player.
He subconsciously thought that he could ignore the coach’s arrangement and decide on an attack on his own.
He was wildly mistaken.
After Roger sat down on the bench, he candidly criticized Wilkins, “Remember, I’m the one slicing the cake, Dom.
We can eat the cake together, but it’s not for you to decide how to eat it.
Roger’s tone was very calm.
You couldn’t tell any emotion from that statement.
He acted like a team leader, naturally criticizing his subordinate.
Indeed, the only relationship between Roger and Wilkins was that of teammates.
If everyone did their job well, OK, they could go without speaking, without stepping on each other’s toes, and Roger wouldn’t pick fights.
But if Wilkins stepped out of line, Roger would certainly point it out without any hesitation.
He didn’t need to worry about hurting feelings, because they didn’t have any to begin with.
Wilkins said nothing; he recognized the reality.
The reality was, there would be no friendship between him and Roger.
Their relationship was like that between a client and a hooker, purely transactional without any unnecessary parts, only taking what each needed.
Wilkins needed a strong teammate, and Roger needed a role player.
They were just fulfilling their own needs.
Why didn’t Roger have the same attitude toward Saru last season?
Because Saru had issues on the court but was very easy to get along with off of it.
Plus, Saru’s problem was never about not understanding his role; he just lost confidence at the beginning of the season.
Wilkins was different.
His superstar attitude was one thing, but off the court, he still kept a haughty demeanor of “strangers keep out.” Roger didn’t want to waste time befriending such a person.
So, between him and Wilkins, it was just about being teammates.
If that was the case, then anything must be said outright.
But Wilkins didn’t care anymore.
He knew that this was all the price to be paid for the championship.
He could continue to be a superstar, in Europe.
Or in the NBA to win a championship, he just needed to do his job.
Wilkins just wanted to win a championship as a starting player now.
That was all he wanted.
Nothing else mattered.
But after being lectured by Roger, Dominique Wilkins couldn’t help thinking, what if Roger also didn’t do his job well?
Don’t I also have the right to criticize then?
Can’t be taking the blame for everything, can I?
“What if you mess up slicing the cake?” Wilkins asked directly, not holding back.
“Then you can also criticize me publicly.
You have that right, everyone does.”
After Roger spoke, Brian Hill began to reset the tactics.
It was the same as before, in the last round of offense, Wilkins was to act as a pivot.
He didn’t have the right to shoot.
His job was to use his offensive threat to help create space, then pass the ball back to either Roger or Shaq.
When the game resumed, the three veterans of the Houston Rockets unleashed all their power to defend.
They didn’t want to start their ambitious season with a loss.
Roger continued to be double-teamed by Clyde the Glide and Mario Elie, and as usual, he passed the ball to the highlight reel.
Although Wilkins had just missed, Mario Elie still dared not leave him completely open.
Moreover, the illegal defense rules didn’t allow him to stay close to the ball-less Roger.
This time, Wilkins wasn’t obstinate.
He passed the ball to Roger, who had circled back out to the three-point line.
After catching the ball, Roger feinted a shot and then accelerated inside.
Drexler, who had initially charged outward, immediately adjusted to keep up, but when Roger suddenly stopped and pulled back to the three-point line after one step forward,
Drexler didn’t give up, he tried to stick with Roger.
But clearly, this adjustment was Drexler’s limit.
He had to slam on the brakes, but his ankles couldn’t withstand such strain, causing him to fall to the ground.
After shaking off Drexler, Roger took a step inside and shot from mid-range.