A compilation of six of the NBA's greatest point guards!

Chapter 78 Firefighter Zeng Zhen!

Pierce won the Finals MVP last season, and he doesn't think a rookie can climb over him to the top.

"40+10 in his debut! That's interesting," Garnett said, looking at the screen.

"He also got a double-double in the last game," Rivers added.

"In the starting lineup, KD needs to be guarded, but in the bench lineup, this guy will cause us a lot of trouble. If necessary, we will double-team him. Tony, in the second unit, you are primarily responsible for guarding him, and at other times Paul will guard him." Rivers then specifically mentioned Tony Allen.

"No problem, leave it to me, I'll handle him." Tony Allen was much more serious than Pierce. He would study every opponent, which was his homework. He had already studied Zeng Zhen's video and scouting reports in advance!

"As for the inside game, Kevin, you need to participate more in the offense. Their inside strength is not enough, which is our opportunity. On the defensive end, we need to rush out as much as possible, as their outside offense relies heavily on it."

"Raja, you need to control the pace and not mess things up. These young guys can run really fast."

Garnett and Rondo both nodded.

"Listen up, guys, our goal for the new season is still to defend our title. We need to take every game seriously. SuperSonics—no, I should call us the Thunder now—this is a city many of you are visiting for the first time. You need to let the fans here feel the dominance of the defending champions!!"

While Rivers was forcefully feeding him pep talks, he stood up and swung his fist heavily.

"Whoa whoa!!"

"Kill them."

The players joined in the chant.

In a new city, in front of a new group of NBA fans, the Celtics players were full of energy. They wanted to teach their home team a lesson on the road, because they were not a team like the Rockets or Timberwolves.

Ray Allen watched this scene calmly.

The SuperSonics have been renamed the Thunder. This is a completely new team, and it has absolutely no connection with him anymore.

.......

On November 6th, in the afternoon, Zeng Zhen drove his newly purchased Ferrari sports car to the Ford Center.

After punching the mascot in the tunnel, he entered the locker room, opened the locker door, and found jerseys and various equipment inside.

Nike, Adidas, Anta, Li-Ning...

Zeng Zhen wore Nike and Adidas in the previous two games, "so today I'll wear Anta."

In his past life, Zeng Zhen would spend money to collect sneakers, but now he doesn't have that hobby anymore; the sneakers he buys are just for wearing.

For now, he can still choose the sneakers he likes to wear, but once he signs with a brand, he won't be able to wear whatever he wants anymore.

Just as Zeng Zhengang finished putting on his sneakers, the locker room door was pushed open.

"Hey bro, I just heard from the media that Paul Pierce said he wants to give you a warm welcome to the NBA." Westbrook took out his phone and clicked on a link.

Zeng Zhen took it and glanced at it; the content had been up for about 30 minutes.

During an interview outside the arena, a reporter asked, "Paul, tonight you'll be matched up against Thunder's 8th overall pick, Zeng Zhen. What would you like to say to this young man?"

What the media loves to do most now is to create matchups between young players and established stars.

"Hehehe, get this straight, my counterpart is KD." Paul Pierce's answer excited the reporters. He didn't mention Zeng Zhen at all, clearly looking down on him.

Most people think Paul Pierce is an honest man, but he is not. Even after he retires, he will still need the camera to express his opinions and views.

"Although KD is the starter, Zeng will definitely play in the main rotation. Based on his height, you will have a lot of matchup time. Everyone thinks that Zeng will become a superstar in the future. Have you watched his games?" the reporter asked again.

"I haven't watched his games. Everyone thinks he'll become a superstar? Who thinks so? I don't think so. Just wait and see. I'll welcome him to the NBA." Pierce, wearing sunglasses, held his chin high in the photo.

"How are you? Are you worried?" Westbrook asked Zeng Zhen.

"Watch how I get past him." Zeng Zhen smiled. With Paul Pierce's speed, he'd be more than happy to have him guard him.

"Yeah, I believe you, bro. You teach him a lesson on the court and shut him up." Westbrook held out his hand.

"Then you're going to beat Rajan tonight too." Zeng Zhen gave him a high five.

"No problem." Westbrook always has a confident demeanor.

Durant, who was standing not far away, seemed a little envious of the friendship between Westbrook and Zeng Zhen. The two seemed to encourage each other both on and off the court.

Unlike Westbrook, who often chats with him, Durant prefers to be alone. He puts away his small backpack, puts on his big headphones, and starts putting on his sneakers.

Brooks was pleased to see Westbrook and Zeng Zhen encouraging each other, as it was good for the team.

Brooks' philosophy differs from Carlesimo's. He values ​​respecting players' natural talents and playing style rather than adhering to rigid tactical doctrines. However, since he is currently an assistant coach, he can't say much.

"Alright, guys, did you all remember the tactics the coach gave us yesterday? We can't rush things against a championship-caliber team like this, and we need to minimize mistakes," Brooks encouraged the players.

"Got it!"

"OK!"

The Thunder players have a better impression of Brooks than of head coach Carlesimo. Carlesimo has a somewhat distant relationship with the players, while Brooks is very close to them and plays the role of an older brother.

.......

Everything proceeded smoothly and orderly. After the game started, Westbrook and Zeng Zhen were still placed on the bench.

Zeng Zhen and Westbrook both served as substitutes in college, so there shouldn't be too much animosity between them, especially since this is only their third NBA game.

Thunder starting lineup: Watson, Sefolosha, Durant, Wilcox, Collison.

Celtics starting lineup: Rondo, Ray Allen, Pierce, Garnett, Perkins.

On the field, Wilcox and Garnett are jumping for the ball.

Wilcox could jump higher, but he was clearly less experienced than Garnett. Garnett seized the moment the referee threw the ball and jumped first, extending his long arms to deflect the ball away from Rondo.

Rondo dribbled the ball forward. Although Watson was more experienced than Rondo, he dared not be careless. Rondo was already a championship-caliber guard, and his ability to connect the Big Three together spoke volumes about his skill.

Rondo observed from the top of the arc. He first glanced at Ray Allen. Sefolosa was chasing Ray Allen very closely, and Ray Allen could not shake him off even after several reverse runs. Rondo passed the ball to Garnett at the free-throw line.

Garnett then took a step forward and handed the ball to Rondo, using the opportunity to block Watson.

Rondo started his run on the left and beat Watson. Watson reacted quickly and tried to catch up, but he couldn't keep up with Rondo's pace. Rondo broke through successfully.

Rondo had a wide-open shot in front of him, but instead of taking a mid-range shot, he continued to drive, drawing Collison's help defense before leaping around Collison's waist and passing the ball to Pierce, who was cutting inside from the right.

Pierce received the ball and calmly made the layup.

2 is better than 0

"A beautiful cut inside, a connection between Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce. The two have great chemistry. If the Thunder's defense continues to crumble so easily, they're going to be in big trouble tonight," Barkley said.

Subsequently, although Durant successfully scored one basket with a standing stick, Rondo once again used a pick-and-roll to pass the ball to Garnett at the free-throw line, and Garnett made a mid-range jump shot.

"Fuck!"

Seeing Watson's defense repeatedly breached by Rondo, Carlesimo on the sidelines couldn't help but curse, pointing out that in addition to the problems with the interior defense, there were also issues with the perimeter defense.

After more than six minutes of play, the Celtics demonstrated dominance on both ends of the court, and the score quickly reached 15-5, with the Thunder's home court falling behind by double digits.

They seem to have returned to the weak team that everyone bullied last season.

Durant is still very thin, and Pierce and Garnett have been giving him a lot of physical contact, which often makes his movements awkward.

"ever!"

"ever!"

"We need Zeng!"

Thunder fans at the Ford Center didn't understand why Carlesimo was still keeping Zeng Zhen on the bench. Shouldn't they have gone all out from the start against such a strong team?

Shang Zengzhen, ah!!

"Besides the issue of roster depth, the coach is also one of the Thunder's problems," Barkley said.

"Why do you say that?" Smith asked.

"PJ is too old-fashioned. He should have put Zeng on the court earlier, instead of only thinking of him when things get tough," Barkley bluntly stated.

Carlesimo's face was grim. He wasn't sure if Zeng Zhen could break through the Celtics' impenetrable defense as he had in the previous two games, but looking at the widening point difference and the surging crowd, he had no other choice.

PJ Carlesimo yelled at Zeng Zhen, "Zeng, you go!"

Upon hearing the coach's words, Zeng Zhen, who was already prepared, quickly stood up, tore open his sports pants, and ran to the technical table on the sidelines.

He was used to putting out fires every day.