The moment Su Feng walked from the scorer's table to the court, you might not believe it. What weighed most on his mind was not, "Finally, I'll play in the NBA"…
After working tirelessly for nearly a month, Su Feng could no longer suppress his burning ambition.
Didn't history show that when kings were absent, plots to usurp the throne boldly ushered in a new era?
The 76ers had neither Eddie Jones, nor Ceballos, nor Corsi.
Su Feng knew this preseason game was his chance to prove, through action, that he could seize the best opportunity with the 76ers.
Of course, as a young and seemingly innocent player, he couldn't openly reveal his ambition…
So he could only wait for the right moment with patience and cunning.
"Hey, Jerry, let me take Ray next."
As he stepped onto the court during a dead ball, Su Feng spoke to Stackhouse.
Stackhouse was stunned—then quickly nodded.
He assumed this must have been the coach's arrangement.
And indeed, it seemed right: time to let the fiery opponent test Su Feng's defense.
But Stackhouse didn't know—this was simply Su Feng's own proposal.
As a rookie, Su Feng certainly couldn't command the coaching staff.
Yet his greatest advantage as a newcomer was that he could act boldly, without hesitation.
Just like Kobe's three consecutive airballs in the playoffs of his rookie season, which still earned him praise and tolerance.
To use every resource wisely—even the identity of being new—that was the quality of a true usurper.
Su Feng understood clearly: to prove himself, choosing the toughest opponent was the fastest shortcut.
So, after speaking to Stackhouse, Su Feng turned to Iverson and said:
"Allen, don't let Sherman break through so easily."
Iverson wanted to throw Su Feng a giant question mark.
But before his doubts could surface, Su Feng added:
"In my mind, your defense isn't even at the level of the 'Smiling Assassin.' Show him the strength of the best defender in the East!"
Iverson felt a jolt—
"Oh, get out of here with that ridiculous pep talk!"
But still, his fighting spirit rose.
Seeing Iverson's blood ignite, Su Feng knew that most of what would follow from Iverson would be his relentless effort—
Even if it meant failed steals.
And in that way, Su Feng could freely showcase his defensive talent.
It wasn't about whether he could hold his ground perfectly.
What mattered in this preseason was that Su Feng displayed a desperate, fearless attitude—enough to draw attention.
And that was exactly what he wanted the coaching staff to see: this was the right way to use Iverson.
Since he couldn't command them directly, Su Feng believed he needed to inspire the coaches, to push them to act with initiative.
— "Iverson Tutorial, First Edition"
On the court, after Su Feng replaced MacLean, the lineups at that moment were:
76ers: Williams, Weatherspoon, Su Feng, Stackhouse, Iverson.
Bucks: Andrew Long, Almont Gilliam, John Newman, Ray Allen, Douglas.
With the Bucks in possession, Ray Allen's eyelids twitched slightly when he saw Su Feng in front of him.
Su Feng had faced Ray Allen in the summer league.
Now, meeting again, Allen felt more at ease after noticing his team's inside presence was dominant.
After all, in the summer league, the figure who grabbed rebounds and looked skyward had left a deep impression on him.
On the bench, Jerry and Rick asked curiously, "John, did you assign Su to guard Ray?"
Davis looked confused. "No…"
"Forget it, it's just preseason anyway. Watching Su's defense is a treat," Jason smiled.
"Jerry's good, but he always gets caught off guard when defending," Rick added.
On the floor, with Wembeck and Robinson off, the Bucks shifted their focus to Ray Allen.
Su Feng had noticed before that Allen's play was more disciplined than expected.
He could suddenly dunk, but unless it was a clear opportunity, he wouldn't force it.
This time, after Su Feng set his defensive stance, Allen passed the ball back to Douglas.
Allen had already experienced Su Feng's intense defensive package and knew the risks of forcing it.
So he chose to move away from Su Feng by running off the ball.
But Iverson had been waiting.
The current AI was no longer the same as before.
To borrow Liverpool's famous saying: "The Answer is never alone!"
Douglas didn't expect Iverson to cut in and steal the ball. Unprepared, he lost possession.
Iverson intercepted and finished a fast break: 16–25.
Douglas looked at Iverson in disbelief. As a member of the league's "183 army," he felt Iverson's steal was too precise.
On the next Bucks possession, facing Iverson's aggressive defense, Douglas used his body to shield the ball.
But just as he passed Iverson's zone, Su Feng rotated to help.
Su Feng's timing was perfect.
If Douglas moved quickly, he could spot Ray Allen open.
If slowly, he could break through the 76ers' defense.
But in preseason, with playoff-level defensive intensity, even an experienced Douglas couldn't react instantly.
Helpless, he threw the ball toward Ray Allen by instinct.
Snap—!
Su Feng leapt, blocking it volleyball-style with both hands!
Douglas: "…"
After the block, Su Feng immediately passed to Iverson, already sprinting downcourt.
AI finished with a one-handed dunk: 18–25.
On the sidelines, Jason and Rick clapped and shouted, "That's the level of defense we need!"
"We just swapped one player. Is the difference really this big?" Davis muttered.
In truth, it wasn't such a drastic change…
The key was that Su Feng's relentless energy was impossible to ignore.
This was preseason, not the regular season.
But the question remained: in preseason…
Although the basic level of intensity isn't as high as in the regular season, it's still intensity!
Su Feng knows the truth: you must first want it yourself.
After Iverson's dunk, as they retreated, he said to Su Feng: "Su, don't just keep passing to me. You'll get your own chances to score."
Su Feng nodded with a smile.
On the court, the Bucks attacked.
Coach Chris Ford considered calling a timeout after two straight mistakes, but then thought—this is just preseason, no need.
This time, the Bucks executed a classic pick-and-roll.
Weatherspoon's lack of effort left him trailing Gilliam, and Ray Allen slipped to the basket off Gilliam's screen.
Douglas quickly handed the ball to Allen. Although Su Feng contested at the last moment, the ever-reasonable Allen passed to center Long, who finished with a dunk.
18–27.
On the sidelines, Jason and Rick were dissatisfied with Weatherspoon's attitude.
Because on that play, Su Feng had chased all the way from the perimeter to the paint.
His "never give up" effort stood in sharp contrast to Witherspoon's laziness.
"John, since it's preseason, why don't we try another option?" Jason suggested to Davis.
Davis agreed.
He remembered how, in practice, Ben Wallace's relentless defense and rebounding always stood out.
"Ben, go in and replace Clarence," Davis said, looking at Wallace, who had been quietly sitting at the end of the bench.
Wallace nodded with a smile.
Though Wallace looked fierce, Davis felt his attitude was respectful and cooperative.
He especially recalled how Weatherspoon often complained about not touching the ball during timeouts…
Davis believed Su Feng and Wallace showed the professional mindset that true players should have.
Without contrast, there is no comparison.
Yesterday Su Feng had explained things to Wallace. Today, with the coach's trust, he had to show toughness and resilience.
Su Feng knew well: in history, Davis as a "tool coach" would suffer.
In his previous life, Davis only gained freedom with his players halfway through the season.
Now, with Su Feng and Wallace supporting him, Davis naturally felt more favor toward them.
Put simply, this coach wasn't just a tool—he was someone who could decide playing time.
There was no reason to oppose him.
On the court, the 76ers attacked, but unfortunately Stackhouse missed a three-pointer.
Stackhouse was 1-for-5 today. His poor shooting wasn't about ability—it was fear of not touching the ball, so he shot regardless of quality.
In Su Feng's past life, Iverson averaged nearly 20 shots per game this season, while Stackhouse took close to 17.
Their shooting percentages were 41.6% and 40.7%. At first glance, most of those attempts were questionable.
As a "Humanoid Iverson Encyclopedia," Su Feng saw the 76ers' offense at this stage as chaotic, like a marketplace.
But subtle changes were happening.
Just now, Su Feng had run a high-post set according to Davis's drawn baseline tactics. Stackhouse passed him the ball.
So Davis realized—it wasn't that no one followed his plays, but that some players simply ignored them.
Even a "tool coach" has a temper.
"Rex, you'll replace Jerry in a moment!" Davis told shooting guard Rex Walters on the bench.
"How about letting Su start next game?" Although Su Feng had played less than two minutes, Davis's appreciation for him was already overflowing.
Jason and Rick thought for a moment, then nodded. "From what we've seen in practice, Su has consistently outplayed Jerry. He has the ability to start."
"Well, but his minutes should still be managed carefully."
Davis had made up his mind. Su Feng's intelligence and willingness to follow instructions made Davis feel indebted to him.
Why keep sending out players who ignored him, instead of rewarding one who listened?
Ok...
Davis had clearly forgotten that, in fact, Su Feng on the defensive end hadn't followed his arrangement at all.
On the court, the Bucks struggled to attack.
Although Douglas simply missed his shot, in the eyes of the 76ers' coaching staff, the credit went to Su Feng.
At the moment Douglas pulled up, Su Feng was already prepared to help in the direction of his drive.
Douglas's style of play was that of a "reasonable emperor." His career shooting percentage was close to 50%, because he avoided reckless shots, relying mostly on open layups.
In truth, his mid-range and three-point shooting were poor—just 35% from mid-range and 26.7% from beyond the arc.
Su Feng encouraged Iverson to gamble defensively because even if he lost position, it didn't matter.
Douglas had no reliable jumper; Su Feng could recover before he reached the rim.
From the day he entered the 76ers' preseason camp, Su Feng had been steady.
Settling for "reasonable iron rights"?
That wasn't his style.
Challenging Stackhouse one-on-one was only Su Feng's first step.
It was meant to show the coaching staff that he was tough, reliable, and defensive.
The second step was to demonstrate his intelligence, winning more favor from the "tool man" coaching staff.
What Su Feng sought was not just the basic "iron value"…
He wanted unlimited iron rights!
On the court, Iverson ignored the playbook, threw the ball directly to Su Feng, and then stepped aside.
The message couldn't be clearer: everyone else back off, my brother is going to work.
The Bucks' small forward Newman was similar in height to Su Feng, but at only 88 kg, he was light.
Su Feng palmed the ball with one hand, then exploded forward like a charging truck!
The speed!
Even Ray Allen was stunned.
Su Feng's stride was long, his style reminiscent of a flying Dunhill.
Driving straight into the paint, the Bucks' big men collapsed in time, but as Su Feng barreled toward them, Lang and Gilliam thought:
"Is this kid insane?"
They closed in from both sides, but Su Feng didn't flinch—he attacked head-on!
Boom—!
After the collision, Su Feng fell, but his fearless posture left even Bucks fans speechless.
Most importantly, before hitting the floor, Su Feng managed to hurl the ball toward the rim.
Clang—!
The shot missed, but with Lang and Gilliam occupied, Williams grabbed the rebound and scored.
In the paint, Su Feng patted himself off and muttered:
"Damn, refs in the '90s are ruthless… how is that not a foul?"
Of course, he didn't complain to the officials. For him, the assist off the rebound was just as valuable.
According to the "iron value" system, Su Feng was assessed a base value before each game, which increased depending on the strength of his matchup.
For example, if he faced the Bulls and matched up with Michael Jordan, no matter the outcome, the iron value would be credited to Jordan.
Unfortunately, Newman wasn't Ray Allen—his iron value was only 2,800 points…
But it didn't matter.
Su Feng had already noticed that Allen, shrewd as ever, avoided defending him directly.
20–27. Since Su Feng entered, the gap between the 76ers and Bucks quickly narrowed.
His fearless style left a strong impression on the Bucks.
On the sideline, after a foul stopped play, the 76ers substituted Ben Wallace and Walters.
With Wallace protecting the boards, the rebounding pressure eased significantly.
At this stage, Wallace wasn't yet the future Defensive Player of the Year, but he was already a strong rebounder.
Each time he grabbed a board, his roar shook opponents' confidence.
Before the end of the first quarter, Su Feng had missed twice, but Wallace secured the rebounds.
24–29. Though Su Feng hadn't scored yet, his energy had already convinced the 76ers' coach that he had found another "answer" for the team.
"Su, keep playing in the second quarter. You'll be our main offensive option," Davis said, smiling as he patted Su Feng's shoulder.
At that moment, Su Feng's on-court persona—fierce and fearless—shifted back to his composed demeanor.
"Okay, coach."