NBA : Formidable Center

**

"Jermaine O'Neal finally decides to directly respond to the opponent's provocation!"

"Honestly, compared to the real Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine is a much more emotionally volatile player."

From the sidelines, Charles Barkley observed Jermaine O'Neal's rage-filled expression and shared his thoughts.

Having faced off against the real O'Neal himself, Barkley knew that while the legendary big man wasn't the best at trash talk, he had excellent emotional control.

Watching the two players' bodies collide on the court, Barkley couldn't help but feel a strange sense of déjà vu.

"Why does it feel like Wang Song resembles Shaquille O'Neal more than Jermaine does?"

"Hmm?"

"He's just as steady as Shaq! If you give him the ball in the paint, you can confidently expect a basket."

"What's going on, Charles? Is this rookie already winning you over in his first game? Or are you just reminiscing about donkey kicks?"

Kenny Smith turned to tease Barkley, whose face flushed red as he turned away, choosing to dodge the question entirely.

---

### On the Court

Jermaine O'Neal initiated an attack on the Knicks' paint area.

He was determined to silence the noisy Madison Square Garden crowd.

**Thud! Thud! Thud!**

One dribble, then two, and another.

---

Jermaine suddenly froze when he realized the rookie behind him wasn't budging an inch.

While his low-post offense wasn't elite, Jermaine had spent some time being hailed as the "best power forward in the East," dominating the competition. Yet, this rookie had completely neutralized his strength advantage, leaving him bewildered.

As he hesitated in his attack, a lightning-fast hand darted in from under his arm.

**Swipe!**

The ball was gone! Wang Song had stolen it cleanly!

Realizing what had happened, Jermaine sprinted back on defense. But with Steve Nash orchestrating the Knicks' fast break, the ball moved faster than any player.

No matter how hard Jermaine ran, the ball was always one step ahead of him. Frustrated and defeated, he gave up the chase, standing still with regret written all over his face.

Seeing the turnover, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle felt a slight sense of relief.

"Stay calm, Jermaine!" he called out, using the Knicks' fast break as an opportunity to remind O'Neal to control his emotions.

To prevent further escalation, Carlisle called for a timeout, deciding to cool Jermaine off by benching him for the rest of the game.

---

### Coaching a Team Requires Managing Emotions

Coaches often spend a significant amount of time managing players' emotions. Being able to influence a player's state of mind is a key element of control.

Carlisle knew his star player was prone to emotional outbursts, but he hadn't expected a preseason game to almost break him.

For the sake of stability, Jermaine O'Neal didn't return to the court, leaving the paint area wide open for Wang Song.

By halftime, Wang had already secured an impressive **15 points and 10 rebounds**, clocking out early.

Knicks coach Don Chaney initially wanted to keep Wang on the court to pad his stats, hoping for a standout performance to appease management.

However, Chaney wasn't about to force his rookie star, especially one handpicked by the front office. With his own job security shaky after two poor seasons, Chaney knew better than to stir the pot.

---

### Postgame Buzz

Wang Song's stellar debut—delivering a double-double in just half a game—had Knicks fans chanting for his return from the stands.

By the end of the game, the Knicks had defeated the Indiana Pacers **102-94**, with news quickly spreading about Jermaine O'Neal's early exit.

---

### Media Coverage

Back in China, sports outlets buzzed with headlines:

- **"Shocking! Indiana Pacers Fall to the Knicks—Here's the Surprising Reason Why!"**

- **"Jermaine O'Neal: 'I Just Didn't Want to Play—It's Only a Preseason Game!'"**

- **"Wang Song's Solid Performance: 15 Points and 10 Rebounds Prove Knicks Made the Right Call!"**

Fans were also quick to react:

- **"Does this mean Wang Song already has All-Star potential if he can dominate someone like Jermaine O'Neal?"**

- **"Let's not get ahead of ourselves—it was just a preseason game. But if we extrapolate his numbers, he'd have a 30-point, 20-rebound performance over a full game!"**

- **"Season's still young, though! Let's see how he handles the long grind of 82 games."**

---

### The Rookie Class

With the preseason drawing to a close, rookies were beginning to establish themselves.

LeBron James led the pack with impressive all-around stats, averaging **20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists** per game.

Carmelo Anthony was the preseason's top scorer with **21 points per game**, while Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Wang Song showcased consistent performances.

The stage was set. As the regular season approached, one question loomed large: Which rookie would truly shine under the NBA spotlight?

(End of Chapter)

Check out my P@treon for advance chapter on [email protected]/Twilight_scribe1