Chapter 86: Troubled by Fouls, Taking on a Critical Role

Alaric, with his whole "been there, done that" vibe from being reborn, just couldn't get hyped about today's NBA games. The action was just too meh. The Lakers only averaged 100.8 points per game last season, shooting at 45.9%. Not exactly lighting it up.

Phil's game plan for the Lakers? Snooze fest. He liked to slow things down, make sure they were efficient on offense, and then lock down on defense to keep the other team’s shooting percentage low. Last season, their opponents only averaged 92.3 points per game, shooting at 41.6%.

Alaric was sitting courtside, feeling all kinds of anxious for the guys on the court.

Damon played like Allen, but he couldn't push the pace or drive with the ball. Once he got to the frontcourt, he had to dish it off and then just chill outside the three-point line. On defense, he had to guard dudes taller than him.

Ron, on the other hand, was taller than Damon but didn't use his height to attack. He couldn't shoot threes over defenders or use his size to post up, just kept passing the ball around.

Every time Alaric thought about how the media and so-called basketball "experts" said Ron was the perfect piece for a championship team, he wanted to spit. Do these people even know what "perfect" means?

Sure, the Shaq-Kobe duo was strong, but their teammates had some serious flaws. The Lakers' bench depth was nothing compared to the Heat or Cavaliers' championship teams from his past life.

The Lakers' stars took turns going one-on-one. Shaq was dominating, while Kobe was having a tough time, making only one shot under Scottie's defense and drawing a foul for a 2+1 play.

After Kobe scored, Scottie tried to answer back, driving to the basket. But with Kobe in his face, he missed the shot and hit the floor.

The team doc checked on Scottie and said he sprained his left ankle. After just seven minutes, the Blazers' star was helped back to the locker room. At 35, Scottie just couldn't hang like he used to.

A couple of possessions later, Steve drew Kobe's second foul, sending Kobe to the bench.

Phil turned to Alaric and said, "Alaric, you're up."

Alaric grinned. With 4.5 minutes left in the first quarter, he got his shot earlier than he thought. No time to warm up, but he was good at adjusting on the fly, so no biggie.

"Don't sweat it, just go for it!" Alaric told himself.

With Kobe off the court, Alaric saw a rare chance to go up against someone shorter than him. He decided to drive hard instead of passing to Ron or Rick to feed Shaq in the low post. The Blazers would be all over Shaq, so passing to him would just make him a target.

Steve made both free throws, making it 14-15, Lakers down by one.

The ball was inbounded, and Alaric took control while Damon pressed near midcourt.

Seeing Damon's stance, Alaric knew Damon didn't take him seriously, thinking he could bully a rookie. Alaric calculated the distance, backed into Damon three feet outside the three-point line, almost knocking him off balance, then spun right and crossed over.

Damon was caught off guard. He thought Alaric, being young and similar in build, would be weaker. But Alaric was a beast who could bench press 185 pounds ten times, even if he didn't look it.

Alaric took a step to the right at a 70-degree angle, stopped, and pulled up for a three. Damon was a step too slow, and the ball was already flying towards the basket when he jumped to block.

Alaric shot with confidence, the ball traced a perfect arc and swished through the net. 17-15.

Commentator Tom shouted, "Lakers' last pick rookie Alaric comes in and nails a three, putting the Lakers ahead."

Mark Woodson chimed in, "This kid made waves in the NCAA Final Four and Summer League, but barely saw the court in preseason. With Derek out, the Lakers gotta lean on him more. Let's see how he handles defense now."

Damon brought the ball up. With Scottie out, he got more chances to handle the rock and wanted to make a statement.

The scouting report said Damon was a beast at driving, whether for layups or kick-outs. His shooting was a bit iffy, and he rarely took contested threes. So, Alaric kept a step and a half back, lowering his center of gravity to focus on stopping the drive.

Back when he was with the Raptors, if defenders played him like this, Damon would just pull up and shoot from mid-range. In the '96-'97 season, he averaged 6.1 three-point attempts per game, making 2.2 at a 35.5% clip. His rookie season was even better, hitting 39.5% from deep, averaging 1.9 made threes per game.

But after joining the Blazers, coach Mike Dunleavy had him driving into the paint all the time, finishing with layups. Mike's philosophy was the closer to the basket, the higher the shooting percentage.

Mike wasn't a fan of threes. Last season, the Blazers averaged 13.8 three-point attempts per game, which was already a compromise for him. Back in '91-'92 with the Lakers, they only averaged 5.4 three-point attempts per game.

Damon had to curb his urge to shoot and focus on driving. His speed was killer, and he could blow by many guards with his first step. But Alaric was quick and agile too, reacting fast and blocking the driving lane.

Damon backed into Alaric and tried to change direction, but Alaric's footwork was solid, sticking close. Damon didn't want to back down against the rookie, so he went for a tough turnaround step-back jumper. He got some space but missed, and Shaquille grabbed the rebound.

Shaquille didn't pass to Alaric, the traditional point guard, but gave it to Ron and signaled to slow down.

Shaquille saw Alaric wanted to push the fast break, but being a big guy, he couldn't keep up. The pace slowed, and Ron dribbled up, passing to Rick on the right.

Rick faked an inside pass but then dished it to Ron, who had moved to the right corner. Horace set an off-ball screen, blocking Steve.

The vets worked well together, and Ron nailed an open three. 20-15.

Alaric had to pull to the left to draw the defense, but it didn't work.

Why forced? Because he was more accurate on the right. Even though he practiced hard on the left, it was still a bit weaker. Right-handed players often have this issue; their moves like jab steps and crossovers are slower on the left.

Alaric had to give up the right corner because Ron could still hit threes from there. On the left, he was just a spectator. Back in the day, he could drive and dunk, but not anymore.

Luckily, Alaric joined the injury-riddled Lakers, ensuring his playing time. If he had joined a bad team as a rookie with no say, giving way to the team's core vets, he might've gone nuts from frustration after a season.

Playing with stars, Alaric would also benefit.

Next possession, Damon and Dale ran a pick-and-roll, shaking off Alaric and quickly driving past him. Damon's "Mighty Mouse" nickname was no joke; once he took off, it was hard to catch him. But his layup got swatted away by Shaquille's help defense.

Seeing the ball fly towards Ron, Alaric immediately turned and sprinted, breaking away from Dale. Ron made a perfect long pass to Alaric, who caught it just before the free-throw line and took two steps for an easy layup.

22-15, Alaric's fifth point, and the lead was growing.