Let's be reasonable!
In terms of versatility, comparing Magic Ervin Johnson to Link would definitely show that Magic has met his match.
Although Magic had that classic moment of taking the opening tip in place of Abdul-Jabbar in the Finals, leading many to believe he could play Center... in reality, he was only responsible for the jump ball; he still played Point Guard in that game.
Magic couldn't actually slide up to the 5 position; given his size, he could at most slide up to the Power Forward spot.
Link's physical dimensions also allow him to play multiple positions, and his effectiveness as a shooting guard or small forward would certainly be stronger than Magic's.
Magic didn't have shooting ability as accurate as Link's.
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83 to 96!
The G3 battle between the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards came to a close.
The Washington Wizards, who finished third in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, currently hold a 3-0 lead against the second-seeded Detroit Pistons.
This is a result that countless fans never expected...
After all, during the regular season, although the Detroit Pistons tied with the Washington Wizards, they had limited Link quite well every time. However, once the playoffs arrived, Link actually completed an "evolution."
His first step became faster, making it easier for him to shake off defenders and gain the offensive initiative.
His passing ability transformed, so he no longer feared double-teams.
His combo moves into jumpers under contact became stronger, allowing Link to shoot anytime, anywhere.
His finishing ability improved; even when driving to the rim and facing interference, Link still had a high probability of making the shot.
His improved ability to read the game allowed him to better break through defensive schemes.
The ability to read the game is especially important in high-level matches. It's like playing a certain pay-to-win 2K game; even if you spend heavily on the Hall of Fame and your player's attributes are overpowered, if you only know how to use Shift+D, you'll still stall against a slightly skilled opponent.
Wait!
With improvements in every aspect, Link appeared completely at ease during the playoffs against the Detroit Pistons.
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Two days later.
The Washington Wizards continued to host the Detroit Pistons at home.
Compared to G3, the Detroit Pistons played with extreme desperation to avoid a sweep, and their perimeter shooting was also quite good.
As for the Washington Wizards, they resisted the Detroit Pistons' waves of life-and-death attacks, but when the game reached the latter half of the fourth quarter, Michael Michael Jordan's "GOAT Syndrome" flared up.
Accustomed to being the savior, Michael Jordan still thought he was a young man in his twenties; seeing the Washington Wizards down by 3 points, he repeatedly called for the ball in the elbow for isolations, and the result... an 0-for-4 stretch that threw away the victory.
Of course, Link and the Washington Wizards players could accept this result; after all, even a peak Jordan couldn't pull off a comeback every single time. Giving Michael Jordan the ball for isolations in crunch time was the Washington Wizards' offensive strategy.
Link was the Washington Wizards' foundation, while Michael Jordan was the ultimate weapon for victory.
However, what made thousands of Washington Wizards fans' hearts ache was that... after missing his first three shots, Michael Jordan drove directly to the rim on his fourth attempt, and the result... he sprained his knee.
With a "thud!", Michael Jordan fell to the ground in pain, clutching his knee with both hands as tears flowed uncontrollably.
Although Link usually joked around with Michael Jordan, this time he could clearly feel that Michael Jordan wasn't faking it.
Link was the first to arrive in front of Jordan, crouching down to ask about his condition: "Michael..."
Soon, two Washington Wizards team doctors arrived on the court and helped Jordan off; before leaving, Jordan didn't forget to look back at Link.
His eyes revealed a hint of apology and frustration.
Coming out of retirement for the second time, Michael Jordan had always wanted to prove he wasn't old yet, that he could still lead a team to victory and even win that damn championship trophy. But Jordan knew his injury this time was serious; forget about being unable to play the rest of the playoffs, whether he could even suit up for the regular season next year was an unknown.
This made Jordan very frustrated.
As for the apology in his eyes, it was because he felt he could no longer continue to help Link.
The rest of the road would have to be traveled by him alone.
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With Michael Jordan leaving the game due to injury, the final score of G4 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Wizards was fixed at 91 to 84.
The Detroit Pistons brought the series score to 3-1.
At the same time, Jordan's injury and his being out for the playoffs injected suspense into this series.
Before G4, almost ninety percent of the media believed the Washington Wizards could win this series, and because of this, the Washington Wizards' championship odds had risen to fourth in the league.
After G4, at least half of the external media believed the Detroit Pistons could complete an epic comeback while trailing 3-0.
One must know that in the NBA playoffs, there has never been a team that successfully overturned a 3-0 deficit.
However, Michael Jordan's season-ending injury gave Detroit that sliver of hope.
For the G5 battle, the Washington Wizards headed back to the Motor City.
Before the game started, Link was surrounded and intercepted by the media's cameras and microphones.
"Link, without Michael, what adjustments will you make tonight?"
"Link, do you think you guys can still advance to the Eastern Conference Finals?"
"Link, how many more games do you think this series needs?"
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The reporters' questions came all at once; if it were any of the other three rookies of the same class on the team, they would be dizzy by now.
But Link was very calm at this moment, slowly speaking: "1 game! There's only 1 game left, and this series will be over. I've already given every player on the Washington Wizards a ticket to Michael Jackson's concert; yes, that's right, the concert in 2 days."
Click!
Click!
Click!
After he finished speaking, the media reporters' flashes went off frantically in Link's face.
The current situation was 3-1!
Link said the series would end in one more game and even gave his teammates tickets to a Michael Jackson concert.
In response, the reporters all showed looks of delight.
Hehe, here comes an explosive topic.
If Link pulls it off, he can be called the "King of Posturing."
But if Link fails, he'll be a clown who popped the champagne at halftime, and it would definitely be a shameful thing to be mentioned in the future.
At the same time, Link's words caused the Washington Wizards' PR Manager's expression to change slightly; he wanted to stop him.
But on second thought, he held back.
Without Michael Jordan, would Link undergo a new transformation?