Chapter 39: You Had Better Come Assist Me?

November 7, 1996. After a day of rest, the Knicks kicked off their back-to-back road trip for the week. Perhaps it was his advancing age, but Patrick Ewing had not fully recovered just two days after his grueling battle against Shaquille O'Neal.

On the evening of the 7th, at the San Jose Arena, Li You earned his first start of the season. It turned out that as long as one was paired with Ewing, it was never particularly difficult for a guard to rack up assists. Facing an interior duo of Joe Smith and Todd Fuller, the "Gorilla," not quite at his physical peak, refrained from frequent low-post pounding. Instead, he relied on his vast experience to establish position and finish with simple, effective floaters. Near the paint on both sides of the rim, Patrick Ewing displayed an incredibly high shooting percentage. Li You, in his starting role, didn't need to do much; he simply had to wait for the right moment to deliver the pass and collect an assist.

By the end of the game, Patrick Ewing had shaken off his previous slump, shooting 14-of-20 to rack up 33 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 4 turnovers. With a 70 percent shooting accuracy, he dismantled the Warriors' interior defense. Li You, who logged 35 minutes, also delivered a stellar stat line: 5-of-8 from the field, 2-of-5 from three-point range, and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, totaling 16 points, 3 rebounds, 14 assists, 1 steal, and only 2 turnovers. The Knicks secured a 109-100 victory, handing the Warriors their third consecutive loss.

Jeff Van Gundy finally realized that Li You could also play like a traditional point guard—bringing the ball up, waiting for the right moment to pass, drawing double-teams inside, and finding open teammates on the perimeter. The key to Ewing’s improved efficiency was simply more "eating" (finishing plays); once the spacing for his isolation plays improved, schooling the opposing rookies became a walk in the park. The highlight of the night came during a fast break when Li You pushed the ball up the court with his right hand. On the left wing outside the three-point line, facing defense from Latrell Sprewell, Li You executed a push-crossover followed by a between-the-legs hesitation pull-back. The moment he shook his defender, Ewing cut to the middle. Li You immediately whipped the ball toward the rim with one hand, and the "Gorilla" easily finished with an alley-oop dunk.

After the game, the New York sports media was in a frenzy—the flow of the game had been simply sublime. However, before the praise could even settle, Jeff Van Gundy fed the New York media a helping of misery the very next day.

In an 88-81 struggle that required overtime, the Knicks barely scraped past the Clippers. Charlie Ward returned to the starting lineup, and Allan Houston continued to struggle with his shot during the back-to-back. The Knicks only managed to secure the win thanks to Ewing’s low-post aggression and precise free-throw shooting.

Ewing finished with 5-of-12 shooting, 20 points, 19 rebounds, 1 steal, 7 blocks, and 8 turnovers, once again acting as the team's savior. Li You only played 16 minutes in this game, his time fragmented; he shot 3-of-6, including 1-of-3 from deep, and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe, finishing with 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. Despite the win, the New York media was not satisfied. While savaging Van Gundy, they once again turned their vitriol toward John Starks. The veteran played 37 minutes that night—the closer the game got to the wire, the more Van Gundy trusted his veterans. Starks shot 2-of-13, including 1-of-10 from three, ending with 7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 turnovers, a performance that felt like a flashback to his Finals nightmares.

Regardless of what the media said, Jeff Van Gundy stuck to his rotations, determined to find the optimal combination.

On November 10, the Knicks flew to Vancouver to face the Grizzlies, who had lost all five of their opening games. The result was never in doubt. In the third quarter, the Grizzlies' offense went cold, and a 12-0 run by the Knicks sealed the fate of the game. The Knicks cruised to a 103-82 win, securing their third consecutive victory. As the first week concluded, the Knicks stood at 5-1. Jeff Van Gundy had delivered an excellent record, leaving the New York media with nothing to complain about other than the "ugly" style of play. In the Eastern Conference, the Bulls were 6-0, with the Knicks close behind. Even the most critical New York fans could not fault the team's results.

Returning to New York on November 11, Li You breathed a sigh of relief. The dense schedule, with constant travel and three consecutive road games, would exhaust anyone. The coaching staff announced a day off, but Li You headed to the arena for his scheduled training anyway. The team staff was also working, and the equipment manager, Old Mike, cheerfully prepared the gear for him.

"Young people have so much energy! It's been a long time since I've seen a player voluntarily train like this," Mike said. "Li, you're definitely going to be a big star. If you had been on the team last year, Don Nelson probably wouldn't have been fired; he would have loved a talented player like you."

The reason for Don Nelson’s firing was his friction with Patrick Ewing—a topic the New York media gossiped about daily last year, and one Li You had naturally followed. "Van Gundy is a good man. He actually cares about the players. I can understand the coach's position," Li You replied, smiling as he moved the basketballs. He wouldn't dream of complaining about his minutes to the staff.

Old Mike didn't mind; he just loved chatting with the youngsters and continued the gossip. "Actually, Nelson had a great eye. Last year, Anthony Mason was given a major role, and even in the playoffs, the younger guys played well. He shouldn't have suggested trading Pat. Of course, maybe Nelson was right—O'Neal was younger and a better big man—but when a star and the head coach have a conflict, the coach always ends up getting fired. Starks didn't like Nelson either, but honestly, sometimes the team really needs to make changes early..."

Li You just smiled and nodded in agreement without saying much. When talking to his elders, he usually acted as a listener. Since joining the Knicks, he had learned much about the team's internal dynamics. Jeff Van Gundy had become a sycophant to Ewing primarily to keep his job as head coach. If a veteran like Nelson couldn't shake Ewing, Van Gundy—formerly just a lackey for Pat Riley—certainly couldn't afford to go against the team's biggest star. By keeping Ewing comfortable, the Knicks' record was guaranteed. Van Gundy was smart enough to know that as long as he maintained the team's baseline, he could keep his position. As for a championship? That would have to be left to God's will.

In Li You's view, Ewing's style was essentially, "You all better support me." There was nothing wrong with that approach, but the "Gorilla" was no Hakeem Olajuwon, and often, he couldn't carry the offensive load alone.

When Allan Houston arrived at the gym and saw that Li You had already finished a round of shooting, he remarked, "Allen Iverson is out there spending like crazy in New York. Sometimes I feel like you're not a young man at all!" Houston, wearing his training gear, teased Li You about his boring lifestyle. Li You felt helpless; he simply didn't like nightclubs filled with too much hip-hop culture, and the loud music gave him a headache. "Young people have to be hard on themselves. I want to earn a big contract in three years!"

After a few more lighthearted jabs, they began their monotonous fundamental training. Houston was still struggling to adapt to the team's system, shooting just over 30 percent in the last few games, while Li You's minutes remained fragmented, resulting in mediocre performances. Neither complained; they simply waited for their opportunity. The regular season was long, and time was on the side of the young.