Chapter Ninety-Five: Lin Fei’s Unsolvable Scientific Data Analysis

The phenomenon of Lin Fei was gradually permeating the entire league; no one could have imagined the extent of this young man’s potential. Experts began to analyze why his speed and shooting were so perfectly synchronized, why even the best defenders in the league found themselves helpless against him.

ESPN’s analysts provided an answer.

First, let’s break down Lin Fei’s explosive speed. His dribbling speed was unrivaled in the league, and his acceleration was nearly unmatched as well. Lin Fei could dribble a hundred meters in almost fourteen seconds on average—at his fastest, his acceleration covered nine meters with ease. According to data analysts, Lin Fei could reach his top dribbling speed for a hundred meters in barely three seconds. By comparison, most NBA point guards dribble a hundred meters in over sixteen seconds, and it takes them four seconds to reach maximum speed. When Lin Fei had the ball, he held all the initiative—he could operate half a beat faster than anyone else. That half-beat translated into a gap of nearly 0.8 meters, meaning that even if a defender was right on top of him at the first step, Lin Fei could still create enough space for a shot. For many players, that would be plenty, but not for Lin Fei—his height was a significant limitation. Once he hit his stride, and the defender was just getting started, Lin Fei would already be far ahead in speed. After half a second, the space between Lin Fei and his opponent could widen to 1.5 meters—a distance that seventy percent of the league’s guards could only dream of closing.

Now, let’s consider vertical leap and release speed. Lin Fei could transition from dribble to shot in roughly 0.4 seconds, with a release point around 2.3 meters high. He typically shot with a slight backward lean, around ten degrees, so the ball left his hand at roughly a thirty-degree angle, creating a high arc. According to calculations, for a defender standing 1.5 meters away and leaning forward, they’d need a vertical reach of about 3.3 meters to touch Lin Fei’s shot—and they’d have to be positioned directly in line between Lin Fei’s release point and the basket. Even a slight misalignment would require an even higher jump. Some players, like Howard or Griffin, might reach such heights, but by the time the ball was at that position, almost no one could actually be there. The requirements were simply too demanding, and none of those tall, explosive athletes could match Lin Fei’s speed.

In other words, those few defenders who could keep up with Lin Fei’s speed—maintaining that 1.5-meter distance—could never contest his shot at its peak. Those who could reach the necessary height lacked the speed to keep up with him.

To put it vividly, even if you possessed Rose’s leaping ability and speed, and Yao Ming’s height, successfully defending Lin Fei would still be nearly impossible. You’d need to match Lin Fei’s acceleration, surpass Rose’s explosiveness, be even taller than Yao Ming, and possess the world’s most precise anticipation and positioning—only then could you begin to disrupt Lin Fei’s shot. But in all of human history, there's never been such a prehistoric behemoth.

And this analysis doesn’t even account for Lin Fei’s spins, fakes, or his teammates’ screens.

All of this proves a single point: Lin Fei is unguardable.

But this is the NBA, the arena of miracles. Many technical feats defy explanation—Jordan’s hang time, for instance, is still hard to understand today. Likewise, Lin Fei’s shooting can hardly be explained by pure science.

Many people wondered—if he’s truly unguardable, is there any limit to how much he can score?

Let’s look at the numbers. When Lin Fei was guarded one-on-one, his field goal percentage was 70%, and his three-point percentage was a staggering 55%. He almost never turned the ball over, averaging twenty shots and thirty-two points per game, with two assists. When facing double teams, his field goal percentage dropped “only” to 52%, and his three-point percentage to “only” 48%. He averaged three turnovers but four assists, and still managed twenty-six points per game. This contrast makes it clear what effect double-teaming Lin Fei has. In the previous playoff game, when defenders tried front-and-back coverage to limit his shots, Lin Fei struggled to find space and had to pass more—though many of those passes didn’t result in direct assists. His assists didn’t seem crucial to the Warriors’ system, either; when Lin Fei was off the court, the team averaged nearly six more assists over forty-eight minutes than when he played, meaning his scoring was often more threatening than his playmaking.

Another statistic: Lin Fei averaged nearly thirty points and three assists per game, while his direct opponents averaged twenty points and seven assists. This further highlighted Lin Fei’s offensive prowess and his defensive limitations.

Seeing this comprehensive analysis, Scott Brooks seemed to have found a lifeline. He immediately edited footage and, along with Lin Fei’s previous game tapes, gathered Westbrook, Durant, and the others to study them. Now, every Thunder fan and expert was analyzing Lin Fei.

“Oh! So Lin Fei’s favorite shooting spots are here. Remember them! And he seems to favor a right-side crossover into a pull-up jumper! The key is the help defender!” The players began to meticulously dissect Lin Fei’s every habit.

This special program, “The Science Behind Why Lin Fei Is Unstoppable,” naturally came to Lin Fei’s attention as well.

He kept his usual smile—who knows what was going through his mind.

Nelson, too, was delighted after watching. He hadn’t expected there to be such a group in the league, more attentive to Lin Fei than he, the coach, was, and even using data to analyze his own player. With this information, deploying Lin Fei seemed even more effortless.

The first round of the playoffs had come down to a final Game 7. The Mavericks had already advanced and were waiting for the winner of Thunder versus Warriors. With a decisive battle looming, every small move seemed to ignite the greatest passion.