As long as Yao Ming sets a high pick and roll, the Pacers would use the more mobile Shaquille O'Neal to follow, switching defense directly.
Having Shaquille O'Neal defending Kobe, and Su Wan taking Yao Ming to intercept passes.
After all, once Kobe crossed the free throw line, not to mention Su Wan, even Artest didn't have that many tricks to stop him from attacking the basket.
Shaquille O'Neal, with his long arms and legs, was better suited for defense.
Even if he couldn't stop the shot, he could still be disruptive.
While Su Wan defended Yao Ming, his agility made Kobe hesitant to pass the ball back—firstly, Kobe's passing ability was not top-tier, lacking in flashy pass plays and fine control over pass strength; secondly, passing to Yao Ming was technically challenging. His center of gravity meant he couldn't catch low passes.
The strategy was notably effective; in the first five minutes of the first quarter, Kobe and Yao Ming failed to coordinate even once.
