NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 337: Outdated Basketball Concepts (Daily Chapter)

On May 2004, 5, ESPN reviewed last night's Eastern Conference Finals in its morning program.

Compared with the recent semifinals between the Pistons and the Pacers, the ratings of the Eastern Conference Finals have begun to rise again.

The ratings seem to indicate that fans don't actually care whether the game is evenly matched. As long as there are superstars, everyone will choose to watch the game.

Those who clamored that the Knicks had ruined this era were no longer mentioned. Some sports commentators vowed that fans were tired of seeing Li You's words and were slapped in the face.

There is nothing to analyze in the G1 game. After so many years, the team that digs a hole in the first quarter will lose, and there has never been a comeback against the wind.

In even years, TNT is responsible for broadcasting the Western Conference Finals, and this round of games attracts a lot of attention.

After all, Kevin Garnett is the MVP of this year's regular season, and the Lakers also have an F4 lineup. Although they are a bit older, most fans don't mind.

Entering the conference finals, there is not much rest time left for the team, and the game must continue the next day.

The Timberwolves have home court advantage, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune shouted loudly for the home team in the sports section that day:

"The underrated Timberwolves will show their fangs!"

As the largest local newspaper in Minnesota, its influence is not as good as that of the New York Times, and it is not very good at organizing. This makes most fans actually look forward to the performance of the Lakers.

Several mainstream newspapers in New York have been clamoring to teach the "thief" Lakers a lesson a long time ago. During this period, the Los Angeles Times gossiped about Li You's unintentional basketball party.

The other party seems to want to use this kind of news to prove that Kobe's illegal invasion is not a big deal and that everyone is just a young scumbag.

One thing goes to the other, and in the conference finals, the two sides were the loudest. The fans followed suit, and Kevin Garnett was ignored again.

It seems that he thinks he can defeat the elderly Malone. Garnett was full of confidence in a recent interview:

"I'm the best big man in the league this season, and I respect the Lakers, they're a championship team."

"But the basketball game is not about who is more famous. The Timberwolves are underestimated. I will lead the team in this series to prove our strength!"

Garnett, who is playing at home, looks confident. For the Timberwolves, this is indeed a good opportunity, and they can take the lead.

In the morning, TNT's program is also warming up for the evening game. Compared with the Eastern Conference finals, there is no need to worry about ratings here, it is full of gimmicks!

The trio did not discuss tactical issues too much. Instead, they talked about Gary Payton's data in the Western Conference semifinals in the studio.

场均出场38.4分钟，场均拿到9.0分3.2篮板5.2助攻0.8抢断1.7失误；

The shooting rate was 33.9%, the three-point shooting rate was 25.0%, and the free throw shooting rate was 73.3%.

Just looking at Excel, most fans would not believe that this was Gary Payton's performance against the Spurs.

Although Parker started high and low in this series, he averaged 16.7 points per game and shot 38.1% from the field.

Comparing the two, from a statistical point of view, Parker still performs better than Payton.

Not wanting to criticize the veteran, Charles Barkley rarely spoke loudly, but commented tactfully:

"I believe Payton can adjust his condition in time. We have played against each other many times and I know him very well. He did not show his true strength in the semifinals."

The data doesn't lie. Gary Payton is extremely stretched. In this regard, Kenny Smith gave an objective evaluation:

"During the long regular season, the main players of the Lakers were often absent, which took a great toll on Payton's body!"

"Facing Cassel in the Western Conference Finals, I think it will be difficult for him to regain his form. In the regular season, Cassel performed very well. Just like Garnett said, he is underestimated."

Karl Malone's data also declined, but no one criticized the veteran. After all, injuries are unpredictable.

Ernie Johnson saw that the two did not want to discuss the veteran's performance too much, so he immediately changed the topic and asked:

"Among the current four teams in the conference finals, no player in the backcourt can limit Lee's performance."

"The Pistons' pressing defense didn't seem to cause any trouble to the Knicks."

"Do you think the Knicks can defend their title this season?"

Both of them were somewhat silent after hearing this question. Finally, Charles Barkley shrugged his shoulders and said helplessly:

"Perhaps Lee will always rule this era."

O'Neal, who came to the Target Center Arena to warm up in the afternoon, was full of confidence in this round of competition. During the interview, he resumed his sinister tone:

"I like to send MVPs home, and I don't think the Timberwolves' big men will bother me."

"I haven't fully exerted my strength in the playoffs. Gary's condition will get better and better. This is the experience of a veteran!"

In the semifinals, O'Neal averaged a double-double of 22.5 points and 14.5 rebounds per game.

The field goal percentage is as high as 63.5%, but the free throw percentage of 43.5% shows that O'Neal on the free throw line has declined a bit.

Averaging 14.2 shots per game is not O'Neal's limit. When faced with bragging in interviews, everyone believed that what Shark said was true.

Most reporters circled around O'Neal. The two Lakers veterans' semifinal statistics were not very good and they were completely outdated.

As for Kobe, since he refused an interview with ESPN, many sports reporters have stopped paying attention to the Lakers' main scorer.

More importantly, Phil Jackson has made his attitude clear. He hates Kobe and speaks for O'Neal. Naturally, there is a lot of conflict between the two parties.

Kobe, who was wearing training clothes, didn't care about the attention of everyone. Even if he was isolated, he didn't care because the Lakers couldn't do without him.

With Payton stretching his hips, Kobe's role becomes more and more important. Even if the old KFC guy doesn't like it, he has to pinch his nose and give him a lot of playing time.

Seeing everyone gathered around O'Neal, Kobe, who continued to warm up, quietly curled his lips, feeling a little unhappy in his heart:

"This is my team!"

In the game that night, the Timberwolves fans showed 120% enthusiasm and kept shouting loudly for the home team.

The two sides were still in a stalemate in the first half, but as the third quarter began, the Lakers played a wave and the Timberwolves immediately lost.

97:88, losing at home, the Target Center Arena became very noisy after the game.

Gary Payton performed poorly on the offensive end, shooting 7 of 2 and scoring 7 points, but Fisher on the bench supported the Lakers' outside shooting.

Fisher made 9 of 5 shots, 5 of 4 from beyond the arc, and scored 14 points off the bench. Fisher performed very well.

赢球后自然心情舒畅，16中9，罚球11中9，砍下27分18篮板5助攻4盖帽2失误的全能数据，奥尼尔在赛后走向球员通道时连连大叫：

"Fake! No one can restrain me!"

The outstanding performance also gave O'Neal the confidence to continue asking for a big contract from the Lakers. Although he has entered the end of his career, he is still the number one center in the league.

老马龙13中8，拿到了17分11篮板，加内特15中7，拿到16分10篮板的两双数据。

The MVP did not crush the veteran, which made Garnett slap him in the face after the game. In the interview, he could only emphasize repeatedly:

"We will win G2!"

On May 5, as the Lakers won an away game, the New York sports media was overjoyed.

With more than a day of rest, it will be difficult for the Pistons to make too many adjustments.

However, most sports reporters didn't pay attention to them. They asked some innocuous questions as usual and briefly reported on the opponent's updates. After that, there wasn't much news.

Since Hill was confirmed to participate in the Athens Olympics, some sports reporters came to have fun after the G1 game.

When he came to Madison Square Garden to warm up in the afternoon, Grant Hill was blocked by reporters again.

Hearing the chatter of questions, Hill felt helpless. It was obvious that some people had bad intentions.

"Grant, do you think there is a problem with coach Larry Brown's tactics?"

"It is said that you are more supportive of Coach Krzyzewski being the head coach of the US Men's Basketball Team. Is this because there are problems with Larry Brown's coaching?"

"Can the Knicks continue to beat their opponents with big scores? Grant, will you get a triple-double tonight?"

Since the Pistons had too few All-Star players to support the topic, people began to consume Larry Brown.

Grant Hill felt dizzy after hearing this. Players would not comment on the head coach. He could only keep smiling and talk about the situation:

"Larry Brown's ability as head coach is outstanding, and I support him becoming the head coach of the U.S. Men's Basketball Team."

"The Pistons are a tough opponent as well, and I don't think too much about my numbers."

Watching Grant Hill, who was wearing a black formal suit, leave, many sports reporters felt that they were still unsatisfied.

If we could dig out the conflict between the men's basketball captain and the head coach, such news would definitely be popular!

G1的比赛，希尔13中6，罚球4中4，拿到16分8篮板10助攻1抢断3失误的准三双数据。

When ESPN reporters thought of tonight's game, they suddenly felt very boring. Several people complained in low voices:

"Why did the Pistons enter the conference finals? There will be more news if they meet the Pacers!"

Several people at Yahoo Sports also felt that the Eastern Conference finals were not exciting and lacked star quality:

"Outside of the Knicks, the outside All-Stars in the Eastern Conference are guys who don't live up to their reputation."

"McGrady and Iverson can't beat Lee in terms of statistics!"

Several people chatted about this topic and gradually began to talk about it indiscriminately. If all the star players could enter the playoffs, it would be much easier to write short essays.

In the past two years, Corliss Williams also won the Best Sixth Man Award. This player is also considered a star player of the Pistons. However, these two seasons were completely silent, and sports reporters did not pay attention.

Hamilton was affected by his style of play and was not likeable, and Rasheed Wallace did not show his past All-Star style.

There are no star players and no beautiful statistics, which makes many sports media find no reason to brag about X.

On the contrary, Larry Brown has attracted much attention. Currently, this veteran coach has become the big star of the Pistons.

When Li You appeared in the arena, most of the sports media followed suit.

The ESPN reporter did not ask about the outcome of the game, but asked:

"Lee, did you pay attention to last night's game and which team will be the Knicks' opponent in the finals?"

Li You didn't watch the ball at all last night. Since Ivana returned to Manhattan, he has been busy doing ball control training recently.

"Both teams are very strong. No matter who will enter the finals, the Knicks will not lose to their opponent."

"The coaching staff has developed a detailed game plan for us. However, at the moment I am only focused on the conference finals and we need to continue to protect our home court."

Li You, who talked about the scene, analyzed the game seriously. After a burst of rhetoric, everyone was satisfied.

Only the Los Angeles Times reporter was not satisfied. They noticed that Li You didn’t care about the Lakers at all:

"It is said that Li lived here in Manhattan after attending Ivana's graduation ceremony. I don't believe the lies about him training hard every day!"

When a reporter from the New York Post heard such gossip, he immediately responded:

"Lee likes to train in the morning, and players also need private space. Which player have you seen spending time in the training hall at night?"

"Kobe Bryant practices in the training hall at night. We all know that he has dedicated himself to basketball. This is a pure basketball player!"

"There was a relationship problem between Vanessa and him, so Kobe came home very late. Don't be impressed by yourself here. He just had nowhere to go because of the illegal intrusion!"

"."

The two sides have begun to fight each other again. Recently, many teams have frequently talked about "spiritual basketball" which was initiated by the Los Angeles media.

This season the Lakers' main players' statistics have declined. In order to better praise them, the Los Angeles Times began to boast in a fancy way.

Both sides look down on the other's rhetoric. The Knicks are almost losing money, and their mental attributes are not as good as loan championships. After all, New York fans like big wins.

Before the game started at 20 o'clock that night, in the Knicks locker room, Stoudemire was a little disappointed after the coaching staff did not have many instructions.

After winning the game by a big score in G1, Stoudemire thought he could take on more tasks, but the fact is that his playing time has been reduced again.

D'Antoni, who has become more cautious, seems to have entered a state of fighting against the main force. During the rotation phase, the playing time of role players is reduced. The coaching staff hopes to clock in three quarters to allow the core players to rest and the role players to play garbage time.

"Don't be careless, stay focused during the game, we want to win at home."

"The opponent may insist on using zone defense. Pay attention to their positioning and pass the ball in time!"

"Play smart and take advantage of the two corners."

Continuously drawing the ball route on the whiteboard, D'Antoni reminded everyone without paying any attention to the emotions of the substitute players.

When it comes to key games, the coaching staff still trusts the main lineup more.

Everyone is aware of the head coach's reminder. Even if the opponent relies on faster lateral movement to continuously help defend and expand the defensive area, the ball is faster than people.

As long as the ball is passed reasonably and quickly, there will always be opportunities for more hits and fewer hits.

Several assistant coaches pulled Gasol and reminded him that the same tactics could not work continuously. It was time for Li You to change his routine after squatting in the bottom corner.

It was about to be the turn of the home team players to play. After everyone left the locker room, Stoudemire was a little unhappy behind him.

There are too many tactical requirements. For the second-year rookie, it is difficult for him to fulfill the requirements of the head coach. Stoudemire, who was walking behind, adjusted his headband and complained secretly:

"Obviously we can fight more easily!"

Li You supports the coaching staff's arrangements, and everyone in the Knicks has to cooperate. The situation with the Pistons is completely different. Larry Brown is extremely strong:

"I need to see you slide more actively to defend and expand your defensive range while maintaining your defensive position!"

"You must be able to do this. The game lasts 48 minutes. After the last game, you should be mentally prepared."

"Being behind is not terrible. What is terrible is losing fighting spirit. As a Pistons player, I will not allow you to have negative emotions."

"Champions are never easy, fight like a man!"

Larry Brown has been polishing the corresponding defensive methods of zone defense for a long time after taking over the team.

He firmly believed that this kind of defense would work. Larry Brown, who was wearing a white shirt, adjusted his glasses and pulled the tie at the collar. Finally, he looked at Billups and said:

"Slow down the game and don't make any more low-level mistakes. Victory belongs to us!"

The head coach entrusted him with an important task, and Billups nodded vigorously to show that he understood.

Soon everyone formed a circle and roared to boost their morale.

As the leader of the team, Ben Wallace followed everyone towards the tunnel. When the noise reached his ears, Ben began to pray secretly, praying that everyone in the Knicks team would be able to work hard during the game.

After the game started at 20 o'clock, most New York fans in Madison Square Garden no longer mocked their opponents. They were not interested in the Pistons' "little role".

Without star players, New York fans just felt bored competing with role players. Therefore, after Gasol's successful jump ball, the atmosphere in the arena was actually better than the previous game.

"Let's go Knicks!."

Amid the cheers, the Pistons still chose zone defense in the first round.

In the ESPN commentary box, Bill Walton saw the players' positions and immediately commented tactfully:

"This defensive system shouldn't have much impact on the Knicks!"

"I'm not optimistic about their persistence. The Knicks will not fall into their defensive trap."

Nessler saw Li You who had passed half the court and quickly directed his teammates to get into position, and he also added:

"Lee does not rely entirely on talent to play. As the brain on the court, he can always easily dismantle the opponent's defense."

Gasol, who received the instruction, had already run to the right corner.

Li You quickly passed the ball to Artest on the right wing. The latter also stopped the ball and quickly passed it to Gasol in the bottom corner.

After completing the pass, Artest made a cut without the ball and went straight to the basket.

Noticing that Ben still maintained his defensive position and had no chance, Artest, who came under the basket, immediately accelerated and ran to the left corner.

Li You was far away from the three-point line at this time. While Artest continued to move, he received Gasol's back pass.

On the line, he threw the ball to Grant Hill again. Li You passed the ball very fast. Hill did not stop the ball. He was also far away from the three-point line. After receiving the ball, he immediately gave the ball to the left corner.

The Pistons' top line defense moved accordingly, but Williams always maintained a defensive position in order to defend Hill's breakthrough and did not follow the ball and move to the left corner.

Rasheed Wallace wanted to pounce when he saw Artest receiving the ball. At this time, he was knocked down by a pass fake and couldn't help but stop.

After making a fake move to throw the ball up the line, Artest made a slight adjustment and made a quick jump shot from the left corner!

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

After hitting a three-pointer right after the opening, Artest, who took on more finishing duties tonight, shouted excitedly, and the family and friends in the audience also waved their handkerchiefs wildly and applauded repeatedly.

"Defense!."

The defensive cheers sounded in the stadium, and Li You continued to lead the defense, pressuring the defense and delaying the opponent's advancement.

Head coach Larry Brown on the sidelines saw Billups carefully controlling the ball and dribbling across half court in 8 seconds. He couldn't help but think of his former "favorite general - Allen Iverson."

Compared with Iverson, who likes to get excited during the game, Billups is more stable and has better tactical execution, but when he met Li You, he was just like Iverson.

The Knicks still continued their man-to-man defense, and Hamilton quickly slipped across the baseline from right to left and came to the left block, but failed to receive the pass.

Similar to the Pistons' defensive strategy, the Knicks also like to put pressure on their opponents from the outside.

Williams was entangled by Grant Hill, preventing him from easily receiving the ball on the left wing.

Unable to seize the offensive opportunity, Hamilton moved laterally again, and then immediately ran to the right wing to open up space.

As Billups moved to the left wing, Williams cut in without the ball and quickly ran to the right corner.

Rasheed Wallace continued to ask for the ball in the low post on the left, and Kurt Thomas made several semi-circles to defend and did not give his opponent an easy chance to catch the ball.

Billups, who was guarding the ball sideways, did not pass the ball hastily. To be on the safe side, he once again called on Ben to come to the line for a pick-and-roll.

The same defensive strategy as in the previous game, facing the huge delay caused by Gasol's sudden advance, Billups, who was well prepared, immediately sent a ground pass to find the big man in the paint.

Kurt Thomas seemed to be defending one against two, but as Hill, who was near the baseline on the right, returned to the basket, Ben rushed headlong into the circle surrounded by the two.

As if he believed in his shooting touch, Ben took advantage of the situation in the paint area and threw the ball high with his right hand, then hit it angrily.

Taking advantage of Kurt Thomas' desperate efforts to get stuck and get entangled with Rasheed Wallace, Hill shrank to the basket and easily protected the backcourt rebound, taking the ball leisurely and dribbling through the half court.

Coming to the left wing, he observed that his opponent was still defending in the zone, with three people on the line. Hill passed the ball across to Li You at the top of the arc, then accelerated his cut without the ball and quickly ran to the right corner.

After receiving the ball, he moved laterally and approached the left wing. Li You immediately gave the ball to Kurt Thomas in the left block.

The latter received the ball within shooting range, and Rasheed Wallace was forced to move and step forward to prevent interference.

There was no chance for a direct jump shot, and Kurt Thomas immediately passed the ball back.

The left wing immediately released the ball with his left hand after receiving the ball. Li You quickly pushed the ball to change direction. Hamilton and Billups at the top of the arc "closed the door to defend" and flanked Li You.

Before the double-team could take effect, Li You, who pretended to break through, immediately returned the ball to Artest, who was near the top of the key.

Williams on the other side was in a one-two defense situation. He noticed Artest making a fake pass to the right corner, and Williams couldn't help but move to the bottom corner.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Gasol, who was near the baseline on the right, suddenly lifted up and quickly came to the free throw line. Ben quickly reminded his teammates to step forward to interfere.

Artest immediately sent the pass, and Williams immediately stepped forward to help defend.

Gasol didn't pay attention to the opponent's defensive movements, but aimed to the other side, and then quickly threw the ball close to the left sideline.

Li You moved laterally in advance, Kurt Thomas delayed Hamilton with an off-ball screen, and it was too late when Wallace realized something was wrong.

After catching the ball, Li You didn't make any adjustments and just caught the ball outside the three-point line and threw it!

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

"Wow!"

Just by passing the ball quickly and continuously, there was an opportunity to score easily. The New York fans at the scene were naturally happy to see it, and the defensive cheers became a little louder.

When Billups caught the ball at the baseline, he couldn't help but look at the coach. The opponent broke through the zone defense too easily, which made him a little suspicious of the game strategy formulated by the coaching staff.

Larry Brown, who had his arms folded, noticed the looks in the players' eyes and immediately opened his hands and made a downward movement to signal everyone to stabilize.

When the Pistons attacked, they still started from Hamilton, but this time they changed the direction. Ben's strong screen near the baseline on the right side successfully delayed Artest.

Breaking away from the pursuit, Hamilton caught the ball at the right elbow.

Billups' passing quality was not high due to Li You's interference, and he was forced to adjust after receiving the ball. Hamilton's jump shot was still a beat late, and Artest, who struggled to jump to block the shot, successfully interfered.

"state!"

The rebound popped up and Gasol successfully protected the backboard. When Li You stepped forward to respond, everyone on the Pistons retreated quickly.

Still insisting on zone defense, he noticed Grant Hill running straight into the basket from the left wing and quickly running to the right corner. Larry Brown on the sidelines immediately shouted a reminder.

The Pistons maintained their defensive position and simply let go of Hill. After Li You completed the cross pass, he also reminded Artest loudly.

The latter did not hesitate and followed the command and threw the ball directly to the right corner. At the same time, to prevent Ben from attacking, Gasol, who was near the baseline on the right, also made an off-ball screen.

After receiving the ball, no one stepped forward to interfere, and Grant Hill did not hesitate. After full adjustment, he took a jump shot!

"Whoa!" Another three-pointer was scored.

At 0:9, Madison Square Garden instantly erupted, with Grant Hill smiling and pumping his fist in celebration.

Li You clapped his hands to encourage him. As long as the opponent insists on zone defense, the Knicks will shoot them from the bottom corners on both sides in this game.

The cheers were particularly harsh. Less than three minutes after the game started, the Pistons were almost behind by double digits. Larry Brown looked serious and continued to make downward gestures.

Old-school coaches never change their own game strategies. Billups was a little nervous when he caught the ball from the baseline, and his brows were furrowed when he caught the ball.

"Bro! Your basketball philosophy is too far behind. You can't win the championship just by relying on defense!"

Li You stepped forward to interfere and at the same time reminded Billups with a smile. The latter protected the ball and rushed through half court, feeling a little shaken in his heart.

The ball was given to Wallace and he tried to score through a low attack. As a result, Williams was directly intercepted by Grant Hill after receiving the pass on the right wing.

In desperation, he could only stretch out his hand to pull the foul. Williams raised his hand to signal, and was booed by the New York fans.

Billups looked at the head coach. There was no timeout or instructions. He couldn't help but curse inwardly when he was about to retreat.

Li You noticed Billups's expression, and when he took the sideline ball, he chuckled and reminded again:

"Coach Larry Brown's basketball philosophy is outdated. Bro, an excellent point guard, needs to control the game by himself!"

"."

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(End of this chapter)