rpbooks Chapter 644 Thunder's hidden danger
Chapter 644 Thunder's hidden danger
Chapter 644 Thunder's hidden danger
The Thunder won this game very suddenly.Suddenly, An Luo and others did not feel the excitement of advancing to the Western Conference Finals after the game.They're ready to go all the way to Game [-].
"At the end of the first half, we felt tremendous pressure!" Donovan said with relief after the game.When the reporter asked about the feeling of this game, he said: "However, we did not give up because of this. The more difficult it is, the more we must maintain a tenacious fighting spirit. This is the key to our winning the game. Judging from the results of the game Look, we're doing pretty well!"
Of course, winning the game is naturally something to be happy about.If you can play one less game, the players will consume less energy.This will be helpful for later games.
"Fortunately, we were the ones to win the game. This saved us from the most intense tie-break. Of course, the following games will be more difficult. However, we will be prepared to deal with it. I think we have the ability to go To go further, we have a stable squad, great players and a lot of experience..."
Donovan's remarks at the press conference represent the current attitude of the entire Thunder.This season, the goal of the Thunder is to defend the title.Of course, they never hide it.Now, the Thunder are approaching that goal step by step.The strength they have shown is indeed a source of pride.
But in fact, they still have many problems.
Defensive issues have always affected the Thunder.In six games with the Rockets, the Thunder have allowed 102.5 points per game.That's an increase of five points from their average allowed in the regular season.This is already a very big setback!You know, this is the playoffs.The biggest problems center on the front line, especially Grant.His defense is actually good and his motivation is also very high.But if he needs to help defend inside and outside, the burden is still a bit heavy.Paul George lacks Robertson's "bonus", and his defensive deterrence has also dropped a lot.It can be seen from his steals per game.He averaged 5 steals per game when Roberson was on the court; that number dropped to 2.8 after Roberson retired from injury.The average is nearly 1.9 less steal per game, and the restriction on offense is much smaller.
There are also some problems on the offensive end.The Thunder players seem to have gotten used to the fact that An Luo and Paul George dominate the offensive end, so when the opponent targets the two, Westbrook and other players can't make up for the lack of offensive firepower.In fact, players such as Westbrook, Adams, Grant, and Kanter can all score.But since the start of the playoffs, these players have not performed very well on the offensive end.
Both offensive and defensive problems can be solved.But the biggest problem worries Donovan.In previous games, players such as Paul George's shoulder, An Luo's ankle, Adams and Westbrook all had similar minor injuries.
Injuries are what Donovan is most worried about.And, they themselves are victims of injuries.
In fact, in this year's playoffs, injuries have been inseparable.Not only the Thunder, other teams have not escaped the attack of injuries.
The Warriors, before the start of the playoffs, were hailed as the team most likely to win the championship this year.It is also the team that has been hurt the most by injuries.In the first game of the playoffs, Cousins was injured and was directly reimbursed for the season.The five-star warrior suddenly went to one star and became a four-star warrior.This also makes the plot of the "Alliance Finale" that everyone thought was more possible.In the ensuing games, Curry, Thompson and Durant all suffered minor injuries.Especially Curry and Thompson, who both suffered ankle injuries in the game, missed several games in the series with the Nuggets.If it weren't for Durant's outbreak, the Warriors would definitely not be able to withstand the Nuggets' offensive.Regardless of the fact that the Warriors are leading by a large score now, their pressure in the following games is also extremely high.
Even the already-out Rockets and the soon-to-be-out Nuggets have not escaped the scourge of injuries.
In the Thunder team, apart from Robertson before, there were no major injuries.However, there were not broken bits and pieces of minor injuries.Paul George's shoulder injury was never quite right.All season, Paul George has struggled with his shoulder injury.Although there is no need to suspend the game to recuperate, it still affects his performance in the game.An Luo sprained his ankle in the second game against the Rockets.In his career, he was indeed rarely affected by injuries.Of course, this also has a lot to do with his short time in the league and his technical characteristics.He does not have the best physical fitness like the traditional guards in this league, and he likes to use his explosive power and various changes of direction to break through and score.He shoots the ball more often, and his confrontations are all post-up singles.It looks a bit "soft", but An Luo can't hold back and can score, and he can score better than most players in the same position.Just like that, An Luo was still injured.The intensity of the competition can be seen.
Fortunately, An Luo and Paul George's problems are not too big.He was still able to play before, and he was able to maintain a normal level of competition.Of course, this was diagnosed by a doctor.As a professional player, it is rare to fight with injuries because of a certain game or a certain series and risk affecting the entire career.The team's management and coaching staff have no right to let players do that.
The biggest problem for the Thunder is Adams' injury.That is, in Houston's last Western Conference semifinals game, he stepped on the opponent's instep during a fight at the basket, sprained his ankle, and then limped off the court.
After a quarter and a half of the game, Adams did not appear on the court again.Fortunately, Noelle played well and helped the Thunder guard the penalty area.
However, without Adams, the Thunder's strength would drop by at least [-]%.The role of Adams has already surpassed that of ordinary role players.Everyone even thinks that the Thunder is also a four-star team.The fourth giant is Adams.
Fortunately, Adams' injury was not serious.However, he must rest for at least a week.In other words, if the Warriors beat the Nuggets 4:1, Adams is likely to miss the first or even the second game of the Western Conference Finals.In this way, when the Thunder face the Warriors, they will be at a disadvantage inside.If it is the Nuggets, the disadvantage of the inside line is even greater!
This can be regarded as a big hidden danger for the Thunder, and it is also what Donovan is most worried about.Although the Thunder has been dominated by the perimeter in the past two seasons, Adams' role on the court is irreplaceable.
(End of this chapter)