rpbooks Chapter 426 Jedi Counterattack
Chapter 426 Jedi Counterattack
Chapter 426 Jedi Counterattack
It is a shame for any team to be swept 4-0 in the playoffs, let alone the Spurs, the most expensive team in the regular season in the Western Conference.
But now they are standing on the verge of being eliminated, and they only need to lose one more game, and all their efforts this season will be in vain.No one knew what happened in the visiting team's locker room at the Rose Garden after Game [-], and the Spurs players didn't look very good anyway.
In the press conference after the game, Popovich criticized the team very seriously for "not trying hard to win."Although the old man has always been unsmiling, as long as his eyes are not blind, he can see that he is really angry this time. Presumably the Spurs players will not have a good time in the next few days.
It can be said that Popovich is the head coach who is the least used to players in the league. Even GDP, who is the core of the team, basically scolds whenever he wants, and he has no scruples.Of course, his unique personal charm can ensure that his players will listen obediently when they are sprayed instead of complaining publicly in the media. This is also an important guarantee for the Spurs to remain at the forefront of the league for many years.So it's safe to say that Popovich put his language talent to good use in the locker room.
In the next two days, the Spurs will conduct closed training in Portland. This is not because Popovich wants to do something different. He just wants to isolate the interference of the media and give the team a quiet training. The atmosphere is just to prepare for the fourth game.
Therefore, there are no media reporters who can magically expose Popovich's preparations for the fourth game, and even reporters with channels cannot get some gossip from the players.Obviously Popovich put a gag order on his players, which is the most uncomfortable thing for the media.
McMillan also didn't know what kind of plane Popovich was doing, and he was still going to continue to send the starting lineup for the third game.Although he has already realized that the old man will definitely make some changes, but he can't guess how to change them. It's better not to mess up.
After seeing the Spurs' starting lineup for this game, McMillan was taken aback. This is a lineup that the Spurs have basically not used this season. Even ESPN, which is responsible for broadcasting the game, also subtitled the program: This lineup Never played even a minute this season.
Yes, Popovich, who has always been unconventional, started his black technology again. This time he worked out a lineup of one big and four small. Duncan was on the inside, and Leonard and Danny were on the outside. · Green, Ginobili and Parker, basically these are the five strongest players on the Spurs team.
Although the Spurs' lineup looks weird, it's like arranging the team's players from strong to weak, and then selecting the top five to play together.But if you think about it carefully, this lineup is not impossible to succeed. Although Duncan's pressure is greater, the pressure on the Blazers' outside line will only be greater.
Especially when the Spurs are attacking, with four outside shooters lined up along the three-point line, Aldridge's position will become very awkward.It is true that he was able to guard against Dior before, but now his movement speed is weak no matter who he faces, and whether he can keep up is still a big problem.
McMillan can't say how the Spurs' lineup can perform. Out of caution, he still maintained the previous starting lineup.Of course, he also wants to see what kind of tricks Popovich wants to do. Some lineups look beautiful, but their combat power is not very good. Who knows how much combat power this strange lineup of the Spurs has?
Popovich looked calm on the sidelines. He is confident in his lineup, and he has also practiced what tactics to play in the training sessions these days.Although basketball games are very particular about on-the-spot command, sometimes planning in advance is still necessary.
At the beginning of the game, the Spurs' tactics surprised McMillan again, because when they attacked, the inside line was basically empty!That's right, it is indeed empty. Duncan is holding the ball in a high position near the free throw line to support, Leonard is ready to cut to the basket at any time, Green, Parker and Ginobili are all running outside the three-point line looking for opportunities. The two big men, Deng and Aldridge, stood under the basket in a daze.
Although Leonard's shooting is not very reliable, his ability to finish under the basket with a cover is already remarkable.Judging the situation, whether it was a backhand layup, a pull-up or a dunk, he did it in an orderly manner, completely teasing the two major insiders of the Blazers in the applause.
The most important thing is that whenever Leonard moves, Ye Feng will follow him. If he does not move, he will let Leonard attack the basket, but once he moves outside, it becomes a dilemma. Leon Nader's casual throw to the outside line is a gap.
Relying on this set of high position support + off-ball cutting tactics, the Spurs took a 12-point lead in the first quarter. It seems that if McMillan doesn't want to find a way to break it, the Blazers will explain it here in today's game .He tried to let Babbitt replace Aldridge, mainly to defend Leonard's air cut, but Babbitt's performance against the Spurs' screen wall was very average, not as good as the previous Aldridge, at least the latter still Can protect the basket.
As for changing to a smaller lineup, McMillan gave up after a little calculation in his heart.Once he changes to a small lineup, the Spurs' offensive focus will immediately become Duncan. His crushing advantage in the interior is enough to support the Spurs' entire offensive system. At that time, the Blazers will also die ugly.
In fact, McMillan's thinking itself has problems. He thought that the power of the Spurs' tactics lies in Leonard, but in fact the real ultimate move is still Duncan.He can support in the high post and play singles in the low post. If you use the normal inside configuration, Oden can't defend the high post. Second, Aldridge's position is very awkward. If you directly use a small lineup, then Duncan will Go low to play conventional tactics.
McMillan didn't realize this until the end of the game, from which we can see the gap between him and a historical-level head coach like Popovich.But this is nothing to the Blazers. Although they lost this game, the big score is only 1 to 3 now, and they still hold the match point.Although the next game will start in two days, McMillan still has enough time to think about how to limit Duncan's performance.
In fact, in the NBA arena, sometimes limiting a star does not require another star...
(End of this chapter)