Evaluation: Weak in offense and strong in defense, one of the representatives of the new generation of point guards!
Talent skills
①Team leader (gold level)
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②Miao Chuan Tian Wang (Gold Level)
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The 26-year-old Rondo has reached the peak of his career. This year Rondo will average 13.7 points, 11 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game.
Not only did his scoring data reach the highest level in his career, he also successfully defended his title in assists and was selected as a starter in the Eastern Conference All-Star Game.
With a rating of 89, Rondo surpassed Garnett and Pierce and became the strongest player on the Celtics team.
It is worth mentioning that Rondo ranked ninth in the regular season MVP rankings this year. This is the season closest to the regular season MVP in his career.
However, what surprised Wang Zelin the most was that Rondo's rebounding ability was as high as 77, which is almost close to the league's top rebounders.
He really wondered how Rondo, who was 1.85 meters tall, grabbed the rebound. He was not like Westbrook, who had a stuck forward like Adams...
Back to the game.
The Trail Blazers served the ball in the frontcourt, and the basketball was passed to Lillard by Wang Zelin.
After receiving the ball, Lillard moved very steadily to the top of the arc to observe the situation on the court, but this time the Celtics' defensive position was airtight and he could not find an opening.
Since the formation of the Big Three, the Celtics' team defense has been ranked at the forefront of the league, ranking first in the league in the first two years.
Although Garnett, the core defensive core of the interior, is getting older, the Celtics' defense is still a bit overwhelming for the young Trail Blazers.
After struggling for a while, Lillard passed the ball to Wang Zelin in the high post.
This time Garnett made penetration shots.
Facing Garnett's long arms, Wang Zelin controlled the ball a few times and found that there was no chance, and passed it to Aldridge in the low post on the left without hesitation.
After Aldridge received the ball, he first got stuck in position, and then tentatively pushed Brandon Bass behind him twice. Feeling the latter's strength, his upper body suddenly exerted force and suppressed Brandon Bass.
Si's body, then half-turned to the basket and successfully wiped the board.
Brandon Bass, who is 2.03 meters tall, is a typical short and stocky inside man with mediocre defense and weak assist defense.
Therefore, after Aldridge scored, his teammates did not blame him.
In another rematch, Rondo dribbled the ball to the top of the arc, faced Lillard's defense, and gestured. Garnett and Buss stepped forward for a double pick-and-roll, causing a misalignment between the players on both sides.
The person defending Rondo became...Wang Zelin.
"snort!"
Rondo bent down slightly, ready to fight the big one.
However, a shocking scene happened.
Rondo had just approached the three-point line, and Wang Zelin...had already retreated one step inward from the free throw line.
At the same time, the other four players of the Trail Blazers also began to shrink inside and set up a pocket formation.
"Show it, Rajan, but I bet there are no bullets in your gun!"
Faced with Wang Zelin's ugly face of "If you want to shoot, you can shoot freely, but if you want to break through, there is no way." Rondo cursed "MMP!" in his heart.
Today's Rondo has not yet developed a threatening shooting ability, especially his three-point shooting percentage, which is around 20-25% all year round.
Basically, it’s up to God to eat!
At this time, all nine players on the court were huddled within the three-point line, and Rondo was the only one controlling the ball outside the three-point line... It was very embarrassing!
Is Rondo going to vote?
Immediately afterwards, he told everyone his choice:
It is impossible to shoot a basketball, and it is impossible to shoot it in this life!
Rondo accelerated his breakthrough and when he came to the free throw line, Wang Zelin and Lillard pounced directly on him.
There is no outside offensive threat at all, but Rondo's scoring ability under the basket is the strongest among outside players, and breakthrough is his usual scoring method.
After seeing the defender coming up, Rondo quickly distributed the ball to Brandon Bass in the high post on the left, who took a two-point shot...
"Whoosh!"
Two-point hit.
Accurate mid-range shooting ability is the foundation of Brandon Bass in the league, and he will never let this opportunity pass easily.
This goal was not defended well and gave the Celtics a chance, but the Blazers players were not discouraged because their defensive strategy was completed.
Let the ball be handled by role players as much as possible, without giving core players such as Pierce and Garnett a chance to exert their strength.
This is an important arrangement made by Coach Terry before the game.
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After his teammate scored, Rondo gave Wang Zelin a provocative look, as if to say: Don't do these bells and whistles, it's useless.
The Celtics retreated quickly and the two sides entered into a positional battle.
Lillard held the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right side. Wang Zelin, Garnett, Aldridge and Brandon Bass were entangled in the paint and kept making physical contact.
It's hard to hit inside.
Lillard quickly made a choice: do it himself.
Rondo was very close, Lillard looked for Batum to pick and roll, and successfully rushed to the free throw line. Courtney Lee quickly made up the defense. Lillard relied on the opponent to complete a turn, and changed hands to pull the lever...
"Snapped!"
Covered!
Garnett, who was originally entangled with Wang Zelin, took advantage of the opportunity and shot Lillard's layup from behind. Just as Wang Zelin was about to grab the rebound, a person suddenly appeared.
Rondo!
A point guard dared to occupy the center position, and he succeeded.
Rondo sneaked under Wang Zelin's arm like a thief, stole the rebound one step ahead of his opponent, and then went straight to the fast break.
The Trail Blazers' half-court position now formed a 3-on-2 situation. Rondo single-handedly went to the basket and used his signature fake back pass for a layup and scored two points.
Can you still play like this?
Rondo really taught Wang Zelin a lesson. He didn't expect that one day he would become a card forward, and in a sense, he was still helping his opponent's cards.
This operation is so smooth, my guide Long!
The Trail Blazers attacked, and this time Lillard dribbled the ball and initiated a pick-and-roll, and the target of the pick-and-roll was Aldridge.
After the pick-and-roll was completed, the two men cut inside at the same time, quickly attracting Garnett's defense.
After Lillard saw Garnett take the bait, he turned and passed to Wang Zelin at the basket. Although Brandon Bass made a timely defense, his height was a flaw.
Wang Zelin carried Brandon Bass and hit the hook.
Switch back to the Celtics offense.
This time there was no mismatched defense, Rondo faced Lillard.
However, Lillard did something even more outrageous than Wang Zelin, retreating directly to the vicinity of the three-second zone.
I really look down on the shooting coached by Long!
But no matter what, Coach Long is also a three-time All-Star player and the starting point guard of the championship team. He has a firm belief in his heart and will never waver and keep going.
If there are no bullets, there will be no bullets. If you kill me, I won’t shoot!
Rondo quickly rushed inside, and Garnett and Brandon Bass quickly pulled away to make room for Rondo.
Lillard quickly left the three-second zone and blocked Rondo's path.
Rondo suddenly slammed on the brakes and made an emergency stop to shoot a two-pointer.
Compared with the terrible three-pointer, Rondo's mid-range shot seems much more reliable, at least it passed... 30%.
Well, it is indeed quite reliable.
Lillard was successfully deceived, and Rondo turned around and threw... "Pop!"
"Come here! It's you we're waiting for!"
The ball was missed by Wang Zelin, who had been waiting for a long time, and flew in the direction of Batum. After the latter received the ball, he went to the frontcourt to assist Aldridge for a layup.
“Nice hat!”
Reggie Miller, who is responsible for commentating normal games, said to the camera very excitedly.
"A good shot indeed!"
Kenny Smith, who was traveling with him, also nodded.
The game between the Celtics and Trail Blazers was broadcast live across the United States. Charles Barkley was ill again, and the commentators sent by TNT TV were Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller.
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The Celtics served the ball from the baseline. Facing the Blazers players' repeated attempts, Rondo acted very calmly. He stretched out his right hand to signal his teammates to run tactics while he dribbled the ball inward.
Pierce made an off-ball move from the left baseline to the right at a 45-degree angle.
Wang Zelin stepped forward to cover the defense, but was blocked by Garnett. Pierce received Rondo's sudden score.
Big empty space.
After receiving the ball, Pierce took action.
Three-point hit.
Coach Terry next to him couldn't help but shook his head.
When it comes to team coordination, the Trail Blazers are still too young compared to the Celtics, and their opponents have repeatedly found flaws. The team's previous freezing tactics have completely failed.
That’s all, let’s see if Lamaku is their counterattack!
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Truth's three-pointer hit instantly boosted the morale of the audience at the North Shore Garden Arena, with thunderous applause and deafening cheers.
The home field advantage was fully demonstrated at this moment.
"I have to say that in terms of team ability, the only one in the league that is better than the Celtics is the San Antonio Spurs."
"Yeah, very good off-the-ball movement and just the right breakthrough points. The Trail Blazers couldn't react at all."
The tacit cooperation of the old and strong teams made Reggie Miller and Kenny Smith in the commentary box shine.
The two teams have been inseparable from the start to the present. Until the official timeout, the score was 14:13. The Trail Blazers took a weak lead with Lillard's three-pointer from the outside.
After the timeout, the starting centers of both teams were replaced... They are all treasures, use them and cherish them.
Then he got a half-main and half-substitute lineup.
The first offense after the timeout was started by the Celtics.
According to the offensive tactics formulated by Celtics coach Doc Rivers, Pierce is the main focus.
Pierce went around from the bottom corner to the top of the arc and received a pass from Rondo, who immediately set a screen and gave him a chance to break through.
Entering the paint area, Pierce saw that there were too many defenders in the penalty area in front of him and quickly distributed the ball to Jeff Green, who came on the bench.
As the eldest of the original Thunder's three young men, Jeff Green has a high basketball IQ and is very suitable for the Celtics' team basketball style of play.
After receiving the pass, he deceived Aldridge with a fake move and went to the basket for a dunk.
14:15.
Next, Matthews assisted Batum to score a two-pointer and quickly responded to the opponent.
16:15.
In the second half of the quarter, the two teams launched an offensive wave.
However, the Trail Blazers rely more on individual talent, while the Celtics rely more on teamwork.
In the first quarter, the Celtics took 17 shots, made 9 of them, made 1 of 3 three-pointers, and 2 of 4 free throws, scoring 23 points, with a field goal percentage of over 50%.
The Trail Blazers made 8 of 21 shots, 2 of 5 three-pointers, and 3 of 3 free throws, scoring 25 points. Although the overall shooting rate was not as high as that of their opponents, the three-pointers were better.
With this, the Blazers entered the second quarter with a 2-point lead.