Chapter 265 The spring of the human shield center is coming back
On May 20, at 6:10 pm, Wang Zelin and his teammates entered the gate of AT&T Arena.
The first player to appear was the Trail Blazers. Due to the presence of Wang Zelin, the Trail Blazers players received huge cheers as soon as they came out. Especially when Wang Zelin came on the stage, the cheers on the scene once exceeded the boos of the Spurs home fans.
The Spurs players were speechless. Those Chinese people were so good at grabbing tickets. If they hadn't reserved 6,000 tickets for local fans in advance, the scene wouldn't have been so beautiful.
The Trail Blazers took the lead in announcing the roster: Lillard, Matthews, Batum, Aldridge, and Wang Zelin.
Spurs lineup:
Tony Parker, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Diego Splitter.
The Spurs have followed the trend of the times and changed from a defensive team to an offensive team, but their defensive heritage has always been there, and the Spurs are still one of the best defensive teams in the league.
Passing by Tim Duncan, Wang Zelin's eyes rested on tonight's opponent, Diego Split.
Speaking of which, this white Brazilian big man, like his boss Aldridge, entered the league through the 2007 draft.
Since he was still under contract with the Spanish team when he was selected, the Spurs could only wait three more years until the 2010-11 season before the Brazilian insider officially entered the NBA from the European League.
I checked it with the system and found that the overall score was pretty good, with a score of 72.
After a short adaptation period in his rookie year, Diego Splitter's average game data has stabilized at around 10 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist. He has played a total of 81 games this season, 58 of which were on the roster.
This shows how much Simaweiji values him.
During the warm-up session, reporters were not idle either, interviewing the main players from both sides to continue building momentum for the upcoming Western Conference Finals.
Wang Zelin accepted an exclusive interview with Rachel.
Yes, she is the basketball goddess who is praised by many basketball fans as the most beautiful reporter in the NBA.
Anyway, in the basketball novels he had read in his previous life, several of them included her in the Crystal Palace. However, after reading it over and over for a while, he still felt that this girl was not his cup of tea.
Once the chaotic thoughts in my mind were gone, the content of the entire interview process was very orderly.
"The Spurs are a strong opponent and we cannot take it lightly."
"There is no doubt that Tim is a great player, but I have never been afraid of greatness, and my teammates and I are on a path to greatness."
"..."
Throughout the interview, Wang Zelin appeared calm and composed.
The Spurs showed more calmness than the Trail Blazers.
Of course, this is in line with the Spurs' team culture. They have never been a high-profile team. Making a fortune in silence is what they like best.
"Tim, today the Trail Blazers No. 36 made a lot of noise before the game, saying that he would surpass you and become a great player for your company."
ESPN reporter Burke asked maliciously.
When Spurs No. 21 heard this, he didn't even bother to raise his eyelids, and said calmly: "Oh, I know."
Time passed quickly, and when it was time to play, the main players of the two teams met at the entrance of the tunnel.
"Hey, Tim! You're already in your thirties, why can't you learn from Los Angeles No. 24 and go fishing? Isn't he cool?"
"Boy, I'm not too old to move yet. If you want to win the championship, it won't be that simple..."
"That's not necessarily the case, old guy, it's time to turn over the old times! Now it's the world of young people."
"...You still have such a loud tone!"
"I call it strength, okay?"
Wang Zelin stepped forward, hugged Duncan, and then... they got into a fight.
Amid warm cheers and boos, everyone on both sides was in place.
In front of the Trail Blazers bench, the main players formed a circle around Terry Stotts, who was giving final tactical instructions.
"On the offensive end, LaMarcus is facing off against Duncan, and it may be a little difficult for him to score. Wang, you have to find opportunities to hit two more, try to find some damage to their hearts, and attract Duncan's attention. If
They fouled, you know what to do," Terry Stotts said.
"Understood!" Wang Zelin replied.
"Others, when they get a chance, they have to shoot decisively and leave the rebounds to Wang."
"Understood." everyone replied.
"On the defensive end, adopt a 32-zone defense to defend the perimeter. Be especially careful with Tony Parker. He is the youngest of the three GDP players. He has been the Spurs' scoring leader in the past few years."
"As for the inside line, leave it to Wang and the others..."
"LaMarcus, do you remember clearly the key points of defending against Duncan?"
"Remember, you can't prevent shots but not surprises."
"Yes, if Duncan breaks in, let the king deal with him."
…
At this time, Simavici was doing the same job in front of the Spurs bench.
"Split, your whole mission is to consume Wang Zelin and not let him control the paint area easily. Be careful about his strength, be smart and don't force yourself."
Simavici said to Diego Split.
Today, everyone knows that No. 36 of the Trail Blazers seems to have solved the physical problem and is not as restricted as in the regular season.
He knows very well that the person who does the best job of defending Wang Zelin in the Spurs is his most proud disciple Tim Duncan.
But the problem is, Duncan is already 37.
Time is a weapon with no solution. In front of him, everyone is helpless.
At the end of the regular season, no one expected the Portland Trail Blazers to make it that far in the playoffs.
That includes the Spurs.
From the beginning, Simawicz did not regard the Trail Blazers as a serious problem. In his mind, the Trail Blazers were not as much of a threat as the lower-ranked Memphis Grizzlies.
This makes the Spurs coaching staff less prepared for the Trail Blazers.
After working overtime these past few days to watch the Trail Blazers playoff game videos, Sima Wei knew that if he wanted to deal with the Trail Blazers, the first thing to deal with was their inside line.
The Spurs' playoff roster is full of five big men, Matt Bonner, Diaw, DeJuan Blair, Diego Splitter and Duncan.
The terrible thing is that except for Duncan and Diego Split, who are over 2.1 meters tall, the remaining three are all under 2.08 meters tall. In front of Trail Blazers No. 36, neither size, tonnage nor strength have an advantage.
Looking at the back of No. 36 on the opposite side, Sima Weiqi had an inexplicable feeling: The spring of the meat shield center is coming back.
The two teams jumped the ball, and Wang Zelin touched the ball first with his rebound speed, winning the first offensive ball for the Trail Blazers.
The Trail Blazers advanced steadily, Wang Zelin moved directly inside, and Spurs center Splitter defended on one side.
Split is 2.10 meters tall and weighs just over 110 kilograms. His shooting ability is almost zero. His main offensive points are concentrated at the basket and the frame area. He is a solid blue-collar center.
Such an inside line, not to mention the tonnage and strength, just the shooting area, for Wang Zelin, is his favorite type of defense.
Lillard was not in a hurry when facing Tony Parker. He saw that Adridge did not drop down low, but took Duncan away on the left wing.
In the end, Wang Zelin hit Split in the low post.
Wang Zelin stretched out his left arm and pushed it to the side arrogantly. Split couldn't stand and was pushed to the side.
Grabbing the ball, popping up, and with a bang, the basketball was stuck into the frame.
2:0, the Blazers scored the first attack.
"Beautiful! The King opened the game with a dunk. Even when facing the Spurs, he is still unstoppable..."
In the Tianchao live broadcast booth, Director Zhang shouted excitedly.
"In the current lineup of the Spurs, in one-on-one defense, I am afraid that only Duncan can restrain the king a little bit by taking action on his own. Others are really not good at it.
Whether it is Dior or De Juan Blair, their tonnage and strength are too small, and even civilian houses can hardly withstand the collision of the king." Yu Jia said.
"That's right, the traditional heavy-tank center is becoming more and more outstanding in King.
Let me make a prediction. From the end of the playoffs to the offseason, let alone the Eastern Conference, there will definitely be teams in the Western Conference that will sign some blue-collar centers." Director Zhang said with a smile.
When Wang Zelin succeeded in another low post attack, Sima Wei couldn't help but shout on the court.